Bases covered or over analyzing your day to day carry?

[Aloha]

Do you look at the day you're facing and decide?

Look at the tools you have and decide?

Carry something just because?

Carry something because you haven't carried it in a while?

Just pack it all JUST TO BE SAFE?

On work days I look at what I'll be facing and go from there.  I have tools on the truck so I'd be ok forgetting to add something to my pocket/belt. 

Off days for me is where I tend to over analyze my carry.   I think I lean towards the 1 is none crowd.  I also like many tools I have so theres that too.  I don't want to carry everything I like or I would look like batman. 

Sticking to what's familiar has worked for me.  In my life my New Wave has everything I feel I'd need or want.  I feel the same way about my Swisschamp in pocket.  I feel there's not much I cannot face with these powerhouses. 

Lights, well I love me some lights so there's this too  .

I have a few lights that I really really like.  My Thrunite TI, Fenix LD 02, Fenix SS E05, Foursevens Aton A0 TI (red led), and Thrunite TI4 penlight 

What I typically carry are Thrunite TI and Atom A0. 


Honorable mention is my Manager which lives on my keys but there again how do I leave my Minichamp home ?



 

[powernoodle]

pack it all JUST TO BE SAFE?

There is much in this world that we cannot control.  By carrying a full complement of EDC toys and tools, we impart a small sense of control over this otherwise out-of-control world.  Its makes us feel good.  Feeling good is better than feeling bad.

So yeah, I've been carrying a Rebar on my belt and a Glock in my pocket.  The Rebar rarely gets used, and the Glock (praise the Lord) never gets used.  They are both there just in case.  But they make me feel good, and may save my bacon someday.

[sawman]

What I carry on a given day depends on my mood and what my anticipated needs will be.

I try not to leave the house without a minimum of a SAK and MT, lately my MP600 and Swisschamp. I carry a 47's light on my belt loop and as of late sometimes my new Nitecore Tube light (it's awesome). I also have a sheath dedicated to the Gerber bit kit which gives me a little more driver capability. If I were to carry my Wave, a LM bit kit may ride in its place.

It's working out pretty well for me so far. I  just need to remember to carry my Dime more often, as I find myself needing a package opener from time to time.

[Mextreme]

I have a very complex pattern when it comes to EDC. I definitely overthink it.
I always carry some kind of combo, normally two tools often a Vic and a LM. Want to cover as much ground as possible depending on activity. However I despise having any major overlap. I could never carry two tools with wood saw or full size scissors for example. They have to complete eachother as much as possible.

Example:
Skeletool - Micra or is o.k. since the major tools don´t overlap or Pioneer -  Rambler/Manager, same thing small overlap.
Horrible ones would be like Juice S2 and Deluxe Tinker. I would feel extremely uncomfortable by the huge overlap.

[Toolslinger]

I definitely fall into the other-think category. Always looking to min-max my loadout to keep my bases covered. That being said, I hate redundancy (for the most part) and want to minimize the amount I carry and the overall size/weight as well. This makes it a challenge, a hobby and highly expensive at times as I try out different things and mod existing ones to suit.

Once I get something dialed in, I typically run with it for an extended period until something on MT.o tempts me to experiment or I run into a situation which my EDC couldn't handle and I felt it should be able to. Key thing there is that I do draw the line at when I should be using full size, real tools and make sure to always have some handy somewhere. Typically this is in the trunk of the car or in the toolboxes at the house.

[campussecurity]

I like having a folder, Leatherman, and SAK on weekdays, I love the scissors and drivers on a SAK, also like having an awl just in case. Weekdays it's always my Wave, my Climber as of recently, and Spydie Tenacious or Persistence. Weekends I love my Endura and usually have my SAK Craftsman on me.

[parnass]

Do you look at the day you're facing and decide?

Look at the tools you have and decide?

Guilty.  The way to solve the dilemma is to get rid of all your extra gear.  Keep one multitool, one flashlight, etc.   Then the choice will be easy.

See my signature.   

