EDC Overflow - How do you carry it all?

B

Binford

Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
194
What do you do with your EDC stuff that won't fit in your pockets - especially in an office environment where you'd get funny looks and stares if you walked the hallways with a fatboy slung over your shoulder?

There’s only room for so much in the pockets of your average khaki pants, and cargo pants aren’t really allowed. I’d like to be able to keep my LM Wave (soon to be Charge), Vic Explorer, Inova X5, Palm Pilot, back-up folder, CPR mask, and other small misc. items.

I’m looking for something like a small briefcase, or portfolio type thing with plenty of pockets. I know roadwired.com and bucket boss have a few possibilities, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with any of these things? What’s the best way to be equipped, but inconspicuous?
 
Actually, I'm having keychain overflow right now.....:eek: :o :footinmou
 
I'm in the same boat... Office environment, so military look is out. Over the last 10 years, I've refined my technique to the point where I can lug a lot of gear relatively inconspicuously :D

The first thing I do is try to combine gear. A Swisschamp is obvious for that role. Also, My cellphone is a Kyocera 7135. It's a phone, PDA and the 256Mb SD card acts as my removable drive.

On my belt, I carry the phone and the Swisschamp in a nylon case. The Swisschamp has been with me for about 10 years, so it's become a part of "me" that everyone recognizes. The phone and SAK are against each other to minimize perception of bulk. I also carry a Pocketwrench II in the nylon case behind the SAK.

In my waisband, right beneath the phone, I either carry a Spyderco Calypso Jr. or as small CGG Sebbie. The knife is invisible, hidden by the phone.

My left front pocket holds my wallet. It's a shame that I can't get used to carrying my wallet in my back pocket, as it limits my carry.

For the rest, I made myself a leather pouch out of an old purse my wife was throwing away. The leather is really thin, which is exactly what I needed. The pouch contains a Longbow Micra, a spare battery, a Blazer Micro Torch, a Leatherman Squirt P4, a Kershaw Chive and a Fisher Space Pen. The pen is hooked on the outside, while the Chive and Micra are placed at either end and have a lanyard attached. With a bit of practice, I can retrieve any item without pulling out the case. With the right kind of loose pants, the case is fairly invisible.

Finally, I carry my keys and an Arc AAA on a carabiner on a belt loop.

Here are pictures of the case:
caseopen.jpg
caseclosed.jpg


And finally, here is the entire setup:
fullgear.jpg


Guy
 
Denix said:
On my belt, I carry the phone and the Swisschamp in a nylon case. The Swisschamp has been with me for about 10 years, so it's become a part of "me" that everyone recognizes. The phone and SAK are against each other to minimize perception of bulk.
Click to expand...
When you say "against each other", do you mean side to side? I have a clip on sheath for my Victorinox Climber and I'm thinking of wearing it tucked next to my cell phone. My wife thinks no one will notice or care if they do.
 
Nice set up Denix. I'm not so crafty :(

I've used the bucket boss contractor's briefcase with great success. It used to have a zipper in the top overflap that allowed access better than now. Now they just have the overflap.
For the corporate or business world, I'd go countycomm.com Bail Out Bag.

Depends what you want to carry. I used to carry many tools and test instruments as well as cell, pda, papers, files. Bucket boss is the way if you have lots of small tools.

If you have a knife, cell, pda, files stuff the Countycomm BOB is the way. BOB is lighter weight, less conspicuous and holds all my office stuff well.You can get more detailed pics from when I did a comparison between a Fatboy and BOB in a thread HERE
Some pics of each. Grain is pronounced only because of camera flash .
Bucket boss Briefcase
buckboss01.jpg


buckboss03.jpg


buckboss04.jpg


Back side
buckboss02.jpg


buckboss05.jpg


BOB Countycomm.com
ccbob001.jpg


ccbob002.jpg


ccbob003.jpg
 
Maxpedition Fat Boy helps me with my "overflow." I carry a BUNCH of stuff (most of which is the "just in case: kind of stuff) but I always have it with me in one nice to handle and carry bag.

DPS
 
I carry a Mountainsmith Tour Bag. My glasses, Palm, Altoids Kit, compact binos, a disposable camera, flashlights, etc. I just extend the shoulder strap and "sling it".

I reduced my pocket carry to the basic save your butt stuff: A SAK Soldier, Photon, milsurp whistle, and a MiniBic lighter.

