In Detroit my most basic EDC is a Vic Rucksack, a small folding knife, flat pack duct tape (which I use far more than I ever thought I would), a Gerber Infinity Flashlight, a pen, an ACR whistle, a bandana, 20' para cord, two large zip ties, a few first aid items in my wallet, a Zippo and a Hot Spark and some vasoline cotton balls. I also have a neck knife with an LED on a cord. This sounds like a lot - but it all fits in my pockets without much show. I also generally have a Maxpedition Jumbo with a lot of redundancy but other stuff that's usefull daily - not least of which is a Nalegene full of water and a better flash light.

Start carrying some things and see what you use most / least and what you feel may be most helpful in the situations that you feel you're most likely to encounter. I use my lighter, knives, duct tape and flashlights daily.