[Kampfer]

I have a very complex pattern when it comes to EDC. I definitely overthink it.
I always carry some kind of combo, normally two tools often a Vic and a LM. Want to cover as much ground as possible depending on activity. However I despise having any major overlap. I could never carry two tools with wood saw or full size scissors for example. They have to complete eachother as much as possible.

Example:
Skeletool - Micra or is o.k. since the major tools don´t overlap or Pioneer -  Rambler/Manager, same thing small overlap.
Horrible ones would be like Juice S2 and Deluxe Tinker. I would feel extremely uncomfortable by the huge overlap.

I really like the Skeletool + Micra combo.

[NKlamerus]

Good topic Aloha.

College kinda ruins EDC, no matter how much I'd like to admit you really never need pliers for lecture days. On lab days however, an entire EDC can be used.

I usually try to think about the day ahead, and as of right now, it's a Charge ALX at school. With a Micra on my keys.

And at work it's my Charge and Izula 2.

[sawman]

I just made a small addition to my EDC. I bought a Husky folding razor knife to carry. It has a plastic handle but has a locking back and seems pretty solid.

[eddie1115]

I would agree with many others so far, trying to maximize functionality and reduce redundancy.  I generally stick to pocket carry (with bigger tools nearby), so how the tools will be carried factors in.  Also, what I'm wearing (cargo pockets, jacket) can change what I carry as well.  So count me in the over-thinking crowd, but only because I enjoy the process. 

[Top-Gear-24]

One of the members here, I can't remember his name right now (Monro ... and something  ) used to have a 5 week repeating schedule to help him decide which tool to take with him every morning ...

How can you be right ?

Anyway, I hear he's doing much better these days, he's almost back to normal they say ... 



As for me, I have a couple of favorites from which I choose, but I always combine them with my trusty Swisschamp.  So I always carry my Swisschamp in my pocket, and in the sheath on my belt it's always one of these tools, Victorinox Spirit or Swisstool, Leatherman ST300, Rebar, Surge or OHT.

[Alan K.]

I think I have ADD & OCD.  I need to have my stuff organized the night before. I get completely thrown off if something is out of place and then I can't decide what to carry when I go out.  Sometimes I will grab something at random, as in, I'm running out to the store and coming right back and not stopping for anything on the way so which knife should I carry?  Doesn't matter, just grab one so I have something with me, and go.  Other times I have appointments all day long and I'll think about my upcoming day the night before.  Where I'm going to be and what I might need to do (obsessively sometimes) so I don't forget anything.  Many times I'll remember something I'm going to need and I'll get out of bed to put whatever it is with the rest of my stuff so I won't forget it in the morning.  I don't carry a flashlight all the time.  I only carry a flashlight at night, or if I know I'm going to a dark building where I would need a light to get out if the power failed, or if I'm leaving during the day but I know I will still be out after dark.   

[Etherealicer]

I use a layered approach combined with the squirrel strategy

Meaning I have buried all I could possibly ever need in strategic locations (like my office drawers).

Got a Spirit and Flashlight in my backpack. On my person I carry something between a solo blade up to a CT29 or one of the customs I got from Syph.

[ToolJoe]

I want to carry a plier based mt but seem to have better results carrying a knife based mt since I find it more comfortable in the hand and usually covers all bases. Also, dedicated pliers seem to be more up my alley since I can get more leverage. Also, I keep a little tool kit in my car if my mt doesn't cut it.

[Lynn LeFey]

Ugh... man... this is a question I could write a thesis on. Meyers-briggs personality types INTx (INTJ, INTP)... 'problem solvers' and 'contingency planners'. Depending on the day, I waffle from one type to another. This has led me to doing a lot of looking how to solve problems, and often solving POSSIBLE problems, even if they're not likely.

And that... 'likely'... is the whole issue with how i select and carry tools. I tried carrying a separate knife, because I could imagine situations where i would need more knife than a small MT afforded, but 15 years of carry said the likelihood of needing that knife (never once in 15 years) meant I shouldn't bother to carry it. COULD something happen and i need the blade? Sure. It didn't in 15 years. You can't cover every base. Weight is a concern. Knife was gone from EDC.

So... I don't pack it all just to be safe. I often wish I could. There is a strong urge to...

