EDC

Life in the modern world has created an environment where I simply cannot walk out the door without a multitude of tools on my hip and in my pockets.

The concept of EDC (Every Day Carry) is something that is ingrained in many modern first responders and military service members due to the demands of their jobs. Whether it be multi-tools, firearms, torches, knives …. there are certain pieces of kit that need to be on a person daily to ensure they are capable of performing lots of small tasks at any given time.

This approach to work has bled over to the civilian side, where a current trend in the United States is to be armed with a pistol, a torch and other paraphernalia due to the increasing violent crimes being committed across the States. Naturally, despite living in one of the safest countries in the world and in the most over-policed state in said country, I took inspiration and started my own form of EDC.

What initially started off as an unhealthy obsession with knives, soon blossomed into a much more refined and practical approach to EDC. I realised that I wanted my equipment to be secure to my body, whilst being easy to access and not hinder with any of my movements. My EDC kit truly blossomed into its own when I started to find myself searching for certain equipment whilst working in the event space and on my numerous urbex misadventures.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the kit.

Leatherman Skeletool.

The Skeletool was the very first piece of EDC gear I purchased for myself. Originally, I wanted a knife that I could carry around daily, but upon further research, I discovered the beauty of multitools. Why own a knife, when a multitool exists? In fact, it became such an essential part of my identity that I have been often quoted as saying that no man is complete without owning one.

It is so integral that the Skeletool has lived in my right pants pocket since 2015. It is dependable, durable and incredibly useful. Out of all my EDC gear, it is the one that sees the most frequent use. Of the 7 tools, I use the screwdriver function the most. The incredibly versatile bit drivers have pried open and closed too many things to count. It has helped me fixed numerous random items, from housework to heavier events frames. All of this incredible value in a package that is slim, not particularly heavy and is attractive to look at.

I shall forever bat for the brand of Leatherman, because this one tool has proven itself more than the value of the price I paid for it. It has also cemented my own status as a man who can fix things, solve problems and be entirely independent. I don’t need to run back to find a tool, not when I got my Skeletool in my pocket. It has been overseas with me, interstate, been involved in various scrapes and bizarre encounters and I love it dearly.

I have the most sentimental value attached to my Skeletool, and despite living in my pocket for nearly 10 years now, it is still as gorgeous and quick to deploy to this day.

Pelican 7600 Torch

My love affair for Pelican started because I couldn’t buy myself SureFire torches. The illusive SureFire brand is a difficult one to pinpoint here in Australia but when I watched an incredible film, End of Watch, a gritty depiction about LAPD officers dealing with street crime, I found my alternative in Pelican.

There are several reasons to love Pelican. Aside from being the official torch supplier for the LAPD, Pelican makes incredible cases that are nigh indestructible and offer a lifetime guarantee for their products. Their torches are also brilliant.

Intuitive, blindingly bright and an all-around premium product, my 7600 has several functions that made it a necessary addition to my hip. It can blast out 900 lumens at a moment’s notice, switch over to a red and green light, can be bought with a wand accessory, is rechargeable and is surprisingly light and compact. It has also saved me on multiple occasions when shit has gone down with drunks or just aggressive people.

I dislike being violent. It is not something I try to endorse nor engage in. If I find my usual demeanour and attitude failing to de-escalate an aggressor my hand will naturally run to my torch. I will not go for my knives or anything else. Fighting is a last resort, if I cannot run.

The torch will give me that head-start to run if I need it. Four times now, I’ve employed this tactic. I’ve whipped my torch out, blinded the person then sprinted the hell out of there. It never fails to take the fight out of someone, when you rob them of their vision momentarily. I have no desire to talk to police officers, visit court or discuss legal technicalities with an idiot who thought it would be a good idea to shake me down.

Hence the torch comes out. It is harmless and gives me precious seconds to get out of there.

But the 7600 is only used for those sorts of situations sparingly. What it is actually primarily used for illumination. I’ve directed traffic, guided people, prevented folks from entering, lit up spaces for my co-workers and shone more lights on my random site walks on things than I can count. Along with my Skeletool, the 7600 is my second most used item on my belt.

I love the torch, not only for its versatility but also because it has saved me on more than one occasion.

Leatherman Raptor Rescue

Sometimes, pulling a knife out in public terrifies everyone around you. It’s never a comfortable sight to see someone wield a knife with a familiarity that seems more sinister than useful.

The knife also sometimes can’t cut things the way a pair of scissors can. Enter my Leatherman Raptor Rescue. Originally designed as a pair of medical shears, the Raptor’s incredible ability to fold into a tiny circular tool has proven itself to be an incrediblly versatile and non-threatening item to cut things with.

I love the Raptor for it’s bright orange style, belt holster and satisfying click whenever it opens up. In addition to the shears which will be very useful if I ever come across some traumatic medical emergency, the Raptor comes with a seatbelt cutter, a glass breaker and a ruler. The cutter is particularly useful when it comes to severing cable ties that litter event spaces everywhere and in general, I’ve found that the Raptor is just a brilliant pair of scissors to carry everywhere. You never know when you need to cut something, and I can preserve the sharpness of my knives by simply using the Raptor instead.

