"EDC" survival type stuff, aka "The Giant Key ring of the Apocalypse" a ramble

[tknife]

Admittedly I never understood the need to carry lots of "what if" items on a daily basis. Aside from wallet, phone, folding knife, I never thought much else was needed. Sure I threw a flashlight and a SAK classic on my keys, figuring okay, seriously what else could I really need?

Then I finally get over the mindset that my folder has to be a huge, extra beefy, zombie prying folder (I've tried them all I think) and started carrying knives that actually sliced and cut well. I have been very bad about using my knives for prying in the past, but don't want to risk that with thinner bladed knives. Along comes this crazy countycomm place (Heard of it but never checked it out before) and some little Widgy bars. Perfect solution and something I never thought I would need, a mini prybar on my keyring. They also had these super pointy and compact tweezers, and the ones on the SAK's are almost completely worthless. There goes another little "necessity" right on the old key ring.

Fast forward again, I spot a cool little key fob that contains a tiny knife blade, ferro rod, small amount of duct tape and jute twine, all wrapped up in some handy paracord. What a genius idea! Put that sucker right on to my keys too. This thing weighs nothing, but it is bulky in my pocket so it may end up going in my glove box or something.

Pulling into work this morning, drove over a speedbump and listened to all this stuff clang around on my keys, I had to laugh. Also made me wonder what everybody else carries.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Nothing impressive: Nail clippers, peanut lighter, scissors [weed snips – was Leatherman Micra but I lost it and didn't find enough value in it to replace it], and handcuff key. I did have a window lock key on there 'till recently but I bust it hitting it with a rock. My mate's tredder has a crank nut that requires a three pronged tool he didn't have. I poked the key in a recess and tapped it up tight but the key folded over in the process.

 

[HikingMano]

This is what I carry. A little bulky, but so far, the weight/volume hasn't outweighed the utility or insurance for me.

Vic Rambler in stayglow
Quark Mini CR123 in neutral
BSA Hotspark with striker
AMK whistle
Tritium Fob
GoingGear spy capsule with a rolled up emergency $20


This holds my wallet (skinny All-Ett) in addition to some other EDC stuff:

Battery in flashlight always seems to die right when you need it.... Not pictured, but in a zippered pocket on the back: $1 in quarters, tiny button compass, and county comm prybar. I'd like to add one of those good tweezers as well; I agree with T, the SAK ones aren't all that great (but better than nothing). I do carry one of those on a keychain with some other stuff when I'm hiking though.

ETA: I also edc a MilTac pen and a small EDC fixed blade.

 

[6shooter]

I've got an SAK classic, energizer keychain light, bottle opener I got in Mexico, and keys on my keychain. That and my wallet is all I've been carrying for a couple weeks now. Not even a proper knife. If I'm going for a walk when it's dark I'll take my Surefire. Don't generally feel the need for more than that, and I worry about losing stuff at work.

 

[Harayasu]

I carry keys, a Victorinox Midnight Manager and Fenix EO1 on my keyring. That's my system for months now and it works fine.

 

[DrivebyTrucker]

Where did you get the orange key fob?

 

[RangerR47]

I hate how bulky and heavy my key ring is...I only have keys, too many but all needed...A photon light and a sak rambler. I have thought about the better tweezers, but just make due with the SAK ones as I have only needed them a few times when real ones were not available..I carry a kershaw leek clipped on my pocket as well, never needed more than this in the urban jungle I spend 98% of my time in.

 

[tknife]

Where did you get the orange key fob?

Got it at REI. the company that makes it is called Bison Designs, they make all kinds of paracord stuff.

I hate how bulky and heavy my key ring is...I only have keys, too many but all needed...A photon light and a sak rambler. I have thought about the better tweezers, but just make due with the SAK ones as I have only needed them a few times when real ones were not available..I carry a kershaw leek clipped on my pocket as well, never needed more than this in the urban jungle I spend 98% of my time in.

Luckily I only have three keys on there, so it gives me a little room for the other things. I'm in the urban jungle mostly too, but a few months ago I started a new job that is right at the foot of the Santa Monica mountains. There are trails less than 50 yards from my office, so I can get in some quick lunch time hikes :thumbup:

 

[pitdog]

Just checked out the Orange Bison designs key fob on Youtube, I think you would be better having a small survival bracelet and a LMF ferro-rod on your key chain.

[youtube]_18z156_L-I[/youtube]

 

[tknife]

Thanks for posting that video Pit. That ferro rod and blade look even more unusable than I thought they would be!

 

[orca8589]

Personal keyring:
- house key
- gun cabinet key
- MagLite Solitaire flashlight
- Victorinox "Cavalier" (discontinued model) keyring knife
- small metal whistle
- Lee Valley & Veritas keyring "bagel" screwdriver (LV&V #50K36-01)
- 5" chain linking it to a brass snap-link hook

for road trips I add:
- a small metal pill capsule (migraine meds)
- an old P38 can opener, or a newer P51 can opener

Planned additions, for when I get around to it:
- tritium fob, so I can always find my keyiring
- larger cargo capsule, for emergency $$$ and meds

Car key ring:
- car key w/keyless entry built into it
- Craftsman 4-way screwdriver

~Chris

 

[pitdog]

Thanks for posting that video Pit. That ferro rod and blade look even more unusable than I thought they would be!

I've used small knives and smaller ferro-rods in the past, LOL.......maybe not the ideal thing to have to rely on though !

 

[Shotgun]

Interesting. I find the widgy bar to be pretty useless and the tweezers on the SAK to be better then the uncle bills.

For me I have bandaids and duct tape in my wallet. On my keys I have a photon, tweezers, scout firesteel and mini compass.

 

[Tixx]

Interesting. I find the widgy bar to be pretty useless and the tweezers on the SAK to be better then the uncle bills.

For me I have bandaids and duct tape in my wallet. On my keys I have a photon, tweezers, scout firesteel and mini compass.

What tasks were you doing with the widgy bar and what tweezers are you carrying?

 

[Shotgun]

What tasks were you doing with the widgy bar and what tweezers are you carrying?

The tweezers are the uncle bills that Tknife has pictured. I find they just don't grab things all that well. It could just be me.

As for what I used the widgy bar for...that's just it. I don't think I've ever had a use for it. Anytime I need a prybar it's for a job that is completely out of the scope of what the little tool can do.

 

[tknife]

The tweezers are the uncle bills that Tknife has pictured. I find they just don't grab things all that well. It could just be me.

As for what I used the widgy bar for...that's just it. I don't think I've ever had a use for it. Anytime I need a prybar it's for a job that is completely out of the scope of what the little tool can do.

I wanted it for the types of things where I would normally use the tip of my knife to pry. Staples, tacks, other dumb stuff that I have broken a knife tip on before. Once I pried up a tiny metal bracket on the grill of my truck and snapped the tip off my Spydie Endura. The Widgy would have been perfect!

 

[plumberroy]

My personal key ring has 4 keys a p-38 and a 4 gig flash drive. I have a work key ring that has about 4 pounds of keys on it. I E.D.C fenix EO1, red sak farmer, and a wind mill classic lighter in my pockets a cold steel bird and trout and zebra compact pen in my neck wallet

 

[Magnaminous_G]