kkokkolis' EDC & SDC

[kkokkolis]

Now the whole setup fits in my bag in bag, so I win in weight, space and manoevrability, just one thing to move from bag to bag, apart from my Pentax binoculars.
I will be taking the CatchAll with me though when I'm goimg to our summerhouse or to my daughter's house, since there's a lot of tinkering there all the time. And when stargazing, telescopes and mounts have all the extremes of different screwheads.

[kkokkolis]

I emptied my  Victorinox Trevi and my wife put it in the laundry a couple of days ago. When I refilled it there were many items I could throw away (documents, pieces of paper with notes, expired stuff, paperclips, bookmarks, a forgotten book etc). Now it is about 2-3 kgr lighter and it shows on my shoulder. But I still have the withdrawals. Today my hand searched subconsciously for my Charge, for  the only tool I really used, the serrated blade's strap cutter. I realized it wasn't there and I used my Opinel instead, no big deal.

The CatchAll permitted me to test side by side various pieces for almost a year. What I really used?
Spirit 90% - Charge 10% (almost everyday)
Vic Ratchet 70% - Other drivers 30% (2-3 times a week)
Hex bits 90% - LM bits 10% (but LMs save space)
Spyderco Endura 90% - Opinel 10% but Endura frightened people and the last month I left the Spyderco home and used Opinel 100% (it does  the same with a less fancy way)
Sewing materials, twice in 10 months (I keep a kit in my bag elsewhere)
Bandaids, three times in 10 months (I keep a couple and some alcohol pads inside my wallet)
Compass, pens, pencils and stuff almost never
Minimaglite almost never (I use my iPhone or the LED on my keychain instead)
Pocketwrench II or Crunch or adjustabe wrench several times, but PWII is the lightest/smallest
Need of two pliers simultaneously 3-4 times, so I might try to fit the Crunch in my new Skinth for those times
Swisschamp XLT* every other day, but I used the scissors 80% so I would be good
Sharpeners 5-6  times (half  of them I sharpened other people's knives) so I might try to fit just one bit (instead of ceramic & diamond & stone I had in the CatchAll)
Lighter once a week or more but I keep a small BiC in my bag anyway
Blue Tak 3-4 times but I keep some in my work bag elsewhere

*What I will miss from the XLT: I  used some tools like the fish dischorger (for  poking without harming things), the hook (the hook on the spirit has the awl closeby and is more dangerous) and the coke spoon (for my tea, but a knife can do the same), the needle (I  can fit a needle somewhere though), the cubertool  (but I have the LM bits instead). I also used the small blade or the runing blade for some jobs (like removing safety caps, but a larger blade can do that also). I won't miss all  the similar tools the  Spirit Plus and the alox have, corkscrew and minidriveer included. And the Minichamp will keep my hands tidy as I like them.

So I would say that with this lighter setup I  have 85-90% of the functionality at a fraction of the weight. Still, playing doesn't follow logic, it is an animal instict and it has its own rules. I miss  my toys but I expect things to go better with time.

[parnass]

....
The CatchAll permitted me to test side by side various pieces for almost a year. What I really used?
Spirit 90% - Charge 10% (almost everyday) ...

Your quantified analysis is impressive.   

[kkokkolis]

Victorinox tools are more familiar to me. I got my first Victorinox in 1986 and my first Leatherman in 2012. That might br the main reason for this phenomenon.

[kkokkolis]

New additions. A Skinth Shield 2XL and a Toolet P7


I'm going to EDC the Shield as I said, and I'm going to see what I'll do with the toolet (because most tools that fit to it are going in the Shieldl.

[kkokkolis]

I tried some EDC combinations and this is my choice at the moment.
Front (it closes easily)


Back (he he he he he )


In (bad focus)


Out

[kkokkolis]

Just moments after this picture I added the Victorinox Compass/Thermometer (I have a soft spot for that in my heart, don't blame me) a couple of big needles, a bit of cable wire and some blue tak (always useful). I guess it is almost full, just a pack of hotel matches to add the fire element (or some magnesium).
I can fit the Swisschamp XLT or the regular inside but then the multitool becomes problematic. A Spirit and a Crunch fit side by side but then I loose the SAK. The problem is the plierhead bit that protrudes and the big lock at a lesser extent. A Mountaineer fits instead of an Alox but it closes marginally. Two bit kits or a Hex bit kit fit but you need force to close it. You can fit many small items but the main one is just one and I couldn't choose any other than the Spirit.
Oh, I forgot to add a Vic pair of tweezers!

[HarleyXJGuy]

(Image removed from quote.)

This is your "Light carry"? 

[kkokkolis]

No, I added some items, look the last posts.
Oh, don't make me make an ultralight carry too.

[HarleyXJGuy]

No, I added some items, look the last posts.
Oh, don't make me make an ultralight carry too.

Don't threaten me with a good time.