You can see the Mountainsmith here:Day/Tour Bag

Mine is the Tour model, it works quite well.
 
Here are a couple of quick and dirty pics of my Maxpedition M1 and most of the stuff inside.

Missing from the pics but usually in the M1 are:
Keys with Spyderco Ladybug & LED light combo.
Small notebook
Pen
Some small change.

There is still room for more.

The large black thing in the bottom left corner is a small
leather wallet for credit cards and the like.
 

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The way you deal with it is to NOT carry it. Normal people don't need that much stuff. I have plenty of EDC gear from leatherman's to fancy flashlights, GPS, etc. I rarely find myself saying "man, I really wish I had my GPS with me right now!" (or substitute almost any gear in).
 
sygyzy said:
The way you deal with it is to NOT carry it. Normal people don't need that much stuff. I have plenty of EDC gear from leatherman's to fancy flashlights, GPS, etc. I rarely find myself saying "man, I really wish I had my GPS with me right now!" (or substitute almost any gear in).
Click to expand...
Well, it depends on what you call "that much stuff". Admittedly I don't need both the Chive and the Sebenza in there but I happen to like them so I carry them. Everything else I'd probably use nearly every day. I use a credit card, I use money, I use car keys, I'll use something from the swiss card or micra, I use a pen, I use a notebook and occasionally I'll use the Inova.

If you don't use so much stuff, fine, don't carry it, but some people do.
 
I clip so many things to my belt at work that I feel like Batman.
My keychain is near overflow. Photon Microlight, Prybaby, SAK mini, GI can opener, and an eyeglass screwdriver (nice little standard/phillips set you get with a care kit at Sunglass hut). I use a carabiner to hook this to a belt loop.
Then my belt usually has a horizontal sheath with a Blackwood Miami Ninja, and sometimes a Frontsight hideaway too. And a leatherman ST. And a cell phone.
And maybe even my Surefire E2e.
All I need are some batarangs.
I do carry a leather shoulder bag with my office junk/mini-BOB kit in it. It's my man-purse, I have no excuse. It has medicine, whatever book I'm reading, sunglasses, pens, paper and pencils, my camera, small Nikon binox, cell charger, small girly umbrella, everything except my laptop. And I'm trying to buy a larger leather bag that can handle the laptop as well. :)
 
There are a series of tear drop shaped back bags that come in a variety of sizes, materials, and colors that fits the bill.

http://www.ameribag.com/

It comes in 6 sizes

http://www.ameribag.com/products/sizes.html

4 types of materials (leather, nylon, twill and microfiber).

and it's pretty utilitarian.

webleather.jpg


I love mine. I got a blue microfiber medium.
51mfnavy.jpg
I carry all my extrajunk and it's much more comfortable than a backpack.

YMMV

Kref
 
I use the Countycomm BOB also. It carries stuff that's nice to have; my radio, books, PDA and Glock.
 
Thanks for all the info and pics so far!

Something else I just surfed across again was the County Comm pocket organizer that slides into cargo pockets. I thought that would be a nice organizer to slide into a breifcase. I've got a Maxpedition Rat Wallet, and just found a small Samsonite 5-pocket camera case that looks a lot like a Maxpedition M-1 or M-2 pouch. The Samsonite pouch claims to be water proof and is slightly padded to protect electronics - plus it was only $3.97 at Wally World!
 
Frank said:
When you say "against each other", do you mean side to side? I have a clip on sheath for my Victorinox Climber and I'm thinking of wearing it tucked next to my cell phone. My wife thinks no one will notice or care if they do.
Click to expand...

Hi Frank!

Yes, that's exactly right. They're both side by side. From a distance both items blend together. I've been working in the same department for over 10 years, so my habits are well known, but every now and then someone I've known for a few years suddenly exclaims "is that a SAK next to your phone?" :rolleyes:

TOB9595: Nice setup! We've had a rash of thefts around the office, so I'd be afraid to carry that way... Cool though!

sygyzy: I used to think that way, until I discovered Bladeforums :rolleyes: Of course now, I firmly believe that I can't possibly leave the house without at least 4 blades on me :confused: Imagine, I might need to cut a piece of string somewhere :D Of course, I hardly use any of my gear, except the SwissChamp and the Micra. I'm just infected, that's all :D

Guy
 
the spec-ops pack rat works great for this, keep tons of stuff in mine, lotsa pockets, i highly reccomend them.
 
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