Monthly Archives: August 2018

Having the best gear and greatest tools at home doesn’t help when you have an issue away from the house.  I am a huge believer in the idea that “the more you know the less you carry“, but even Macgyver carried a Swiss army knife, and Jack Bauer carried a phone.  Tools make things easier, but they have to be tools you can and will carry everyday.

The things that each person carries around in their pockets is personal, and it tells a lot about the person.  My everyday carry is small – I work at a prison so I don’t carry a gun, knife, or any other tool EVERYDAY.  I don’t even take in a wallet or rings when I go to work.  When I worked at TEMA, I carried a bunch of stuff.  My EDC changes as my life changes.    To make matters more complicated than just what you are willing and able to carry, an entire industry has been created to help with the EDC needs of the preparedness minded.

To help with this, I created this post of things I think are useful items to carry everyday.  This post is more of a catalog of things to think about rather than a list of things to buy.  I have owned a majority of the items below, and more than a few are sitting in the glovebox of my truck, because while I can’t carry them behind the walls of a prison, I sure can carry them to the parking lot.

Below is a collection of links to specific EDC lists I have posted on this site.  I planned to do one comprehensive list of great EDC ideas, but the post got to long so I split it up into functional areas:

• Article on Describing the concept of Line Gear and Kit Acronyms.
• EDC Basics Bags, Belts, and Keychains
• Knives and Cutting Devices
• EDC Tools
• Everyday Carry Lights and Lighters
• Everyday Carry Items for the Connected Individual

Everyday Carry Lights and Lighters is a list of flashlights and fire starting items that you can carry with you everyday.

They are mostly small and inexpensive.  Some are of higher quality or more sturdy than others – I tried to give a wide variety of items to fit your individual situation.

This list is not all inclusive, I am sure there are useful EDC tools that I skipped or are unaware of, also this is not a buy everything and be safe list.

Some of the items below are redundant and are left to your own taste and judgement.

Like all my other posts, you can click the picture to view this item on Amazon.  I do make a small commission if you purchase from this link, but it does not cost you any more money and the commissions pay for the hosting of this site and a small amount of the time it takes to find the information I share here.

BYB Pack of 4, Super Bright 9 LED Mini Aluminum Flashlight

$8.39

(I try to keep one of these lights hanging on the doorknob of every door in the house.  That way when the power goes out I don’t have far to go for a cheap light)

J5 Tactical V1-PRO Flashlight

$11.95

Nebo Larry C LED Flashlight 170 Lumens

$8.92

Micro USB Rechargeable Tiny Flashlight

$15.99

StatGear Pocket Lumen – 30 Lumen, Waterproof Keychain Flashlight

$14.99

Campfirepiston Hickory Fire Piston

$24.75

Best Glide ASE Credit Card Size Fresnel Lens Fire Starter and Magnifier Lenses

$5.95

PSKOOK Survival Paracord Parachute Fire Cord

$12.80

Newsfana EDC Alloy Fire Starter

$4.88

Zippo All-In-One Kit

$11.07

QIMEI The World’s Smallest Kerosene Lighter

$3.98

LighterBro Lighter Sleeve

$12.77

Magnesium Fuel Bar, Flint and Steel Kit

$5.15

I work at a prison so I don’t get to carry a gun, knife, or any other tool all day everyday. I don’t even take in a wallet or rings when I go to work.

When I worked at TEMA, I was able to keep a knife or three with me nearly 24/7/365.   The point is that EDC changes as life changes.

Knife choices can be extremely personal and there are a lot of opinions.  Personally – I want a good quality knife that can hold an edge, but I am not willing to spend a fortune, and I want a knife that is strong and sturdy enough for more than just slicing flesh.

This post is more of a catalog of ideas about rather than a list of things to buy.  I tried to keep it inexpensive under $50, but the Benchmade auto-opening knife really blew that attempt away, but I also have a few for less than $5.

Below, but in no specific order are some of my favorite Every Day Carry Knives.

Like all my other posts, you can click the picture to view this item on Amazon.  I do make a small commission if you purchase from this link, but it does not cost you any more money and the commissions pay for the hosting of this site and a small amount of the time it takes to find the information I share here.