[kkokkolis]

No, I have an ultralight EDC, I carried it yesterday in a wedding.

[kkokkolis]

OK, I  think this is the final  setup.

Everything fits nicely and the buttons close easily. I have all useful stuff with me (and my fetisch Vic Compass), the LM adapter has the double bit from my Surge ready, the Band Aids and Sewing kit and Blue Tak are in a zelatine container that keeps them organized.
The Shield fits in my bag  in bag and in every bag I own, clipped or in a pocket, or in a coat pocket, or on my belt, or inside my palm, and it doesn't weight a ton. The belt  clip is perfect and it has my signature sticker on it. The material memory after 2-3 days of use help the Skinth retain the place of each tool when I put it back. Everything is reachable without having to remove anything. It's like the Vic SOS kit roughly, but it holds much more and it is thinner and wider, so it fits better  everywhere (thinner matters more than widder).

[SAK Guy]

Awesome kit!

[kkokkolis]

New EDC item.

[SAK Guy]

I like that!!!

[kkokkolis]

It looks even better with a black strap.
It has more features than my Protrek (that costs half the price new, 170€ vs 340€ ) and it is more accurate - compass and altimeter. It is also a bit smaller and more smart, I can wear it with a suit and not be feeling awkward.
On the other hand the Casio is really a tank and I like the salt of many summers on it, something I wouldn't want on the Suunto (so I'll keep swimming with my Casio). And Casio is much more readable, both with direct sunlight, ambient light and its own light. The compass in particular is much more enjoyable on the Casio (I can barely see the Suunto's N indicator). The menus of the Suunto Core are better, since it has a matrix screen with text about what you are trying to do.
It is very easy to change battery on the Suunto and this is nice because it needs it twice a year or even more (so I'll EDC a spare CR 2032). It opens with a Euro coin, brilliant.
Yes, the Suunto is a perfect EDC and the Casio a great beater. The rest few watches I have will have rarely wrist time, I predict.

[lucky13don]

dang, now i need to work overtime...i want a skinth..bad

[cool123]

Awesome kit.
I suggest you to add some good throwing knives to it which can be used for outdoors survival trips like adventure camping.

[kkokkolis]

But I don't do survival. You are kidding, right?

[kkokkolis]

Workload is huge
Real life is demanding
Free time is short
EDC is fixed
Collection is full
Spirit is threatened

But I still need to be an MTO member
I want to get back.
But I often feel exausted and unmotivated.
But then I miss the nice folks here.
And I'll be working more, I am promoted to nationwide medical director for our organization against drugs, 8:00-16:00 schedule and then 17:00-24:00 in office and surplus work during the weekends.

I would like to play but how and when?

[NKlamerus]

That's awesome bud!! Congrats on the promotion!!


Just know we will always be here whether life is busy or not, and when you reach in your pocket to use your swiss tool, you'll be reminded of its roots and course to you.

[kkokkolis]

Thank you for your kind words. For the time being I am terrified. Because of the financial situation I have to work private practice and social security practice too, that's a total three jobs (not counting occasional translations and educational work). And my organization has half budget, it may go lower or even zero if we bankrupt. Anyway, I'll have to work for around 80 treatment units, 650 workers and 8700 patients (we need to add another 1500) and that's no easy task. I was in the same position for a year during 2003, the organization was 1/10th in size then amd we had the same budget, 4.4x more per patient to spend. No comparison.
The sure thing is that my Swisstool serves me well, together with my small Skinth set. And my Opinel cuts a lot of paper every day.

[Aloha]

Congrats on the promotion.  Life does have a way of interfering with our fun time.  When your missing MTo pop in for a quick moment and get a "fix".  Skinth looks like it can handle most anything, nice set up.

[NKlamerus]

Thank you for your kind words. For the time being I am terrified. Because of the financial situation I have to work private practice and social security practice too, that's a total three jobs (not counting occasional translations and educational work). And my organization has half budget, it may go lower or even zero if we bankrupt. Anyway, I'll have to work for around 80 treatment units, 650 workers and 8700 patients (we need to add another 1500) and that's no easy task. I was in the same position for a year during 2003, the organization was 1/10th in size then amd we had the same budget, 4.4x more per patient to spend. No comparison.
The sure thing is that my Swisstool serves me well, together with my small Skinth set. And my Opinel cuts a lot of paper every day.

Hope everything is all and well bud!

[SAK Guy]

Thank you for your kind words. For the time being I am terrified. Because of the financial situation I have to work private practice and social security practice too, that's a total three jobs (not counting occasional translations and educational work). And my organization has half budget, it may go lower or even zero if we bankrupt. Anyway, I'll have to work for around 80 treatment units, 650 workers and 8700 patients (we need to add another 1500) and that's no easy task. I was in the same position for a year during 2003, the organization was 1/10th in size then amd we had the same budget, 4.4x more per patient to spend. No comparison.
The sure thing is that my Swisstool serves me well, together with my small Skinth set. And my Opinel cuts a lot of paper every day.

