My on-body EDC hasn’t changed much in the last ten years:

  • Wallet — I’m carrying a much less bulky wallet — my version of the “essentials” for wallet carry is much more than many I see with just a driver’s license and a single credit card, but it’s still less than it used to be.
  • Keys — unchanged except for the keyring multitool (and adding a key to a friend’s house, who asked me to keep it)
  • Keyring multi — Moved from a LM Squirt PS4 to a LM Style PS, I fly so much more often that I don’t bother switching back to the Squirt
  • Knife (When Not Flying) — Currently RSK Mk1 G2, which has so far proven to be the best all-round EDC knife I’ve ever owned. I tend to go back to my orange-handled Mk1 for outdoor activities, as I know from experience that a black handled knife is much harder to find if dropped.
  • Car keys (WNF) — Unchanged. I almost never drive to the airport, so I leave this at home when I fly.
  • Pistol and reload (WNF) — I’ve been carrying a 9mm Shield and wasn’t thrilled with my holster until a recent upgrade. A friend was selling an almost-new P365 so I bought a holster from the same manufacturer and have been carrying that for a week. I don’t shoot the P365 as well (I have at least 7K more rounds through a Shield than I do through the P365 so it’s not surprising) but it carries more rounds and is definitely more comfortable on the belt, so the experiment continues.
  • Larger multi (WNF) — I tend to rotate between LM MUT (on the range only), LM Wave, and LM Signal (when outdoors but not on the range). More recently the SOG PowerLitre has made it into the rotation and I like it. I also have a small Cordura pouch for the LM bit kit and bit extender, which will usually go in a pocket when I carry a larger multi.
  • Flashlight — I keep coming back to the Nitecore MT10C for pocket carry. If I’m carrying a larger flashlight it’s most often a Klarus XT2CR, which is in the sweetspot for me for all three of user interface, performance, and size. Every time I’ve tried the XT1C for pocket carry I’ve gone back to the Nitecore.
  • Phone — iPhone 7. I was up for an upgrade but didn’t see a reason to go with an iPhone 8 and I am still not feeling it for the iPhone 10. I think that when this phone gets replaced I’ll go with an 8.
  • Pen — Tactile Turn Ti Slider, with the most common alternative an inexpensive orange-anodized aluminum pen for outdoor activities.
  • Trauma kit with Tourniquet (on the range) — After extensive training (for someone who hasn’t ever been a medical professional, at least), I built my own kit for this.


The thing that I keep coming back to is how to carry a trauma kit. I keep one in my bag (whichever bag it may be), and two in my car (one in the emergency kit in the trunk, and one within arms reach in the cabin for the next time I roll up on a collision). Many of my friends use ankle kits, which I don’t think would work for me. It isn’t ideal, but I may have to get to my bag or my car if I need to treat a traumatic injury.