Black Ember Kompak Collection

There’s a common misconception that minimalist EDC gear equates to a barebones experience with minimal features. But with thoughtful design, the right materials, and clever construction methods, even ultra-compact minimalist gear can go toe-to-toe with beefier alternatives when it comes to functionality. San Francisco-based Black Ember has proven this time and again with their feature-rich, modular technical bags and carry goods. This time around, they’re bringing their signature no-compromise design ethos back to Kickstarter with the Kompak Collection. Featuring a “surprisingly spacious” cross body EDC bag, an ultra-slim bifold wallet, and a magnetic keychain, the Kompak Collection transforms your collection of gear into a sleek and seamless EDC system.

As the cornerstone of the collection, the Kompak crossbody bag defies expectations of what a bag this size can carry. It’s optimized to store most small-to-medium-sized gear in one place, ranging from things like your phone and EDC tools, to notebooks, small tablets, and full-size headphones, compact cameras, and even a travel mug. It achieves this thanks to the combination of an efficiently organized layout and a high-volume main compartment.

The Kompak’s space can be divided into two sections. The rear section’s compartment is more spacious, featuring a zippered pocket at the very back as well as two slide pockets cut at an angle for easy retrieval of flat items. The rest of the space can hold bigger items like headphones or a small camera on top of the previously mentioned compartments.

The front section features three slimmer pockets in total, organized in a vertical manner so you can easily slide your gear in and out. The first compartment is divided into two uneven sections, a wide one for your keys or keychain, and a narrower one, perfect for a pocket knife or flashlight. The second compartment can hold something like a folded facemask or charging cables. Finally, since the third compartment features a cable passthrough, you can use to easily charge your phone with a power bank if you happen to deposit it inside the Kompak’s magnetic front pocket.

Despite its impressive carry potential, the Kompak still rides close to your body for a secure and comfortable fit thanks to Hypalon “wings” that contour and allow the bag to lay flat against your body. The Kompak is one of the first bags on the market to use CORDURA brand ECO recycled nylon fabric. Black Ember leverages its BOND-STITCH construction to produce precise, durable, and weather-resistant seams without the bulk of traditional sewing methods.

Next in the collection is the Mag-Fold Wallet: a minimalist magnetic wallet made from multiple layers of CORDURA nylon. This wallet features four card slots to accommodate a wide range of cards. An elastic band keeps your folded cash in check as a slimmer alternative to a dedicated billfold section. Four hidden magnets provide peace of mind and ease of use, giving you a bit more insurance against your cards or cash falling out without making the wallet harder to use.

Last, but not least in the collection, we have the Magnetic Keychain 02. This elegant new keychain was designed to allow you to easily attach and detach your items when you want to, but stay as secure as possible when you don’t. It attaches to your belt loop, bag, or even one of the Kompak’s pockets with a miniature aluminum hook that features a spring-loaded gate. Once you’ve successfully attached it, you can use its Fidlock buckle below to quickly and easily release whatever you’re carrying, from your car keys to a compact piece of gear.

No matter the item in the Kompak Collection, one thing’s clear: Black Ember’s designs consistently give you as much functionality as they can while retaining an elegant, minimal aesthetic with a construction that’s worthy of any EDC. You can learn more about the collection at their fully funded Kickstarter campaign linked below before it ends on 11/12/21 at 12PM PST.

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This is a sponsored post presented by Black Ember.

Bellroy Lite Collection

If you need to carry something as a part of your daily tasks, commute, travel, and pretty much every conceivable scenario for gear in and out of your pockets, Bellroy is likely to have a product for you. From wallets to tech cases to bags of every size, they’ve proven themselves time and time again to be a premium purveyor when it comes to everyday carry. Their latest collection—a Lite series of four styles—is both a refinement and evolution of their bagmaking know-how, streamlining and sustainably manufacturing some of their signature models. These are some of the best and lightest options yet for your next EDC.

True to their name, all the items in the Lite collection are constructed from a diamond-patterned ripstop fabric that’s three times lighter than the fabrics Bellroy traditionally uses. This fabric in particular is 100% made from recycled plastic bottles, giving the material inherent water resistance and durability while helping the environment in the process. Bellroy says it has one of the highest performances for hydrostatic pressure and water repellency among their fabrics, which helps keep dirt and grime off the bags—crucial if you go for the striking new Chalk colorways as well.

The lighter weight and resilience also make the bags ideal as a packable set of secondary carry options while traveling, and as a forget-you’re-carrying-them options for a daily excursion or commute that hold up even in unpredictable weather.

