5 EDC items everyone should have

original photo: gearmoose

Consider your daily carry. For most of us, we have a good assortment of things which get us through our day. As our needs will be a little different from the next person, being prepared is always key. Some important factors to consider are carry items which are small/lightweight, multi-use, and durable.

This is our list of 5 EDC items everyone should have.

1. Knife

Never underestimate the power and versatility of a blade. How many times have you needed to open a package, cut a loose piece of thread or peel a piece of fruit? These are only a few examples of times where having a blade comes in handy. What’s great about knives, are that they come in a huge variety which appeal to the tastes of anyone and everyone. When considering a blade, what do you feel you’d use a knife for most through-out your daily life? For many of us, something small and non-obtrusive will to the trick. We’ve created a keychain “Pocket Samurai” folding knife, which is small enough to put on your keychain. At only 2.7” closed, this is a great option for people wanting a small blade without the bulkiness of a larger knife. We have both a titanium version and aluminum version available for pre-order. For those wanting something a little larger, our WolfTac is a lightweight folding knife with a partially serrated blade. For people who want something a little more unique / discreet (but equally cool!), we offer our X-Blade Executive, X-Blade Rugged, and X-Blade Pocket - a professional blade designed to give the appearance of an expensive luxury pen.

4. Multi-tool / safety kit

A multi-tool is just that, an all-in-1 tool which contains many of the most commonly used hand tools. Companies like Leatherman and Swiss Army offer multi-tools packing a ton of function in a small footprint. If you want to take it even a step further, there are many companies which offer multi-tool cards. The cards are the size of a credit card and can fit in your wallet. Should you need something bulkier, we offer 2 auto rescue tools, the T2 and T3. These are great multi-tools, but more importantly safety tools, which can be left in your car. Our best selling T3 has a spring loaded window punch, seatbelt cutter, and partially serrated blade. It even has a stainless steel belt clip and heavy duty nylon belt sheath if you wanted to use it as an EDC. For kits, we offer an auto survival kit and an auto and travel first aid kit. These kits contain all the necessary items in the event of emergency.

2. Pen

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed a pen and there wasn’t one around. Many people have experienced this frustration! Although much of what we do today is digital, we need to compensate for the instances where our device has died, or maybe there are no other options… As a normal pen is good for many circumstances, what if you’re caught in the rain? Tactical pens are a great EDC, because they’re heavy duty, and some of them are multi-function. Tactical pens can be great options because of this, not to mention their slimmer profile. We offer the TacPen, which contains a Fisher Space Ink Cartridge, which allows you to write in ANY ENVIRONMENT (yes, even space!). The TacPen also features a carbide window punch at the end, should you ever need to escape your car, or need a weapon in a bind. We’ve also created the TriTac which is our updated version of the TacPen, and contains a 440c blade! Our TriTac will be available soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for it!

3. Smartphone (or cellular phone)

Gone are the days of landlines. If you’re one of the few that still have one, odds are you also have a cellular phone of some sort. A cellular phone is an important EDC, because they’re extremely multi-functional. Aside from being able to browse the web, play games, and even pay our bills, a cell phone is important if you ever find yourself needing help. Think your car running out of gas, getting lost in an unfamiliar place, or worse, stranded somewhere with no one else around. A smartphone works great in these instances, but an equally great option is a “dumb phone” - a cellphone which essentially can only make calls (and maybe) send text messages. The great thing about “dumb phones” is their simplicity. Nokia for instance recently re-released and slightly updated their popular 3310 from around the year 2000. The updated 3310 has a camera, but no WIFI and only has 2G connectivity. If all that sounds like jargon to you, this basically means it’s a very simplistic phone containing the bare minimum. The big pay off is its battery life. It has a 4-hour talk time and can be on standby mode for up to 55 hours! If you’re looking for a solid, bare bones cell phone for emergencies, a “dumb phone” is a great choice. Many of them can also be no-contract, “pay-as-you-go” to further save you money, or act as a good emergency phone option/backup.

5. Water bottle

Aside to drinking, we can clean a cut in a bind, or keep cool on a hot day. As bottled water is commonplace, it’s also very expensive and the bottles are a heavy polluter. Having a reusable bottle not only helps cut down on pollution, but will save you a lot of money in the long run. There are also many “hi-tech” options which serve a range of functions: Bottles to keep your liquids cool, bottles which can purify your water, and even bottles that can identify the liquid inside and tell you how many calories it contains! As the hi-tech options may not be for everyone, never underestimate the savings and overall benefit to having a water bottle. Water is essential to all life.

So there you have it, our list of 5 EDC items you should have. Do you have something different? Let us know!