What is EDC? EDC stands for everyday carry, and simply consists of any useful items one might carry with them on a daily basis. There are countless possiblities and combinations, and there is no definitive list. The things you carry with you should be useful to you. There are a few things to consider, such as utility, portability, budget, etc. In this article, we will touch upon these, as well as provide our own recommended list.
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Utility
The things you carry should be useful. There is no point in carrying something around you are not likely to ever need. If there is something you find yourself using on a daily basis, like pliers, then it makes sense to be in your kit. That’s another consideration. I have two sets: one I carry on my person and another set of items I carry in my day pack. You will want all of the items you need daily on your list, and a few that will be there because they will come in handy in a pinch (like a multitool).
Portability
The second thing I like to consider is portability. I don’t like to carry too much crap. If I can find an item that performs multiple functions, I will choose that one item over carrying multiple things. You can put any items you don’t want to carry on your person into a backpack. Find a balance. You don’t want to carry everything under the sun, and you don’t want to end up with a pack that weighs a hundred pounds.
Budget
The third consideration is your budget. What can you afford? What items do you need right now, as opposed to items you can get later? You may want to spring for a quality item that costs a little bit more because it is likely to last. You don’t need the most expensive items.
Doom Scout Basic Everyday Carry List
I prefer a minimalist approach. I don’t like to have giant stuff, nor do I like to have too much stuff. If I can kill multiple birds with one stone, I do it. You’ll see this is action when we get to the wallet section. I also don’t carry a flashlight on my person because my smartphone has that functionality, but I do have a headlamp in my day pack. Everything in the following list is exactly what I use, and I’ll explain why I include each item. In some cases, I’ll offer alternatives to what I have in case you’d like to try something else. But these are the minimum 8 items I recommend for EDC; 5 if you use my wallet hack and lose the flashlight and watch.
- Smartphone
- Wallet
- Pocketknife
- Watch
- Writing Utensil
- Writing Pad
- Multitool
- Light
Smartphone
Communication is paramount. You no longer have to carry around a pocketfull of loose quarters for payphones, which is a good thing. Having just a regular, cheap cell phone is still better than nothing, but I strongly recommend carrying a smartphone. There are so many useful apps out there, from GPS to calculators. It’s basically a fully-fledged computer right in your pocket. You can take notes, photos, video, audio. You can connect it right to a home surveillance system. You can even keep track of your kids with apps like Life360. They also come equipped now with flashlight capabilities, so it pays to have a smartphone. I use a Samsung Galaxy S-21.
Wallet
If you like wallets, then by all means, find a wallet that works well for you (I think the Fidelo is pretty cool). I stopped using a wallet a long time ago, because I noticed that I end up collecting crap and filling it up unnecessarily. So I switched to a cheap pocket notebook. I put my debit card in there, along with any IDs I use, and I secure it with a rubber band. Boom. This way I kill two birds with one stone. I have a writing pad and wallet all in one, and I can replace the thing for a dollar anytime I want. If you want to go with something a little bit nicer, I recommend using a Moleskine notebook.
Pocketknife
A pocketknife is one of the most useful tools known to man. I use mine everyday. Hence, the everyday carry. You don’t need me to tell you all the things a pocketknife can do, but it also serves as a small measure of protection in a self-defense scenario. For my purposes, I prefer a low-profile folding knife that doesn’t take up much space in my pocket, and has a clip. My absolute favorite of all time is a Camillus EDC3, but I am currently using a Gerber Paraframe.
Watch
While you can easily replace a wristwatch with your smartphone, there are many reasons to have both. First, your watch battery will last far longer than your cell phone. Many watches are also water resistant, which is not always the situation with cell phone cases. Watches also have a multitude of tools built-in, such as timers, alarms, and even GPS or altitude meters. I like a simple Timex Ironman, which is less bulky than your standard G-Shock.
Writing Utensil
You may think that the days of writing by hand are gone with the wind, but that would be foolish. You still have to sign documents, jot down important notes, and leave people instructions from time to time. I find it also helps for when my cell phone happens to be dead. So I carry a pen everywhere I go. My favorite is the new Sharpie S-Gel for everyday carry. But you can literally carry whatever kind of instrument you like. Steal one from the bank, I don’t care. Use a pencil even. It’s up to you.
Writing Pad
See wallet above.
Multitool
Things have come a long way since the original Swiss Army knife, and there are many different kinds of multitools out there. You just have to pick the one that fits your needs. While you can easily go with something ultra-useful for everyday carry like a Leatherman Wingman, a SOG PowerAccess, or a Gerber Diesel, I actually went with the Gerber Shard for minimalist functionality, as it fits on a keychain.
Light
Being able to see in the dark is incredibly useful. You may want to have some type of light source available, as we spend half of our lives in night. As I mentioned above, my smartphone acts as a light source, but I also carry a simple headlamp in my day pack for times when I need to go hands-free. The simple Energizer works great for me, and you can even recharge it via USB.
Dan Donche is a former TACP in the US Air Force, where he served two deployments to Afghanistan and once to Iraq. He is also a former Special Operations Developer for the USAF where he trained, coached, and mentored candidates for careers in Special Operations (now called Special Warfare). While on active duty, he was a MCMAP combatives instructor for his squadron. He fought for a while as a professional mixed martial artist, was the creator of the esteemed HexCam camouflage pattern, and currently lives in Colorado, where he writes fiction and runs this website.
