8 Excellent Entry-level Essentials
Bernard Capulong
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The items we keep in our pockets every day don’t wind up there by chance — they must pass a few tests and meet certain criteria to be part of our daily carry. In the first installment of my Beginner’s Guide to Everyday Carry, I touch upon certain EDC philosophies that direct this process — the “why” behind it all.
In this post, I present a well-rounded pocket drop with solid entry-level choices for each category of essentials. I delve deeper into what qualities make these items not just safe recommendations, but crowd favorites within our own EDC community as well. By the end of this guide, you should have a more concrete idea of what makes gear worthy of your pocket space, as well as easily accessible starting points to get your own everyday carry underway.
NOW That’s What I Call EDC
Considering these items fit in the average pant pocket, you’d think there wouldn’t be that many of them. But take a few moments to browse EDCs submitted by our awesome community, look around in our database, or even see trending products of the day on our site and you’ll discover there’s huge variety across the board.
Luckily, if you consider your daily items through a lens focused on the following characteristics, you’ll be better able to “tell” if a product can make the cut for your everyday carry.
- Accessibility: Your EDC should be “at the ready.” What’s the point of carrying all this stuff to make your life easier or your work more efficient when it takes even longer to get to it? Look for features that make the item easy to get to and put away, especially if you’re building an EDC for emergency situations too. Think pocket clips, keyring attachments, clicky pen tops, external card slots, and so on.
- Usability: Once your gear is out of your pocket, you need to be able to use it quickly, comfortably, and confidently. You don’t want to be wrestling your tools to get them open, and your hands shouldn’t feel sore after a quick fix. Good design doesn’t really need instruction. In the same way, your tools should feel intuitive and pleasant to use.
- Performance: If it’s going to be in your pocket every day, it'd better step up to the plate when it’s time to get to work. There are tools out there that are jack-of-all-trades or do just the bare minimum to get things done. That might work every once in a while, but for everyday use, aim for high performance to make sure each component of your EDC carries their weight, so to speak.
- Durability: Going down this checklist, you’ve ensured this item is easy to get to, easy to use, and good at what it does. But you want something that’s in it for the long haul, that can knock it out of the park 365 days of the year, or really come through when you’re in a pinch. Keep an eye out for tough materials and solid construction to make sure you’re really investing in gear that will pay for itself in usefulness rather than reupping on borderline disposable goods that wear out every few months.
- Carryability: Now you know this item can do everything above. You want it in your pocket. This part is obvious by the name of this whole thing anyway, but pay close attention to its size and weight. If it fits your pocket, it’s technically EDC, but also consider how it fits with the rest of your items — small differences in size or weight can make a huge impact overall. Lastly, make sure it’s comfortable in your pocket (and try not to sit on stuff, it’s bad for your back!). A lot of these things will be made of metal. Bulging keychains, pokey pens, and uncomfortably hard flat wallets are prime candidates to get the boot.
One last variable to consider is price (or in this case, value). For the purpose of this beginner’s guide, the examples shown here are fairly affordable for what they are. Note that inexpensive does not mean cheap!
Also, I personally find it best to “start small” so you can get a taste of what each tool or essential has to offer for your day to day, before committing or upgrading to something bigger or more expensive. You can see each item in my hand — something that pretty product shots in online stores don’t often do, for a bit more context (keep in mind, I don’t have really big hands…!). Let’s get started with the exciting stuff:
Sypderco Ambitious
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PurchaseBy now, you should be up to speed on the driving principles behind EDC, and how they’re reflected in some real world examples of excellent gear presented in this guide. Stay tuned as I’ll cover how to develop and refine your EDC like an expert in the next installment of Carry Smarter.
If you found this guide helpful or particularly eye-opening, leave a comment below with what you learned! Feel free to share your own personal experiences with the essentials presented here, or suggest great beginner-friendly options that weren't on this list too.
Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.
In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.
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