The whole point of an everyday carry is making sure you stay prepared for anything by keeping the most crucial pieces of gear on you at all times. But, how do you decide what to include in your everyday carry (or EDC)?
To help you figure this out, we’ve edited down our top 10 EDC essentials right here.
Of course, use this list as you see fit. After all, what’s essential to me might not be essential to you, and you only have a limited amount of room in your pockets, vehicle, and maybe even a dedicated bag for your everyday carry.
Whether you’re putting together a minimal list of everyday carry essentials or need tips on curating an urban everyday carry list more suited for city life, this list should round your selection out nicely.
EDC Essentials: A Top 10 EG-Approved List
A Great wallet
We know this is stating the obvious but if you live in the 21st century, then you need a wallet in your EDC to keep your identity cards, credit cards, and cash on hand.
Having said that, it’s time to get rid of that cumbersome tri-fold and replace it with an alternative that’s more streamlined and easy to carry.
Metal cash straps and bifolds can sink into your pocket with zero bulk, making them an office edc essential. RFID-blocking technology can help keep your personal information and data protected from being collected.
We chose our military-grade materials for their durability and, in turn, created a wallet that’ll last a lifetime — guaranteed.
The Ridge Metal Aluminum is a fine example of a slim cash strap-style wallet. A high-quality metal card case with an external elastic strap for carrying cash and other small items, it has a minimalist and industrial-grade aesthetic.
The inside is designed to handle up to 12 cards and it has RFID shielding.
A scaled-down antiqued YSL monogram pops against the textured calfskin leather of this handsome Italian-made wallet that sleekly organizes the essentials.
The YSL Monogram Bifold Leather Wallet is another slim and sleek example. This elegant Italian wallet is hand-crafted from textured calfskin leather. It neatly organizes the basics and exudes an air of sophistication.
A small (But Sharp) Pocket Knife
The pinnacle of an everyday carry is a pocket knife that’s both compact and practical.
You’ll be amazed at how often you find yourself reaching for your knife, whether it’s to remove yourself from a potentially dangerous situation or just to slice a piece of fruit for yourself.
Great companion for hunters, business professionals, wilderness guides, survival experts, first responders, military, law-enforcement and more
The Zero Tolerance knife, for example, has a steel blade with remarkable toughness and resistance to edge chipping, in addition to excellent edge-retention capabilities.
Furthermore, it has a handle that is made of carbon fiber on the front and titanium with a stonewashed finish on the back. This gives it a fantastic size-to-weight ratio, a pleasant feel in the hand, and enhanced strength.
A Sturdy Carabiner (or Keyholder)
At its simplest, a carabiner is a metal loop equipped with a screwed gate or a spring gate. It’s used to quickly keep components of a system together.
It’s basically the same concept as a leveled-up keychain, with easy reversibility, meaning the items are as easy to put in the loop as they are to take out.
It can also be used to connect items to a harness, making it one of the most practical organizers you can have.
Instead of having three carabiners clipped to a single bolt, the Vlad lets you clip your belay device, gear storage, and P. A. S. off the bolts for better organization.
The Grivel Vlad is a D-shaped locking carabiner that’s machined from a single block of aluminum, and the anodized finish guarantees that it won’t deteriorate or corrode like cheaper metals.
If this is too much for your style, we like the sleek Offset Keyring as an alternative, from Craighill.
A Reliable, Portable Flashlight
From actual crises to simply looking for something you dropped in a tight corner, a portable flashlight or torch is helpful to have on you in a variety of different contexts and situations—it’s the single most important item to have in the dark.
After all, you don’t want to get caught off guard by an unexpected situation in the dead of night.
A customer favorite and our go-to home flashlight, the P7R is powerful, customizable and always ready; It’s a great choice for everyday household tasks and emergency preparedness
The ever-dependable Ledlenser P7R is a 1,000-lumen flashlight with a beam that reaches almost 700 feet, and a 40-hour run time on low power mode. Insanely bright and strong for such a small flashlight.
A Handy Multitool
A multi-tool is the ultimate form of insurance. They come equipped with a variety of instruments, such as miniature scissors, a screwdriver, a pocket knife, and even a bottle opener.
In one compact package, a multi-tool enables you to do tasks such as tightening a bolt, opening a package, cutting a cable, and cracking open a cold beer.
Crafted from elegant, sustainable European walnut wood, each knife is unique, thanks to the rich natural patina of the wood. With this knife you’ll feel confident, capable and free to follow your own path.
Victorinox is synonymous with the multi-tool since they make the quintessential Swiss Army knife.
Their Hiker Wood Knife features 11 different functions including two different sized blades, a wire stripper, and even a wood saw. Plus, the handle is a beautiful and sustainable European walnut wood, meaning each has a unique natural patina.
