What is your well reasoned multitool focused edc?

[dmattaponi]

Thought it would be interesting to see what basic items people have decided on, for their basic every day carry needs…multitool focused and foundational of course.  This is not intended as a tool/brand specific question or what are you carrying today thread, but a generalization of what types of things you’ve settled on and why.  For me…

1) Multitool - must contain at a minimum, pliers and wire cutting ability, a selection of screw drivers.  Ideally scissors, a file and saw.  The trick here is to find something that is pocketable (I don’t want to belt carry), which tends to require some compromise.  I also prefer old school stainless steel with tools contained on the inside (kinda like a little toolbox in your pocket) :-). Through the years I’m always needing a screwdriver to put something together, adjust something…a pair of pliers to bend, turn, squeeze,or cut some wire,

2) Knife - Traditional of some sort that is quicker to grab and open than the multitool above.  Since my compromise pocketable multitool above doesn’t have scissors (which are one of my most used tools), and the knife requires me to open the tool to get at it, I prefer to carry a separate knife like a Swiss Army Knife for the nice slicing blade and the excellent scissors.  A knife is one of my most used tools on a daily basis…opening packages, slicing food, cutting string/cord, etc.  same for the scissors.

3) Pen - Something pocketable that won’t break or stab me while being carried in my pocket.  I’ve found note taking helps me remember things I would inevitably forget by the end of each day…sometimes important, time sensitive things.  I can grab my pen and paper without having to open an app and finger plug a bunch of typos onto a device.

4) Paper - Something small (again pocketable) to write on and to jot down quick notes and reminders.  I don’t like finger typing on a device and I like having to retrieve notes from a hand held device even less.  I much prefer old fashioned paper and ink or lead.  I can get it out, write quickly and later retrieve info quickly with a problem.  Now for work the laptop reigns supreme, but I’m talking edc here.

5) Flashlight - I almost forgot one of my most important and used tools…my flashlight.  I use it more during the day than at night.  Aging eyes and a lot of dark spaces, and or things that I need to see the details of.  Not to mention it does get dark every day.  This is one of the most important tools in my experience…one that’s gotten me out of a jam in two in years past.  Again, it must be easily pocketable, reasonably powerful, (and in recent decades) varying modes and runtimes to meet different needs and different times.  I’ve settled on a AA flashlight.  It has plenty of brightness for everyday needs and runs a long time on a single battery if need be.  Fits comfortably in my pocket and doesn’t weigh much.  It’s an essential IMO.

These are my basics.  The things that I’ve found most useful in my real world day to day over a period of many years…in some cases since childhood.  It seems I always need something to cut and or open with, a few tools for the things that come up day to day at home, office and beyond, and something to write with and on.  Beyond that, everything else is an extra and an extravagance for me.

Hoping some of you will share and make this thread interesting and possibly even a resource for others working through the process of deciding what they need and can reasonably carry on their person day to day.  Anyone care to share some words along with a picture of the basics you all have settled on and why?  You don’t have to be long winded like me if you don’t want:-)

I’ve been carrying some variation of the items pictured below for many years.  If I had to I could carry all of these items in a single pocket or a small pouch.  There are many other things that one might find important and even essential to carry, but these are mine based on my most common day to day experiences over many years.



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[LoopCutter]

On most days, I pocket carry in front left a SS Rebar in a flat nylon sheath.  It provides 99% of my tool needs I encounter at PT job and had home. Good screw drivers/Phillips, small saw, SE & PE blades and good pliers. 

My knife is a Slim Select 112, rides at the top of my right front pocket.
The larger blade is easy to use, can be quickly sharpened and always cuts.

I also, pocket carry a SAK Vagabond. Scissors, small blade screw driver, toothpick and tweezers!

Used to carry a Fisher bullet space pen, but now, just as easy to jot notes into my phone.

Phone also can do the flash light task and picture or video record items I use to copy down, machine tags, labels or instructions. 

If traveling light, I like my SAK Climber.


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[Old Boy]

I used to pocket carry a lot of stuff and put other things in a back pack. But with Covid and a new job (had to stop wearing jeans) I wanted something easy to sanitize and conceal and settled on a Olight i3e EOS which is a tiny thing but pumps out a lot of light, a cadet, knipex 100mm, and a architect wallet that includes a moleskin notebook and a fisher pen. The wallet itself has a few bandaids, duct tape, eyeglass screwdriver etc. Don’t know how I did it but the wallet is still pretty slim even with the cards and cash. A Gerber shard on my keychain. Ditched the backpack.

