EDC philosphy

[asupernothing]

I am sure its here somewhere, and I just didn't take the time to find it, but I was wondering what defines peoples EDC kits?

I see some people pack a small suitcase for EDC, while others only carry a small SAK.

I figured I would ask what different people's theories are in regard to EDC kits.

The only answer I am not looking for is: "see above" or its variations.

I want to get a better idea of what people here think about when they pack a kit/tool/ lack of tool(s). As such I would imagine everyone has a different thought process and therefore a different response.

Thank you.

[asupernothing]

I will post my own thoughts on EDC gear/kits, but its time to go to work.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It all depends on what I'm doing really, but if I'm at work then it's generally a large Sak/MT, fire lighting kit and a torch on me, plus work specific tools

The rest of the time I can get by with a Farmer/Classic and a decent torch

[ryan1835]

It all depends on what I'm doing really, but if I'm at work then it's generally a large Sak/MT, fire lighting kit and a torch on me, plus work specific tools

The rest of the time I can get by with a Farmer/Classic and a decent torch

why do you need a fire lighting kit at work?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It all depends on what I'm doing really, but if I'm at work then it's generally a large Sak/MT, fire lighting kit and a torch on me, plus work specific tools

The rest of the time I can get by with a Farmer/Classic and a decent torch

why do you need a fire lighting kit at work?

I carry firelighting equipment everywhere, but I do start a few bonfires at work + come October I'm helping run the School forest school, so I'll teaching the kid's how to light small fire's 2-3 times a week hopefully

[DaveK]

I generally carry as much as I can without getting back-ache

My philosophy goes:

Twice as much hardware = Twice as prepared!

[InspectorWinter]

My philosophy is that I only carry what I need/use in my EDC kit, if something goes for a week without being used then it goes back into a drawer until it's needed again.

[Mr. Whippy]

For me, EDC depends on where I'm going to be.

I carry ALL the tools I'll likely need, a flashlight of some sort and a blade.

At work, this means a SAK with scissors and modded SAK with bit driver.  Can opener (on SAK), flashlight and Atwood Funnybone (wrench).

At home, it really depends on the day's jobs.  Almost always a Leatherman (Skeletool or Charge), a Farmer (need the saw and bottle opener/pry tip), Fenix PD10, Raker Ring tool and a CRKT Guppie.  Sometimes the CRKT Razel goes along if I'm going into the hives.

Basically, I don't like having to hike back to the workshop if I don't have to.

[Styerman]

I devide mine between work and non work . The lights are common to both .

Chris

[Swiss Man]

While at work I wear a pistol belt with a double magazine pouch that holds a Vic Rescue Tool and a Leatherman ST300. While I have in my pockets a
Rambler, Alox soldier and a small flashlight.

While at home or on the weekends I drop the pistol belt and carry what is in my pockets.

I hardly, if ever carry a plier based MT on the weekends, then again it's never too far from me.

[ducktapehero]

As far as what I carry on me, ATM I carry a Vic Fieldmaster and about 4 ft of ducktape on a flat roll in my wallet. I usually have a pliers based MT near me so I don't carry them. Usually when I leave the house my wife is with me so if I feel I need anything else I will put it in her purse. I like to dress casual so I don't like to carry a lot of weight.

Improvise and overcome. That's my EDC philosophy.  

[Mercury]

It all depends on what you are doing that day.  If I am heading to Six flags or something, I stick my alox soldier and streamlight microstream in the bottom of my waistpack(they don't actually search the bag, they just look in the top) and once I get in I put them in my pockets.  If I am going to work I clip a small MT to my LRP, a folder in my RRP, and some type of SAK in a belt pouch along with the streamlight.  At home I typically throw my Blast on my belt along with the folder, and the SAK gets put in a pocket along with the flashlight.  There are some variations within those setups, but that's generally what I carry on my person, I have a Maxpedition Malaga that carries everything else; FAK, spare socks, backup knife and MT, and baby stuff.

[Styerman]

Attempted thread Hi Jack , DTH and other Duct Tape junkies . I fix a lot of stuff , but rarely use Duct Tape for anything but field expedient HVAC repairs . I use Ty Wraps , self tapping/selfdrilling screws , wire etc , but almost never Duct Tape .

