My EDC and some theories on what, why and how

W

Wanderlust

Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
472
Hey everybody, I have been meaning to do this thread for a while now but just got around to doing it. I have gotten what I have figured out to be a pretty great EDC going and I love how I carry it. I just wanted to talk a little bit about what I carry, why I carry what I do and how I carry it. I guess first Ill toss up a pic of what it is that I actually carry.

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Benchmade 551
Fenix PD01
Mini Bic with Duct tape wrapped around it
Schrade Tactical Pen
Keys w/ Alox SAK Classic & Modified Church Key bottle opener
Casio Watch
Casio Rock Phone
Wallet w/ Cash
Bandanna


This has been my EDC for a couple of months now and it seems to work quite well. So I guess I should tell you all why I carry them. Everything I carry has to have multiple uses. I use this same EDC everywhere I go, no matter what. I also carry everything in the same pockets on every pair of pants I own. I do this because I am a firm believer in muscle memory. If I need my knife (or light or keys or lighter...) in a high stress situation (read hurry) my hand knows right where to go and where that knife will be. And when I get my knife into my hand I don't fumble with it because I always carry the same knife with me. I do this in case of emergencies. If I am cold, tired, or fighting for my life against an attacker then I don't have to think just do. Another reason why I carry what I do is because with this EDC I feel I could survive almost anything. If I get caught in a wilderness setting then I am good to go, or, god forbid, I am caught in a natural disaster or terrorist attack I feel I could survive it and help the other people I am with do the same. I am talking more like a 9/11 situation where you are trying to evac a building or a car accident, flood, things like this. I am not talking where I am a hostage or something. Granted these are only the bare essentials and would love to have a bunch more stuff, but if only caught with the clothes on my back I feel I could do alright.

Now my life style is one of wandering, hence the name Wanderlust. Most of the time I never know what my life will entail or what the day will bring. So with my EDC I want it to be able to cover all of the above mentioned situations. I could go out for the day and end up going camping with friends or heading to downtown Detroit for a Wings game. I also carry a bag with me I call it my "bag of tricks" but I will get into that another time. I choose to carry what I do because I feel that it is the lightest and least bulky I can be while still carrying everything I feel I need. Also I hate bulk in my pockets so I seperate everything out evenly across all my pockets. Shown below.

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Now the goods.

Benchmade 551
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This is a great knife, I have carried one of these for the past 3 years. The endless uses of a good knife are many and we all know them so I will leave it at that.

The gadgets.
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These all complement the knife greatly.

The flashlight has a strobe setting for signaling and multiple level options giving it great versatility.

The pen is a Schrade Tactical pen. I love this pen and chose it because I carry it in my back pocket and am afraid of breaking most pens. Plus it writes nicely and works as a great ice pick to break up party bags of ice and such, and works great as a pointer on maps. Also if it comes down to it I could use it as defensive weapon.

The mini bic is great for lighting fires, candles and all kinds of things, and no I don't smoke but feel I should be prepared with one. The Duck Tape is very useful when you need just a small piece for something, and helps keep the lighter in your pocket.

The Keys well the Church Key gets used A LOT, what I love beer, and the SAK is very useful. It is a screwdriver, light pry bar, nail file and small scissors. Its also a very people friendly knife.

The Wallet and Bandanna are well very useful all the time, and have a bunch of uses that we all know and love so I won't delve into them.

So this is what I carry and uses on a daily basis and yes everything I carry on my person gets used at least a couple of times a week.

I hope this was helpful and informative and maybe give some other people something to think about. Also Please give me some feedback on what you all think about it, pros cons, I am always looking to improve. Also toss up your own EDC's and your thougths behind them I would love to see them.

Thanks for reading.

Pat
 
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Nice setup. Very, very close to what I carry on a daily basis. Slightly different items, but identical functions. I'll post a pic when I finish work for the day.:)
 
My setup is very close, right down to the fenix, the 551, and the little keychain SAK.

I compliment the pen with a small pad of special paper which is designed to work even when wet. I don't carry the churchkey or a bandana, but I do have a leatherman and a USB thumb drive. Different lifestyles, different needs, but it's funny how similar our choices turned out.

I can offer one tip - the disposable, push-button type, 'piezo' lighters are easier to light when your hands are wet than the kind with the little wheel. You can even dunk them in water, just shake them out and they are good to go. When the kind with the wheel get wet, they are usually dead for a while.
 
very nice!!! let I have a fenix ld20, how do you like your light?? what batteries does it use? lumens?

I like the pen also.. very nice..

wheres the gun? interested in your 'bag of tricks'..
 
DH1, I forgot to add that I do carry a multi-tool occasionally sometimes I carry my SAK Farmer or my LM Wave. It all depends on which pants I am wearing where I am going.