Trending: Fox 40 Classic Official Whistle

Regardless of how you use a whistle—whether for sports or signaling in an emergency—if you’re going to carry one, it helps to carry one of the best. The Fox 40 Classic is touted as “The First Choice for NFL, NBA, and FIFA,” and was designed to maximize sound while minimizing the usual inconveniences that come with whistles. It’s made entirely out of high-impact ABS plastic making it impervious to moisture, and thus damage or corrosion. It also features a pea-less design which reduces the number of moving parts to zero, making failure on use virtually impossible. Finally, the whistle was designed to be impossible to overblow, meaning it’ll only get louder as you blow harder, reaching up to 115 decibels, or as loud as a chainsaw. Pick up the last whistle you’ll ever need at the link below.

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Customize a Deejo Pocket Knife with MyDeejo

EDC is by nature highly personalized—people not only have different personalities but different needs as well. And it isn’t just the combination of items that we should be able to customize. Why not the tools themselves? Pocket knives in particular can be tough to dial in, with plenty to consider from how it performs, to how it looks, and much more. So why shouldn’t you be able to build your knife from the blade (or the hilt) up?

MyDeejo is the unique online customization service offered by Deejo. Here, you get the advantages of a slim and sleek Deejo knife paired with hundreds of combinations of options to customize a design that's truly yours. You have a classic, ultra-thin blade of 420 stainless steel with an integrated liner lock to keep the knife strong, but still light. A skeletonized handle also contributes to the weight (or lack thereof), and the holster you get with every purchase makes it perfect for EDC. As for handling, you get easy one-handed deployment thanks to a large pivot and friction opening.

But all this is just what you have to start with. Get on MyDeejo, and you can really start to play. The process is simple—just follow these 5 steps using the site’s 3D interface to build up your dream pocket knife.

Step 1: Choose the size and weight of your Deejo knife. You have three options for this step: 0.53 oz (2.76”), 0.95 oz (3.54”), or 1.31 oz (4.33”).

Step 2: Decide on the finishing of your blade. You can choose between mirror, titanium, or black titanium.

Step 3: Select your handle. You can go with naked, color, carbon fiber, or wood.

Step 4: “Tattoo” your Deejo. The customization tool lets you play with over 60 illustrations so you can tailor your knife to your personality. These illustrations include tribal patterns, art deco, animal themes, outdoor and location themes, and more. Even today tattoos are being added, so check out new designs like "chef," "shark," "corsair," and "good luck."

Step 5: Engrave. Make this blade truly unique to you (or for a special someone) by specifying a name or phrase to engrave onto the handle.

Step 6: Order and enjoy. You’ll have noticed that the price changes with your customizations, so you get real-time updates on the value of your knife. So finalize your design with the 5 steps above, hit “Order,” fill up the necessary information, and wait for your Deejo to be arrive at your doorstep. Then show it off as your unique-to-you EDC.

You can step up your own EDC with the unique flair a customized knife from MyDeejo affords, or you can whip up the perfect gift for that special person in your life. Check out how to customize a Deejo pocket knife with MyDeejo at the link below.

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This is a sponsored post presented by Deejo.

Deal Alert: The Best Citizen Watches on Sale Right Now

As we head into the last quarter of the year, now’s a great time to pick up a new timepiece. Whether it’s a dive watch for the beach, a classy chrono to wear back to the office, or a tough field watch for your day-to-day, you can find one from an EDC-favorite brand, Citizen, today on Amazon. We’re highlighting our top 5 favorite picks from this one-day sale to narrow your search, including several watches featured in our previous watch buying guides. These deals won’t last too long, so act fast—the clock’s ticking.

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Trending: Leatherman Charge+ TTi

Among Leatherman's many useful and iconic tools, there's one that stands out as one of their most popular and robust models. Today we're featuring the Charge+ TTi, the heavy-duty upgrade to Leatherman's original Charge+. Built for the outdoorsy EDCer, the Charge+ makes for a solid trail companion with a robust set of 19 total functions, including the upgraded replaceable wire cutters in the TTi, and even better materials for the rest of the tools. With a titanium body, the Charge+ TTi is incredibly lightweight for its size, at 8.89 ounces. At four inches long when closed, it's not too big for your pockets but has enough length to give you the leverage you need for heavier tasks. And with its new S30V steel knife blade, the included straight-edge is sharp enough to be your daily driver. Check out one of Leatherman's best at the link below.

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Code of Bell ANNEX 360 Wallet Sling

We live in an interesting new world where we've had to think a lot about how we now carry things. The combination of working from home, the surge of new and exciting things to carry, and even more creative and useful ways to carry them has changed things a lot for EDC. Simple wallets or slings are now able to be so much more, as Code of Bell are proving with their latest creation, the ANNEX 360. It's a technical new combination that maximizes what you carry while staying as compact as possible, giving you a unique new way to carry your gear.

