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On A Budget - Everyday Carry

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by dudepal1510, Dec 6, 2012.

    dudepal1510 Loaded Pockets

    I'm trying to help our more frugal friends build the best EDC they can and still have money to pay the rent. I mean, let's face it, alot of our EDC's can get pricey! I ask you to imagine for a minute that there is nothing in your pockets but lint and between $75-$100 cash (No wallet either). Firstly, calm yourself. This is only pretend, your pockets aren't really empty! Now, using only the aforementioned cash, stuff your pockets with the best EDC worthy goodies that that money can buy! The less money you spend the better. Try and include as many of the different types of items we have sub-forums for in the "The Things We Carry" section with items inherently too pricey excluded of course, just so every area of interest is covered. Please list prices for each item bought as accurate as possible, without inconveniencing you. Many thanks!
    xbanker and Gnarly like this.

    mlehto Loaded Pockets

    County Comm or End Times Report Survival Shop would be a good place to start.

    For $100 you can get a ton of useful stuff. ;)

    Other than that one of my favourite low budget EDC Items is my Zebra F701 Pen. Excellent value for the money! With the Fisher Space Pen Refill mod, you can have a really nice pen for about $15! Even without the Fisher Refill it is an excellent pen for about $8.

    tmedina Uber Prepared

    In order:
    1. What you already know you need to EDC.
    2. Make a list of what you would like to EDC, in general terms: flashlight, knife, etc.
    3. Determine your budget.
    4. Prioritize #2 - flashlight over knife, or maybe knife over flashlight.
    5. Make a list of what items fill the niche identified: flashlight: (AA or AAA), modes, purpose. Narrow down two or three specific items that fit your criteria: Fenix E05, Maratac AAA, whatever.
    6. Start making lists of websites that often have sales: either they list sales, or they have "good finds" threads to point you towards sales.
    7. Start browsing. How urgently you need something will factor into whether or not you take the time to shop for a good bargain, or bite the bullet and pay normal rates.

    I know how money can burn a hole in your pocket, especially when you see all the new toys - but you can save yourself a lot of time and wasted effort by stopping and brainstorming on a pad of paper first, before taking the plunge.

    AB.AlexB Uber Prepared

    When you get to the level if gear I buy, the only thing you don't have in your pocket is money.

    AB.AlexB Uber Prepared

    Remember, you don't need the latest and greatest things. Maglites put out light, and a Victorinox Classic cuts.
    dcmassena, mole, kertap75 and 2 others like this.

    tmedina Uber Prepared

    Yep, Maglites do - but for what you'd be saving on the light itself, you'll make up for spending on batteries.

    Research, and the opinions of other people with the same kit can be insanely helpful.
    keeper, enki_ck and Gnarly like this.
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    J_C Uber Prepared

    Ace hard rubber comb.
    Split ring key ring with home and car keys (if you drive).
    Wallet.
    Loose pocket change.
    Bic pen

    Optional:
    Swiss Army Knife Classic SD
    Streamlight Nano
    Altoids box with assorted band aids, alcohol swabs
    Bic lighter (if you smoke)

    Sparkey Loaded Pockets

    I Just bought a new Mag to replace the fancy "Tactical" LED that worked great except when I needed it to. I think I paid 10 bucks for it and got a LED upgrade kit for 7. Cheap, Bombproof, and effective. It only puts out about 30 lumens or so, but thats enough for me. And the LED is easy on batteries, too.

    I've found that this place is one of, if not the best place to get ideas for carry.

    lekvar Loaded Pockets

    I'm not proud, my first LED flashlight was one of those 3AAA 9-LED paperweights from the dollar store. But it was, at the time, the brightest flashlight I'd owned. I was the perfect light for me until I saved enough for my Preon2, and the most important tool is the one you actually have.

    Except for the dollar-store multi-tool. Those things are :censored:
    Evilbunnyreviews and FACE like this.

    tmedina Uber Prepared

    I think it's just me - I could never, ever get one of those AA LED upgrades for a mini-Mag to work. Ever. Which made me absolutely insane because I still love the Maglite AA design.
    chas353 likes this.
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    chas353 Loaded Pockets

    I'm not frugal just cheap my wife says. But you can find some good stuff to carry without breaking the bank I have learned lately:smug:

    bpa Uber Prepared

    It's not just a matter of what you carry, but what it costs. Check out American Science & Surplus http://www.sciplus.com. Lots of stuff - not all EDC, but all of it inexpensive and well-described.
    • +4 Supporter

    Ted Andkilde Loaded Pockets

    AA maglites are given out as corporate freebies by the truckload, total no brainer there, I've seen genuine SAKs given out as well, usually the keychain sized ones. These can be picked up as swag from tradeshows or found for peanuts at yard sales and secondhand shops. An incan maglight is still a very useful tool, and a SAK is a SAK :) Cheap Chinese SAK clones are worthless junk.

    Dollar store stuff is usually crap.

    Some sort of keychain solution is necessary, split rings are dirt cheap, as are Tec-clips (40 cents apiece in the forum store if I recall correctly), adding a hook to your keychain, homemade or otherwise, to keep it off the floor of your pocket is invaluable.

    KA-Bar Dozier, SRM 710, CRKT Drifter, all decent every day folders for $15 or so.