What am I missing ?

Chris

[NutSAK]

I like to dress casual so I don't like to carry a lot of weight.

I'm the opposite.  I like to dress casual so I can carry more stuff.  I tend to wear cargo pants/shorts rather than jeans though.

[Neil]

I'm disorganised so my EDC is whatever I have lurking in my pockets.  If I have a specific job to do then I grab a bag with specific tools loaded and then we are outside the realm of EDC.

Normally this means I'll have a SAK or two and perhaps a small pliers based MT.  The only time I make a concious decision is if I leave the house after dark and then I always have a small torch in my jeans pocket and in the winter I keep a slightly larger torch permanently in my coat pocket. 

That's as in depth as I get 

[asupernothing]

ok my turn:

As far as EDC is concerned I try to carry everything I could possibly need for nearly any situation which could arise. However since it is also nearly impossible to carry everything, there are obviously certain items which will be absent. In addition I do prefer to travel light, both for comfort and mobility. I often find myself climbing and/or crawling through tight spaces, so carrying a pack of any sort is out of the question. Furthermore I generally find that I like to have easy access to my tools and blades.

On any given day within  a five minute period I can find myself in need of pliers, a driver, scissors, knife, and saw. Since carrying dedicated tools would involve a fairly large toolbelt, I choose to carry a high quality multi-tool. My tool of choice for this purpose is the Leatherman Charge ALX, it blends the right tools in a manageable size with some of the highest quality materials available. However the ChALX is lacking in scissors, which as many people also feel is a serious shortcoming. For this reason I have a Juice S2 on my keychain, in addition the s2 provides me with a second pair of pliers which can be very useful when loosening pass through nuts and bolts.

As a main blade I carry a Leatherman K503, which is a VERY large knife. While the weight of the K503 is a detractor the retractable caribiner turns out to be extremly useful. When wearing a climbing harness my belt and pockets become difficult to access, in these situations being able to securely clip the knife to the harness ensures accessibility.

For the final part of my EDC kit, I have a Fenix LD01 flashlight. (thanks to everyone who helped me select it) The light turned out to be much better suited to my kit than I had thought possible. My main criteria for selecting the light was its ability to clip comfortable to the leather sheath for my ChALX (I also fit a spare battery into the sheath).

In terms of carrying styles, every tool gets a different place suited to its purpose. I prefer to maintain easy access and crowded pockets are contradictory to this purpose. Since I carry my wallet and phone in my front pockets those items remain alone in the pockets. One of my back pockets carries my keys/juice. The ChALX is sheathed on my right side, and the K503 is clipped to my belt on the left side.

As an EDC kit, I am always carrying these items on my person. Well not always but as long as I am wearing pants.

There are other tools which I can carry when I feel that there will be a specific need though they are always carried in addition to the basic kit. For example, when working on the yard I grab a LM Genus. In addition as everyone knows there are times when it becomes awkward to carry belt sheaths and it is neccessary to "conceal" the tools. When concealing tools, the K503 can be left behind and the Chalx unsheathed and clipped to the inside of my wallet pocket (to avoid scratching the phone, and because I don't mind blocking my wallet, its empty anyway).

Anyway that is my EDC philosophy. or something like that.

[Gadget Guy]

Fantastic post, I really enjoyed reading it. 

[asupernothing]

thank you

[asupernothing]

{damn it wont let me modify my previous post. let me state that i am slightly inebriated. (aka socially lubricated)}

I wanted to point out that my EDC philosophy is based on the fact that your EDC is not subject to alteration depending on what you have planned for the day. I  believe that what you carry based on the planned activity of the day is your SDC (specific day carry) while your EDC is a general purpose tool set. So I guess what I am trying to do is address an inherent logical fallacy in regard to what seems to be most peoples idea of their EDC plan.

For example if you plan to spend the day laying down a new roof you will be using (I should hope) a roofing nailer and a compressor). But just because you used them on that occasion does not make them your EDC.