While it’s designated as a wallet, the ANNEX 360 is a bit larger than the usual minimalist EDC fare, but also much smaller than the nearest hip pack or shoulder bag. It’s similar to familiar pouch organizers, and the combination of its design and modular carry options allows it to make the most of its unique size. But rather than a large floating pocket, the ANNEX comes with a tri-section compartmentalized design that allows you to carry it from either vertical orientation, managed by a pair of zippers that go 3/4ths around the exterior.

This unique layout lets you lets you store and position what you're carrying relative to the zipper to give you quick access to three sets of essentials as needed: one could be cash and cards, the other keys and coins, and yet another for earphones or smaller tools. The front of the ANNEX 360 has a roomier zippered compartment, while its rear is home to a flatter section ideal for cards or cash you may want to keep closer to your body.

The other half of the of the bag’s versatility can also be seen on the rear, where various hardware and attachment points allow you plenty of options with how to carry it. You can attach it to your belt loop or bag via a snap belt loop, hang it from its triangle gated carabiner, or use its two D-ring attachment points to anchor the complementary Annex Strap Kit (ASK). This kit unlocks the full potential of the ANNEX 360, letting you wear it like a sling and secure it with a stabilizer strap, or handle it around your wrist with a separate wrist loop.

The ANNEX 360 is designed to roll with the punches of your day and its materials and construction reflect it: DWR-coated X-Pac paired with YKK AquaGuard zippers (and zipper garages) ensure some of the best protection you can find on a bag, and a hi-vis orange interior helps you find your gear in it. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your EDC wallet or fill a crucial niche for your everyday organization, check out the ANNEX 360 at Code of Bell’s Kickstarter campaign at the link below, where you can pledge for early bird prices and additional addons as needed.

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Ridge Black Damascus Wallet

The Ridge Wallet is one of the most popular minimalist card holder wallets with the EDC community for a reason, thanks to its convenient design and its extensive customizability. You can pick a model with your favorite decorative faceplate on the edges of the wallet, and there’s a wide selection to choose from. Their latest release, Black Damascus, evokes the exotic waves and organic lines you find on everyday carry knives made of Damascus steel. The end result is a bold look that will accompany the rest of your everyday carry well, especially if you sport the right kind of folding knife.

With this edition of the Ridge Wallet, the look and feel of Damasteel was accomplished by precision laser engraving onto SUS304 stainless steel, for a crisp and clean look without the countless folds required to forge multiple steels together to form an actual cutting edge. The waves offer a subtle amount of contrast to the overall look of the wallet, and it makes it stand out from the standard models of the Ridge Wallet, making an already beautiful design even more gorgeous in person.

Everything else that makes the Ridge Wallet a great choice for a minimalist everyday carry remains the same with the Black Damascus edition. It can carry up to 12 cards in its plate-and-band form factor without stretching out. The use of metal also means that it blocks RFID signal leakage, helping protect you against wireless theft of your payment and identification info when you’re on the go. And if anything does go wrong with the wallet, it’s backed by a lifetime warranty that ensures that Ridge will make it right for you.

Whether you’re looking to pick up a Ridge Wallet for the first time or you’re looking to gift one to someone dear to you, the new Ridge Black Damascus Wallet is a great choice. As with all the special editions of the Ridge Wallet, if it sparks your interest you should click the link below and secure one of these limited edition wallets for yourself before it’s gone.

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G-SHOCK GMW-B5000TVA-1 Watch

"G-SHOCK’s limited-edition version of its GMW-B5000 wears “Titanium Virtual Armor,” laser-etched with blueprint-style text descriptions for a mech-inspired look. It has a metal case with diamond-like carbon coating, a sapphire crystal, Super Illuminator lighting, and Bluetooth connectivity. We love the..." (via The Awesomer)

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Trending: Nitecore T4K

As its name suggests, the Nitecore T4K sports an impressive maximum output of 4,000 lumens despite measuring only 3.24“ and weighing in in at 2.72 oz. This amazing output is achieved thanks to the combination of  4 x CREE XP-L2 V6 LEDs and a built-in 1,000 mAh li-ion battery that you can recharge via USB-C. It features an anodized aluminum construction with IP54-rated water- and impact resistance to withstand the rough and tumble of keychain carry. Its dual button interface grants access to 5 different brightness settings, from a 1-lumen Ultralow up to its 4,000-lumen Turbo: a dedicated power button turns the light on and off, and a Mode button lets you cycle through its levels. You’ll know which mode you’re currently in and exactly how much runtime you have left thanks to its unique built-in OLED screen. The T4K one of the most uniquely powerful and compact lights to come out from Nitecore's stable, and you can add it to your carry at the link below.