I don't tend to rotate, either. I try individual tools or combos, and try to keep track of when one doesn't have a given function that I need, and how often that occurs. The two tools that drive me nuts are full-size pliers and woodsaw. I very much WANT to carry both, but have essentially no NEED for either. Small pliers, on the other hand, are JUST useful enough to need to carry. I'm talking MY needs here, obviously YMMV.

Lights. I carry a Preon P1, with added clicky tailcap, and a spare battery. I also carry two cheapo keychain fauxtons. The second of the fauxtons is COMPLETELY about having a give-away light. They cost under 50 cents. I will also carry Vic Classics or Leatherman Micras (if i have spares) as giveaway tools. The minor cost of a used Classic and a Fauxton is nothing compared to the great joy of giving someone at least BASIC EDC. Then you know there's one more person in the world that can open their own f'ing bag of chips or taped box without bothering you.

I don't change my carry based on where I am (unless there are legal restrictions like air travel or going to a court office or whatever). I am forgetful, and if it's not kept in my bag, I'll walk out without it. So same-same is best for me.

[sir_mike]

First of all, none of my gear gets much use but I have been finding more ways to use it and getting out more surely helps.  Just this year, we (the misses and me) starting going on somewhat regular hikes, usually on Saturday's works best for us!

Anyway, I don't carry stuff just to carry it or because I can.  My normal carry was a sak Explorer for a very long time and never did anything that it couldn't handle but since we started getting out more and trekking sometimes for quite a few miles, I thought it was time to adjust my EDC so I get a bit more coverage with tools that I might need out and about!  So based on this, I did a trade deal with Aloha for a Swisschamp and thought I would give that a go again as it has been a long, long time since I wanted or tried to carry a Swisschamp.  Initially I wanted a saw to make walking sticks if needed.  My wife likes to use one on longer hikes!  I also wanted to stay with a mag lens inline philips as I have a bit setup that will fit over the philips to allow me to use any bits.  To make a long story short, I am trying out the Swisschamp and a Champion to see which I like better and which is easier to pocket carry on a P-7 clip and will match that with a MT so I have plier's if I need them.  I don't mind having some redundancy tool wise as long as I have what I consider "the bases" covered while out.

I used to carry a dedicated Spyderco folder every now and then so I had a "good blade" on me but hardly ever used it as the sak blades never let me down so I quit carry it.  The MT/sak combo allows me to have plier's, saw, file, mag lens, screwdrivers, awl, etc. that I feel could be needed when away.  So far I have no issue carrying the Swisschamp and like the idea of the "super tweezer's" that I consider the pliers to be as you never know when you might get a bigger, deeper or more stubborn sliver that the tiny tweezers just won't work for or something else so I like to have them.  During the winter time here, I might only carry the Explorer in my pocket but still most likely anyway will put a MT on my belt if heading out for hours or so.

I also dont get into the rotating concept and usually once I find a combo that works, I stay with it until I run into something I could not do or could have done easier with the right tool that I didn't have on me!  Example: making a walking stick and having to cut all the knubs and branches off that would have been way easier with a saw but I didn't have one on the sak.  When something like this happens, it just gets me to rethink/review my current EDC carry and decide if I need to change something cause we changed something in our routines, that is all.  If change is needed, it is done!  If not, then no big deal but at least I reviewed my current gear setup to make sure it still works for us.

I also only carry one flashlight that is an Olight that also holds my house key.  I don't carry a bunch of items on keychains as I don't like the weighted down feeling!

Sorry for rambling on about nothin', probably just too much time on my hands! 

[AimlessWanderer]

With me  I think the honest answer would be no pattern

Some days, I'll choose based on being in the mood for carrying certain tool or combo, or purely because I've not used it for a while

Some days, I'll grab specific tool combos based on what I'm expecting to encounter

Some days, it'll just be whatever is still in the pocket from the day before

Some days, it'll just be the Dime on my house key and Manager on my car key

Some days, it will be the first tools I lay my hands on

Some days, I'll change the carry set up purely because I've been carrying the same set up for a while and got bored of it

[firiki]

Layered approach, bases covered. I don't own many tools so I can't rotate even if I wanted to.

