Whether you’re a man or a woman, certain things are simply particularly handy to have with you every day (or ‘every day’). The ‘items’ or things that fall under this are summarised in the Anglo-Saxon world under the term ‘EDC’ or ‘Every Day Carry’. Think of obvious things like a wallet, mobile phone and a key ring, but also less obvious things like a pocket knife, lighter, watch, pen and torch.
Daily life comes with certain expectations and routines. If you have to go to your job – in an office or in the factory – you can’t constantly drag along a rucksack with everything in it to survive in the wilderness, or for if our civilisation were to end. Nevertheless, with a number of compact items you can already get a long way in tricky circumstances, even if they’re less serious than a complete societal implosion.
This fixed set of objects can make you prepared and self-reliant in everyday and unexpected situations. EDC items are therefore not only popular with (ex-)military personnel or in prepper culture, but have become quite ‘mainstream’ over the past 10 to 20 years. So EDC is not so much about being paranoid, but about thoughtful minimalism. At the bottom you’ll find our selection of items and concrete examples. (We’re skipping the mobile phone for obvious reasons: you’re probably reading this on it right now.)
The wallet
Let us begin with one of the more obvious things: a wallet or purse. Nearly everyone has one, but the popularity of the more old-fashioned forms has declined, partly due to the reduced use of (much) cash. Many people also don’t find such a heavy and thick leather or fabric holder pleasant – we at The Patriot don’t either.
Nevertheless, you want or need to keep your (bank) cards in a handy way, preferably with some space for small change and banknotes as well. That’s why we’re big fans of ‘Ridge‘, a young brand of compact wallets. Your cards – generally up to 6 to 12 – fit easily into the holder, and a sturdy elastic keeps your banknotes together. With a ‘tray’ you can also replace a few cards with a sliding compartment in which you can store coins and even keys. Enormously handy: it’s available in leather covering, but also in aluminium, steel, titanium and even ‘brass’ or brass.
Pocket knife or multitool
We’ve already discussed pocket knives extensively at The Patriot. So there are quite a few options. But if you want to follow the EDC philosophy, you quickly arrive at the variants that resemble a ‘multitool’ more. If you want to take that philosophy all the way, you quickly end up with a Leatherman Wave+: a mini-toolbox, exceptionally robust and high-quality. It does come with a hefty price tag.
But in this overview we’re not only taking price into account, but also and especially compactness. And in that respect the Victorinox Huntsman is unbeatable: a model with no fewer than fifteen functions. Think of a large knife, a small knife, mini-scissors, a multifunctional hook, a wood saw, a corkscrew, a tin opener with small screwdriver, a bottle opener with screwdriver and wire stripper, an awl, a key ring, tweezers and… a toothpick. What more do you need?
Victorinox Huntsman
The legendary and iconic Victorinox has existed since the end of the 19th century and supplied the first soldier knives to the Swiss army. However, for officers, more compact knives were made, which formed the basis for today's pocket knives.
Leatherman Wave Plus
An absolute array of instruments (18), including of course a very good and sharp knife. All whilst the whole thing remains compact enough to still fit in your pocket.
(Please note: in the Netherlands you may generally carry a pocket knife without a practical reason. In Belgium you cannot. Here you can read everything about the current regulations.)
Watch
We’ve also already discussed watches at The Patriot. A modern mobile phone naturally has an internal clock – that would be the last thing missing – but sometimes you just don’t want to see those notifications from your mobile phone. Or the battery is flat. Then an old-fashioned wristwatch suddenly becomes your best friend.
We’ve already gone into the possible options extensively, but for this overview we want to present one choice for the sake of brevity and clarity. And if the choice has to be reduced to one model, then we inevitably arrive at G-Shock. Casio’s product line is almost as well-known as Casio itself. There are numerous top models, but the GW-M5610U-1ER excels in both functions, durability and simplicity. The watch adjusts itself every day using an atomic clock, via radio waves. It also runs on solar energy, so you never have to change a battery. More than handy, isn’t it?
G-Shock GW-M5610U-1ER
The absolute king of digital field watches: the G-Shock from Japanese Casio.
Pen and paper
Just as your mobile phone has an internal clock, you can also make notes with it. But here too: that works until the battery gives up. And perhaps you just want to be able to write things down without distraction – think of shopping lists, quick thoughts, ideas or memory aids. Then you need a good pen, as well as a compact notebook.
There are numerous pens – fountain and ballpoint pens – in all price ranges. But in the context of the EDC philosophy, you’re certainly not looking for a Montblanc costing several thousand euros. You want something high-quality, durable and robust. In that case we heartily recommend the Parker Jotter line: available in numerous colours, affordable and reusable (with new ballpoint ink refills). You don’t need more than that.
Parker Jotter
A ballpoint pen that is available in numerous colours, affordable and reusable (with new ballpoint pen refills). You don't need anything more.
With a pen alone, without paper, you naturally won’t get very far. The Italian Moleskine delivers very high-quality notebooks, in numerous materials and formats. You can’t go wrong with these, but for this selection we’re going for the classic 3-pack from Field Notes, in the smallest possible format. That also comes with the smallest price. It fits right in your inside pocket, is pleasantly lined and the paper looks beautifully opaque without feeling too thin. 48 pages per notebook.
Lighter
You don’t have to be a smoker to need fire. And without a lighter, making fire quickly becomes difficult. Matches will do, but are less convenient and run out quickly. The box also wears out quickly in your pocket with prolonged non-use.
But which lighter then? Well, here too lighters exist in all sorts of sizes and prices, from the iconic Zippo brand to the prestigious lighters from Dupont. Today we’re going for utilitarian, economical and compact. The Bic Mini is available in all colours, but never disappointing. It can even withstand a gust of wind quite well, unlike many competitors. They are disposable items: once the gas refill runs out, you need to use a new one. But they’re quite cheap – so it’s not such a disaster.
First aid kit
Our last item on the list doesn’t need to prove its usefulness. You’d be in trouble if you experienced something and couldn’t treat it properly medically. On the other hand, it’s also somewhat impractical, or even overkill, to constantly have a first aid kit with you. We therefore recommend keeping this item in either your bicycle bag or the boot of your car.
That way you won’t have it with you at every conceivable moment – but still in most cases. Compactness plays slightly less of a role here, and therefore we opt for the Basic First Aid Kit from Care Plus. Perfect for on the go and contains: compresses, bandages, plasters, wound dressings, gloves, scissors, disinfectant, tweezers and of course an ergonomic bag to carry everything in.
🔗 discover everything about first aid here
Following the EDC philosophy certainly doesn’t have to be this-and-that-and-the-other. You can choose yourself what you consider suitable and drop what you find unnecessary. But a prepared man is worth two. A prepared woman as well.
