This is the EDC gear that I love.
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Table of Contents
Pocket Knife
A pocket knife is more useful than I initially thought. Most people would like to think that they will use their knife to save someone's life. But in reality, most people usually use it to open boxes.
Regardless of what you use it for, there are a lot of great knives out there.
I personally carry the Benchmade Mini Griptilian. It's compact, but big enough for most purposes.
The Axis Locking Mechanism is super convenient because it makes it easy open the knife with one hand, regardless if you're left or right handed.
Highly recommended.
Flashlight
Having a flashlight on you can be more useful than you may think. I didn't think that I would need one, but I do use my flashlight quite a bit.
The biggest reason that I was reluctant to carry a flashlight was because I thought it would be too big and bulky. I'm going to date myself here, but in my mind, a compact light was a Maglight Mini.
But come to find out, there are some great pocket models that work really well and don't cost a lot.
I have both the Streamlight Microstream and the Olight i3T. They both clip to the bill of my cap, which I really like.
Both are solid options, but I prefer the Olight i3T. It's a little thicker, so it's easier to hold and it has 2 brightness settings.
The Microstream also has this weird thing were the button cap unscrews, which I feel is unnecessary.
Regardless of what you choose, be sure to get something that uses replaceable AAA or AA batteries. Then buy rechargeable batteries so you don't have to continually buy new batteries.
Pen
When it comes to pens, I believe that less is better. There are a lot of fancy, expensive EDC options out there.
I like small, cheap pens, so I'm not disappointed if I lose them. But at the same time, they obviously have to work well.
There's nothing more annoying than unreliable pens.
My favorite pens at any price, are Pilot pens. They are inexpensive and always work.
The best pen I've found is the Pilot Juice Up 04. But it's too big for EDC.
So for my EDC, I chose the Pilot Birdie. It's smooth and reliable.
You can also get cheap refills for this pen, so you don't have to buy a whole new pen every time.
It's perfect for times when you need to write a quick note, or when someone asks you if you have a pen.
Pocket Organizer
I thought pocket organizers were dumb….until I started using one. The biggest problems that I had were that it was easy to lose my flashlight, and my knife and flashlight would make a lot of noise in my pocket.
Enter the 1791 EDC Pocket Organizer.
Now I can carry my pocket knife, flashlight, pen and lip balm.
If I really need it, I can also carry a flint rod and striker bar.
This organizer makes it easy to just pick up everything at once and not worry about forgetting or dropping something.
Backpack
The market is flooded with quality backpacks, so it can be tough to choose. I prefer to keep it simple, so my favorite rucksack is the GORUCK GR1.
There are 3 reasons why I love these bags:
- They open flat, making them easy to pack and unpack
- Super durable and can handle a lot of weight
- Separate laptop compartment that makes it easy to remove the laptop at the airport
I had an issue with my first GORUCK and the company stood behind their guarantee and replaced it for me at no charge.
To this day, my GR1 is the primary bag I use for most activities.
Rechargeable Batteries
I always look for battery powered devices that use AAA or AA batteries. This way, I can buy rechargeable batteries and not worry about the built-in battery dying and having to buy a whole new advice.
The best rechargeable batteries, hands down, are Panasonic eneloop batteries.
They aren't the cheapest, but they do last longer than other brands.
Lip Balm
My lips tend to get dry when the weather changes, so I always have some lip balm in my pack or in the car.
But since I got the organizer above, I can carry lip balm with me wherever I go.
The best one I've used so far is Burt's Bees lip balm. It's widely available and works well. On top of that, the ingredients are pretty good.
Yeah, what they did to Burt is messed up.
So I'll probably look an alternative at some point. But for now, this is my go-to.