But now that my family is vaccinated and we know more about the virus I switched out the cadet and knipex with a Leatherman Mini Tool BO and a Leatherman c33t. I was for a while carrying a modded knifeless fuse (added a saw) and a Cold Steel American Lawman but it was too much for my slacks.
I’m really digging the LM Mini Tool and c33t as they cover each other functionally (the MiniTool is good for the pliers, the other tools are so so) and I feel slightly more awesome each day for carrying stuff that are hard to find and discontinued. I have a tiny repurposed sheath for the MT and was able to fit in a P38 can opener in the sheath (it had a small pocket). Don’t really need a can opener nowadays but I’m old enough to remember how indispensable it was back then. Old habits.

The pandemic really forced me to lighten up my load to what I really need.

[dmattaponi]

Good stuff…thanks both of you for contributing and sharing your thoughts.  I find it very interesting to read what others are carrying and why. I’d also love to see examples of pocket sleeves for the Rebar, and where they can be purchased, if anyone has this info?  I also like the idea of a handy P38 can opener.  I’ve used one many times in years past.  They work so well and easy.  Might have to add one to my wallet.


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[NutSAK]

You might get more traffic for general topics like this if you put them in the General Tools forum rather than the Leatherman-specific one.  There is also an EDC-specific forum that seems to often be overlooked.

The suede pocket slips/pouches that Leatherman made for the Sidekick model work perfectly for PST up through Rebar-sized tools.  They do a great job of not just protecting the tool, but keeping them in place in your pocket.  Unfortunately, though they were easy to buy on eBay 5 years ago, I don't see them anymore.  However, you could easily take measurements and make one yourself.  You can even buy a brass grommet kit at the hardware store to duplicate it more precisely if you like that feature.

You can see that the one I carry my PST in has actually form-fit to it after several years of wear, sweat, etc.  I don't own a PST belt sheath, nor would I use one if I had it for such a compact tool.  This is the ideal way to carry a PST, IMO.

I will try to post about my EDC approach when I have some more time, but my thoughts on it mostly mirror yours, as you've probably realized if you've looked back at any of my EDC posts.  In short, my EDC consists of a Rambler on my keychain (always) and always a knife and flashlight.  If I'm not carrying a plier-based tool, the knife in my pocket is a SAK.  I will sometimes carry a traditional slipjoint paired with a more full-featured plier-based tool, such as the Rebar.

I have an old EDC-specific thread here that I need to revive.  Most of this was a side-trip for me when I was experimenting for a short time with minimalist carry.  Toward the end of page two gets back to my more normal carry options: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,51169.msg863002.html#msg863002

And of course there's my favorite old combo thread you've posted in that has been running for 13 years: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,7543.0.html

[dmattaponi]

You might get more traffic for general topics like this if you put them in the General Tools forum rather than the Leatherman-specific one.  There is also an EDC-specific forum that seems to often be overlooked.

The suede pocket slips/pouches that Leatherman made for the Sidekick model work perfectly for PST up through Rebar-sized tools.  They do a great job of not just protecting the tool, but keeping them in place in your pocket.  Unfortunately, though they were easy to buy on eBay 5 years ago, I don't see them anymore.  However, you could easily take measurements and make one yourself.  You can even buy a brass grommet kit at the hardware store to duplicate it more precisely if you like that feature.

You can see that the one I carry my PST in has actually form-fit to it after several years of wear, sweat, etc.  I don't own a PST belt sheath, nor would I use one if I had it for such a compact tool.  This is the ideal way to carry a PST, IMO.

I will try to post about my EDC approach when I have some more time, but my thoughts on it mostly mirror yours, as you've probably realized if you've looked back at any of my EDC posts.  In short, my EDC consists of a Rambler on my keychain (always) and always a knife and flashlight.  If I'm not carrying a plier-based tool, the knife in my pocket is a SAK.  I will sometimes carry a traditional slipjoint paired with a more full-featured plier-based tool, such as the Rebar.

I have an old EDC-specific thread here that I need to revive.  Most of this was a side-trip for me when I was experimenting for a short time with minimalist carry.  Toward the end of page two gets back to my more normal carry options: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,51169.msg863002.html#msg863002

And of course there's my favorite old combo thread you've posted in that has been running for 13 years: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,7543.0.html


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I appreciate the comments.  I don’t know what I was thinking posting this in the Leatherman forum instead of in general topics…I guess I didn’t think.  Thanks for the info on the pouches, pics, and your edc info and link.  I will enjoy looking it all over.  If I mod wants to move this to a more appropriate forum, I completely understand.


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