Thoughts on my minimalist EDC?

[altweaponguy57]

So yeah here is my minimalist EDC.

I'm not sure how to get a picture in here so hopefully a URL Link Works.

https://imgur.com/a/jAr35U8

The piece of paper represents my phone and that works for my wallet because of tap and also works as my keys.

I carry a pocket-sized canister of pom pepper spray because I have yet to find a good holster for my MK4 size that I carry every day. Normally it's MK4 saber red pepper spray.

The brass knuckles I use as fidgets because they're really not good as weapons and I just carry them around because why not you never know when you're going to need a fidget.

What do you guys think about it?

 

[Drop bear]

It is very one use.

So for the same weight as the knuckle dusters you could carry a million lumin torch. Hit people with tha5. If it's your thing. And see in the dark.

Also if your phone does everything. I would suggest a battery back up.

 

[altweaponguy57]

It is very one use.

So for the same weight as the knuckle dusters you could carry a million lumin torch. Hit people with tha5. If it's your thing. And see in the dark.

Also if your phone does everything. I would suggest a battery back up.

But why would I want to carry a flashlight when I don't need that my phone has a flashlight on it if I really need to see in the dark. And I'm honestly serious I carry the brass knuckles because I use them as fidgets. They are crap weapons especially those because those are Mall ninja crap. The only real weapon I carry is the OC spray

 

[Drop bear]

But why would I want to carry a flashlight when I don't need that my phone has a flashlight on it if I really need to see in the dark. And I'm honestly serious I carry the brass knuckles because I use them as fidgets. They are crap weapons especially those because those are Mall ninja crap. The only real weapon I carry is the OC spray

Good point.

 

[gadgetgeek]

Two is one, one is none.
In the last year, the fairly major country that I'm in has lost about half of its point of sale for a day, and one major carrier went offline for most of a day (although that might have been two years ago), most of the world got screwed up by crowdstrike and most phone based building access key systems are pretty fragile. So even if your phone always works, there is a better than even chance that if you really need a service, that service may not interface with your phone. But if you are very familiar with the systems you are relying on, and you are confident in your abilities to deal with them if they go down, no problems. My other question is, in the case of hardware failure, how fast can you have everything back up and running? What's your recharge schedule?

I also have a bias. I teach courses where guys have to go do stuff in places where they need to leave their phone behind, or it doesn't work, but because they are so used to just having their phone, they forget their flashlight and their alternate comms.

As for the knucks and spray, neither apply to me, since I cannot carry either. A small multitool with scissors, or even just good small scissors has saved me many a headache. And I'd add a bandana, if for nothing else than you can improvise at least some form of bandage should the need arise, but then again, I'm a big proponent of at least some form of IFAK for everyone.
But I mean, if that's all you want to carry, and you have an accurate risk assessment (which I cannot evaluate, so I'll leave that to you) then go for it.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

Cash. I always carry cash. And an axe handle, you know, in case my axe handle breaks...

 

[altweaponguy57]

Two is one, one is none.
In the last year, the fairly major country that I'm in has lost about half of its point of sale for a day, and one major carrier went offline for most of a day (although that might have been two years ago), most of the world got screwed up by crowdstrike and most phone based building access key systems are pretty fragile. So even if your phone always works, there is a better than even chance that if you really need a service, that service may not interface with your phone. But if you are very familiar with the systems you are relying on, and you are confident in your abilities to deal with them if they go down, no problems. My other question is, in the case of hardware failure, how fast can you have everything back up and running? What's your recharge schedule?

I also have a bias. I teach courses where guys have to go do stuff in places where they need to leave their phone behind, or it doesn't work, but because they are so used to just having their phone, they forget their flashlight and their alternate comms.

As for the knucks and spray, neither apply to me, since I cannot carry either. A small multitool with scissors, or even just good small scissors has saved me many a headache. And I'd add a bandana, if for nothing else than you can improvise at least some form of bandage should the need arise, but then again, I'm a big proponent of at least some form of IFAK for everyone.
But I mean, if that's all you want to carry, and you have an accurate risk assessment (which I cannot evaluate, so I'll leave that to you) then go for it.

So I've never ran into anything like that not yet. Point of sale terminals have not went down where I live. If I'm going to a new place I generally call them and make sure they can take tap for Google pay or Google wallet or whatever they call it now. But pretty much every place takes it. There was one time when I ran into a place that did not take it but that place was on doordash so I just went on doordash and ordered my food as a pickup and that's how I paid when I was in the restaurant. I should also specify that I'd say a good chunk of my disposable income goes to food.

I don't really know what you mean by Hardware failure I mean the places where I use phone as a key they're not like super secret places it's like an apartment building. If I could not get into my apartment building or even my apartment itself the person there would let me in the door man would let me in and he has a master key for every apartment. So in the event of some type of power outage he would let me in and even let me into my apartment.