Hope everything is all and well bud!

+100!

[kkokkolis]

Everything is fine at the moment, perhaps because I'm on vacations now. Hell starts from 17th of August but I think that I'll do it.
My EDC changed slightly since I exchanged the Leatherman bits with my old hex bits and adapter inside my Shield 2XL, the one that I made and fits in Spirit's Philips driver. I carry less bits that way but they feel better when in use and they can be paired with my Spirit and Vic Ratchet. Before that I carried the Leatherman extension but I had no tool to put it in.
During my vacations I also carry my Wenger 130mm Hunter which I loved instantly, my full bag in bag and two pairs of binoculars (Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 and Zeiss Terra 8x42) inside my trusty Victorinox Teardrop Monosling.
I brought with me in the summer house the Skinth CatchAll and already used the Swisschamp XLT a couple of times. Using all these great tools and playing with them became a routine, I reach for them many times a day for one reason or another.
I swim with my Casio as always and wear my Suunto the rest of the day. Salt gives the Casio a heroic look but I want to keep the Suunto intact for when I'm dressed formally.
Here I also bike. My country is very bicycle unfriendly. We have all these hills and mountains everywhere but we also have bad roads and bad car drivers (a small percentage of the driver population but enough to kill you). But we do nice night rides with my wife in our vacations. Unfortunatelly that happens only during summer.
This period I'm more into birdwatching, but I'll probably go for starwatching tonight, 43km from where I live, in order to meet my starwatching buddies.
I also read books (The art of thinking clearly by the Swiss Rolf Dobelli, RSPB Guide to Birdwatching and the Birds of the Aegean where my latest, I now read the Collins Birds of Britain and Europe and Exploring the Way Life Works: The Science of Biology by Mahlon Hoagland and Bert Dodson) and enjoy documentaries, currently "The Life of Birds" with David Attenborough.
So, curently I'm in Paradise. But hell starts sooner that I'd like too.

[NKlamerus]

I'm glad everything is working out though!

I'm sure after a few weeks a new routine and a new schedule won't be terrible.

I think I've told you this but I'm adopting your EDC "switch-a-bag" methodology. It's really nice having 1 or 2 little things that I can throw in any backpack I need and know I have everything..

[kkokkolis]

Current Skinths.
The Shield contains the same tools more or less. The only difference is the use of normal bits and adaptor for Philips drivers instead of LM bit holder and extender. It is EDCed with my Opinel in my pocket and Minichamp/Ladybug on my keys.
The CatchAll lives by my bedside and contains the rest of the tools I find useful for use inside the house. I reach for the XLT everyday, because the Shield is in my bag 20 steps away and I want an excuse to use my Swisschamp as well.
The rest of my tools are in a drawer against our bed, except of an Executive I keep in my shaving bag for hair trimming.
I expect to carry my Ritsartz Picnik knife too inside a food container with underside chilling compartment, because I will be no longer able to eat home and I'm sick of eating souvlaki and sandwiches on the move everyday. I'm happy when I see an opportunity to use something.

[NKlamerus]

Hey bud, been busy with the new schedule?

How's it going?!?!

Any update on EDC? You carrying your picnik?

[kkokkolis]

I'm insanely busy. I mean BUSY. I eat junkfood on the road and hardly sleep. During weekend I have  to do whatever I'm not able to do during the whole week, so I'm busy then also. Now it is the end of another long day, exactly 14 hours of work with one hour intermission I use to go from one job to the other, eating a sandwich or a souvlaki while walking.

Thank you for asking. Thank you indeed. 

I really miss it here.

Well, my EDC is more or less the same.
The Shield contains exactly the same tools. I  feel that it is perfect.
I carry the "bag in bag" with more or less the same contents. I have two tools there that don't fit in my Skinth, a Streamlight Stylous Pro that gets a lot of use (I use it for medicine also) and a Victorinox Dual Sharpener.
I also EDC a Pentax Papilio 6.5x21 binocular and feel great with it.
In my work bag I have a Richarz PicNik knife (with fork). I use it once or twice a week when there is some leftover food to take with me in a Tupperware type container with double bottom that holds an ice pack. After using it I can say that it is great on meat and pasta but difficult with rice.
My Opinel is always on my right pants pocket and used everyday for office work (boxes, folders, envelopes, tape etc).
The Minichamp is  always on my keychain and gets used for removing staples, nail care, prying delicate electronic parts (like eCig) and such.

I'm very happy I have all these everyday helpers, tools that I chose with your help and make me feel nice, a kind of inanimate friends that are here for my needs, joy, comfort, relief and occasional play. Everybody I know expects help from me, I can only expect help from my wife (when she  is around, which is less than ever) and my tools.