If you’re not familiar with the term Everyday Carry (or EDC), it refers to the things you carry with you… you guessed it! Every single day.
A set of everyday carry items is different for everyone, because we all have different daily needs. There is no one EDC that works for everyone, though there are certain things that most guys consistently carry.
Today I’m showing you what I bring with me whenever I walk out my front door. Maybe this will spark some ideas of things that are useful for you to have every single day.
So here’s a peek into my everyday carry!
Prefer to see my EDC on video?
I also made a video about my everyday carry. (You’re subscribed to EG on YouTube, right?)
Actually, I have two of them. I did one for an everyday carry for work…
And here’s the original video, the one that shows everything in this specific article:
A solid, durable, (fun!) wallet
Wallets are one of those things we don’t think about too much, yet use every single day. Isn’t that crazy? If I’m going to use something every single day, I want it to be solid, durable, unique, and yeah, fun.
I want to like using it, looking at it, etc.
Lately I’ve been cycling through a couple favorites. The one I’ve been using the past few weeks is the Front Pocket Wallet from Rogue Industries.
Mine’s made from moose leather, which, to me, is pretty unique (I’ve never had anything made from moose leather).
The shape itself is also pretty unique, with the open end of the billfold being curved so it perfectly matches the shape of your front pocket.
I like carrying my wallet in my front pocket when I walk around in crowded places; I feel like it’s tougher to snatch because I’m more aware of it, and I can easily keep my hand in there.
And even though this is a billfold design, it stays pretty slim so long as you don’t stuff it with months-old receipts and “Buy 10 get 1 free” stamp cards from Arby’s.
(mmm roast beeeeeef)
Rogue Industries has a ton of Front Pocket wallets in different leathers—think Horween baseball glove leather, Colorado bison leather, even moose hide, like the one I have—as well as a Made in Maine collection, which is cool if you like supporting small, family-owned companies who make their products in the good ol’ US of A.
A smartphone
I depend on my iPhone for everything!
Yeah, it’s kinda old and has a small crack in the corner, even though I’ve treated it like a newborn baby since I bought it (like I do with all my tech things), but other than that, it still performs like a champ! I even do the majority of my work for this site on my phone.
Suffice it to say, it’s so integral to my daily life (not surprising) I should get it surgically implanted in my arm.
Other than my wallet, it’s the one thing I absolutely hate leaving at home when I’m out and about.
Keys (and my key fob)
Luckily, I never leave my keys at home because I have to lock my door.
But I do hate fishing around for my keys when I’m back, so I keep them on this key fob attached to a back belt loop (with my keys tucked into my back pocket).
I also keep my keyring pretty sparse, carrying only exactly what I need.
Key fob from Native Lore Leather.
Watch, Bracelets, Wedding Ring
Guys don’t have as many opportunities to accessorize as the ladies do, though it’s easy to rock a watch, a few bracelets, and a ring or two.
I keep it relatively simple. I have 3-4 watches in my everyday rotation. Depending on what I’m feeling that day, it’s either my Rolex Datejust (ref. 16030), a Seiko Titanium Perpetual Calendar (it’s 20 years old at this point), my Timex Weekender on a NATO strap (similar), or my Linjer Classic.
As far as bracelets, I often wear a simple wooden bead bracelet and a generic ID bracelet with natural leather strap.
Finally, my wedding ring, and sometimes my Odak ring from Vitaly.
Handkerchief, Mints, Lip Balm
These are, after my phone and wallet, the three handiest things in my everyday carry.
I always carry a cotton or linen handkerchief in my back pocket because you never know when you’ll need to wipe your hands (or sweat off your forehead) and there isn’t anything else around. Trust me, if you don’t already carry one every day, start doing it. It’s a game changer.
Classic cotton bandanas also work well, by the way. They can double as neck scarves in a pinch, too.
Mints are a no-brainer. I like these mini tins of Altoids (I also throw a few pieces of gum in there, because y not).
And lip balm! It’s the worst when your lips are dry and chapped. I usually go for Burt’s Bees or the shea butter lip balm from L’Occitane. (The one in the photo was a gift from my friends at Beardbrand.)
Sunglasses
I’m one of those guys who wears his sunglasses underground on the subway (can’t be bothered to take them off) or on a cloudy day (if it’s windy, my eyes tear, man!).
For the longest time I’ve worn my Ray-Ban Wayfarers but recently got this funky pair of shades from Oshenta (part of Menlo Club though you can buy it separately), which are fun and reflective and feel summer-appropriate to me.
Earbuds
There have been many times when I’ve been stuck in a situation where I needed some headphones and I didn’t have any, so by default, I always carry my Apple earbuds whenever I’m out of the house.
If I need to make a call while walking around, or simply want to drown out street noise with some sweet tunes, having earbuds in my pocket is always handy.
When I upgrade to a newer phone, I’ll probably pick up a pair of AirPods, but for now I’m just using the standard issue (wired) EarPods.
Fragrance
I don’t actually carry a bottle of cologne with me, but I do apply a bit every day, so that counts, right?
I love having a signature fragrance, although I own too many to truly have one singular scent I wear all the time.
But seasonally, I do stick to one (maybe two) different scents. For spring and summer, I like lighter, fresh and floral notes… and in the fall and winter I prefer scents that are a little heavier and woody.
Check out the fragrance wheel here to familiarize yourself with different notes.
My current favorite for summer is Dolce and Gabbana’s Light Blue Italian Zest, and over the winter, I was wearing Viktor and Rolf’s Spicebomb a lot.
Over to you!
What’s in YOUR everyday carry? I’d love to hear in the comments.
Thanks to our friends at Rogue Industries for partnering with us, and thanks to you, dear reader, for supporting the brands that make EG possible!
The moose leather front pocket wallet is the exact one I have. Check out all the products they carry here.
