O.K. I'd like any constructive advice regarding my current every day carry items.

On keychain:

1 Leatherman Squirt PS4
1 Streamlight 72101 Keymate

On person (pocket, jacket, etc):

1 Adventure Medical Kit Pocket Survival Pak Plus
1 Adventure Medical Kit Two Person Survival Blanket

Thank you for your input.

Is it summer or winter where you live?
Pavement or dirt (urban area or rural area) ?
How much walking do you have to do before you reach people/buildings?
What kind of clothing do you wear?
What kind of belt do you have?
Footwear?
Do you carry a cell phone?

Your EDC sounds reasonable ... its PSK after all
I might add
a scarf/bandana
a "keychain" pepper spray ( dogs? )
a bic lighter and some waxpaper

maybe a 0oz-3oz bottle of bleach if rural
maybe bigger/heavier flashlight if urban

I live in East Tennessee. It is rural in a lot of parts and my nearest neighbor is about a 100 yards away. My clothing is frequently cargo pants and a t-shirt with a light jacket and sneakers. I should add that I wear a Casio Pathfinder Solar Watch and carry a Cell Phone. I don't normally carry an extra battery for the cell phone but always plug it in at home or in the car; usually the battery is good for a couple of days without recharging. I appreciate your suggestions.

My pockets are for stuff I use, not kits. If the light works for you great. The light on my keyring is a DR Photon Freedom -- tiny, but its only job is to light the way to find a real light. I also carry a LM Squirt, albeit a different model. With the new model LM added scissors, but I already EDC folding scissors which I find myself using more often than the locking folder I also carry. Scissors are great for small stuff and they are much more PC when in public.

I used to EDC a lot of stuff I very rarely used. That extra stuff migrated to my EDC backpack which I take when I leave home; it might stay in my truck rather than on my back, but it's always nearby.

You might consider a cotton bandanna tucked into a pocket - versatile with lots of applications

Here is my normal EDC:

• S&W Shield 9mm, one extra magazine (only where legal to do so!)
• Ritter MiniGrip S30V
• LM Squirt PS4 (on keyring)
• FourSevens 120db whistle (on keyring)
• ThruNite Ti Limited Christmas Edition (on keyring)
• NiteCore SRT3 (in a holster, in my pocket)
• Earbuds for iPhone
• iPhone
• A pen of some kind, commonly a Zebra F-701
• Wallet with drivers license, CCW, credit card and always cash

Most people would be content with a single flashlight, but I'm not most people . I commonly have my laptop bag with me, which has a number of useful items in it, but that's not on-body EDC. I will add other gear (most commonly a full-size multitool) depending on what I'm doing.

If I was going to suggest one change for you, it would be to carry a locking folder. I might also suggest upgrading to a 1xAAA flashlight, the ThruNite I'm carrying is an incredible light for $30.

you might add a whistle, and possibly a pill fob for a couple of aspirin in case you suspect a heart attack... I've upgraded the Fenix E05 to a 2014 version with the 85 lumen mode

I prefer a lightweight keyring. The Fenix 1xAAA lights are much more capable than a Photon Freedom, but the price is much more weight. We have different priorities.
If I know I'll need a light I skip the AAA lights and go to a 1 or 2 AA light, Fenix or Foursevens. If I need to pocket carry a light, the Fenix E12 and the Foursevens Mini MA aren't much bigger than the AA battery they use for power.

I carry a Photon Freedom, but I wish it had a button that blocked accidentally turning it on. It is perfect for EDC except that it gets turned on in the pocket and at times is not available when you need it.

I also have the Fenix, but it is more difficult to use with one hand. The twist on lights are more durable and do not turn on in your pocket, but they are bigger.

Lately I have been carrying a Blocklite: Blocklite .It also has a problem with turning on in the pocket, and coming off of the battery.

My primary EDC knife is a SAK Ranger. I like having the wood saw and the metal file/saw. The metal working ability has proved useful at times. The Leatherman Squirt is another good option.

