Having a proper every day carry (EDC) setup is one of the most important things you can do to be prepared, well, every day. While you can get separated from your bug out bag and might not be able to get home quickly, your every day carry is always on you to help you survive and get things done.
We’ve covered some basics on the best every day carry setup before, but that’s really only useful if you’re starting from scratch. If you just want to fine-tune your EDC however, there isn’t a lot out there to help. Lucky for you, we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of five ways to fine-tune your EDC setup so it’s more useful and always at hand.
1. Location, Location, Location
When starting out with every day carry items, it’s common to start with things that go in your pockets. This is great until you run out of room and your EDC makes you uncomfortable.
Once you’ve got some EDC experience, try moving to other locations on your body for keeping items. The most common upgrade is moving to your belt. By keeping your knife or multitool on your belt along with other small items, you can free up space in your pockets while keeping everything you need on you.
You don’t have to go crazy here and have a belt that would rival Batman, but simply keeping your knife, fire starter, and multi tool on your belt can give you a lot more space than you had before. Moving past your belt, think about pants and shirts with additional pockets that can hold items, too. By spreading your EDC out over your entire body, you ease the burden and make it far more comfortable.
2. Weight vs. Usefulness
If you’ve had an EDC setup for some time now you probably realize that not everything that you think is vitally important really is. It’s easy to go overboard and fill your pockets with things you MIGHT use at some point. If you’re feeling weighed down by your EDC it might be time to take inventory of what you’re carrying and see if the weight of each item is really worth it.
For example, you might carry a small water filter straw with you in a cargo pocket, but you could lighten the load by using a small pill container with some water purification tablets in it. Another weight-saving idea is the use of a small LED light instead of a standard flashlight. While the flashlight is better, the keychain light can free up space for other more important items.
3. KISS
If you only follow one tip in this list, make it this one. KISS stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don’t overthink your EDC setup by trying to plan for every possible scenario. Your EDC is meant to give you a leg up on everyone else, not to be a mini bug out bag.
Keep things simple and don’t stress out about it. Keep the essentials like a source of fire, a knife, a multitool, watch, and a weapon if you’re so inclined. Beyond this just include items that make you feel safe and comfortable without trying to plan out scenarios. Trust us, even the most basic EDC setup is far more than the average person has.
4. Less is Sometimes More
Having an elaborate every day carry setup is great, until it’s so elaborate that you stop using it. The idea of an EDC is to have it with you every day. If it takes 15 minutes to load yourself up chances are you’ll leave the house from time to time without it, and that’s not good at all.
It’s often better to have less items with you that you carry all the time than a lot of items that you only carry every now and then. Think about what you need and ask yourself what would happen if the SHTF and you didn’t have the item in question? Would it make a difference? If not, ditch it and free that space up for something else. The less items you have the less chance you have at forgetting something or losing something, and that means the pieces you do use are more valuable and overall better.
5. Trial and Error – Change Things Up
Finally, don’t be afraid to change things up. We’ve talked about changing your EDC up for colder weather, but you can make changes to it every day if that suits you. Try items out and if they don’t work, ditch them and find something new. Don’t put up with pieces in your EDC that you’re not in love with. These are things you have with you 24/7, so you better love them or else you’ll hate carrying them.
Try a few setups out to see how they work and if you like them or not. Try your knife in a front pocket, back pocket, belt…try it all. You won’t know what you really like unless you try a few different ways.
1 comment
Brian, thanks for a common sense article on an important topic. I appreciate your logic in pointing out that an EDC kit must be customized to the the user’s lifestyle and environment. My EDC kit is constantly changing. As new technology is created, we need to take advantage of lighter, stronger materials, but the concept remains the same. Thanks again for a common sense approach to this important topic.