Change of pace in life, have to upgrade EDC habits.

[Knifestyle]

Very recently, my life has taken some major turns and my lifestyle has had to change considerably. For the last few years I've been a blue collar college student working his way through school, every day I wore jeans and layered jackets that whatever gear I needed. Never without my Chrome satchel which I basically lived out of occasionally. Form before fashion, the only time I unloaded my pockets was when it was time to change the jeans I wore. Now? I'm working in an office every day, commuting by car constantly, taking graduate courses at night, and a few times a week attend fraternal organization meetings which require a formal suit and respectable appearance.

However, I'm still the guy who has to handle anything with a chaotic life to prepare for. So here I am settling into a new apartment and a new daily routine, trying to sort out what kind of gear I should still keep carrying, what I need to replace, and how to adapt it all to my new 'Mad Men' wardrobe and appearance requirements. I'll be breaking this down into categories to try and narrow down what I need.

How to carry-During the day I'm in dress slacks, a button down shirt and a tie. At night I pull on a sport jacket which has a minimum of two inside pockets and two outside pockets, a few of my blazers have more. I'm known for always carrying a pocket square for decoration, so the chest pocket is off limits. Some events I wear a vest for a full three-piece, I may relegate this for events where I'm on-duty in order to justify the extra pockets for administrative odds and ends.

Filling my bag-as much as I love my Chrome bag, I'm in a new world and I'm now using a standard black laptop-style bag with my organization's symbol embroidered on it. Quite a lot of pockets and dividers, but have yet to narrow down what I need to have in the corporate world compared to my usual college antics. What are some basic essentials for the office and meetings that adults with jobs rely on rather than punks like myself?

Sharp things-I used to sleep with a neck knife, and always had a fixed blade or two on my person with a folder in my waistband. Those were the days. Now I'm meeting more politically correct standards, nowadays sticking with an old Victorinox Cadet solely because it's inoffensive. I usually carry a pink Spyderco Delica, but it's simply too large for most situations nowadays. I do have a Boker Subcom which I occasionally used as a hidden tie clip, but when I'm just in charity meetings and not at work I wouldn't mind having a fixed blade somewhere in my suit in case we need to set up or take down some decorations. I've used 'sheathsticks' made by the Hideaway Knife company to pin sheaths into clothing before, are there any generic alternatives I could put together for less than twenty dollars a pair?

Lights-I have traveled the world with a Surefire E2L which is also an impact weapon I've trained with, but the military style abrasive grip is a factor in dress pants when I'm wearing rings. I still have my old Fenix EO1 on my keychain, but I need something strong enough for when the lights really go out.

Multitools-My Leatherman Wave just can't come along for the ride anymore. I still keep a Squirt on my keychain, but I'm feeling my Vic Cadet isn't quite up to a hard job if it comes up. I need something functional enough for casual jobs, light and small enough not to wear out my clothes or bulge pockets, and reliable without gimmicks.

Paracord-I can't get away with a bracelet anymore, need to find a way to store it all in my bag, in my suit jackets, pants pockets, etc.

Whistle-I love Fox 40 whsitles, and have carried several of them...And all of them eventually broke off my keychain, I literally have a small pile of them with the key fob cracked off. Any sturdier but inexpensive options?

Personal upkeep-Despite wearing a suit every day I still wear my hair long in a ponytail, need to keep clean and presentable, and often have to adjust myself before meetings or interviews in a rush.

Traveling with clothes-I have a Toyota Matrix hatchback already filled with a decent car kit. I need a way to keep an outfit such as a tuxedo in decent shape hanging in the back seat or laid out over the open trunk section.

Pens-I carried a Zebra 701 for a year, and absolutely loved it. When I lost it, I have yet to find one in any stores, and can't justify shopping online for a 7 dollar pen. I've tried carrying the Zebra 402s, but keep snapping them because they're still plastic bodied under the steel barrel.

Wallet-Mine is about ten years old, falling apart, generic brand tri-fold. Any thoughts on what I could upgrade to that will hold more gear without going the nylon military-looking route? I carry in my front pocket so size is a factor.