Mike, I have tried too get into carrying a little Moleskin notebook around with me but it always becomes uncomfortable for me and I can usually find something to write on a scrap piece of paper, a napkin, or my hand.

Daze, I would love to carry a gun but I do not have my carry license and I always get concerned when I am traveling about where I can carry it how I can secure it if I can't carry it things like that. So I don't, and try and think of other things to use for SD instead, my Knife and my pen would both make great defensive tools.

and I love my light it is a Fenix LD01 it takes one AAA bat which I love because I can get them literally anywhere, and I have. It is an awesome little light which I can complement from my bag. I will be posting something up on my bag that later this week hopefully. it works great because it tail cap stands so it can work as a candle, very useful, and I have tucked it into a hat to use as a headlamp. It is a great light but for some reason mine is giving me problems right now so I will have to talk to Fenix about it. But i do love this light.
 
Thanks fixer I just learned something new and.....deeply disturbing. Thought that wiki link was going to be about gangs and their use of coloured handkerchiefs.
 
Wanderlust said:
haha I have heard of this before and no there is NO meaning behind the bandanna other then being useful, and it is always tuck away in the pocket not hanging out. But very good info to have if roaming through certain communities.
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i wasn't trying to imply that there was! :D

just posted FYI because it's something to be aware of... same as knowing what bars cater to... various types. so if someone ever asks you to meet them at The Backdoor Inn for a cocktail you can politely decline.
 
Really interesting and useful info. I'm going to take some of those ideas to heart and make some readjustments.

One thing, though: one reason I like to have a SAK nearby is because of the tweezers and toothpick/generalized plastic poking device, which I find useful. So I generally keep in my desk or a fanny pack a full-size SAK with those and a couple of other handy non-blade features. I'd love to dispense with that and get a small keychain-friendly SAK like the one pictured above for pocket carry, but what's the smallest you can go and still have the tweezers and toothpick?
 
fixer said:
i wasn't trying to imply that there was! :D

just posted FYI because it's something to be aware of... same as knowing what bars cater to... various types. so if someone ever asks you to meet them at The Backdoor Inn for a cocktail you can politely decline.
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fixer there really seams to be a back story to this, do you have some bad experience with having the wrong colored bandanna hanging outta your pocket or something :eek::foot:

John you are 100% correct because of this I don't think I will ever own a teal Bandanna just in case.

Oliver, glad this could be of some use, if you have any questions just ask. As far as the SAK goes the pick and tweezers are on the plastic scaled classic, which is the smallest model they make, to my knowledge. You bring up a good point that they could be very useful, most of my SAK's are Alox scales so they are to thin to have them, but I'll have to think about switching to try them out.
 
Have you considered investing in a peanut lighter?
I carry one on my keychain as part of my EDC setup.

I find that if you do not smoke or use a lighter on an everyday basis, then a peanut lighter
is a great option because they are very small, yet will remain waterproof/airtight so
you will be able to produce a flame whenever you actually do need it.

Just a suggestion, my setup is similar to your's minus the hanky and pen.
 
OliverH said:
Really interesting and useful info. I'm going to take some of those ideas to heart and make some readjustments.

One thing, though: one reason I like to have a SAK nearby is because of the tweezers and toothpick/generalized plastic poking device, which I find useful. So I generally keep in my desk or a fanny pack a full-size SAK with those and a couple of other handy non-blade features. I'd love to dispense with that and get a small keychain-friendly SAK like the one pictured above for pocket carry, but what's the smallest you can go and still have the tweezers and toothpick?
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Even the tiny Classic has toothpick, tweezers and scissors, very handy. (That link is not the cheapest place, just the first link I found, they can usually be found on sale at Target for around $12 or less, I believe).
 
Wanderlust said:
fixer there really seams to be a back story to this, do you have some bad experience with having the wrong colored bandanna hanging outta your pocket or something :eek::foot:
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yeah, but i'd rather not talk about it because it it left a bad taste in my mouth! :eek:

just kidding. nope ni "bandanna back story".... however i've worked for a company that was about half that way, and it was quite a fashion show. i was on the straight side of the office. at another company i had one of the ad execs come to the art department and lean against the door frame is what he must have thought was a seductive way and asked "do you want me?" i simply told him "no George" like he'd asked if i wanted a cuo of coffee or something. we got along fine after that... perhaps it was just something he had to get out of his system or to see if i'd freak out. i didn't even look at him when he did that... just kept working.
 
You might want to take a look at the Victorinox Rambler. It's a Classic with a bottle opener and Philips screwdriver, and only slightly thicker. If you get the non-Alox version you get tweezers and toothpick too.
 
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