It’s time for another EDC feature! It’s been a while but it’s back as we continue to look at the kinds of gear everyone has in their daily carry. Get inspired, find new ideas you’ve never thought of before, and learn a thing or two if you’re just getting started on EDC—or even as a long time everyday carry enthusiast!
In this week’s post, we look at the daily carry of CLUB LOCHBY ambassador @slo_carry. We hope you enjoy this little interview!
How did your EDC “journey” start?
My journey started at the age of 6 when my grandfather bought me a knife while we were at Cabela's. (I still have it!) From then on, I rarely ever left the house without a knife, it was a true daily carry for me, but not quite the hobby that EDC has become today.
Around high school time, I started to carry a Pilot G2, Case Medium Stockman and a Streamlight MicroStream. That carry lasted me for about 6 years before I found out EDC was a hobby.
Was it introduced to you by someone, i.e. a friend, mentor, etc? What online resources were helpful?
EDC as a hobby was something I kind of just stumbled across on YouTube one day when checking out a review for a cool looking knife. I don't remember which one exactly, but I ended up in the Best Damn EDC Discord group and made some very supportive friends.
From there, my collection of gear exploded. I went from a simple and pretty affordable carry, to a "budget" carry and on to a custom carry at a very fast pace.
When it comes to any hobby, it’s always great to hangout with and talk to people who share the same passion and interest so you can share ideas, as well give and receive suggestions and feedback.
What items were in your first EDC Kit?
My first EDC kit once I became interested in the hobby consisted of a Spyderco Shaman, Big Idea Design Ti Pocket Pro, Olight i5t in gunmetal gray and a coin of the day. I still have everything from this carry.
(See below.)
What gear do you have now and how similar/different is your current set up with the one you started out with?
My gear now includes too much to list out, but I do generally just carry one setup and swap gear since I have multiple choices for each item. My setup consists of: a Hinderer knife (usually a full titanium XM-18 3.5), a Smooth Precision Pens Bronze Dragon Mini Bolt V2.2, a bronze Laulima Diamond Slim flashlight, a custom Southfarthing wallet from Triple Divide Co., and a pouch with a bead. The pouch and bead varies from week to week.
The setup is fairly similar to what I started with in terms of items in the kit, but the items themselves are a bit nicer than what I started out with. I also always have a notebook and fountain pen with me when traveling for journaling.
Maybe it’s just us but a notebook and pen are two items we can’t do without. They’re definitely part of our daily carry no matter what and it’s good to know we’re not alone.
Which item from your kit is your favorite/most prized possession and why?
I am torn between two different knives. One is a Hinderer XM-18 3.5” Spanto with a custom scale and the other is my OZ Machine Co Roosevelt with crosshatch milling and a timascus clip. The Hinderer is special to me because it was my first “grail” purchase and really sparked my love for Hinderer knives and higher end knives, which eventually led me to purchase the Roosevelt. The Roosevelt on the other hand, was a gift from my groomsmen when I got married in 2020. They all pitched in and I happened to get in on his books for a custom Roosevelt.
How did you build your EDC?
Bird brain. I saw something shiny and cool and bought it. Eventually, I figured out what gear I liked and what I didn't and ended up selling a ton of things to fund certain items.
Did your gear add up over time based on your changing needs/preferences?
I started out buying anything and everything that caught my eye. Over time, I slowly switched to hunting for certain items and only purchased the occasional thing that caught my eye. Pens being the exception… I have way too many pens, especially fountain pens, and I’m sure all my friends and family would agree haha.
Well said! EDC is all about what you need. A few questions to ask include: what type of work do you do? What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have? Where do you usually go? Where will you be going?
There are so many things to consider when preparing your daily carry and, while there are definitely a few items considered as must-haves, in general, the gear and items you take with you may vary and it should depend on your circumstances.
The point is to have the essentials for when you encounter emergencies or unexpected situations.
What unique and memorable situation have you been in that made you think, “everyone needs their own EDC kit”?
For me, it’s more of a collection of situations where people have needed a knife to open something, or a pen to write, or lost something and need a light to look for it.
I understand there are jobs out there where people can’t carry a knife, but I have tried to convince people they should try and carry these three things: prybar/knife for opening stuff, pen to write, and a flashlight to see.
I feel that those could be considered necessities by the average person. A phone light only gets you so far.
Are you eyeing any specific gear to add to your kit in the near future?
I would love to grab an SPK Lamia and a Reaver Kickflip eventually, but no idea when I'll be able to get either of those added to my collection.
What advice can you give for people who are just starting to get into EDC?
Don't buy everything you see, and don't feel like you have to participate in "drop" culture. It's okay to be happy with "budget" gear. The gear I truly use and don't baby typically is budget gear. If I’m traveling somewhere new and don’t want to worry about something getting lost or broken, I’m going to grab a Rat II D2 or Hogue K320, Olight Baton II/III, and a Big Idea Design Pocket Pro.
You don't need a $1k+ knife/pen/flashlight or even a $100+ to be happy. Build your collection up slowly and enjoy the journey. And don’t get hung up on not having the latest and greatest gear… at the end of the day, it’s just gear… so make the gear work for you!
No matter the type of gear you end up choosing, whether that’s budget gear or the “latest and greatest”, at the end of the day, the most important thing is if they’re items that work for you!
Don’t forget to follow @slo_carry on Instagram using this link! See you in the next EDC feature and until next time!
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