CRKT M16-01KZ Spear Point

My favourite knife, as well as the closest thing on my list that might fit a typical American styled EDC loadout, the CRKT M16 series is one of my favourite designs for a knife ever. Having researched heaps of different knife brands over the years, I finally settled on my absolute favourite, the Columbia River Knife & Tool company after examining their overall catalogue.

CRKT doesn’t just create good knives. They design great ones.

Their knives are incredibly pleasing from an aesthetic standpoint and also ticks the user-friendly boxes of being intuitive, attractive and sharp.

There is an old-fashioned aesthetic that priorities function over form, with an emphasis simple, elegant and smooth form factors that gives the user maximum capabilities. Looking at their catalogue is like eyeing multiple artistic tools that just tick the old fashioned side of people who love knife designs. A brilliant example of this is the Woods Chogan T-Hawk, a beautiful wood handled axe that espouses everything cutting edge about knife technology without losing sight of the past. Or more recently, the Ritual Compact, a Persian knife design that is just jaw-droppingly attractive.

I originally bought the M16-14ZLEK Tanto knife as a gift for myself. Brutally big, strong, tough and sharp, the M16-14ZLEK was far too big for me to fit into my pocket. It was a fighting knife, more suitable for warfighters who need a more brutal tool.

So, when I searched for a more EDC friendly option, I opted for the much smaller, scalpel like M16-01KZ Spear Point. Still just as quick to deploy, but smaller and lighter. It was a lot easier to conceal and put in my pants pocket alongside my Skeletool and is a much sharper blade. It is my final resort when it comes to self defence. If I am unable to deter people with my 7600 torch, the Spear Point, with its sharp point and small frame will come out to protect me.

But like the 7600 torch, it has never been used in that sort of situation before. Instead, if I come across something incredibly stubborn to cut, I shall use the Spear Point.

I love how intuitive it feels in my hand and how fast it is to whip out if I ever need it. But I pray I never will need to use it for deadly purposes. Still, it is comforting to have such a swift, reliable blade ready at any given moment.

Mechanix Wear 0.5mm M-Pact Covert Glove

Mechanix Wear first became known to me when I saw them explode onto the tactical scene around 2012. They were featured prominently everywhere, from Medal of Honor videogames to films like Zero Dark Thirty and other media. I was awestruck by their designs, the prominent logos and the overall sleek nature of the gloves, compared to the old bulky Oakley Palm Pilots I owned.

When I tried them on for the first time, I never looked back. Mechanix gloves truly do feel like an extension of the hand. They’re wonderfully form fitting, tough, durable and most importantly, look cool. They’re saved my hands from multiple cuts and bumps and act like some type of superpower, enabling me to grip things harder, throws things further, and carry things farther. Slipping on these high dexterity gloves are a force multiplier for all the work I do. There is no substitute for how good these gloves feel, and I adore them both for their tactical aesthetic and function.

Whether it’s gripping a rifle or lifting tensa barriers, Mechanix gloves have served me thick and thin for the past 6 years and are still going strong.

Stirling Timepieces – Campbell

Having purchased my first ever expensive watch, a lovely Caribbean Doxa Sub 200, I found myself diving a bit more into the horological culture than I anticipated. I fell back in love with analogue watches and found myself craving a more inexpensive but nice option to wear daily. I wanted something that was tough, durable and attractive.

Enter Stirling Timepieces, a UK based watch brand that was the brainchild of a current British soldier whose frustration with current digital watches led to the creation of this gorgeous timepiece, the Campbell.

That frustration the founder felt, is all too familiar to me. I hate the idea of charging excess items when I do not need to. I also hate the constant monitoring nature of smart watches. They prove to be a greater distraction and I hate the idea of constantly checking my wrist for some random update when I am already addicted to looking at my phone. Going back to an analogue watch has given me a peace of mind that I never would have realised if I didn’t try on a Garmin.

There is no denying the fact that I absolutely love the high quality that Stirling Timepieces bring to their products and this watch has lived on my wrist constantly ever since. It is beautifully classic and understated in its design and fits the strange way I wear, watches, on the inside of my wrist. Apparently, a military fad, wearing the watch on the inside of your wrist deflects glare and also allows an operator to observe the time with his support hand, whilst clamping on a rifle.

It also allows me to the check the time in a more subtle manner whilst in conversation and I have found it oddly more comfortable than the traditional way of wearing it. There is a lot to love about my Campbell watch, but most of all, it has proven a reliable, attractive and simple design that has withstood the rough and tumble nature of my job and I am extremely grateful I made the decision to stick to simpler analogue watches.

Beats by Dre – Powerbeats Pro

Music is an undeniable and critical part of my work ethic and drive. I constantly need music to do anything. Being born slightly hard of hearing, I think there is a deep-seated need to hear something at all times, as if to preserve the sense of sound. Music helps motivates and create atmosphere over anything I do.

Exercising for example, will always require something light and pop. I like listening to contemporary pop, as they provide a more relaxed atmosphere that is still energetic but doesn’t drain me for the rest of the session. But when it comes to the final set, I will switch it over to my old favourite playlist, the Rocky soundtrack for the last vestige of motivation to push me over the line.