Can you elaborate on what you teach because yeah right now it's just kind of seeming Tacticool in my mind versus you being some type of actual teacher. Seems like you're lying there there's a good way to say it.

Not sure why you can't carry pepper spray it's honestly really one of the best self-defense weapons out there next to a gun or a knife. I'm going to assume you live in some country like Britain or London or Europe.

Yeah and my risk assessment is accurate. LOL I'm a normal everyday person sure I might find weapons cool and stuff like that but yeah I don't really need any special things.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

So I've never ran into anything like that not yet. Point of sale terminals have not went down where I live. If I'm going to a new place I generally call them and make sure they can take tap for Google pay or Google wallet or whatever they call it now. But pretty much every place takes it. There was one time when I ran into a place that did not take it but that place was on doordash so I just went on doordash and ordered my food as a pickup and that's how I paid when I was in the restaurant. I should also specify that I'd say a good chunk of my disposable income goes to food.

I don't really know what you mean by Hardware failure I mean the places where I use phone as a key they're not like super secret places it's like an apartment building. If I could not get into my apartment building or even my apartment itself the person there would let me in the door man would let me in and he has a master key for every apartment. So in the event of some type of power outage he would let me in and even let me into my apartment.

Can you elaborate on what you teach because yeah right now it's just kind of seeming Tacticool in my mind versus you being some type of actual teacher. Seems like you're lying there there's a good way to say it.

Not sure why you can't carry pepper spray it's honestly really one of the best self-defense weapons out there next to a gun or a knife. I'm going to assume you live in some country like Britain or London or Europe.

Yeah and my risk assessment is accurate. LOL I'm a normal everyday person sure I might find weapons cool and stuff like that but yeah I don't really need any special things.

You are 24?
I can't imagine relying on my phone that much. Seems crazy to me.
When I was about your age I travelled all over the states and even leaving the country a couple times, all without a phone then.

When I talk to people about what they have for emergencies a phone is usually most peoples #1 thing.
I don't even really think about my phone. Certainly it's not for emergencies. It's more for convenient things. Like you said, ordering pizza or something.
actual emergencies a phone doesn't really do much.

*I know, people now a days think that is weird talk.....

 

[altweaponguy57]

You are 24?
I can't imagine relying on my phone that much. Seems crazy to me.
When I was about your age I travelled all over the states and even leaving the country a couple times, all without a phone then.

When I talk to people about what they have for emergencies a phone is usually most peoples #1 thing.
I don't even really think about my phone. Certainly it's not for emergencies. It's more for convenient things. Like you said, ordering pizza or something.
actual emergencies a phone doesn't really do much.

*I know, people now a days think that is weird talk.....

How rich were you when you were my age? Cuz I can't afford to go outside of the country. Maybe I could travel to different states if I slept in my car.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

How rich were you when you were my age? Cuz I can't afford to go outside of the country. Maybe I could travel to different states if I slept in my car.

life was better in the 90's... not gonna lie.

 

[altweaponguy57]

life was better in the 90's... not gonna lie.

I'm curious what you did for work?

 

[Drop bear]

You are 24?
I can't imagine relying on my phone that much. Seems crazy to me.
When I was about your age I travelled all over the states and even leaving the country a couple times, all without a phone then.

When I talk to people about what they have for emergencies a phone is usually most peoples #1 thing.
I don't even really think about my phone. Certainly it's not for emergencies. It's more for convenient things. Like you said, ordering pizza or something.
actual emergencies a phone doesn't really do much.

*I know, people now a days think that is weird talk.....

A phone is basically like having a superpower these days.

It was a science fiction dues ex machina for years.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

I'm curious what you did for work?

Pro Brewer, Tool room machinist, and Hand model.....haha.
In no particular order.

But remember, gas was 99 cents, a bottle of Samuel Adams was $2.00 in the bar and people looked at you like you were Crazy for drinking the expensive beer.....awesome concerts cost 30-50 bucks a ticket, a higher end apartment with pool was $700-1200, and houses cost less than $200k

in 2004 I bought a brand new 4x4 F150 crewcab pickup truck for $20,000.

I've been saying this for decades.... Inflation doesn't need to exist. We accept it, and so it does.....
It's Theft! Plain and simple.


*Now, like you...and everyone else, I can't afford SH*T

 

[altweaponguy57]

Pro Brewer, Tool room machinist, and Hand model.....haha.
In no particular order.

But remember, gas was 99 cents, a bottle of Samuel Adams was $2.00 in the bar and people looked at you like you were Crazy for drinking the expensive beer.....awesome concerts cost 30-50 bucks a ticket, a higher end apartment with pool was $700-1200, and houses cost less than $200k

in 2004 I bought a brand new 4x4 F150 crewcab pickup truck for $20,000.

