The VICE Starter Pack for Everyday Carry

Today I learned (TIL) that Reddit was founded on June 23, 2005, which makes it 1) old enough for we, the people, to reflect on the staying power of its most memorable subreddits, and 2) a Cancer in the Western zodiac, which tracks. We’re deep-diving obsessives, and Reddit is the GOAT of information you didn’t know you needed. Granted, it’s filled with a lot of misinformation and unsavory personalities, but such is life, and life outside of Reddit doesn't have such impassioned Furby roundtables. 

Traipse through the waters of “r/Birdswithhumanpenises” and all the other eclectic corners of the site, and you’ll find the one subreddit that has emerged as a pillar of the platform at its best, worst, and most thirsty for doomsday-prepping: the world of r/everydaycarry/ (often shortened to EDC). 

On paper, EDC items consist of handy tools to carry on one’s person; online, Reddit’s everyday carry forums have historically been made up of mostly men, and a dude, where’s my glock? energy about which Swiss Army Knives are best, and which Oakleys are the most frosted. In 2019, Vox called the EDC community “like if preppers met What’s in Your Bag?” 

Peep the EDC forums, and you’ll notice that EDCers carry everything from Leatherman tools and charging cable organizers to a “handkerchief to comfort a pretty lady that is crying,” to quote a Redditor in this forum, in which another EDC n00b asks “... What got other EDCers interested in this... hobby? Lifestyle?” According to the comments section, it was the Boy Scouts of America which is cool if you like the military industrial complex, while someone else writes that they just “like nice things.” Another thread commenter says, “My philosophy is simple [...] what will make things easier and more comfortable while I am out?” 

Time has turned EDC culture both more mainstream, and less overwhelmingly aggro (please see: this Funfetti/donut knife on the r/WomenWhoEDC forum). These days, there’s not only a dedicated, shoppable EDC blog and Instagram account for the EDC-obsessed, but outdoorsy sites such as Bespoke Post and Huckberry, which is like REI in cufflinks (we love it) have permanent, evolving Everyday Carry Edits. 

We’ve geocached the deepest corners of Reddit to bring you the best everyday carry products according to real, devoted EDCers. Pour some oil in that pioneer lamp, and let’s get carried away. 

There’s consistent praise for Leatherman tools in the EDC world. As one Redditor writes in this forum, “It’s hard to go wrong with a Leatherman Wave for everyday carry. If you’re looking for something a little more heavy duty, the Leatherman Super Tool 300 is a good choice.” 

You heard ‘em. Another Redditor from the above thread hath spoken, and said, give the people a flashlight, a nice pen, and a notebook. We’re partial to the Fisher Space Pen, which was legit designed to be used in outer space and zero gravity, a buttery Moleskine notebook, and this 4.6-star average rated flashlight with over 71,900 reviews.

As another Redditor asks in a thread titled, “Women who EDC, what do you carry and where?” a fellow EDCer writes, “I have a crossbody phone holder with a little wallet and coin purse (for my keys).” Find us toting around this leather crossbody bag from Dr. Martens.

Listen, G-Shock watches are legendary for their durability and swag, and the G-Shock GA2100 got a special shout-out in this EDC thread for its elegant yet industrial design.   

“The most useful thing I’ve had is this little keychain pry bar/opener,” writes another EDCer on Reddit, “[...] holy shit, that thing opened so many packages, and [was] used on set screws for light fixtures and tons of other stuff.” You get extra swag points if you take home this pry bar that looks like a fish.

There are a lot of self-defense items on Amazon, and as one Redditor writes in a thread titled, “I barely see a woman's EDC here so here's mine,” another commenter chimes in with, “Gotta have mace, I carry that shit everywhere.” This Sabre mace is one Amazon’s bestsellers, and has a 4.7-star average rating from over 16,500 reviews. 

It’s important to stay hydrated, and in another Reddit thread where folks unpacked their “arbitrary list of gear,” one user praised their Nalgene bottle, writing, “[It’s] BPA free, and really tough. Comes with a lifetime warranty. Very solid choice. Options up to 48oz.” 

… Or, in layman’s terms, a Swiss Army Knife by the brand Victorinox. EDCers looove the iconic multi-tool, and as a Redditor writes in this forum, “[It] really depends on what you are doing every day, but I think you can't go wrong with a small [version].” 

According to a Redditor in this EDC starter pack thread, “a nice, slim, leather wallet” is also a must.” They cite a Vaultskin wallet as their go-to, but we’re also into this slick leather wallet from Huckberry. In the words of one reviewer, “[It] has enough capacity for everything you need while keeping it simple and compact.”

On a thread subject of some “actual useful EDC items,” another Redditor writes that they carry “a small first aid kit (boo-boo kit not a full blown emergency set up).” This first aid kit includes over a dozen categories of boo-boo staples, from butterfly bandages to alcohol swabs. 

Don’t get caught without. 

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