My 2022 EDC
Our word of the year is “Organize”, so it makes sense that I have been reviewing our EDC. From what is in my pockets, to what is in each of our cars, our move to property has made those contents even more important for us than before. Stores are not just around the corner. For today I’ll empty my pockets to share what I carry, and since we are about ready to start being in the office again, I’ll show what I pack. Let’s get into it.
A quick aside for those that do not know the acronym EDC, it stands for Every Day Carry. Basically, a fancy way to say “what I leave the house with”. There is a huge community out there that debates the best stuff to have on you in different scenarios and there are endless gear reviews on YouTube. You can (and I have) spent hours checking out the cool gadgets and gear that is available. But really it is anything that you panic about if you forget when you leave your place.
What I carry
Folding Knife - Kershaw Volt 3655
Leatherman Sidekick
Soundcore wireless earbuds
Wallet
Mobile - Pixel 4XL with Otter Box
Field Book 3.5 x 5.5
Generic mechanical pencil
Keys
If I have a jacket my rescue inhaler
Why
The wallet, the keys, and mobile have been mainstays for decades and make sense for heading out. I got the Leatherman as a gift a few years ago and found it very useful to have on me. From opening boxes, to tightening screws, to holding onto things, it has proved enormously useful at home and on the road. So much so that it was very easy to include the folding knife. The folding knife was not as much use in our small lot home, but here on property I use it all the time. The earbuds are great for listening to podcasts and music as well as very useful for ear protection as I use the various power equipment. The Field Book is a newer addition and I added it because keeping lists on the phone just seemed to keep getting harder. So having a small notebook to jot down notes or keep lists of supplies I need has been great. Plus I can make quick sketches of what I’m trying to make with no internet connection needed.
Future
The changes I would like to make is cleaning up my keys. They are not easy to keep in my pocket, but I am still trying to figure out the best way to easily get the correct car key fob. In addition we have locks on the couple of buildings around the property, so keeping all the organized has been a challenge. Next would be folding knives. I have seen so many cool folding knives out there that I think it would be fun to add a few more, sort of as a collection. Do I need them? Not really, I do not have any collections, so that would be a useful one to have. I have a started using a 3.5 x 5.5 dotted Moleskine notebook for personal tasks so figuring out how to work that into my carry would be great. Also I do not have any first aid gear on me and with all the equipment I use away from the house on a weekly basis, it probably makes a ton of sense to have at least bandages on me.
What goes to the office
Dell Latitude 5400 (work issued)
Powera Fusion wired headset
Moleskine 7.5 x 9.75 lined notebook
Tacklife folding knife (had a free one from work but won this one)
Mini nail clippers
USB A power adapter
Tylenol
Small spray bottle of glasses cleaner
Bottle of nasal spray (people don’t like you sneezing, especially now)
Wax for braces (sometimes a filling comes out)
Glasses cleaning cloth
Purell wipe
USB C cable
Micro USB cable
Power adapter for PC
Why
For the office it really was just the stuff that collected over the years as I needed it at work. For example the nail clippers. I would get hangnails (I know first world problems) and it happened enough that I picked up a small set and it has been great. I wear glasses so it made sense to have a way to clean them and it never hurts to have charging cables for all the various electronics.
Future
I would like to turn my backpack into more of a “get home” bag, so I’ll be adding things that will help with that. Biggest addition should be a first aid kit of some type. I think I should add some cash and maybe some duct tape. Both those can be useful in a pinch. Heck, my first car was held together with duct tape. Ah, that 75 Chevy Luv! I have one in the car, but it makes sense to just have one at hand as well. Then if I have to leave the car for any reason, I can grab that and be ready to go.
So there you have it. Really, a pretty simple setup that lets me travel light while still being able to handle what comes my way. Is there something I have missed that should be required? Let me know in the comments.