[Smaug]

I used to over-analyze, but now I'm mature enough in my multi-tool progression that I don't.

For workdays, I carry something truly pocketable, either a Vic Executive, Manager, or Classic. When I go down to the lab, I either take a tool box or my Gerber MP400 from my desk drawer.

In the car's glove box is an old Surge and a simple 4AA PrincetonTec LED light.

In my work backpack is a Charge ALX with extension and bit card.

So I guess I have five out of my seven days pretty well-covered.

On weekends, I tend to just rotate through my favorite mid-sized SAKs: Explorer Plus, Mountaineer, Sportsman, Compact, and sometimes the Spirit X. Depending on what I think I'll face.

If I'm going for a hike in the woods, I bring something with a saw.

In the summertime, when I'm wearing really light shorts, I'll sometimes just throw the Classic on the keys and that'll have to do.

I've learned to get over this phobia of not having the right tool. It can be a low-level stressor and drive one to mental illness, I think.

...

Know what else I've noticed? Just about every other thread here ends up with us telling each other what we carry and why. We're a bunch of kooks.

[Werkzeug]

I've learned to get over this phobia of not having the right tool. It can be a low-level stressor and drive one to mental illness, I think.

So true, so true...

The throw it in "just to be safe" mentality put a little too much weight in my bag when I was backpacking this summer. Nothing like a few aching muscles to focus the mind. Now I'm really putting some thought (too much thought!) into minimalist, complementary combinations.

I think Lynn is really onto something. I'm an INTP, so overthinking trivial potentialities is a way of life!

[David]

I try not to over analyze this edc thing. I go over to the gear pile fill my pockets full of stuff and trudge out the door.        That is an over simplication but it is closer to what actually happens most of the time. There are times i try to get the gear to fit the mission of the day. But most of the time I'm just winging it.     

[Monrogue]

One of the members here, I can't remember his name right now (Monro ... and something  ) used to have a 5 week repeating schedule to help him decide which tool to take with him every morning ...

How can you be right ?

Anyway, I hear he's doing much better these days, he's almost back to normal they say ... 



As for me, I have a couple of favorites from which I choose, but I always combine them with my trusty Swisschamp.  So I always carry my Swisschamp in my pocket, and in the sheath on my belt it's always one of these tools, Victorinox Spirit or Swisstool, Leatherman ST300, Rebar, Surge or OHT.

 
Hey, how ya doing buddy?

Yes, I'm doing much better now....actually, I'm about the same as you.  I stick to basically one SAK (my MechaRogue), and pair it with whatever MT I feel like carrying, or think will suit my needs for the day.  I do overthink these things though, but have improved over time as I've settled more into what I know I like.  Problem is I like a variety of MTs, so that choice can be tough.  For work though, my needs don't vary much, so any MT will do for the most part.  Saturdays are when it can vary depending one what I think I may end up dealing with.  My MechaRogue remains a constant EDC though   I just need to really think and narrow down my MTs, although I do tend to stick to a select few at this point. 

However Eric, I could add one more to my options, if you get my drift buddy

[Higgins617]

KYYYYLLLEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

But yeah, I absolutely over think it. When I'm not working I'm pretty confident I could get by with nothing but a Classic SD. But why would I want to do that? I just carry a bunch of crap cuz I enjoy carrying crap lol. But when I'm working I have my set EDC, and any time I try to go with something else while on the job I feel like I made a mistake, so for that I'm pretty dialed in.

[Monrogue]

KYYYYLLLEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

But yeah, I absolutely over think it. When I'm not working I'm pretty confident I could get by with nothing but a Classic SD. But why would I want to do that? I just carry a bunch of crap cuz I enjoy carrying crap lol. But when I'm working I have my set EDC, and any time I try to go with something else while on the job I feel like I made a mistake, so for that I'm pretty dialed in.

Felloooooowwwwww Kyyyylllllleeee!

I should admit that I do like carrying stuff as well, even though most of the time it sees little use, especially the MTs.  The MechaRogue sees use almost daily.