    Timex Camper, decent field watch for $15 - $20

    Paracord and a knot book or two (or YouTube vids) will keep your fingers occupied and provide you with useful and attractive handicrafts with a little patience, $10+

    A serviceable first aid kit will fit in an Altoids tin as previously mentioned, bandaids, iodine ointment, steristrips, sterile wipes and a pair of tweezers make a good start and can be gathered up without a major investment.

    Zippos are cool, Bics work - first time every time, even if they've been sitting neglected for a couple of years.

    Ball pens are the work of Satan :), luckily Platinum Preppies and Hero Parker 51 clones are $2 or so.

    Moleskines, cool, US Army logbooks, arguably cooler, better paper, same size and less than $4 apiece.

    Cheers, Ted
    Last edited by Ted Andkilde, Dec 7, 2012
    Evilbunnyreviews likes this.
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    stax Uber Prepared

    Parker Jotter pen $5
    Duct Tape Wallet $0.20
    Opinel No. 6 knife - $9

    Keychain items:
    split key ring $.75
    Photon Freedom light $15.50
    Victorinox Classic SD $10

    mole Uber Prepared

    fixed ;) you´ll want a bigger opinel, wouldn´t you (SAK blade is small allready):rolleyes:
    stax likes this.

    bigguy02 Uber Prepared

    AAA LED Mini-Mag - 18$
    Swiss Army Recrute - 18$
    Bic lighter - 1$
    100ft paracord (for lanyards and a few feet for the pocket) 5-10$
    Pack of cheap bic pens 1$
    A rubber band and 2 old gift cards can make a serviceable wallet. free

    so less then 50$ and your set.

    TweezersAndAToothpick Loaded Pockets

    Oooh fun! Assuming they already have phone, wallet, and keys on some kind of keychain like every person has then my suggestions would be:

    Knife: Kershaw OSO Sweet-$20 (my buddy has one it's great for the price, and a flipper to boot!)
    MT: Victorinox Super Tinker-$20 Has scissors, a few drivers, cap lifter, backup blade, tweezers, toothpick, all most people need
    Torch: Streamlight Microstream-$20 AAA, bright for size/purpose, has a clip. Only has one mode but for EDC it's good enough IMO (I carry mine all the time)
    Lighter: Mini Bic-$1
    Watch: Casio Illuminator-$18 Highly functional, tough, great value. I have a variant of it as my beater watch and it takes the beatings quite well.

    Total cost before shipping/tax: $79

    All of these were Amazon prices except the bic (hit up a 711), Amazon offers a lot of free shipping too so if you buy them all together you'd do pretty well within your price range even after shipping. This isn't just the cheapest stuff I could find, I would carry this exact set up happily.
    dudepal1510 likes this.

    bigguy02 Uber Prepared

    I have one and its a great knife.
    Gnarly likes this.

    hatchetjack Uber Prepared

    Think about buying pre-owned like in B/S/T or other forums. Many items are in new condition and you can get some very good gear at a reduced cost.
  1. everyone is different, but i'll play
    and honestly, im in this boat, i dont carry a lot of expensive stuff on me, but do have some nice stuff (have about half a dozen LMs now - PS4, Wave, ST300, Blast, Mut, and I feel like I might have another unopened...., a nice benchmade etc).

    wallet - i have gotten, but not yet used, a nice Vic wallet at OficeMax or Office Depot for ten bucks. Leather.
    The wallet Im actually using now was a gift, so i dont want to count it.

    ok, so now something to put the remaining 90 in.

    my mt that I carry is the LM PS4, its 25 bucks (new) and has a lifetime warranty. There are cheaper, I own some cheaper one. I like leatherman. That said, I bought a USED E4 leatherman off of this forum for ten bucks and it came with two other small multitools, so deals are there....well, here :)

    so now we're at 65

    Can pocket carry it, but I dont like that, hate my pockets loaded up.
    So a biner from a hardware store. The ones I use for my keys (various vehicles and uses) came from Home Depot, rated at 75lbs, cost - two bucks. Come on various colors.

    So we're down to $63

    Im using a cost led light now, it was one of the free ones, do the survey and pay shipping. It was less than five for the shipping, but lets say five bucks.
    Before that I member shipped me a free mag solitare. Wasnt bright, but it was a good temp light.
    I want to get something else similar in size (1 AAA) to replace the coast, and seeing prices from 10-30 bucks. One in particular that I like I found on DX, was 15 dollars, just aint gotten around to ordering it yet as i dont use my light often.

    Im now at 58 united states dollars.

    I dont carry a knife, have a small blade on the PS4 that does most of the tasks I need a blade for (at work i need something bigger and have a folding box opener issued by work).
    But lets include a knife - who knows where this could be. From a dollar at walmart for a 3" folder to the $120 auto benchmade on my dresser to the uber expensive knives out there that are well over 200 bucks.

    But for S&Gs, lets say a 20 dollar buck or sog or whatever. Its a small knife that is made by a reputable maker.

    38$ remaining.

    I also carry, daily, chapstick. a buck

    37.

    I dont have anything else I carry on a regular that I would consider my 'EDC' outside of my school bag/other bags that have some items in them but dont get worked much (the items, not the books :))

    thats just me though.
    with the 30 left over, i'll grab lunch, go to the record store and buy a springsteen live LP, and put a few gallons of gas in the truck.