from another thread; Much of the gear that actually gets used is actually quite dull:
- Debit card
- water bottle
- jacket
- pen
- cell phone
- protein bar
- bandana
- spare keys
- id card

I'd add pocket knife & small flashlight. Always on my keyring and used nearly every day.

I cannot overemphasize the value of a good pair of shoes or boots.

Not for EDC but for the woods I'd include trekking poles and crampons. The former is useful in tons of circumstances and when you need the latter they're extremely helpful.

Situational awareness is surprisingly light and effective.

+1 on items listed above, esp. walking boots/shoes.

Clothing that protects from the elements.

Spare door key for my car.

I was glad to find that my Tacoma driver's door could be opened without a "chipped" key... so had one cut, and hidden under the bed in a magnetic key safe, that allows access to the glove box with the spare chip key... or I could just smash the window

The spare key in my wallet has saved me from major hassles several times. It's easy to set down my chip key out of range of the the receiver but still inside the car ... and then lock the door out of habit. Argh!

My wife and I keep spare keys in a closet. If one of us needs it, a quick call to the other suffices.

Honestly, I was wondering why there was a post about drilling holes on the forum. Ha!