I've been saying this for decades.... Inflation doesn't need to exist. We accept it, and so it does.....
It's Theft! Plain and simple.


*Now, like you...and everyone else, I can't afford SH*T

you must have done good because even in the 90s my parents couldn't afford to go do things. Like my dad has never been able to own a brand new car everything has been used. I think the newest vehicle they own is something like a 2015 Subaru or something like that maybe the 2018 but it was still used when they bought it.

 

[bdmicarta]

But why would I want to carry a flashlight when I don't need that my phone has a flashlight on it if I really need to see in the dark

That's like saying why do I need an ink pen if I can pick up a rock and scratch a message on the sidewalk. A phone makes a poor flashlight. Maybe if you need to look at the doorknob to put the key in it could work, but for things I need a flashlight for, I carry a real flashlight.

I don't go into stores very often these days but I travel a little bit. About once a year I go into a store that can't transact business because "their system is down". Usually it's due to power loss or power glitches from a rainstorm.

I've been looking at EDC stuff on ebay and it's amazing what some people carry and how they can get all of that stuff into a tiny package. When I'm away from my house almost everything I do is handled by a flashlight, knife and ink pen. In order to carry a lot of things in a small space people will compromise on everything. It seems to me that they compromise too much, if I might need a knife I'm going to carry a real knife. Likewise I will carry a real flashlight and a real pen, commensurate with the amount of use I might anticipate. These days with work from home my biggest problem is I will get up in the morning and put clothes on but the pockets are empty. I'm embarrassed by how often I need to cut something around my house and I don't have a knife on me. I have to be more on top of things to be sure that I'm actually carrying my EDC.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Maybe you should also get one of those phone cases that has the built in " multitool " then you wouldn't need to carry a knife or anything else either.
It will be great for when you accidentally leave your phone at home or loose it, then you'll have no money or ID, no keys no, flashlight ,and no pocket knife.
Just some pot metal mall ninja toys and some spray that's only good as long as it's not windy.


It sounds to me like you're doing EDC wrong, because it seems the only thing you're prepared at all for is getting mugged on a day with absolutely zero wind by a person who's not on PCP and doesn't have a Hi-point stuck in your face.

What if the person succeeds at robbing you?
With No phone what are you going to do ?
Do you have an Iphone or the latest model of Samsung ? Ie a phone that somebody would want to steal from you?
What If they want your wallet / cash and don't believe that you don't have one so they get pissed and beat or kill you ?



The amount of stuff I carry you would consider it excessive, but all that stuff is a minimalist carry to me because I used to carry much more.

 

[KentuckyBlackBird]

This original post must have been clickbait. Yall don’t get suckered into this silly conversation. It’ll just make you wish you had the time back that you lost arguing common sense thinking. Someone whose bored is just trying to get a rise out of anyone else who takes life a bit more serious, for what it is. Hard. Everywhere. Sorry, not sorry.

 

[jaseman]

I’d say you’re woefully unprepared. This may work for your basic everyday routine, but not much more than that.

Your biggest problem? You’re relying too much on your phone to do 99% of everything.
- yes, it has a flashlight, but it’s a poor flashlight as it has absolutely no ergonomics, and depending on how long you may need it, will drain the battery of your primary EDC object. While I may not carry a flashlight daily, I fully understand the limitations of the one on my phone (I do have one in every vehicle and every bag though)
- it may act as your keys, what happens when the power fails or your phone is dead? Sure, there may be someone there right now to open the door for you, but what if there isn’t one day? It doesn’t even have to be a YOU emergency that keeps you locked out. It could be a THEM emergency that takes them away from their post.
- and payment by tap is NOT always a guarantee. Many places still don’t offer it (Home Depot for example JUST instituted it a few weeks ago for example)

I use my phone for a lot of things, but also understand that society In general relies too much on technology, and when it fails, it could be a real bottleneck for those who solely rely on it. I have friends in the Carolina’s who will tell you first hand that right now, in the aftermath of Helene, cash is the only form of payment that works in many areas. Without power, tap payment, credit/debit cards, or Zel/Paypal/etc are useless. And even with power, if there’s no internet service, none of those forms of payment work anyway.

Of course, growing up in the 80s, we didn’t have do-it-all cellphones to get us by. We didn’t think twice about not being in touch, what to do if the power went out, or not having a wealth of info at our fingertips in a moments notice. And we got by just fine. I’m not saying tech is bad, but just that you should be prepared to get by without it.

As for the rest?

Nothing wrong with the small shot of pepper spray. I’m usually armed otherwise, but that’s a personal choice, and depending on where you live, a legality issue.

