Many of us here truly have "loaded pockets" - and some have REALLY loaded pockets, belts, vests, coats, necks, etc...! But if you had to pare your EDC down to the most minimal, bare essential and most used items - limited to 5 - what would they be and why? This is mostly an exercise in what are the most used tools/items in your normal day, although if you want to consider what 5 items you'd have on your person if there is a scenario and you have to leave with just what you have on you what would that be and how would it differ from the normal day stuff, if at all... To set some ground rules you don't have to count your house, car or work keys themselves - however items you carry on your key ring count individually - so you can't say "my keyring" and it has 10 items other than keys on it and have that count as one item. You can however just group into categories if you prefer - a knife, a whistle, etc... but a discussion of which one and why that one would make it more interesting... I was going to say the categories here at EDCF are a good start of what counts including watches, pens, handguns, etc... although it might be fair to say you don't have to count a watch since everyone tends to wear one... but it makes it more challenging if any of the categories count other than keys... Try to keep it to items you can realistically carry on your person or in a small bag that you actually have with you every day - rather than a car bag or big bugout bag. Let's limit it to things you actually own right now - i.e don't say I'd buy "X" megalopolis replacement tool to replace what I own... And we can add, modify or adjust the parameters if it makes for a more interesting discussion. So I'll take a stab at this... Light - Novatac 85P. I think a light is an essential item of EDC for me and I don't think I could go without one on my person. I use one every day and even if I don't use it much during daylight the most likely disasters around here (natural at least) have a high probability of power outages, so a light is a necessity. The most versatile pocket light I have - long runtime if you need it, bright enough if you need it, and very durable is my Novatac. Knife - Spyderco Native. My perhaps most used EDC item is a good knife, I use one daily for a variety of tasks and in an emergency it is invaluable. If I had to pick only one it would be the Native - big enough for most tasks but still light enough to be easily pocketable, a solid grip handle and easy to deploy. My debate here would be perhaps to substitute a basic SAK into the equation - like the Cadet I just acquired, to add a few additional tools to the mix in case of emergency, although I mostly use a blade on a daily basis. Cell Phone - iPhone. I use a phone daily for business and personal use and would struggle without it. The iPhone is the most elegant solution to a variety of uses including GPS, internet and in a pinch my email. In an emergency I may not be able to make a call but I'd have to try... Pen - Lamy 2000. I use a pen a lot, each day, and make notes regularly throughout the day and the L2K is a completely solid and reliable workhorse. Not as useful in an emergency but day to day I use a pen a lot... Watch - Citizen Skyhawk AT. I cannot function without a watch - I know the iPhone has one but I don't think I can live with just that way to tell time. This is a true daily item as opposed to the something like a multitool which I'd like to carry for emergencies, but in this little game I'm limited to 5 so I'll rely on my knife, light and common sense. The Skyhawk AT does just about everything, does it well and looks good as well. I could, depending on the circumstances, substitute a Casio GShock atomic/solar Mudman which has all the same functionality in a different package. Obviously my list is skewed toward my daily office uses and when pared down to 5 items it's amazing how, well, unprepared I feel and likely would be... but EDC is not always about preparedness for emergencies but the stuff we use in our normal daily lives, and those are the items I always reach for time and again wherever I go... If I skewed it to an emergency situation there are a ton of things I could add, of course, but with only 5... kind of tough! Anyone else?
i'll have a go: 1. Watch - my precious sea dweller, wear it 24/7/365, i am never without a good automatic watch. 2. Keys - my atwrench is on there, i use it all the time, i love it. 3. Knife - my little aluminum handled swiss army knife ( i dont know the model name) - it has all the essentials, and very lightweight and thin profile 4. Wallet - pretty simple, cash, credit cards, and an index card to write down good ideas 5. Pen(cil) - Cross mechanical pencil. What can i say, i'm an engineer and i do calculations all day, a good mechanical pencil is a must. and 5 is really the whole story for me, thats all i carry. my cell phone lives in my car for emergencies basically, and i like to go light.
1. Cell phone. I have a Samsung t629, not terribly fancy but it works for my needs. And it's easily my most-used item. In a pinch it can replace my watch as well. (Actually, I tried living like this, but discovered the watch to be more convenient and habitual.) 2. Leatherman Pulse. I use this less often than the phone, but just about every day. And it will sub for my pocket knife if need be. 3. My wallet is a discontinued Day-Timer model that holds a stack of cards. I also keep a Pocketmod, notebook and pen in there, rather than the actual Day-Timer planners. 4 & 5. Under these rules, does the pen in my wallet count as a separate item? Does the notebook? If so, that's it. Otherwise . . . 4. The oil vial on my keychain. I'm LDS, and I won't be caught without it. 5. The fauxton on my keychain. Inexpensive and effective.
Great replies - I excluded my wallet not really thinking it as EDC but obviously it is ... hmm ... now what to cut.. ???
In no particular order (and assuming that Ive got my keys & wallet) :- 1. My watch - Omega Seamaster (Got this model when they released it to coincide with "Goldeneye" & it NEVER leaves my wrist as I LOATHE notr knowing the time, even on days off & holidays) 2. My Mobile Phone - Sony Ericsson P910 (I love the PDA functions of this phone & also have lots of photos stored on it) 3. My knife - Usually a SAK Handyman but IF I could (legally!) carry a locking folder, it'd be my Buck Strider 889 or Boker CLB Direkt 4. My light - Either a Surefire E2D or Inova X5 5. My water bottle - I ALWAYS have a Sigg Oval Retro flask in my pocket nowadays, either in my left back pocket or right thigh pocket in BDUs as I like to stay hydrated at work & the air-con drys me out.