Maybe that was an extreme example, but I should hope it made my point (without offending anyone).
I am obviously not criticizing anyone for what they carry, but rather for how they define EDC. In my humble opinion, there is no such thing as a "weekend" EDC and an "at work" EDC. I am of the belief that a persons EDC kit ought to be what they carry as the norm, to address the situations which they most commonly expect.
Meaning:
           If you carry a basic SAK Farmer and LM Wave at work, but at home you only carry the Farmer, then the Farmer is your EDC and the Wave is a modification to that EDC.

(I sincerely do not intend to offend anyone)

[Zed]

As said it depends on what im doing, i generally carry just a pst and a classic, but sometimes a wave , if camping i have always carried a wave and this is where i have ended up again , for heavy duty stuff the st300, but EDC usually a pst as uk legal and sits in the pocket nice, 

[ryan1835]

The pst would be perfect if the handles were more comfortable

[Zed]

The pst would be perfect if the handles were more comfortable

im ard     

[Turnstone]

In addition to things that I need to carry, like my keys, phone and my purse, I only feel comfortable if I carry a SAK, a small light and something to write in my pockets. Some basics are in my purse anyway, like some band aids, 2 safety pins, a small sewing kit, stamps, a Swisscard lite, a tick remover. This is my absolutely basic EDC and with the swisscard I have a light (a very bad light, but better than no light), something to write with and some basic tools and a blade. If I can't carry a SAK and a small light for any reason, I have always my Swisscard, and I guess the only place where I will go without it will be an airplane.

But the Swisscard is usually just a backup. I carry a SAK (most of the time either Cadet or Soldier) and a small light like the Fenix E01 or the iTP A3 EOS upgraded. SAK and Light, that is what I most need and what I use.

I do carry much more stuff I think I need in my bag. But I wouldn't call that my EDC. I carry all that stuff around, and I don't need it. Most of the time. I hate that bag, just too much space inside for stuff  

[Styerman]

Mine's not set in stone , I try new stuff all the time .

Chris

[ducktapehero]

Attempted thread Hi Jack , DTH and other Duct Tape junkies . I fix a lot of stuff , but rarely use Duct Tape for anything but field expedient HVAC repairs . I use Ty Wraps , self tapping/selfdrilling screws , wire etc , but almost never Duct Tape .

What am I missing ?

Chris

One thing, I can take 4-5 ft of ducktape, wrap it around an old credit card or something and carry it in my wallet. Those other things are great and I will use them myself but they're a PITA to carry all the time. Not so with the ducktape. Plus, I'm not the type of guy who really "fixes" things. I just get them back together long enough for someone else to fix it right. Although with quality ducktape often times my improvised method of repair works just fine and I just leave it alone.  

[Mercury]

Attempted thread Hi Jack , DTH and other Duct Tape junkies . I fix a lot of stuff , but rarely use Duct Tape for anything but field expedient HVAC repairs . I use Ty Wraps , self tapping/selfdrilling screws , wire etc , but almost never Duct Tape .

What am I missing ?

Chris

No matter what, I never underestimate ducktape.  It will surprise you with how versitile and useful it really is.  I use tie wraps as well, but saying you never use ducktape is like saying you never use a file.  You may not, but some folks regularly do and it is a vital part of quite a few EDC setups that I've seen.  The biggest help to my EDC rig is an open mind.  I never really used Paracord until I saw a post about it on EDCF, but I had to make a field repair boot lace once, and I just happened to have a paracord survival bracelet on with over ten feet on it.  rarely used it since but it sure saved my rear that day.

[Turnstone]

We were able to repair our oldtimer car with ducktape two years ago. The coolant hose was broken and the green fluid was spraying around everywhere. No chance to drive on, and my significant other had lots of tools to repair almost everything on that car, but nothing that worked here. But I had a roll of ducktape with me, and with that we could fix the problem within minutes and could drive home (about 50 km)  Now we always have a roll of ducktape in the toolbox for the car 

[Neil]

I'd kind of forgotten about duct tape.  I'm another who has some wrapped on a card in my wallet and very handy its been too

[glorn]

Remember: You asked


Being both obsessive compulsive and kit addicted (the two feed each other), and having lived out of a back pack for a number of years, I like to carry what most would consider an excessive EDC. It does change and evolve over time (in fact, it is time for an update), but the core items are always there.