SOG PowerLock EOD Multi-Tool B63N-CP – 18 Tools

$60.00

Gerber Suspension Multi-Plier

$26.99

Gerber Center-Drive Multi-Tool with Sheath and Bit set

$85.00

Geshiintel Mini Portable EDC Stainless Steel Knife

$3.06

Leatherman – Wingman

$49.95

Folding Pocket Keychain Knife with Hanging Chain

$5.45

YEEYOU Utility Knives 6-in-1 Multitool

$14.99

Folding Pocket Utility Knife

$17.20 (+ shipping)

Ka-Bar TDI Law Enforcement Straight Edge Knife

$34.99

(This is one of my favorite defensive knives, I modified my TDI with a tek-lok to use on my duty belt.)

Outdoor Edge Para-Claw Heavy-Duty Paracord Knife Survival Bracelet

$19.95

Kabar TDI LDK Knife

$14.48

(This is another favorite knife of mine, before I rejoined the the ranks of Correctional Officer I kept mine sewn into my belt)

Schrade Neck Knife

$14.99

(I have one of these without the ruler, I like it, it is not my favorite neck knife, but my favorite is discontinued.  There is a little discussion on neck knives, they are not always the best tactical solution, but they are easy to grab when needed.)

Victorinox Swiss Army Fieldmaster

$34.98

(I own more than one of these, I grabbed a bunch when I saw them at a deep discount.  The Fieldmaster is my second favorite Victorinox.  I love the quality, but they can be a little unwieldy when you get one with the kitchen sink added.)

Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker

$21.62

(The tinker is one of my favorite knives of all time.  It is also my most preferred Swiss army knife.  Its the perfect size.  Its also the model used in the TV series MacGyver)

Leatherman – Squirt PS4

$34.95

Opinel N8 with Leather Sheath

$15.00

(These are very simple knives, they are high quality but simple.  I brought back about 10 of these when I first saw them while deployed in Germany)

Steel Finger Claw

$1.98

(This knife is the closest I can find to the old WWII OSS Thumb Dagger, the idea of a small covert blade that can be sewn into your lapel or other article of clothing just isn’t popular anymore.)  I bought one, but it took over a month to arrive, it was not ground well enough to sharpen, and the sheath looks nothing like the picture

Kershaw Showtime Folding Pocket Knife

$29.31
(I have owned a lot of Kershaws and CRKT knives over the years, they both are good brands if not quite top tier.  I like this model because of its simplicity.)

CRKT RASP Folding Carry Knife

$51.64

Benchmade Presidio II Automatic AXIS Folding Knife

$285.00

(I had to add one automatic knife to the list because my home state of Tennessee finally decided to decriminalize auto openers.)

This post on EDC Basics Bags, Belts, and Keychains is a list of items to help organize and carry all your everyday carry items.  I have specifically left holsters off this list, as some individuals that read this site live or work in non-permissive environments, and others choose to not carry a gun everyday.

That is not MY choice, I choose to carry whenever I can, but this post is not for me, it is for you the reader.

I hope that these items give you some ideas, or solve a problem you are having.

I encourage you to think about your situation and devise a group of tools and skills that are likely to keep you safe and make you more productive.  If the kit makes your life easier you are more likely to have it with you when your life depends on it.

I could not find a belt that worked with my needs, so I bought some 1.5 buckles, webbing, and velcro and sewed my own.

My rigged up hand sewn belt has been working well for over a year.  It is not perfect and I’d love a custom belt with a cobra buckle, but it was cheap, and I can wear it through the metal detector at work without having to undo my belt.

Like all my other posts, you can click the picture to view this item on Amazon.  I do make a small commission if you purchase from this link, but it does not cost you any more money and the commissions pay for the hosting of this site and a small amount of the time it takes to find the information I share here.

GRULLIN Tactical Nylon Belt

$16.99

Blue Alpha Gear 1.5″ Hybrid COBRA EDC Belt

$69.97

Smart Compact Key Organizer Keychain

$22.95

(I own a Thorkey organizer one and I love it)

KeySmart Extended

$22.85

(I own a couple, and reviewed the KeySmart system, I like it, but I prefer the leather one above for its flexibility and style)

Lucky Line 81101 Key Ring

$5.02

Vintage Canvas Messenger Bag

$27.49

(I prefer messenger bags or old book-bag backpacks to tacticool accessories – it doesn’t scream shoot me first

Dunnta Tactical Sling Bag

$14.99

Red Rock Outdoor Gear Rover Sling Pack

$29.90

Maxpedition E.D.C. Pocket Organizer

$18.57

Fieldline Alpha OPS Daypack

$29.47