The Everyday Carry Holiday Gift Guide for 2021

If you’re like us, finding the right gear to EDC for yourself is hard enough. Trying to find the perfect holiday gift for another like-minded EDCer can be a daunting, if not utterly exhausting task. How do you pick something they’ll appreciate, actually use, and be proud to carry? We’re here to help. We’ve broken down 25 gift ideas for every kind of EDCer on your list.

The Everyday Carry Holiday Gift Guide

Gifts for the Tactical EDCer

Heavy-duty gifts for those who need extra-reliable, extra tough gear.

1. Tactile Turn Stealth: Tactile Turn’s seasonal pen release makes a statement in all the right places. Like its “Stealth” codename, the titanium pen comes with the markings and colors fit for the tactical giftee on your list, including DLC coating, a red Cerakote bolt mechanism, a digital camo clip, and for the first time ever for the brand, a tritium back finial accent.
2. Nitecore BP18 Backpack: This collaboration with indie bagmaker Lii Gear offers a versatile and convertible 18L backpack option, and stacked top to bottom with organization, modularity, and personalization by way of pockets, webbing, and Velcro fields. The best part, the EDCer on your list can wear it both as a sling and a pack depending on their needs, thanks to a modular harness system and an innovative and comfortable new back panel design.
3. Fenix PD36 TAC Flashlight: This 3,000-lumen tactical powerhouse comes with a unique rotary switch that lets them easily switch between useful operating modes depending on their duty and situation, ensuring they have light decisively and immediately with no fuss or complicated interfaces. The PD36 Tac comes with power, throwing range, and IP68-rated resistance to be an all-around performer in a tactical EDC.
4. My Medic Micro Trauma First Aid Kit: A first aid/trauma kit is an EDC addition that’s always essential even if never used, and My Medic makes one of the most comprehensive loadouts in their Trauma First Aid Kit. It comes with over 35 life-saving supplies designed by and for professionals, giving the person on your list an all-in-one emergency kit, with a custom hi-vis red pouch to boot.
5. Benchmade Mini Adamas: The Benchmade Mini Adamas is a tank of a knife with the specs to match. With a 3.25“ CPM-CruWear blade (one of the toughest steels in Benchmade’s stable with a 63-65 HRC), skeletonized but beefy G-10 scales, and the brand’s signature AXIS lock for ambidextrous operation, the Mini Adamas is a no-compromise knife fit to be the centerpiece tool of their EDC.

Gifts for the Outdoorsy EDCer

Stay on point with these picks while wandering off the beaten path.

1. SOG Aegis AT: SOG’s Aegis AT folding knife is built for the outdoors, from its cryogenically heat-treated and hardworking 3.13″ D2 blade to its high-vis GRN handles that house SOG’s secure and ambidextrous XR Lock. And to ensure their absolute safety, the Aegis AT comes with an ambidextrous safety that utilizes natural movements, so they don’t have to break or change grips to still safely deploy or stow the knife.
2. Hydroflask Food Jar: The outdoorsy person on your list knows there are few pleasures in life greater than the first bite of a scrumptious snack in the great outdoors. An insulated food jar from Hydroflask can keep foods chilled and refreshing after a long hike, or warm and comforting back at the campsite. It’s built tough from BPA-free and phthalate-free pro-grade stainless steel, double insulated for hours of temperature control and leak proof with a threaded jar lid design.
3. Heroclip: Your giftee’s gear deserves more than sitting on a dirty floor or on muddy ground, so it’s the Heroclip to the rescue. This handy expanding carabiner can do more than just hang onto an existing hook; its folding design with an open section means it’s able to hang onto tables, ledges, or even branches too. And with three sizes to fit their needs, it’s the perfect accessory that stays out of the way until it’s ready to keep their gear close (and clean).
4. BioLite 750 Headlamp: A headlamp is essential for the adventurer on your list to spend their time outdoors safely. The BioLite 750 is thoughtfully designed to strip down bulk while offering an ergonomic wearing experience and the technical performance to match. It pushes 750 lumens total with multiple lighting modes from its adjustable tilting front lamp. The rear portion of the headlamp houses its 3000mAh USB-rechargable battery for a more balanced feel, and boasts red LEDs for improved visibility to keep your loved one safe.
5. Osprey Heritage Simplex: This classic silhouette from Osprey’s Heritage series brings more modern features to an old-school hiking pack design, making it as versatile as it is charming. The Osprey Heritage Simplex offers 20L of storage, including a padded sleeve for a 15″ laptop or hydration bladder so they can use it for work, travel, and recreating. It’s also an eco-friendly pack option, thanks to its recycled 500D nylon construction.

Gifts for the Active EDCer

Essentials to help jumpstart a healthier and more active lifestyle.