The knuckles? You do you, but I see no use in them. Either as a fidget item, or a defense one. Just too bulky for what you’re using them for, especially if you’re carrying both at once. Of course, they are also technically illegal to carry in my particular state.

I’m actually surprised, being as this is BladeForums, that there is no knife or multi tool of any sort.


Me personally, I’d add in a small front pocket wallet or slim card holder. Keep at minimum your ID, one CC/debit card, the key card to your building, and a $20 bill. (I also keep insurance and a few other cards, and a metal CC sized card tool FWIW). It won’t take up any more space than that smaller pair of knuckles, and probably much more useful.

If your not already doing so, I’d also add in a blade that works for you. If you want minimalist, something like a Spyderco Dragonfly will do almost any task you would need on a daily basis. Add in something like a Leatherman Squirt, and you have enough to get you by, yet you’ll never know you have them in your pocket.

I get the minimalist thing. During the week, I basically live in either basketball shorts or running pants during the week. When I leave the house I quite often get by with just a phone, wallet, small knife, my keys (literally just truck and house) and a pocket .380. So I’m not really carrying much more than you are, but am infinitely more prepared with just the addition and substitution of one or two items that don’t rely on power.

 

[altweaponguy57]

That's like saying why do I need an ink pen if I can pick up a rock and scratch a message on the sidewalk. A phone makes a poor flashlight. Maybe if you need to look at the doorknob to put the key in it could work, but for things I need a flashlight for, I carry a real flashlight.

I don't go into stores very often these days but I travel a little bit. About once a year I go into a store that can't transact business because "their system is down". Usually it's due to power loss or power glitches from a rainstorm.

I've been looking at EDC stuff on ebay and it's amazing what some people carry and how they can get all of that stuff into a tiny package. When I'm away from my house almost everything I do is handled by a flashlight, knife and ink pen. In order to carry a lot of things in a small space people will compromise on everything. It seems to me that they compromise too much, if I might need a knife I'm going to carry a real knife. Likewise I will carry a real flashlight and a real pen, commensurate with the amount of use I might anticipate. These days with work from home my biggest problem is I will get up in the morning and put clothes on but the pockets are empty. I'm embarrassed by how often I need to cut something around my house and I don't have a knife on me. I have to be more on top of things to be sure that I'm actually carrying my EDC.

I don't need it for anything more than like 5 Seconds. Like literally the last time I used it was 4 months ago when my friend had to pour oil in his car and he just needed me to illuminate the pour oil spout thing in the engine. And that was it.

 

[altweaponguy57]

Maybe you should also get one of those phone cases that has the built in " multitool " then you wouldn't need to carry a knife or anything else either.
It will be great for when you accidentally leave your phone at home or loose it, then you'll have no money or ID, no keys no, flashlight ,and no pocket knife.
Just some pot metal mall ninja toys and some spray that's only good as long as it's not windy.


It sounds to me like you're doing EDC wrong, because it seems the only thing you're prepared at all for is getting mugged on a day with absolutely zero wind by a person who's not on PCP and doesn't have a Hi-point stuck in your face.

What if the person succeeds at robbing you?
With No phone what are you going to do ?
Do you have an Iphone or the latest model of Samsung ? Ie a phone that somebody would want to steal from you?
What If they want your wallet / cash and don't believe that you don't have one so they get pissed and beat or kill you ?



The amount of stuff I carry you would consider it excessive, but all that stuff is a minimalist carry to me because I used to carry much more.

So what makes you think the OC spray that I have will not work in the Wind? I mean I know that it can be diminished and it can blow back and stuff like that. But I'm just wondering why you're so insistent that it wouldn't work in the Wind. And someone who's on drugs I generally try and stay away from those people you know keep Banker hours you know do things from 8:00 to 5 type of situation when the Sun goes down you don't go outside etc etc. And I would love to see any other self-defense weapon work great when someone has a gun pointed in your face. Even another gun you'd have to get out of the way of the gun pointed in your face.

Honestly you do kind of bring up a good point about leaving my phone or losing it I honestly should look into a lanyard for it.

I mean if you were robbed they would have the exact same thing they would take your money your phone and maybe even the flashlights and knives because hey that's stuff they can sell. Not sure if they take your keys but they might but let's just say they don't yes you could still get back home. But you'd also have to be able to call 911 and also cancel your credit cards and other things. Whereas in the highly unlikely event that my phone gets stolen first off good luck getting into it but second off all I have to do is get to a computer and disable it. And all my cards and everything in my phone is deleted and stuff but it's all safe. The cards are still safe cuz I didn't physically have them and the app deletes them I would just have to reenter them into the app when I get a new phone.

I mean honestly the biggest pain about the whole experience of getting my phone stolen if it ever happened would be not being able to do my daily life. And you know what I'm going to make another thread about that.