There are a number of products I take for granted because they are part of my everyday carry. Thankfully they are quality products that I can rely on day in and day out without having to worry about their quality. In this article I’ll give you a rundown of what I carry with me on a daily basis, what I like about it, and why I think you should consider adding it to your daily carry.
Blue Ridge Overland Gear EDC Bag
What do Jack Bauer and Indiana Jones have in common? They both carried a satchel. Call it a man-purse if you will, but there’s something to be said for having a go-to bag that carries your essentials. In my case, for the last two years, my go-to 24hr bag is my BROG Got-to-Go EDC Bag. The very name itself means “Everyday Carry” and it lives up to its name.
You know Indiana Jones would have carried one
Read the first revise article here
What I love about the BROG EDC bag is the same thing I love about every other BROG product I have: it’s quality. The bag is ruggedly made with plenty of reinforcement to stave off the harshest of conditions. Inside the high-visibility bright orange interior prevents the bag from turning into an endless black hole. There is a sleeve for a laptop or tablet with ample padding.
The shoulder strap is wide and comfortable, the back is mesh and breathable when you’re carrying it for long times, and there is even a heavy duty handle making the grab-and-go maneuver super easy. Oh, and there is plenty of real estate to show off your favorite patches.
LT Wright Knives Bushcrafter HC
“Always carry a knife. Just in case there is cheesecake to cut or a throat to slit,” General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. While I hope to never have to slit a throat with my LTWK knife, it’s nice knowing it’s more than capable of doing the job. With a sharp edge and a handle that fits in the hand nicely, the Bushcrafter HC has served served as my daily-carry knife for the last few years.
Can’t go wrong with LT Wright Knives
Read the first review of the LTWK Bushcrafter HC here
What I like most about the knife is it’s simplicity. It’s not flashy, it’s not a folder, it’s not fancy. It’s just a piece of cold hard steel that’s been handcrafted into a great tool. Combined with the fire steel I can use the knife to start a fire. It’s sharp edge is capable of opening the occasional can of corn. And, yes, the knife can even cut cake.
Leatherman Wingman
Mavrick had Goose, Han Solo had Chewbacca, and Sherlock had Holmes. Everyone needs a good wingman. In my case the Leatherman Wingman makes a great — uh — wingman to the Bushcrafter HC. Multi-tools are great everyday carry items because they do a lot of jobs without needing to carry a full tool set.
the Wingman rests in the pocket nicely.
While my inner MacGyver is disappointed I no longer EDC a Swiss Army Knife, the major advantage of the Leatherman line of tools has been been the integrated pliers. That said, it was never enough to make me want to carry a Leatherman. My biggest gripe with the early Leatherman’s was you had to open them full to access any of the tools. Most often what I need most are a screw driver, a sharp blade, or a pair of scissors. On the Wingman two out of the three are not on the outside.
It’s also a semi-serrated blade making it very sharp and very useful.
With the flick of my thumb I can access the Wingman’s blade. On the other side, and with a little more effort, I can access the “scissors” which while not the best scissors in the world, do allow for a little more precision cutting than a raw blade. Of course the bulk of the other tools are still nested on the inside of the plier handles, but I guess that’s what makes a Leatherman a Leatherman.
Ball Hat and Sunglasses
May seem odd to list these as EDC items, but ask yourself this: have you ever seen me without a hat or sunglasses? I might be a little biased as a ginger with light sensitive eyes, but for me a hat a sunglasses are essential. Especially while driving I find it easier to focus on the road with the hat blocking side light and glare. Too many times I’ve seen people swerve on the road when the sun is in their eyes and I think to myself,” there’s an easy solution for this.“
The hat does change though.
Keys
Might seem silly to talk about keys as an EDC item, but if you look closely you’ll see not ONE but TWO sets of keys. As an adventurer who often finds himself miles away from home and miles away from AAA, having a second set of keys is never a bad idea.
I’m notorious for misplacing my keys or locking them in the ignition.
One set has a red pull tag denoting the set for the right pocket (Red = Right). The other set has a black pull tag for the left picket (bLack = Left). Each set is a mirror of the other including door/ignition key for the jeep, key for the trailer lock, a key for the padlock I use for my solar, and lastly the key for the doors on the trailer.
With a bad habit of leaving keys in the ignition or trailer, there have been more than a few times I’ve been happy I have a second complete set of keys. Luckily <knocks on wood> I have yet to lose a set of keys while traveling. Although there was a slight panic attack before leaving the house for Overland Expo East this year. Thankfully I found them before I left.
Anker 10,000 mAh Battery Pack
In the digital age there is nothing worse than a dead cellphone battery. My go-to for auxiliary power has been Anker. I’ve used their PowerCore line of batteries for a very long time.
Anker is also my go-to for phone cables.
The primary use is of course to charge the phone and tablet. However there is a secondary bonus. When I was tent camping I ran a small USB fan off the battery pack. I did the same in the trailer before I had an onboard 12v battery. This allowed me to have some measurable air circulation during the night making sleeping a lot more pleasant. Basically I would use the batteries at night – and as needed – and then charge them while I drove.
Cell Phone
Last, and certainly not least, is the cell phone. My EDC phone is an iPhone XR. While not everyone is an iPhone fan, the point is making sure you have a good reliable phone and a carrier that is equally reliable. It was somewhat humorous at events like Overland Expo East and the Virginia Rooftop Tent rally when those of us with Verizon had signal but those with AT&T did not. However, I’ve been on the opposite side of that coin at times too, but it’s rare. When traveling I’ve found Verizon to be a lot more reliable than AT&T and AT&T more reliable than Sprint. Sprint seems to only work in major metropolitan areas and along major highway arteries. However once you’re off the beaten path the best – in my experience – has been Verizon.
Here is the route I took in Utah when I did the Elephant Hill Jeep Trail.
As far as apps go, my go-to navigation application is Gaia GPS. Hands down the best navigation app I’ve seen. Well worth the small fee for a yearly subscription to access all the different map types available with a pro subscription.
Conclusion
Obviously your Everyday Carry will be different than mine. Which is cool. I’m always interested in seeing what other people carry. I also haven’t been traveling as much as I used to this year, so I’m sure there are a few things I’m not carrying right now that I should be. Post a quick list of your EDC in the comments below.
————————————————————————–
Did you enjoy this article? Would like to support it and help make future articles possible? Consider joining the ECOA Patron Support Team. For as little as $1 a month you can support the ECOA mission to Educate, Encourage, and Inspire readers like you!