1. Aer Fit Pack 3 X-Pac: Aer’s fitness-focused 18.7L backpack is designed front to back to be their work and gym crossover, thanks to its versatile front compartment with a stowable shoe section and a main compartment able to carry their laptop and other essentials with ease. The use of X-Pac levels up the bag in nearly every way, offering a sleek, high-performance, and highly resistant upgrade in the bag’s exterior construction.
2. Apple Watch Series 7: The latest iteration of Apple’s flagship smartwatch is purpose-built to get the active EDCer on you list the best information and tracking they can wear on their wrist. With state of the art sensors and GPS, and new key additions by way of blood oxygen and ECG, this is Apple’s most advanced and feature-rich fitness tracking option yet.
3. Beats Fit Pro TWS: Nothing like the perfect soundtrack to crush a workout, and this pair of true wireless buds have the beats to get them going on theirs. They come with state of the art active noise canceling for focusing on a tough set, and a transparency mode for when your giftee pounds the pavement. Best of all, they come with 6 hours of use in the buds and a total of 24 with the case, so the music can keep them going even on extended sessions.
4. Matador NanoDry Towel: A towel isn’t just handy for wiping down equipment or drying off after a quick post-gym shower, it’s useful for urban and outdoor EDC too. The Matador NanoDry Towel is perfectly portable for EDC thanks to its packable design, convenient carabiner clip, and durable silicone travel case. Its nanofiber material is ultra absorbent and quick-drying compared to regular cotton towels, and at 47″ x 24″ it’s big enough to use in the locker room or in the great outdoors.
5. Theragun Mini: An important yet often overlooked piece of the wellness puzzle is recovery. The Therabody Theragun Mini is a portable percussive massage device designed to treat stiff muscles between their workouts. The Mini is their most compact device yet, making it perfect for use at home, in the gym, or while traveling. The Theragun Mini also operates much quieter than other similar devices, so the gymgoer on your list can massage tension away comfortably and discreetly.

Gifts for the DIYer

Gifts for fixing anything and tinkering with everything.

1. iFixit Moray: Whether they’re making repairs or building out their latest project, a good screwdriver is essential. The Ifixit Moray kit offers 32 precision bits and an ergonomic screwdriver handle all neatly packaged up in a compact magnetic case for easy transport and storage. Take the headache of hunting for the right bits or risking stripped screws out of their next project with this essential driver kit.
2. Engineer Titanium Precision Tweezers: When working with delicate parts and small electronics projects, they’ll need all the help they can get. These Japanese-made precision tweezers from Engineer are made out of titanium for exceptional strength, light weight, and long-lasting springiness. Bling out their toolbox with these functional forceps because every DIYer deserves tools they’re proud to use.
3. Leatherman Bond: If there’s one popular phrase the DIYer on your list can’t help but ignore, it’s “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But that saying applies to this recently released Leatherman tool, the Bond: it’s based on the very first Leatherman multi-tool design that revolutionized the pocket tool market back in the early 80s.  The Bond features 14 essential tools in its plier-based design that hits the sweet spot of functionality and portability for EDC.
4. Olight Swivel: For the tinkerer on your list who loves working with their hands, a hands-free tasklight can make all the difference during their next project. Help keep their workspace bright and clear long after the sun goes down with a light from a trusted brand in the EDC world. The Olight Swivel can mount to a magnetic surface with its adjustable base and provide 400 lumens of working light. Even better, a focused beam LED at the business end of the light also lets them use the Olight Swivel like a traditional flashlight, making this one versatile gift.
5. CRKT Pocket Driver Stash Tool: If they’ve got their toolkit at home properly sorted, help them upgrade their on-the-go kit with this CRKT Pocket Driver Stash Tool. It takes some of the EDC-friendly design cues of a portable flashlight, but it’s a sturdy and lightweight aluminum stash canister designed to store driver bits on a keychain. It conveniently breaks away from its magnetic keychain to reveal a bit driver as well, so they’re always prepared with a screwdriver on the go.

Gifts for the Techy EDCer

Smart picks to power up the gadget and tech lover’s kit.

1. Manhattan Portage Atlas Sling V2: If it seems impossible find a gadget for the tech enthusiast on your list, a solid pouch to carry and organize their tech is a safe bet. Our very own collaboration with Manhattan Portage, the Atlas Sling V2, is a new and improved pouch organizer that keeps cables tidy and gear protected. Best of all, it converts into a sling bag for general EDC use so they can bring their tech out and about.
2. Anker MagGo 622: If the person on your list is always on their phone, this portable magnetic power bank is a stylish way to make sure their iPhone stays charged while adding some convenient  functionality to boot. The Anker MagGo 622 also features a built-in kickstand to make watching content or taking video calls easy. While this  5000mAh battery is designed to magnetically latch onto an iPhone 13 or iPhone 12, it can be used universally with other devices via its bi-directional USB-C ports, making it a handy gift for any user.
3. Nitecore T4K: Chances are the techie on your list appreciates sheer performance and impressive technical specs, which is what the Nitecore T4K delivers in spades. It’s an engineering marvel, boasting a super bright 4000 lumen maximum output in a compact, palm-sized body. Despite its monstrous performance this pocket-friendly torch is handy for general everyday use as well, making it a gift that’ll keep on giving.
4. New Kindle Paperwhite: The latest and greatest Kindle Paperwhite is sure to please any reader on your list with its bigger display, smaller bezels, snappier operation and adjustable color temperature for comfortable reading at night. Other convenient features like USB-C charging and a waterproof build make it a worthy companion in their everyday carry.