Business cards-Right now, I'm carrying them in my old wallet. Any simple options for carrying them that doesn't clutter my pockets considerably?

Unusual trinkets-My fraternity often requires me to bring along some challenge coin style artifacts, some small medals I put on for ceremonies, bits of jewelry I don't wear during the day, etc. For example, I have to keep around a pair of white cotton gloves which are for very special occasions. Any tricks for keeping these things protected and organized in a ready-to-go format?

Watch-My old military-looking Dakota with the rechargeable LED lights has finally died past warranty. I'm looking for an inexpensive, conservative watch with a stainless steel band. Something neutral that goes with everything.

 

[RevDevil]

I didn't read the entire post, sorry.
For a wallet that will last you decades and get better looking and more comfy with time: Saddleback Leather
Business card holder : inexpensive Ti money clips, can be found online for a few buck and they look nice and clean.
A nice pen can take years to find. The Embassy series, Tuff Writer, or CRKT Tao pen. Classy, tough, and they work.

So what line of work are you in exactly? Don't need specific details, just curious.

 

[Knifestyle]

Nothing too impressive, I'm a graduate student who works in public administration as part of my program. Eight hours a day behind a desk on the worst days, occasional trips out to do code enforcement runs, sometimes I'm sent out with the public works crew for event set-up. Basically I'm just a go-for intern for the people running the town while the mayor is off doing his day-job.

 

[Gollnick]

Be very careful about carrying anything at all heavy in the pockets of a suit or sports jacket. If you weight em down, they look bad very fast. In fact, on many suit jackets, the outside pockets aren't even real; they are just decoration.

Much the same is true of your laptop briefcase. It should never look bulged of stuffed. And be concious of how heavy it is; it should not make you look lop-sided or strained as you walk. And if your bag came -- as many do -- with a shoulder strap, two things are important: remove it when not in use; they look sloppy when not in use. Second) Never use a shoulder strap when wearing a suit-, sport-, or over-coat.

 

[RevDevil]

Nothing too impressive, I'm a graduate student who works in public administration as part of my program. Eight hours a day behind a desk on the worst days, occasional trips out to do code enforcement runs, sometimes I'm sent out with the public works crew for event set-up. Basically I'm just a go-for intern for the people running the town while the mayor is off doing his day-job.

Well that sounds interesting enough, congrats on your current and upcoming success. I'm always on the hunt for some of the items you are looking for. Try searching for the Saddleback wallets, you'll find something in the right color and style. Same for the pens and Ti trinkets.

 

[Cereal_killer]

One question, would it look to out of place to replace your laptop bag's strap with a woven paracord strap, you could easily carry upwards of 10 times the amount of cord a bracelet holds and if done in black yould add an almost unnoticed but still custom and very useful (should you ever need it) enhancement. Just my suggestion.

As for the light aspect, go the route Charlie_Mike just took, HDS systems clicky or rotary, its more of a "mid-tech" light, for something more elegant than that your lookin at another $300 on top of the HDS (which is ~$200) and that just barely gets you into the custom light world. For something cheaper to hold you over an all black or black/silver foursevens Preon 1 or 2 would be nice, and only about $45 for either the 1xAAA twisty or 2xAAA clicky (and for $11 more you can put the clicky switch on the 1x body/head.

 

[Grease]

One question, would it look to out of place to replace your laptop bag's strap with a woven paracord strap, you could easily carry upwards of 10 times the amount of cord a bracelet holds and if done in black yould add an almost unnoticed but still custom and very useful (should you ever need it) enhancement. Just my suggestion.

I might suggest doing a paracord strap with a secondary cobra weave made of Type 1 paracord covering the base layer. The thinner cord gives a tighter, cleaning looking weave.

 

[sideways]

First step, get a good smartphone. Besides the usual phone stuff you have all the information of the web available to you, you also have a camera that'll work as a scanner in a pinch and a flashlight (using an application to enable the camera flash) that is good enough for most tasks.

Business cards should be handled electronically.

Flashlight. Foursevens preon 2. Or use your phone.

Wallet. Bifold or card carrier. Less is more.

A suit bag will keep your suits in good shape.