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G-SHOCK GBD200-1

For decades G-SHOCK has become the go-to watch whenever you want indestructible durability and a solid set of everyday timekeeping features. And while tough-as-nails quality will always be the foundation of each G-SHOCK, modern and evolving tech means a watch that can keep up with your daily moves, anytime, anywhere. The GBD200-1 is the frontrunner in the G-SHOCK MOVE lineup, taking inspiration from the tough watches that came before while offering modern tracking as a companion for every activity.

The GBD200-1 presents a digital display wrapped with a square case design, reminiscent of classic G-SHOCK offerings with a thin 15mm profile. This compact form means you can get all the toughness and features you expect without the added bulk. This also gives you a lighter wrist for workouts, the ability to slip under jackets and long sleeves, and more comfort for all-day wear and tracking, especially when paired with the soft urethane band.

As part of the MOVE lineup the GBD200-1’s core features revolve around fitness, including a step tracker, interval timers, lap time measurement, as well as a calories burned tracker, giving you a solid suite of numbers to work on for personal improvement. You can also connect the GBD200-1 to your smartphone via Bluetooth to take full advantage of GPS for calibration and running distance, speed and pace measurements. Once calibrated, there’s no need to be tethered to your smartphone on your next run. Whether your smartphone is on you or not, the GBD200-1 can sync with G-SHOCK's MOVE smartphone app and log your activity history so you can compare and measure your statistics over time, perfect for helping you improve your performance and manage your health.

But let’s not forget that this goal-crushing machine is also a life-proof G-SHOCK. This means setting the standard for toughness and resilience like 200M of water resistance, a scratch-resistant mineral glass, a shock-resistant resin case, as well as an LED super-illuminator backlight for when your fitness journey takes you to low-light environments. All of it packed inside a 49mm case that weighs in at only 58g, in keeping with the GBD200-1’s compact profile.

The G-SHOCK GBD200-1 is the watch to wear when the “C” in your EDC stands for curls, cardio, and calisthenics. Pick it up in two colors at the link below.

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This is a sponsored post presented by G-SHOCK.

Craighill Rook Knife

Although some trends in EDC might lead you to believe otherwise, good things do come in small packages. And in the same way that paring down our EDC to just the essentials is no easy task, neither is designing a minimalist knife that doesn’t feel sterile and unequipped. If there’s one brand that’s up to the task, it’s Brooklyn-based design and manufacturing outfit, Craighill. They’ve brought their tastefully restrained design chops and timeless, organic aesthetic to the humble EDC pocket knife. The Rook debuts as their first entirely in-house knife design with a premium-quality look and feel, scaled down to a surprisingly compact form factor, built to last with top-notch materials.

What stands out most about the Rook is how approachable and beautiful its design is. From its compact footprint to its soft edges and friendly curves, the Rook invites you to handle it as a tool just as much as it invites you to admire it as a functional piece of art. A big factor in establishing this overall non-threatening feel for the knife is its size. The knife definitely measures on the small and slender side, at 3.25“ long when closed and about 0.75” wide. The all-metal handle affords a solid three finger grip, while the section formed from the lock recess and flipper tab, plus jimping on the back of the blade offer additional security and control.

The Rook deploys via a rear flipper tab with a satisfying snap, locking into place with a stainless steel frame lock mechanism. The 2.25“ blade takes on a standard drop point shape with enough belly to maximize its 2” cutting edge for general utility. Despite its smaller size, the Rook doesn’t compromise on its steel. It’s made with premium S35VN to deliver superior cutting performance for most day-to-day tasks that you’d tackle with a knife of its size.

The Rook is available in two color configurations: Tricolor and Stainless Steel. The classy Tricolor variant mates a raw brass front handle that patinas and changes color with age to a stainless steel rear handle and hardware, finished with a black PVD blade. The Stainless Steel version opts for a more muted, monotone steel look, letting the Rook’s silhouette and curves do the talking. Weighing in at 2.2 oz thanks to its all-metal construction, the Rook creates a sense of density and heft for such a small knife and inspires confidence and a feeling of substance in hand. While its all-metal build makes it slimmer and easier to pocket than many other EDC knives, its lack of a pocket clip or lanyard attachment point means you’ll need to carry it loose in your pocket or delegate it to desk duty.

Overall, the Craighill Rook is a beautiful knife that delivers that luxe experience of premium knives to a much smaller scale. In that sense it might not be the go-to EDC knife for everyone and every situation, but it ticks plenty of boxes for EDCers who value this flavor of industrial design and would make for an excellent gateway knife for anyone who appreciates beautiful, functional objects. If that sounds like you or someone you know, be sure to visit Craighill’s site at the link below to learn more about the Rook knife and the rest of their essential goods, ranging from keychains and stash capsules to desk knives and accessories.

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