But let’s say I am running … that will instead require a different mood, and for that I need to listen to House music. The slow, but smooth beat ensures I actually control my breathing better and that will allow me to run further.

To make sure I hear everything, I use the Beats by Dre, Powerbeats Pro. I chose these, because of their comfort, the hook design and their excellent sound quality. I love the hook especially, because it feels more secure around my ear and less likely to fall off, especially when I am sprinting or jumping over things.

What I also really appreciate is the ability to just wear one of the Powerbeats. I hate losing situational awareness, and thus only wear one of these headphones when out and about. It’s always been the right ear, and this allows me to pay attention to what is happening around me, whilst listening to music.

They also have a ridiculously long shelf life and a surprisingly amount of battery. It also helps that I’ve used them for multiple years and they don’t seem to lose any of their reliability which is a huge plus in my opinion.

If there is an absolute essential, it would be these. You will almost never find me outside without a headphone, unless my partner was next to me.

Google Pixel 6

Switching over to Google, where once I was a Samsung user has not only been a marked improvement, but it has also allowed me to truly be better at photography.

The photos the Pixel 6 is capable of taking, is actually incredible. It’s the most used feature on my phone and I am still astonished at how many photos I love taking, because of how easy, intuitive and natural using the Pixel 6 camera. I am due for an upgrade soon, but you can bet your bottom dollar, I am sticking to Google.

Not only is it crucial to never leave the house without your phone, I’ve made my Pixel my own by including a first aid guide on there, back up maps of my local area, downloading language packs and of course buying a music app that seamlessly lets me play music without the need for internet.

Which …. to my constant satisfaction, is a lot more important than one thinks.

I like to think I treat my phone well, and as an important vault for key information. It’s always good to back things up on your phone and I do this constantly, because you never know when reception dies and suddenly what was once useful, is now a useless 500gram paperweight.

In a lot of ways, I do hate relying on my phone so much, but this is why I do my utmost to ensure it has useful features, instead of just a means of entertainment via social media.

Fossil Brown Leather Wallet

This leather wallet is unpretentious, simple and durable. All the words I want to apply to everything I own. It’s been with me for a long time now, but has really lasted the years. It’s still as attractive as when I first got it and I do appreciate the RFID tech inside of it.

There is not much to say about my leather wallet, except that it is the perfect size to fit in pockets, it doesn’t have any cash inside of it and I’m probably going to upgrade it soon.

Orbitkeys

My old method of retaining keys is officially lost to time. I don’t remember how I retained my keys before I made the switch to Orbitkeys, but I am very thankful I did. Not only do they eliminate the annoying key jangle, they also serve as a cover for my tiny CRKT multitool, with its small screwdriver, bottle opener and seatbelt cutter.

It’s also very attractive as a package and really lets me carry my keys with impunity, knowing they are safe. The only downside to them, is that the magnet portion that connects the Orbitkeys to the hook on my help can slip off when I am running or jumping, forcing me to shove them in a pocket for extra security.

Beyond that though, they’re remarkably versatile, attractive and I really do enjoy walking around with hearing my keys bash against each other.

For those sharp eyed readers out there, you will also note a Toyota forklift key … which for the initiated, means I basically have access to a whole fleet of vehicles and use them at will.

RayBans – New Wayfarers

These New Wayfarers were the very first pair of sunglasses I ever purchased for myself. Inspired by Aaron Cross of the Bourne Legacy, I loved the look of them so much, I actually ended up buying another pair, this time in brown acetate with brown lens.

But these black ones are iconic and a sad story about them, is that I actually scratched the lens on them only 5 weeks into my purchase. I never replaced them, until only recently and the Ray Bans store only had Ferrari lens.

Which I happily accepted because as a lifelong Scuderia Ferrari fan, this allowed me to keep my frames, have an upgraded pair of lens and subtly show my support for the Italian F1 team.

I love these sunglasses so much. The green/black tint is perfect for all types of weather, an important factor when living in Melbourne and they are just so effortlessly stylish and comfortable. No matter where I am working or what I am wearing, these black sunglasses are timeless and I am so glad I had the foresight to buy them when they were slightly cheaper.

Ray Bans …. they are iconic for a reason.

C.A.T. Tourniquet

Out of all the EDC items that I don’t carry often, it would be the tourniquet. It’s more often found in my backpack or at a place nearby, like the two in my car. I am constantly rehearsing emergency situations in my head and having a tourniquet is just a part of that situational awareness and preparedness I like to maintain.

I’ve practiced using them on myself and honestly, it’s a very simple, effective tool that could one day save a person’s life. It doesn’t hurt to have one nearby and I’ve invested a tiny bit of money in getting really good tourniquets that I know will last.

~

That about sums up everything I carry and wear on a daily basis. It’s been a daily habit of mine to carry all these tools on my person for years now and I don’t see it abating any time soon.

If you had to start developing your EDC kit or analysing what you bring with you every day, what would you change, what would you add and what would you keep?

Everyone has their own form of EDC, and you never know what you can add to that, to really address small problems in life.

~ Damocles.