It’s also pretty cool that Victorinox makes these style-forward Limited Editions multi-tools.
A Tactical Pen
It doesn’t matter whether you need to sign a document or if you just want to scribble something, having a pen with you at all times is an absolute must.
Besides, how many times have you pulled out your phone to write something down on your notes app, only to fall down a scroll hole? It’s practically unavoidable.
Quick and easy access with the convenient pocket clip and screw-off top making it ideal for everyday carry
There are also a lot of pens on the market that can be used for self-defense.
The Smith and Wesson Tactical Pen, for example, not only features an ergonomic grip construction (those of you who think you have bad penmanship will be surprised to see how much this will help!), but is made from aircraft aluminum and is equipped with a self-defense end.
A Small Notebook
Again, it may be annoying to have to pull out your phone to compose a message, not to mention impolite. It’s not always clear that someone is paying attention to you when they’re looking at a screen the whole time.
That’s why it’s helpful to carry a notepad that you can use to scribble down important ideas and thoughts as they come to you during the day.
Use this stylish notebook as a space to organise your days and thoughts. A cute notebook that can function as both a secret diary and a to do list pad, keeping your days on track and your mind in check.
One of the notebooks with the most positive reviews on Amazon is the Dingbats A5 Medium Notebook.
One reviewer, for instance, mentions how the book has a wonderful feel to it and how well-constructed it is. The durability of the elastics and the single bookmark ribbon has been lauded in several other reviews as well.
For EDC especially, durability is of the utmost importance when it comes to notebooks. You don’t want it falling apart in the button of your bag or in the face of unexpected weather.
A Reusable Water Bottle
It’s essential for your health and well-being to carry fresh, clean water in a reusable water bottle. It’s far more likely that you’ll keep yourself hydrated during the day if you carry a water bottle with you.
Embodying translucent hues in the purest form, the Stone Collection emulates the most coveted semi-precious gems. Featured in a durable stone-like texture for added grip, the muted color palette simulates the raw delicacy of the minerals.
Drinking enough water has been shown to influence a person’s temperature, mood, joint health, and the condition of their muscles, in addition to staving off dehydration, of course.
The Onyx Bottle from S’Well comes in three sizes, is free of BPA and BPS, and keeps your cold drinks cold and warm drinks warm.
Our lightweight, single-wall wide mouth bottles are designed for easy cleaning, carrying and chugging, up for just about any adventure.
For something bigger, we also love the Klean Kanteen Wide 27 oz, which is lightweight and made from 90% recycled stainless steel.
A Handsome Watch
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Plus, there’s a reason we’ve covered watches so much here on Effortless Gent! They’re a style essential.
Orient and Seiko are known for their high-value automatics, so they’re a good place to start when looking for a
The Bambino is one of Orient’s most popular watches and in 2022, they responded to a lot of fan requests by creating this 7th version with a 38mm case. This is more inline with the proper dress watch sizing, and isn’t too small for bigger wrists.
We’re big fans of Orient’s 2nd Gen Bambino Version III, which is a timeless dress
The Seiko 5 Sports SRPG39 is a classic field
A Paracord Bracelet
Paracord is a survival essential, though the raw material isn’t the most compact and practical for most guys. Paracord bracelets, on the other hand, are stylish and utilitarian and often have secondary practical uses.
The more intense versions may be equipped with a fire starter, a cutting blade, an LED light, or even a handcuff key, among other things.
The Friendly Swede’s fishtail paracord bracelets are premium quality accessories. With those wonderfully braided and colourful bracelets you are able to express your unique eye-catching lifestyle.
This Fish Tail Bracelet from Friendly Swede is a more wearable everyday accessory though, which goes well with any casual outfit.
In a worst case scenario, it can be unraveled and used as rope to secure cargo or fix broken straps, but mostly, it looks cool.
FAQs About EDC, or eVeryday CArry
What are the most vital items to have in your EDC kit?
Typical basics for an everyday carry (EDC) include a pocket knife, flashlight, pen, and multitool. However, there are a wide variety of choices and combinations that you may carry to fill out your EDC kit, depending on your lifestyle.
What size knife is best for EDC?
It’s advisable that the blade length of an EDC pocket knife be no longer than 3.5 inches, and the entire weight shouldn’t exceed 4.5 ounces. There are indeed larger and more powerful performers available, but the point of an EDC isn’t necessarily to have the most powerful performance. Rather, it’s to have the most powerful performance in a practical package.
What are The top 10 Essentials in Your EDC?
Everyone has a unique lifestyle and the items you keep in your everyday carry should reflect that. If you’re having trouble deciding what to include in your EDC, these 10 basics are worth considering for sure.
We hope that was helpful!
What do you carry on your person at all times? Feel free to DM us on Instagram with any EDC questions or topics you’d like us to cover!