Okay, I will take a stab. These are things that I carry everyday. Not necessarily, my ideal EDC, but nonetheless, I carry these fives items all the time, no matter what. 1. Glock model 22 or 31 in Safariland or Glock belt slide holster. 2. I carry two wallets, one for my badge and credentials and one for my cash and debit cards. Sorry, if this counts as two individual items. I carry my cash and debit cards in a separate wallet because there are some places that I may buy something that I don't want my badge revealed. 3. Inhaler, cuz I just can't seem to "outgrow" my asthma. 4. Blackberry. I have two cell phones, but I would carry this one if I could only choose one. Normally, I only carry the Blackberry for work email since it is not the most convenient phone to talk on, but it is more versatile than my other cell phone as I can use it for a calendar, mapping software, calculator, etc. 5. Surefire Backup light. Many people carry a knife. I chose to leave it out of my essential 5...for self defense, if I need to use a knife on someone, I would most likely be justified in using a handgun, to cut stuff.....IMHO, not a necessity. If it needs to be cut open, I probably don't need to get into it that bad. E
Knife - Native (usually) Wallet - Specops T.H.E. Watch - Casio pathfinder SAK - Vic Cybertool 41 light - Fenix L0D
- Blackberry Curve - S&W 442 .38 revolver - Fenix Q5 light (any flavor) - Fenix EO1 backup light - folder (Delica, Buck 110, etc.) If I can call, shoot, see and cut, I'm pretty much covered. Might substitute a Vic Explorer for the E01. Thats a toughy, as I like having a small, long running backup light. Edit: I'm not counting keys, wallet, etc. which I don't really consider EDC items (even though they are).
Wallet w/ Stuff - (Specops THE Wallet) Knife - Benchmade ACK Combo Edge Flashlight - Surefire A2 Handgun - Glock 23 Cellphone - Treo 700P JG
Excluding my wallet and cellphone. My new EDC lineup is as follows: 1. Gerber Suspension 2. Boker Wagner Reality 3.SureFire E1B 4.Timberline Tactical Pen 5.Casio PROTREK 1200.
1. Light (my lovely, tiny Draco) 2. Pieces of four Pairamedic and one Trekker pill fobs, connected together so that I have a 5 compartment carry-all 3. Leatherman P4 multi-tool 4. Stopwatch/timer/alarm pocket watch thingie 5. One of Jon's tiny Ti pens. Well, not his, per se, but if not for him, I would not have it. But, but what about my Peanut, pry bar, mini Super Knife, Swiss-tech Utili-tool, 14K LOUD whistle, tweezer and, uhm... 4 keys! I could go on and on, but I feel better now. ;-)
1. G23 2. G2 surfire w/ LED head 3. Cell Phone 4. Leatherman Surge 5. Wallet or Keys (depending on situation)
I actually paired my EDC down a few years ago to five items I never leave the house without: 1. Kershaw Leek PS 2. Leatherman Juice S2 3. Treo 750 4. Rock River 2AAA LED 5. Keltec P-32 My wallet is part of this but not really a "gadget"
Considering we're still in plain summer here and I only wear shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops this is my EDC right now :green: 1. Spyderco Wayne Goddard micarta 2. Novatac EDC 120P 3. Omega Seamaster 4. Leatherman Charge 5. Nokia 6110
1. wallet 2. watch - currently titanium St.Moritz 3. knife - many in rotation but Al Mar talon in pocket today 4. flashlight - many in rotation but Surefire E1B w/Z68 tailcap in pocket today 5. iPhone
1) wallet 2) watch - same battery operated Seiko I've worn for 24 years (gift from wife) 3) multitool - a few different in rotation, but usually a Victorinox Spirit 4) LED flashlight - Surefire E1L Cree or Inova T1 MP 5) short ballpoint pen with small spiral notepad
lets see... the stuff in my sig is alway's on me now to pick 5 -Zilla-jr -cheap led light -f-301 pen -wallet -cell if there was a scenario (as original poster mentioned) ... i'd probably be making some changes. Can i just say i'm unprepared for that and don't have the gear i want. Since i'm stuck with what i got currently. Approaching this if i woke up tomorrow and needed to just grab 5 things and headed into the wilderness. - cheap led light - bigger knife ... hmmm i have a very illegal (to carry) dagger that's pretty sturdy i'd probably grab that - Fishing tackle ... small box with hooks and a good length of fishingline that'd double as cordage if needed - something to start a fire with ... matches or my bic is all i own (can i add petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls to this and still count as one?) - my small mess kit to boil water in cook in eat out of ect. nice and compact
OK, I'll bite? 1) Watch - Luminox Stealth F-117 Nighthawk 2) Knife -Spyderco Delica 3) Phone/PDA - currently a Moto Q) 4) Flashlight - Surefire E2E, or L2 (I know there are smaller but these are what I have) 5) Leatherman Wave I guess I'm cheating if I consider my wallet, and keychain (which has an Atwood or two), but this does get one's mind thinking about how to be efficient.