If you feel paracord, multitools, whistles and sharp things are necessary put them in your bag. They probably aren't though. A victorinox classic or leatherman squirt is probably all you realistically need.

Check out http://everyday-carry.com/

 

[cchu518]

I would really start minimizing on your junk and clutter. You gotta ask yourself if you have a ready kit in the car, do you really need everything else if you are walking around in a suit?

For small knives I have whittled down my users that I wouldn't hesitate to carry to a Spyderco Ambitious, CRLT Drifter, A trapper slipjoint and most recently I picked up a little Buck pen knife. The pen knife seems stout enough to do everything on the daily.

I carry a knapsack to and from work so that had most of my stuff that I EDC or call it what you will. So for a wallet I use a very small Coach money clip wallet. I also have a similar wallet bu Tumi. It does the job, for business cards, they can sometimes get dirty in travel and if you need to kinda have them I would just go out and get a cardholder to keep them clean.

 

[De Plano]

I would think doing code enforcement he would need to have cards on him, electronic equivalents would not work in a number of situations.

I don't picture a paracord strap ever fitting the syle it sounds like he is going for.

I like Parker pens. Write well and are reasonably priced or more. I am a tad bit of a pen snob, but way too cheap to actually ever think about getting a nice pen. Twenty bucks is as much as I would ever think about spending and I have not done that yet.

 

[Les Snyder]

I managed 30 years as a classroom teacher with either an Al Mar lightweight, a Spyderco Walker, or a Kershaw Leek in my pocket without much notice... I carried my keys on a ring with a nylon belt snap (pic in the flashlight for Dad thread)

 

[Planterz]

I'll try to address the points on which I can speak, but I can't address anything "suit" or "briefcase" related, as that's a completely different world to me.

Sharp things-I used to sleep with a neck knife, and always had a fixed blade or two on my person with a folder in my waistband. Those were the days. Now I'm meeting more politically correct standards, nowadays sticking with an old Victorinox Cadet solely because it's inoffensive. I usually carry a pink Spyderco Delica, but it's simply too large for most situations nowadays. I do have a Boker Subcom which I occasionally used as a hidden tie clip, but when I'm just in charity meetings and not at work I wouldn't mind having a fixed blade somewhere in my suit in case we need to set up or take down some decorations.

If you think you can get away with carrying a clipped pocketknife, it's hard to beat the Spyderco Calypso series knives, or the UKPK. They're thin and flat so they don't "print", and the pocket clip carries the knife deeply, doesn't really look like a knife clip (looks more like a pen clip), and is also heat colored to hide against dark materials. If you can't get away with a pocket clip, look at the A.G. Russell 3" lockback in carbon fiber or titanium. Extremely thin, extremely lightweight, yet very capable. And, of course, you can't go wrong with something like a Case Peanut or many other small traditional slipjoint knives. If you want to carry something beefier in your briefcase, that works too, and there's an innumerable options that'll work for that.

Lights-I have traveled the world with a Surefire E2L which is also an impact weapon I've trained with, but the military style abrasive grip is a factor in dress pants when I'm wearing rings. I still have my old Fenix EO1 on my keychain, but I need something strong enough for when the lights really go out.

There are a number of AAA flashlights out there, some of which can exceed 100 lumens yet still last an hour (much longer at lower levels). You can always keep your E2L in your bag, or just some extra batteries for your keychain light.

Multitools-My Leatherman Wave just can't come along for the ride anymore. I still keep a Squirt on my keychain, but I'm feeling my Vic Cadet isn't quite up to a hard job if it comes up. I need something functional enough for casual jobs, light and small enough not to wear out my clothes or bulge pockets, and reliable without gimmicks.

I too keep a Leatherman Squirt on my keychain (PS4). The Cadet is handy, but a Pioneer/Soldier is better, and still not too "bulgy". My personal favorite SAK is the Cybertool 29, which I find immensely useful with its bit driver and bits. However, it's definitely "bulgy", despite being the smallest Cybertool. You can always keep one in your briefcase.

Whistle-I love Fox 40 whsitles, and have carried several of them...And all of them eventually broke off my keychain, I literally have a small pile of them with the key fob cracked off. Any sturdier but inexpensive options?

