What a great wealth of resource and activity on this forum. I'm new to the process of establishing an E.D.C and B.o.B.. In the past i just took what I thought I needed. I was amazed to see how much of the stuff was just laying around my house (unorganized) when I first started. However, now I've got the bug and I'm really beginning to customize and expand. My question is how much $$ have you spent on perfecting you EDC? I'm up to $150.00 (beyond what I owned) , but I did get a new pack. Is this going to be an expensive hobby?
Um... I have a lot of knives. Flashlights, bags, bottles, jackets... and I don't want to think about keychain and other small accessories. Just the big items? Hm... Ballpark? Two grand.
Costs add up quickly around here, especially if you are of a mindset and are in a location that allows carrying a concealed firearm. Aside from that, it really depends on how much you want to spend on quality. A blade that cuts and a light that shines don't necessarily have to cost a fortune and you are just as capable in MOST situations as the guy that spends a fortune on custom or high-end gear. Will your cheaper stuff last a lifetime of hard use? No. Can you bet your life on it working correctly every single time? Maybe not. But most of us aren't setting out on an expedition to the remote corners of the world any time soon either. Mostly we spend a fortune on equipment because we like having cool stuff and we joined this forum because we like sharing this with others that have the same interests. It's a great place to be!
One of my favorite EDC items are Maxped bags....But lately i find myself buying a lot of diff bags, pack and sheaths....If my wife new how much i spent...:laugh:...Now when it come to knives....OMG .....I have thousands invested.....
"One clear lesson of September 11 is that individual civilians need to take responsibility for maximizing the probability that they will survive, should disaster strike. Clearly, many building occupants in the World Trade Center did not take preparedness seriously. Individuals should know the exact location of every stairwell in their workplace. In addition, they should have access at all times to flashlights, which were deemed invaluable by some civilians who managed to evacuate the WTC on September 11." - page 318 of the 9/11 Commission Report Final Version You don't need to be in a remote corner of the world for your life to depend on your gear. Many people called the Twin Towers their workplace every day. Spending the scratch for dependability just makes sense for me. But you're right, a big part of why I do it is because I think the gear is cool! =D
As a result of (or with information from) this board, I've bought: A Maxped Jumbo Versipack A Big Skinny Wallet A Maxped Spartan Wallet A Maxped Urban Wallet A LM Wave Multi-Tool That's about it - not that much. But I've learned about so many different products!
I agree with making sure your can sustain yourself. Look at the tsunami in Japan. Imagine if that happend here. The riots and looting would have been nuts. After seeing New Orleans (Katrina) I started CCW and making sure I could fend for my faimly since I live where a hurricane could hit. All my neighbors on the street actually have a plan to defend the neighborhood if that were to ever happen. Don't come looking to steal gas or generators here! The EDC for me is just stuff I always have with. For work, play or just being out. That's why I thought it an intresting question. I'm gonna try and capture the cost of mine. So minus firearms what would you say is the cost? Is that a better way of asking?
Come to think of it.... someone interested in a fine Swiss timepiece (I'm not) can easily get to 5 figure EDC numbers....
This Since joining here 50+ Atwoods, 30+ flashlights, 20+ knives, 10+ MT, and a host of other gadgets. Totalling out my gear is a number I don't want to know.
If you're talking about a SAK, flashlight, wallet , keys , Timex/Casio then sure, one can get by with say $50 bucks or maybe a little more and realistically on a daily basis that's probably more than enough. The EDC/hobby is a whole other story and it's a relative to what you want to spend or think you need. Some days for example, I might carry a sub $20 Enlan and the next day a MT Auto or Strider folder. Same pocket dump but totally different out of pocket expense. That $20 bucks changed to several hundred by switching out knives. You have spent less than 200 bucks and that's really more than enough to get started with good basic equipment but if it turns into a hobby or outside interest, it's going to cost a lot more.
this man knows what he is talking about.... I am carrying only one or 2 new things since joining this forum, basically the same stuff for years.... the quality has gone way up though...
