Top Practical Everyday Carry Items You Need

By Randall Chaney

In today’s article, the author takes a look at some of the tools you might want to consider for your “every day carry.” Everyone has different needs, and this list represents what one man considers important. Your environment and needs should influence your own selections. All items in this article were purchased by the author with the exception of the Tuff Writer Pen which was provided to him for testing in a previous review.

Most of us wear firearms daily. Everyday carry (EDC) not only pertains to the gun and reload, but also the other tools we must have to get by in our daily lives, professional and personal. I have a few thoughts on the things that follow me on my treks and travails.

If you go on the internets or FaceSpace, you may run across photos of “pocket dumps.” People post pics of what they have on their persons for EDC. I am fascinated by what folks prioritize for carry. Let’s talk about the gear.

The Knife

A knife, whether fixed or folded, is the most useful EDC implement, regardless of your gun status.

Fixed blades are better for strength and safety, but folding knives can be more convenient. If it is a folder, take care with a slip joint, choose a strong, reliable lock and never cut toward your own body. Learned this from my nine-fingered junior high shop teacher.

While I make knives occasionally, I have collected hundreds of knives from most production and some custom makers. You will not find me without a blade.

The Flashlight

Even during the daytime, darkness can encroach on your duties. While a larger light may work for those who wear a utility belt, there are many, many options for small torches either in a pocket, sheath or on a clip. LEDs have mostly replaced less efficient incandescent bulbs. USB rechargeable cells are now as ubiquitous as replaceable battery-powered models.

EDC pouch with flashlight and other tools

For decades, I relied on Made-in-the-USA flashlights from SureFire. Streamlight built my last-issued flashlights, a Stinger and Strion, and they certainly were rugged and performed well.

When choosing a torch, researching candela vs. lumens may help fine-tune your selection based upon your requirements for closeup and/or distant light.

The Multitool

Multitools combine many of the functions on this list. The original Swiss Army knife (SAK) famously from either Victorinox or Wenger was probably our first civilian multitool. Later, Gerber, Leatherman, SOG, and others would bring us the common pliers-based mini toolboxes.

After a SAK Tinker, I bought an early Gerber multitool for work. I seized many suspended license tags, fixed broken-down cars or played gunsmith with them. I also own Leatherman, SOG power pliers, and some cheap offshore knockoffs received as gifts.

All the major brands produce quality tools, so the choice of functions is up to you.

The Pliers

In the past few years, pocket dump pics have seen a rise in people showing off their KNIPEX-brand pliers. KNIPEX is a company that specializes in precision pliers. Period. Made in Wuppertal, Germany for over 140 years, these are the gold standard. Though they are a bit pricier than others, the pair I bought were well worth it.

The type most EDC appealing is the KNIPEX Cobra XS “water pump” pliers. At four inches in length and able to grip up to 1 1/2” in width, they are perfectly pocketable. I paid about $30 for these, and they are über-handy.

The Wrench

Some of us resist marring up nuts with vise grips. There, I said it.

A crescent wrench is the proper tool for righty-tighty or lefty-loosey. I have a four-inch alloy crescent I bought on “Bezazon” for less than ten dollars. Its jaw opens to one-half an inch.

This will not replace your 3/8” socket set, but bolts back out and must be fixed, stat!

The Drivers

Better than employing a knife blade, small screwdrivers in standard and Phillips heads can be invaluable. Their tips run in sizes from #0 to #4. But there are other bits that you may need, including torx, hex and square.

Driver sets include these and can be compact to allow you to solve more problems. I even ran across a Zippo lighter insert tool kit that contains #1 and #2 Phillips, T20 torx, and #2 standard tips. Quit smoking and turn screws all in one!

The Pen and Pad

I just reviewed the Tuff Writer Press Pen and found it terrific. For years, I had Pilot pens with a durable plastic barrel in my top pocket. They were agency-provided and sturdy enough for a poke.

Lately, my favorite writing instrument is the Zebra Pens F701 which has an all-metal body and tip. The knurling on the barrel is exactly right for grip and the clicker on top is good support for the thumb.

If your pen accepts it, as the Tuff Writer and F701’s do, I recommend the Fisher Space Pen ink cartridge. It will scribe at any angle and flow in the wet if you have a Rite in the Rain or similar all-weather pad.

Marking pens like Sharpies are practical. My current marker is the Milwaukee Inkzall that writes on dusty, dirty and wet surfaces.

The Lighter

If you smoke, well, yeah. Fire is also a multitool of sorts and can be used on heat-shrink tubes, paracord ends, loose threads, gas torches, and campfires. Did you know the BIC lighter is named after Marcel Bich, the French pen company founder?

Different styles of ignition are spark wheel, piezoelectric and plasma. Fuel sources are butane, kerosene and electricity. I replaced my dad’s kerosene Zippo insert with a modern USB-charged plasma model. No more messy lighter fluid.

The Pry Bar

While your knife blade is not a screwdriver, it is also not a pry bar. There are many options for mini pry bars on the market from steel, brass or titanium. Little stuck things sometimes need leverage to cooperate.

A key chain prying tool can bring other functions. I have an inexpensive Nite Ize Doohickey carabiner key clip that pries, opens bottles, measures, wrenches, and unboxes. Pry bars can come in assorted flavors with bit drivers, ratchets, nail pullers, pocket clips or even tritium inserts.

The Watch

We are a long way from back when gentlemen wore mechanical pocket watches. A wristwatch is still in demand for displaying the time at a glance.

In today’s techno-driven environment, I resorted to wearing a smartwatch at work for the past five years since I was missing texts and occasionally phone calls because my smartphone vibrations did not penetrate a half inch of body armor. I am also from a generation before any cellular telephone, and I prefer to leave home with a real timepiece.

Conclusion

I guess the smartphone is the ultimate EDC tool since it has replaced the camera, tape recorder, flashlight, wallet, pen and paper, gaming system, mailbox and library. Still, it won’t hammer, cut, pry, tighten screws or bolts or start an intentional fire. If you don’t need any of the EDC tools I’ve written about here, then you must lead a very boring life and we can’t be friends.

Honorable mentions: reading glasses, sharpening stones, paracord bracelets, fire steels, compasses, phone chargers, lip balm and flasks. Discuss.

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