4Sevens makes a 100+ Db titanium whistle that's 2" long and very thin. $20. Or a dual whistle at 120+ Db (ouch!) for $40. Expensive? Maybe. But only expensive once. How much have you spent on broken whistles?

Pens-I carried a Zebra 701 for a year, and absolutely loved it. When I lost it, I have yet to find one in any stores, and can't justify shopping online for a 7 dollar pen. I've tried carrying the Zebra 402s, but keep snapping them because they're still plastic bodied under the steel barrel.

IIRC, I bought mine from Office Depot. You can buy a single 701 off eBay for less than $7 with free shipping. Cheaper if you buy more. So why the hell not, eh? You can also take the steel end cap off your broken 402s and replace the black plastic ones on the 701. Something from Fisher would be high quality too, and classy.

Wallet-Mine is about ten years old, falling apart, generic brand tri-fold. Any thoughts on what I could upgrade to that will hold more gear without going the nylon military-looking route? I carry in my front pocket so size is a factor.

Look at the Allet. They're made with sailcloth, which is extremely strong, tear resistant, and very, very thin. You can get them in plain sailcloth, or leather clad (still extremely thin). Really, it's crazy, crazy thin, even loaded with a few ID/credit cards, enough bills to get by, etc. I've been carrying a leather one for about a year and a half. The leather certainly is showing some damage, but considering I keep my keys, change, and SAK in the same pocket, it's holding up very well. If you carry only the Allet, it should hold up very well. And even though the leather ones are more expensive, they're still only about $35, so it's not a huge cost to replace it. Saddleback will last longer than you will, but that's because they're built tough. Their ID wallet or business card wallet should be nice and thin, but won't really act like a "normal" wallet, while the Allet will.

 

[Cereal_killer]

I might suggest doing a paracord strap with a secondary cobra weave made of Type 1 paracord covering the base layer. The thinner cord gives a tighter, cleaning looking weave.

I do alot of different things with a double cobra stitch (one cobra stitch of 550 cord inside another 550 cobra weave) and its about perfect width for lots of stuff- my belt, the 2 point sling on my carbine, dog collars, handles for bags. If you do the typical cobra stitch with only 2 strands on the inside, then another standard cobra with the first, plus 2 strands it'll be about 1.75" wide if done tightly.

Plus for a cool look you can do a different color, or a multi color on the inside and still have black in the outter layer, my carbine sling has black over tan and looks great while still mostly black.

 

[Unk]

Congrats on finishing school and getting a job,

40 years suit and tie environment- I ditched a wallet and carry a money clip, usually with a card or two to keep it tight. Card case for DL, CWL, 1 credit and 1 debit card and 3 medical insurance cards..ride in my visor or LF pant pocket..concealed carrry last 20 years employed - high-ride pancake or slide.

Retired for 15 years..only change is IWB as dress now shorts and untucked T-shirt or sports shirt- [one-size up].

I initially changed from wallet to money clip when recognized that a fat wallet in right rear pocket was impinging on my sciatic nerve that is a bad thing.

Unrelated but don't overlook saving - time and compound interest work the same for everyone..the sooner you start and the longer you keep it up, the happier you'll be.

Best.

 

[Clang!]

The keychain size tools are surprisingly usefull in an office environ, and mine have yet to draw a second look (LM micra or a V-nox Classic attached to a Gerber Shard.).

A keychain flashlight is mandatory as I've found out the hard way that most bathrooms do not have emergency lighting.

Cordage: If you have to wear a badge, the badge lanyard is a good place to store cordage. Most lanyards are about 3 feet long ,and a basic single chain sinnet will required 5 times as much cord (paracord diameter) as the finished sinnet length (5/1 ratio). Smaller diameter cord is more formal and requires more cord per finished sinnet length. It's possible to carry 20-50 feet of cord around your neck. Otherwise, coil it up and stick it inside a keychain pill fob.

Pens: Zebra F-701 barrel with a F-401 clicky screwed into the back. No plastic parts. Pens are available at Walmart and Staples.

