Everyday carry

Preparedness

Some of the most common EDC items are watches, pens, wallets, knives, firearms, flashlights, lighters, car and home key rings, mobile phones, multi-tools, tissues, medications, and personal care items.

The choice and priority/ranking of which items to carry, and how or where to carry them, vary according to each person's needs depending on their occupation, avocations, lifestyle, and similar factors of everyday life. Goals include being able to solve everyday problems more efficiently and to be an asset instead of a liability or helpless bystander when a problem arises.

While often distributed among pockets in everyday clothing, carry options are frequently expanded by the addition of clothing accessories like a fanny pack, purse, EDC pouch, small daypack, sunglasses, bracelets, or even footwear like long boots or a vest with pockets. How EDC items are stored, though, depends on the purpose and intentions for their use.

EDC as a subculture

The optimization of everyday carry (kit/layouts and carry modes) has become an internet subculture, which goes by the name EDC as well. The hobby overlaps with collecting, as many EDC enthusiasts are drawn into collecting EDC items in the quest for finding which one works best for their current EDC needs or for imagined scenarios, such as a light-duty day, a heavy-duty day, etc. The collecting of tools takes on an art appreciation component as fans appreciate the design cues, material choices, and craftsmanship that went into each model of tool, including trade-offs of costs versus benefits for each aspect of it. Many accessories manufacturers have capitalized on the trend and often describe their products in terms of EDC. "The best tool is the one that you have on you when you need one," is a common aphorism which argues against excessive optimization of the tools carried, due to diminishing returns.

Legislation

Depending on the jurisdiction, certain EDC items may be restricted in public. Issues may include concealed carry of firearms or knives, airport security situations and, in the UK, the Theft Act 1968 offence of "going equipped to steal".

References

References

1. Kellerman, Aharon. (Winter 2019). "Everyday Carry for Mobile Individuals". Transfers.
2. Richard, Mike. (2023-04-10). "From the right wallet to a versatile pocket knife, your personal EDC should be practical, functional, and even a little stylish".
3. Perez, Danny. (2022-10-17). "These EDC Essentials Will Keep You Well-Equipped for Anything".
4. (2018). "Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Social Media and Society". ACM Press.
5. (2017-04-03). "Sick bunnies and pocket dumps: "Not-selfies" and the genre of self-representation". Popular Communication.
6. Hassan, Mohamed. (24 March 2023). "What's in Your Pocket? Obsessed Hobbyists Judge What It Says About You". Wall Street Journal.
7. Wright, Steven T.. (2019-07-24). "Meet the men obsessed with carrying all the right stuff".