I have some things that are always needed no matter what:

Multitool

Razor knife

Light

Pen

Hand wipes (OCD does not like germs)

Cash

Card wallet

recently a SAK (Explorer.. my newest obsession)

change purse

bandanna or handkerchief

comb
 
lighter

Blackberry

keys with tweezers, nail clippers, and pill fob full of allergy meds and heartburn pills

paracord bracelet

All the rest is more or less a combination of stuff I see as necessary if something comes up or goes wrong, or it is stuff I like and simply cannot bring myself to not carry. That is a difficult thing for me.. to decide something doesn't need to be on my person:

iPod

Spare batteries for the light and a small portable charger for the blackberry that uses the same batteries

Headphones

data cable/wall charger combo for the blackberry

data cable for the iPod (I use it and the blackberry for work, so I cannot be without the cables. The iPod is also my portable data storage)

spork (I use it all the time, but it is not truly essential)

a folding shopping bag (I try to be green, and if you don't carry it, you won't use it. Also handy when you have kids.. and handy for stuff you pick up in the world)

adjustable wrench (for use with the MT. Though I am trying to convince myself that the Latshaw is an acceptable EDC substitute)

small US road atlas (prior to Blackberry GPS, this was my cross country companion.. now I use GPS, but I don't trust it fully. Technology fails)

pictures of my daughter (surely not necessary EDC, but I like to have them. I have some on my Blackberry too, but... see above about technology)

zip ties (never know when these come in handy)

Doug Ritter small survival kit (I think it is the best thing since sliced bread, but you may not)

space blanket

poncho

toilet paper (this has saved my ass.. literally... many times)

recently I have been carrying the EMT shears from CountyComm just because I like them and they are handy on the job. I'm trying to convince myself that I do not need them what with an Explorer and a Surge.

Dr. Bronner's soap in the small bottle (wipes and soap are a must with me)

super glue (I use it all the time)

tide pen (the tiny one came out recently and so it went back in the EDC. I once produced this at dinner and saved her dress for the night from a nasty soy sauce stain. Let's just say that the reward was worth the carry.)

I have a shiny and beautiful pair of forceps that I love. Useful for many things, from knots to hangnails. I also have a left thumb that was crushed and lacks full function. I have a hard time holding small items like screws with that hand. Forceps enable me to function normally when it comes to the fine motor skills of my left hand.

Small pry bar (always a must... might go up in the first list if I think about it for too long)

FAK (five year old daughters need band-aids. So do contractor Dads)

Business cards

pills (a back up match safe with pain pills and such)

some spare change and cash (hidden away.. not much... just enough for minor emergencies)

..and probably five things I am forgetting.

I also have stuff that lives in the truck.


Most of this stuff goes in a bag. My pockets only contain my Blackberry, my Gerber EAB used as a money clip, a bandanna, coin purse, and a comb. Keys clipped via S-biner to my belt loop.


Recently I added the Explorer to that and actually left the house. I felt naked. But it was nice.

I have been known to carry more, and I have been minimalist as well. I don't mind the bag one bit, but my obsessions do bother me often. I want to just pare it down to essentials, and have a bag with extra space. But I just fill the space if it is available. So a small bag is the answer.

When I rode a bike everywhere, my Timbuk weighed a ton. Too large of a bag.


Where does this EDC OCD come from? I have no idea. Only inklings. Living with only what is on your person is what really tipped it, but... I think I had it all along.


Lately I've been wanting to EDC a Pack Towel... I have no clue why.... F*ck... I need help.

[Turnstone]

@glorn, don't worry, I almost carry the same stuff in my backpack, and I don't feel comfortable if I remove them. I can go to the mailbox or shopping without (I can't without my SAK and my Flashlight), but If I go to any longer walk or leave the house for more than a few hours all those things go with me. I even have some basic spare clothes in there (set of underwear, T-Shirt), the towel and a toothbrush. I started carrying all this some time ago when I lived for 6 months together with a crazy women (I rented a room in her flat) and I was never sure I could return home in the evening. She was so crazy I expected she would lock me out one day  I still have these things in my backpack because they could be usefull when I get wet or dirty while geocaching (which in fact happens from time to time). But I wouldn't consider al that stuff as part of my EDC.