 

[Shotgun]

Just a thought but do you really need all of what you want to carry? There's being prepared and then there's being prepared and I think a lot of people are in a "be prepared" fantasy rather then preparing for what is likely. A good litmus test for me of this is if I have to ask what I need, then I probably don't need it. No offense meant and there's nothing wrong with the idea of being prepared but most people in the business world carry business cards, a wallet, car keys, and a cell phone and they get through life just fine. Even in times of emergency/natural disasters. Everyone and every place is different but to me a business suit means you're probably in a city or close to it. Cities abound with stuff that can be improvised into doing what you want. For example I don't carry extra screws for my eyeglasses because a staple will work in a pinch. And works pretty well.

There's very little actual need for stuff like paracord when on a business lunch you know? Just saying a car kit and a few things on your person like an umbrella, keychain light, etc is probably all you're going to need.

 

[sideways]

Umbrellas are urban survival gear.

I agree with Shotgun. The stuff you keep on your person should be pretty minimalist in an urban corporate environment.

 

[cchu518]

Exactly what shotgun said. I always carry a mini umbrella as i thought a good English gentlemen always carries an umbrella. At least that is what the NY times article said 20 years ago. Except I'm a new Yorker and the first time I visited London half of them didn't carry umbrellas when it rained because they didnt care if they got wet. Lol. Buy suits that fit and aren't baggie. I personally avoid pleated pants and double breasted suits. This general rule keeps me out of trouble. And don't forget a few pair of decent shoes to rotate. Allen edmonds, Bostonian, Johnston Murphy, rockport etc...etc...at least one pair with non rubber bottoms. One other thing and I don't know if this is needed but it has served me well and paid for itself has been the tux that I picked up year ago. Wear it three times and it has covered its cost in renting.

 

[Clang!]

This is an expansion of my earlier post:
What are some basic essentials for the office and meetings that adults with jobs rely on rather than punks like myself? – In addition to your daily carry-all (laptop bag) you will need a lighweight padfolio for meetings, conferences, etc. This will be you constant companion when you’re away from your desk, and as such, is a good place to keep business cards. Leather or microfiber is the classiest; nylon is functional chic, and avoid vinyl as it looks cheap as it ages. Since you’re going to be relying heavily on your cell when you’re away from your desk, a spare USB charging cord is going to come in handy. Thumb drives, if your employer allows them, can usually be requested from your employer.

Lights- Your Fenix E01 is ideal for a power outage in an office. There should be emergency lighting in the common areas, and 10-15 lumens is ideal for indoor navigation in a crowded office. Uncorking a 100+ lumen, tightly focused light during a power outage is going to be as popular as a fart in an elevator. You may feel better, but everybody else will be staggering around sans night vision. Tuck a 1xAA or a 2xAAA light into your jacket for night-time functions.

Multitools – Keep the LM Wave in your desk for printer repair, decorations, or other heavy stuff. You won’t be using your in-pocket knife for anything heavy then prying up staples and opening boxes.

Personal upkeep – Travel size deodorant, hand sanitizer, Tide pen, asprin, and a comb in your desk.

Traveling with clothes- Assuming not air travel, Put the tux in an opaque garment bag and hang it from the car's handle above the left rear door or in your office. Direct sunlight is death for a dark garment.

Unusual trinkets- Never had a problem locking them in the glove box or putting them in my briefcase. You will find bicycles and golf clubs in cubicles and offices, I don’t think a pair of white gloves is going to be a problem.

Watch- Stick your head in Kohls or Sears and see what catches your attention. I have a Citizen quartz analog watch (conservative stainless steel with link bracelet) that’s my EDC. I got it on clearance for $80. You can expect to pay $50-$60 for a decent watch. Just make sure it’s water resistant and has date as well as time.

 

[RedSwissKnife]

Multitools-My Leatherman Wave just can't come along for the ride anymore. I still keep a Squirt on my keychain, but I'm feeling my Vic Cadet isn't quite up to a hard job if it comes up. I need something functional enough for casual jobs, light and small enough not to wear out my clothes or bulge pockets, and reliable without gimmicks.

A Victorinox Tinker is a much better choice than the Cadet.