Every day, readers like you proudly share photos of their everyday carry on the site.
Not only is looking through their pockets this way super interesting, but it’s also a great way to find really cool gear you never even knew existed (yet somehow, suddenly need…).
When you hover over an item you like and click on it in these photos, you’re also letting other EDCers know you find that gear interesting. Each click gets recorded to create a data-driven ranking of the most popular gear, which you can find in our new and improved Gear section of the site found in the top menu bar.
Gear with the most views and clicks climbs its way to the top of this feed and lets the EDC community know what’s trending right this second.
The Best EDC Gear from December 2016
10. Tombow Air Press
As seen in: Bob’s Winter EDC
With several design awards under their belt, Tombow’s no slouch at making elegantly functional pens. Their AirPress ballpoint is unsurprisingly popular with EDCers since its features make it a great carry-everywhere pen. It’s mainly thanks to its patented pressurized technology that lets you write in any orientation and even on dirty or wet surfaces. But there’s more to like about it beyond the writing performance itself—it’s a shorter, stubbier pen with a sturdy metal clip and rubberized grip that makes the AirPress comfortable to hold and easy to carry.
9. Quartermaster QSE-10
As seen in: Akhin’s EDC
Quartermaster makes some of the most unique and interesting riffs on classic knife design, and the QSE-10 is no different. With a cleaver-like base, the QSE-10 adds a reinforced tip, flipper action, and signature design elements to quickly get to the cutting action with style. And while the knife itself is beefy thanks to its thick titanium handles, it’s still EDC friendly with its 3” CPM 154 wharncliffe blade.
8. Raven Workshop KeyGrip
As seen in: Jay’s Core Minimal Carry
Sometimes, simpler is better, and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to your keychain. The KeyGrip is one of the most no-frills types of key organizers out there. It’s based on a simple metal shackle system. There’s only one pivot to mess with and one sturdy piece of metal to streamline your keys. While it doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles (not that it needs to), you can customize them to your choice of metal and skeletonized frame.
7. Blocklite 9 Volt LED Flashlight
As seen in: Vic’s Minimalist EDC
Remember 9-volt batteries? You probably still have a few shoved in a drawer at home somewhere in case of emergencies. Yeah, those. Instead of stocking up on antique flashlights to put them in, check out Blocklites’s compact solution. By simply attaching on top of a 9V battery, the Blocklite flashlight gives you up to 6 LEDs’ worth of light at the push of a button. Perfect to leave around the house or in your go bags as an extra backup.
6. Torqbar
As seen in: KA’s Winter EDC
It’s hard to resist well-designed, expertly crafted gear—even if it isn’t exactly the most “functional.” If there’s any indicator of that, the Torqbar would be it. To be fair, it does serve the purpose of calming fidgety fingers in your downtime. At its heart is a simple ball-bearing system that lets its weighted ends spin freely for as long as your fingers flick it. I suspect it’s one of those things that’s fun enough on its own to be a popular addition to an EDC after all bases have already been covered.
5. Chris Reeve Small Sebenza
Used by over 140 Everyday Carry members
As seen in: Cameron’s Gentleman’s Carry
The Sebenza is one of the prime examples of excellence in knife production to this day, so it’s no surprise that the smaller, EDC-sized version is a favorite among enthusiasts and collectors alike. With a compact but useful blade shape and length, a high-performance steel, and titanium handles to keep overall strength up without adding weight, the Chris Reeve Small Sebenza is as close to EDC knife perfection as you can get in the eyes of many.
4. Amsler Knives Hurricane Pry
As seen in: Rob’s Bronze Carry
If you’ve been following the trending gear roundups every month, the Hurricane Pry should look familiar. It’s a prybar variation on Rob Amsler’s scalpel-esque Hurricane Razor that topped the ranks back in July. The Hurricane’s streamlined design and elongated form factor offers what many pry bars lack: precision. Depending on your prying tasks, you can choose between a “fork” shaped pry end for precision work and a “stubby” end for tougher tasks. To finish it off, it’s made entirely from stonewashed titanium, down to the sturdy pocket clip.
3. Leatherman Wave
Used by 550 Everyday Carry members
As seen in: Dan’s Carpenter EDC
17 functions in a compact package make the Leatherman Wave one of the best multitools to add to your EDC. You’ve got your bases covered with its signature pliers front and center, with locking blades and an assortment of fold-out tools tucked away into its iconic butterfly handles. With a sturdy stainless-steel frame and a 25-year warranty, this is one tool you can’t go wrong with, proven time and time again by the sheer number of you who carry it.
2. Kershaw Cryo
Used by over 175 Everyday Carry members
As seen in: Chase’s Bartender EDC
The original Kershaw Cryo was a hit with the EDC crowd as an excellent budget knife. It’s sized right for EDC at just under 3” long and was one of the first and few to offer nifty features like an assisted flipper open and frame lock system. Kershaw continues to improve upon the Cryo with the newer, lighter weight Cryo G10, but the classic Cryo still deserves a mention here.
1. The Traveler Kit
As seen in: Michael’s Travel Nurse EDC
You might have your own travel EDC with TSA-approved tools for general tasks, but for everything else, there’s the Traveler_Kit. It’s part first aid kit, part survival kit, and part dopp kit. Weighing in at only 3 oz, it manages to cram an impressive amount of useful stuff in it its waterproof container to take the headache out of traveling. That includes ibuprofen, band-aids, an LED nightlight, ear plugs and a sleeping mask for some shuteye, as well as toiletries like shampoo, floss, and sunscreen.
If you’re curious to see how these trends change over time, check out our monthly roundups from the archive for even more excellent gear.
See anything in this list that made you stop scrolling and think, “I need one… right now”? Leave a comment and let me know your favorite gear from this round-up.
