Maxpedition Mini Pocket Organizer (Credit: Maxpedition)

Everyday Carry (EDC) is a philosophy and practice that has grown exponentially in popularity lately. There are entire online stores and forums dedicated to it but it’s really very simply the act of carrying useful items and tools with you on a daily basis. Today I just wanted to cover the basics of EDC and get you thinking about what you may want to add or remove from your EDC setup.

I have practiced the EDC philosophy for almost as long as I can remember. It didn’t have that fancy acronym when I started doing it though. Starting out I carried a Victorinox Tinker as a kid and that was about it but, I always seemed prepared for whatever came my way as an 11 year old kid traipsing through the woods with my friends. Since then I have refined my gear and gotten some more experience underneath my belt.

These days I keep my EDC load out fairly light by many standards but that’s the beauty of the philosophy. You carry what is useful to you and your needs. My daily load out looks like this (assuming I’m wearing jeans):

• Wedding Band (my lovely wife would want me to list this first!)
• Casio G-Shock DW-9052 (left wrist)
• Apple iPhone 4S in Magpul Executive Field Case and Zagg Invisible Shield HD front and back. (left hip pocket)
• CRKT M12-14G (clipped to right hip pocket)
• Leatherman Wave Multi-Tool in nylon belt sheath (left side of belt @ 9 o’clock)
• Streamlight Stylus Pro Flashlight (clipped in left pocket)
• Spec-Ops Brand Recon Wrap (left back pocket)
• Spec-Ops Brand T.H.E. Wallet J.R. (right back pocket)
• Beretta 8040 in Don Hume 721OT  Pancake Holster (right side belt @ 4 o’clock)
• Don Hume Single Magazine Pouch w/magazine (left side belt @ 10 o’clock)
• Black Fisher Space, Bullet Pen (clipped to right coin pocket)
• Cheap spiral bound notepad or Rite In The Rain 4 5/8″x7 1/4″ Bound Notebook (left back pocket)
• ~10′ of Gorilla Tape wrapped around an old hotel key card. (left hip pocket)
• Blackhawk! Rigger’s Belt (around my waist of course)

Maxpedition Typhoon Gearslinger (Credit: Maxpedition)

At first glance that list looks like a lot of stuff but I can assure you it’s perfectly manageable. This is generally my bare minimum amount of stuff that I’ll leave the house with. I use a Maxpedition Mini Pocket Organizer to carry most of the gear listed above for times where I’m not in jeans and a t-shirt or if I’m out with my son and have a really good excuse to carry my Maxpedition Typhoon Gearslinger as my “tactical diaper bag” which allows me to store all my essential stuff in one place that is easily accessible and frees up my pockets and belt. Carrying that bag also allows me to carry my small, Linux OS running, Acer Netbook everywhere with me. Having an actual computer you can carry everywhere with you is pretty useful when you’re running a website.

If you’re not yet initiated into the EDC community, welcome! I hope this gets you thinking about all the possibilities of what to carry and how to do it. There are folks that eat, sleep and breathe EDC that carry all manner of things that are very cool and very expensive. I have outfitted myself at a pretty reasonable cost, though not all at once. All the gear that I have, I’ve had for quite a while now and is well worn and often used. There has been trial and error in this process of course but that’s part of the fun. Learning what you really need and how to carry it is the best part. As for now stay safe, train and have a good un’.