I'm curious what the forum can come up with, for a fully functional, typical EDC loadout that costs <$50. To play the game, the loadout must include at least: 1. Light 2. Blade 3. Fire-starting method 4. Writing materials (Not counting phone in here, due to cost.) ...and at the same time, must contain the highest quality items available for the price limit. Obviously you could have a fauxton, pencil, sheet of paper, boxcutter, and matches for well under $50, but if you had $50 to spend, and you planned to spend all $50, what would your EDC kit contain?
1. Streamlight Stylus - $20.00 2. Opinel No. 6 - $8.50 3. Mini Bic - $1.00 4. Moleskine Volant X small + Uni Power tank - $6.30 Total - $35.80
1. CREE Q5 Adjustable Focus LED Flashlight - $8 2. Enlan EL-02 B - $18 3. Mini Bic - $1 4. Rite in the Rain Tactical Pocket Notebook + Fisher Economy Space Pen - $14 Total - $41
1. A modified Romisen RC-C3 II NW Neutral White from ShiningBeam ($14) 2. A Victorinox Swiss Army Hiker ($21) from Knifeworks 3. A bic ($1) from... anywhere 4. A land surveyor's level book ($7) and a Pentel mechanical pencil ($5) from Forestry Suppliers and Staples respectively That's $48, not including shipping, which leaves $2 for a Coke Slurpee. Hey, I'm not lugging this dedicated Slurpee straw around for nothing! Athough it would be better for your health if you used the $2 for a bulk rate cr123 for the flashlight.
Thrunite Ti $16.00 SAK climber $20.00 IMCO Triplex $10.00 Zebra collapsible pen ZEB24001 $2 I would spend the final $2 on a cheap office store 4X6 notebook. I don't normally carry a notebook so it would not be important to me.
Streamlight Microstream $15 Kabar Mini Dozier $18 Mini-Bic Lighter $1 Fisher Space Pen (Black) $13 Cheapo pocket notebook $1 I think that's a pretty good, lightweight set up for $50, at least as far as I can tell as a Briton looking things up in USD!
noname led flashlight made in china 2 bucks SAK climber economy 15 bucks bic lighter 1 bucks notepad+generic pen+ziploc bag - 3 bucks ----------------------------------- 2+15+1+3=21 bucks
Olight I series cr123a: $21 Cold Steel mini tuff light: $18 Coated aircraft cable: $4 Zebra F 701: $7 Total: $50
Working on UK prices (amazon, big online dealers) and giving myself £50 (which probably makes for a tougher challenge, even with the exchange rate)... Fenix e11 - £24 Victorinox Cadet - £15 Bic or similar lighter - £1 Parker jotter or vector - £8 Small Rhodia pad - £1 for a total of £49 Ignoring the fact I just added this up as a budget EDC, this is surprisingly close to what I actually carry - swap the e11 for the older equivalent Fenix (the L1T) or the smaller LD01, switch the Bic for a zippo when I want to carry a lighter (which I don't always), and swap the pens stock blue ink for a fine black cartridge and you have what I consider as a basic EDC.
Fenix E01 - $12 from Amazon Buck Vantage Select Small - $ 21 from Amazon Zippo lighter - $ 7.48 from Amazon Pilot G2 Roller Ball Retractable Gel Pen - $ 1.15 from Pens 'n More Rite in the Rain 3"x5" Pocket Notebok - $ 3,95 from Rite in the Rain Total: $ 46,58 I've chosen to spend most on the light, knife and lighter as these items will probably have to withstand way more abuse than the writing supplies. For the $ 3,48 left over, you could get a couple of ziplock bags for the writing gear, or you could spend it on new G2 pens or refills when the first one is all spent. As the first post says "blade" and not "knife", you could also swap the Buck for a Leatherman Style CS ($ 14,43 on Amazon). Then you would have almost $10 over, which you could spend on a better pen or perhaps a cheap pocket organizer of some sort (it is just one annoying cent short of a Diplomat from CountyComm). With the Leatherman option, this is just about what I usually carry, except that I use a Moleskine instead of the Rite in the rain, and I don't EDC a lighter.
Streamlight MicroStream - $15 Kershaw OSO Sweet - $20 MiniBic - $1 F-701 With Fisher refill - $12 $48
Let's see......Leatherman Style Ps $17.49 on amazon Maratac AAA rev2 $24.95 And I've never been picky about my pens or lighters, so I would go with a bic pen, bic lighter, and a pocket sized composition style notepad, usually 3 for a $2 at wally world. With a little more homework to improve the last 3 items I can see this being a good EDC related graduation present. I think I have a cousin graduating this spring, I'll have to check back to this thread for ideas