[ColoSwiss]

I'm set. A Wenger Traveler has been my EDC for around a decade (very occasionally carry a Super Tinker or Pocket Tool Chest instead). Also carry a mini flashlight on the key chain. That takes care of 99% of what comes up while I'm out-and-about. For the remaining 1% there's a tool box in the trunk.

[Aloha]

The analyzing part to me is part of all our EDC or day to day carry choices at one point.  At some point one has had to decide what to carry based off experience or comfort level.  Over analyzing the minutia is where as they say "we separate the men from the boys"  .

What I find most interesting is why you all carry what you carry.  How you came to those particular tool sets or a singular item.  How many times did you have to reach for the tool box, how many times were unable to save the day based off what you had in your pockets?  All interesting to me. 

Yes it does all eventually lead to, show us your EDC, of course it does. 

[David]

The analyzing part to me is part of all our EDC or day to day carry choices at one point.  At some point one has had to decide what to carry based off experience or comfort level.  Over analyzing the minutia is where as they say "we separate the men from the boys"  .

What I find most interesting is why you all carry what you carry.  How you came to those particular tool sets or a singular item.  How many times did you have to reach for the tool box, how many times were unable to save the day based off what you had in your pockets?  All interesting to me. 

Yes it does all eventually lead to, show us your EDC, of course it does. 

Okay, I choose a plier based MT as the pliers is what I use on a multitool most. I carry a dedicated blade that is sharp and pointy. I like to have a small prybar so that MT screwdrivers arent used for that and broken. I never use to edc a flashlight but do now and wished I'd started sooner. Most of my life there were not these little light sabers we have now. I find them very handy now days.  Every thing else is gravy!   

[hiraethus]

Definite over thinker here.  I know that a Tinker or Pioneer will do the vast majority of my day to day needs, with only occasional scissor, file and plier use needed on top of that.  Having a multi in my bag sorts out the rest of that quite nicely.  But I've got a load of knives, SAKs, multis and keychain tools, I like using them, I like making new ones and once I own them I feel they should be used - so my EDC isn't ED, it changes daily.

I like the process of choosing what I'm going to carry and, like Mextreme, I don't like redundancy - so I try to pick complementary tools rather than duplicates, particularly for pocket carry.  Sometimes it'll be one big SAK, others it'll be a combination of keychain tool and a smaller SAK or knife.  If I know I'm going to be hands on for the day - in the workshop at work, or in the shed or garden at home then the multi goes in my pocket.

I do have a nagging feeling that owning 60 or so SAKs, multis and knives is extravagant and wasteful, and that I'd be better off settling on fewer tools that get used more often.  And then I see one that hasn't been used for a month or more, and into the pocket it goes.

And sometimes (if I know I'm going to have a dull day at work) I'll grab an extra handful of stuff to fiddle with on my way out the door.  Today I've got an Electrician, Style PS, Spirit, Rebar and Super Tinker.

[Top-Gear-24]

One of the members here, I can't remember his name right now (Monro ... and something  ) used to have a 5 week repeating schedule to help him decide which tool to take with him every morning ...

How can you be right ?

Anyway, I hear he's doing much better these days, he's almost back to normal they say ... 



As for me, I have a couple of favorites from which I choose, but I always combine them with my trusty Swisschamp.  So I always carry my Swisschamp in my pocket, and in the sheath on my belt it's always one of these tools, Victorinox Spirit or Swisstool, Leatherman ST300, Rebar, Surge or OHT.

 
Hey, how ya doing buddy?

Yes, I'm doing much better now....actually, I'm about the same as you.  I stick to basically one SAK (my MechaRogue), and pair it with whatever MT I feel like carrying, or think will suit my needs for the day.  I do overthink these things though, but have improved over time as I've settled more into what I know I like.  Problem is I like a variety of MTs, so that choice can be tough.  For work though, my needs don't vary much, so any MT will do for the most part.  Saturdays are when it can vary depending one what I think I may end up dealing with.  My MechaRogue remains a constant EDC though   I just need to really think and narrow down my MTs, although I do tend to stick to a select few at this point. 

However Eric, I could add one more to my options, if you get my drift buddy

I have no idea what you're talking about ...