Everyday Carry
One of my favorite hobbies is something called "everyday carry." "Everyday carry" or "EDC" is the ongoing consideration of things one carries on one's person on a daily basis, and the actual carrying of such things. My observation is most people are very unprepared. Teenagers may be among the worst offenders thinking that they don't need anything but money, a couple of cards like their Metrocard, their keys, their cell phone and earbuds or headphones. Women with large bags are likely to be more prepared than men who have no bag and whose pockets are very flat.
Someone included the following under "Everyday Carry" on Wikipedia. I thank that person for contributing the writing as an excellent start to understand what "Everyday Carry" is.
"The term EDC [...] refers to the philosophy or spirit of 'preparedness' that goes along with the selection and carrying of these items. Implicit in the term is the sense that an EDC is an individual's personal selection of equipment, arrived at after deliberation, rather than a standardized kit.
"EDC items normally fit in pockets or a small pack, and/or are attached to clothing such as a belt. Emphasis is placed on the usefulness, accessibility and reliability of these items. The core elements of a typical EDC might include a knife, a flashlight, a cell phone, and a multi-tool.
Overtime I will post my thoughts on EDC and provide some links to what I consider good EDC sites, and some of my favorite sources for EDC items.
For now I will say I do my best to carry a notepad, a pen, a small voice recorder, basic First Aid supplies, needed medication and medical devices such as a blood sugar tester and insulin, a comb, breath mints, hand sanitizer (I travel about in NYC), a wind prooof lighter, a safety whistle, a ssingle AA or AAA flashlight, a Swiss Army Knife and / or a Leatherman tool, a pocket wrench and / or a pocket pry bar, some duct tape (2 to 3 feet) at least 10 feet of paracord, my cell phone. I also usually carry an extra battery for the flashlight and often my cell phone charger. My newest addition is a small emergency back up battery for the iPhone.
In addition I carry water or another beverage and a protein bar and glucose to deal with blood sugar regulation. I have some practical apps on the iPhone some of which provide backup for other devices like the flashlight and voice recorder or are those devices when need to travel as light as possible.
The cell phone is usually in my pants pocket. All the rest except the glucose meter and insulin is put into 3" x 5" plastic zip top bags and placed inside a small 6" x 8" inch mesh pouch. The diabetes stuff is fit into something called a pocket organizer.
This pouch goes into whatever bag (brief case, messenger, shoulder, day pack, suitcase) I am using on a given day. Since I "do everyday carry" the actually items vary. I'll add some photos to make this clearer.
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An Example of EDC Overkill or American Wabi-Sabi
I very often wear a nylon reinforced wilderness belt even though I do not carry a weapon, nor do I do any rappelling . I like the belt because it is strong, holds up my pants well, can use it to carry a heavy mutlitool like the Leatherman Wave plus extra bits, and it can serve in a rescue situation. However It is an item that can be considered too heavy and overkill in most of my EDC situations. Yet I wear it often. Why? It is a matter of style: Simply, Unostentacious, Earthy and Practical. This is in line with my aesthetic principles derived from Wabi-Sabi the Japanese aesthetic "philosphy" heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism.
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EDC as a Way of Life
Yesterday I was confronted with a toilet stall locked from the inside. I have learned that employees feel entitled to their own separate bathroom and when that doesn't happen they resort to locking the stall from the inside. I used to think it was a nasty way to create some person space, crawling out from under the stall on hands and knees. Still in the back of my mind I figured there was another way. Of course!
Yesterday for the first time I saw the trick. It was just like the trick on opening the lock on a slidiing pocket door. I was reached for my pocket knife when an gentleman older than I said "let me get it." He pull out a dime and used it to turn the slotted screwhead that would unlock the stall door. Now that is high level EDC. Lesson Learned! Thank you elder brother of the EDC Way.
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