In a bag, I carry either an emergency blanket or a sol-nylon poncho. It also has some basic first aid trauma items, just focused on life saving, not cuts and scrapes.

I always have a water bottle, wither a Nalgene or a purchased bottle of water, and a method of purifying. I like this one because of the form factor: Aqua Pouch Plus

I also carry cordage. I usually have some 550 cord and some kevlar or Technora cord. The 550 is more for the small tying jobs, the kevlar for when you need more strength.

I also carry a Gore-tex jacket and pants. This provides shelter to preserve the body temperature and to stay dry. I have some by Marmot that pack very small and are very light, but they are not cheap.

When weather is cold, I carry some Smartwool light weight long underwear. Again, very light and packs very small and has been a life saver for me in some really bad weather. It is amazing how warm it is in spite of how light it is.

I also have some down outer layers from Montbell. In keeping with the theme, they are very light and pack small. I have worn them with a waterproof layer in near zero temperatures and was comfortable.

Gloves and a hat top off the winter EDC gear. Wind proof and water resistant are helpful.

I do generally have a PSK in a pocket as well, in addition to what I have already listed.

I do not keep all of this packed up, just in case. These are things I use on a regular basis, even the cordage.

CM: i do like your style and choices. i always have a squirt within reach and my F-701 sits next to my mousepad. ordered my thrunite ti xmas just last week. my EDC peashooter is a scandium s&w 340pd and lockblade is a ti buck/mayo #172.

I also like Fenix AAA lights for EDC. My current fave is the LD02, which features a rear clicky and three light levels. It is just a tad longer than the twisties.....

Thanks for that Hikermor, I just looked at it and it looks very nice. It should take only a couple of days to have it in my hands!

Great minds think alike .

I never did get the hang of reloading a revolver quickly. With all the competition I do my pistol reload is pretty solid.

Until recently CCW in CA was a non-starter in some counties, that may have changed. However, the locking folder I carry varies with what I'm wearing; it could be a Benchmade 710, BM 940 or RSK Mk1 -- it depends. Sometimes I fall back to a Vic' Spartan -- depends. I really like the BM 710,

in addition to a cell phone and bandana... I consider these my EDC... I really like the G42 for a pocket pistol... it can be shot quickly and accurately... something I could not do with my small double action hammer fired .380s.... the 2014 edition of the E05 has 3 light settings.. 8/25/85 lumens

When I had my CCW (outside CA) I carried a G19. I could get a full grip and I like the ammo selection available in 9x19. I also like your BM Ares, nice knife.

On the local news tonight there was a story about a guy who was walking around this week in -40 F windchills. Didn't catch the whole story, but he said he wasn't dressed for the weather because he was just running a quick errand or something. He fell on ice and was knocked out for 4 hours. When he came to, he had severe frostbite in both feet, and he is in the hospital now.

It's an eye opener for me, because even though in winter I always have a parka and a mid-weight coat, hat, scarf, longjohns, gloves, and boots in the vehicle, I actually only wear a fleece vest when I go in to work or run errands, unless it's a blizzard.

The Squirt is cute (I have one) and so is the Streamlight. But I want something more substantial for EDC. I don't carry a multitool, but if I did, it would be my Leatherman Wave. That's too big for my EDC, but may be just perfect for other's situations.

I carry a 3-1/5" bladed folding knife and a single AA-sized LED flashlight (although powered by a Lithium 14500 battery). These are much more substantial, and more useful for me in EDC.


I carry that type of stuff when hiking, but not EDC. Like to the grocery store. I don't realistically expect to have to bivouac and start a fire to purify water in the Safeway vegetable department, of use a mirror to signal for help in the cereal aisle.

A good folding knife
A concealed firearm (where legal) and spare magazine
A good flashlight
A cellphone
A wallet with the typical stuff in it (money, ID, charge cards, etc.)
A pen (optional - you can always save notes on a smart phone)
Foam earplugs (I hate getting stuck in a loud place with ringing ears)

That's my EDC for daily suburban living. A lot more stuff gets added when I'm hiking.

Another suburbia dweller

On body:
Fenix E01
LM Squirt PS4
Zebra F701/F402 frankenpen. Considering getting a pen/stylus combo.
3x5 memo pad
Cell phone
Analog or analog/digital watch
The usual man's ballast: wallet, keys, prescription glasses, wedding band, pocket lint.

Off body (most days):
Hands free ear buds(corded)
Bandana
Sunglasses
Earplugs
My mobile home office
* Various writing and portable office implements.
* Cell phone external battery pack
* Personal organizer
* GID folders

For rural life, I would carry a slightly larger knife like a Victorinox Farmer or a Leatherman juice, a regulated single cell AA or AAA light instead of the direct drive coin cell light like the keymate, and a signalling device (i.e. whistle) of some sort.

Any meds? Spare glasses?

I forgot about that. A pill fob with a 5 day supply of my prescription medications and two doses of Aspirin. Carried off body most days, but on body in lieu of a pocket knife when I fly.

No spare glasses for two reason. First, my uncorrected vision is 20/35. Borderline for driving (20/40 or better), and I can function without glasses if need be. Second is insurance only covers the first pair of eyeglasses. Sunglasses and spares are out of pocket(about $200 each for decent frames and lenses).

Just inspected myself, sitting in the downtown Oakland office, and here is what I'm actually EDCing:

On the belt:

1. Leatherman Wave belt pouch with:

- Leatherman Wave multitool...
- Attached to the pouch with 3ft nylon cord wrapped around it
- Leatherman screwdriver BitKit
- Bits driver extender
- Peanut lighter wrapped in ~5 ft white duct tape
- Maglite Solitaire with LED upgrade (smallest AAA light in the world)
- Set of 6 sewing needles from tiny to awl-like
- 20ft Kevlar sewing thread
- 2ft Steel wire (20ga) in plastic sleeve
- 2ft Steel wire (16ga)
- Tiny flat splinter forceps
- 2 concrete anchors (large screws 1/4 x 2-3/4)

2. The Otterbox belt holster with Samsung Note 3 in the Otterbox Defender case modified i.o. to attach wrist/neck lanyard to the phone (S clip on the other end) .

3. Keychain in the right pocket with
- 2ft long lanyard of braided 550 Paracord (about 15 ft) with HD split rings on each end and snap hooks to secure on the belt.
- Assorted keys in 4 groups on swivel locking hooks
- Screw top pills fob (pain killers and Pepcid).
- 64GB T-Flash card in the OTG card reader
- Keyfob USB-microUSB data/charging cable for the phone, earbuds and LiPO battery (see below)
- Black mini Sharpie
- Tiny Space Pen on magnetic clip

4. Business suit jacket's right inner pocket (single piece)
- Cut off top steel flat curved 8oz flask with...
- 8Ah Lithium battery USB charger with solar panel wrapped in...
- Disposable poncho
- Tiny AC/DC USB adapter on the bottom of the flask
- Titanium spork

5. Business suit jacket's left inner pocket
- UDAP mugger fogger pepper spray
- Vipertek shocker with flashlight
- Hard candy
- No gun, "thank you" California, but space is reserved

6. Business suit jacket's small front pocket
- Credit/ID/Key cards
- Business cards
- Transportation cards
- Microfiber cloth (for the phone screen, sunglasses)
- Credit card sized bank of various memory cards' adapters to T-flash form-factor, including USB reader. All with T-flash cards inserted (for various IT tasks like bootable OSes, antivirus tools, drivers, manuals, etc).

7. Plantronics Beat Go 2 noise isolating BT earbuds on the neck.

8. Polarized wraparound sunglasses on the face (on the table now, actually)

9. Orange survival bandanna in the right back pocket of the pants

10. Small zip lock bag with $40 in bills, and $2.50 in quarters in the left back pocket of the pants.

11. "Commander" mechanical watch on the wrist (Soviet Era memorabilia 30 years old ).