My EDC Bag System

In this video I look at my complete EDC (Everyday Carry) philosophy which starts with the 'augmentation' role items in my pockets, through to the 'errand runner' concept with the amazing 'unexpected events' kit, and finishes with the 'day tripper'. All systems and concepts work together in a really interesting way and the whole approach is working really well.

### "Augmentation Items":
Pry Tool:
Pocket knife:
Zippo w/ Butane Insert:
Torch/flashlight:

### "Convenience Items":
Bellroy Key Cover:

Victorinox Huntsman:

### "Errand Runner":
Bellroy Lite Sling

### "Unexpected Events" Pouch:
*Lochby Tool Roll* 🛠️:

### "Day Tripper":
Decathlon MH500 40L

Wild Sky Gear Wallet (eBay):

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[ParkerBinion]

You are exactly right, Ben. Most EDC channels spend nearly all their time pimping gear. Unless you develop a framework for thinking about EDC, you can get lost chasing the latest gadget. That’s why I really appreciate the thought and effort you put into sharing your EDC philosophy.

I have toolsets and kits at home, in my car and in my messenger bag. I haven’t started carrying a sling yet, but I can see how it can free up space in the pockets if you store your car key and phone in it.

To carry something on my person, the EDC item has to be needed quickly enough that I wouldn't have time to retrieve it from one of those locations above and used often that I would travel 5 minutes back home to grab it if I forgot it.

In addition, I try to marry my EDC priorities (including your brilliant augmentation concept) with my core EDC (everyone carries a wallet, phone & keys) as much as possible.

My priorities in order are: 1) flashlight (if you can't see, nothing else matters), 2) phone charging cable & back up battery, 3) one-handed opening and locking knife with a pocket clip for quick access, 4) pen and paper, 5) scissors and screwdriver, 6) Chapstick, 7) small meds container, 8) trouble readiness items, 9) pry bar, and 10) butane lighter.

Keys: Keyport Pivot 2.0 with outer flashlight module and charging cable module. Attached to the keys is a small meds tube.

Wallet 1 (front, back or 5th pocket): small Modern Carry elastic card holder with credit cards on one side and Fenix E-Spark back up flashlight/phone battery on the other. I also carry a couple of USB adapters that go with my charging cable on the Fenix side.

Wallet 2 (back pocket): Allett Travel Wallet. Here I keep cash & receipts, a Zebra telescoping pen in the spine, and index cards in the passport slot. I also keep some "flat" tools and gear such as a Victorinox SwissCard Nail Care which has small scissors and screwdrivers, a LeverGear Tool Card, a Fresnel lens, a Shout Pad, an Iodine prep pad, a couple of alcohol wipes and some pre-medicated bandages. The Allett converts to its intended design as a travel wallet if I need a passport while traveling.

By re-imagining the wallet into separate parts and optimizing the keys, I can cover a lot of my EDC priorities with the three core items above which will always be with me.

It’s fairly easy at that point to clip a one-handed folder and add ChapStick, a pry bar & lighter in my 5th pocket. I often carry a Victorinox Cyber Companion as well as a mini-Altoids tin with a spare $100 bill, needle and thread, duct tape, whistle, knife sharpener, tick remover, small cloth, some cordage, a match, q-tip and trick re-lighting candle (trouble items).

[sourishsharma]

To be honest, many months ago when I first watched some of your content on this type of stuff, I thought you were just crazy and weird. But I'm off to university next year and so naturally have put more thought into how my life will work.

And so now I realise how awesome your content is! Trying to optimise your life is super valuable, especially if it's for an occurrence that happens frequently e.g. leaving the house with essentials. Now I don't understand why MORE people aren't like you in this respect.

So thanks - the videos are excellent sources of ideas!!!

[marconifpv]

Re-evaluation and optimisation of my EDC is a hobby of mine too and I've ended up with many similarities to this, a belroy sling, osprey pack it goes into, same torch, SAK and so on! I'm always looking to reduce mine, and a big win recently is elimination of keys. With an electronic front door lock and keyless car entry with my phone I no longer take physical keys!

[johnwuk]

Personally I drive around in a jcb digger and that covers most unexpected situations. Forgetting your door keys, smash the door down. Need firewood, hack a branch or a tree, etc

[BourbonManRyan]

me, an autist being caught between the special interest of getting into EDC, and needing my pockets to be completely empty for sensory reasons lol

[BrodieFairhall]

Great to see such thought put into how not just what to carry. I've got a very similar list of items to what you have here. Of all the things I carry, the item that has had the biggest benefit was the 5.11 LV10 along bag. It's just big enough that I can carry a variety of useful items, upto 1.5L of water and even a <13" laptop if I need to.

[SpicyHotPot]

There's a company called Roav that makes extremely low profile glasses and sunglasses that I've now completely moved to. Really nice for EDC. I don't really fold the glasses in half as marketed, but the thinness is what helps fit them in my Bellroy sling and takes up much less space!
Also thank you for this video. I've always had sling bags and I would take them on day trips, but I've never considered sling bags as an EDC. Now I hardly forget everyday things like my sunglasses and keys!

[hcolyn]

Great video, as always. Right now I’m looking for a small version of your errand runner to basically carry what you classify as augmentation items as well as my phone. I struggled to find a phone small enough to comfortably carry in my pocket, so here we are 😂

[blaze]

For the bellroy sling, I highly recommend swapping out the plastic that holds the strap to the bag with carabiners. I use G style clips and it allows me to connect it to the outside of other bags or anything else.

I have an additional S biner for attaching bulky things like over ear headphones. This setup also works great for air travel.

I'm glad to see a lot of my process reflected in yours. I feel validated now!

[PhilippeDoyleGray]

Congratulations on including first aid supplies besides bandaids, the first EDC channel I’ve seen to do so. Instead of eyewash, I carry a single-use CPR face shield. Otherwise, my EDC setup is remarkably similar to yours, including a sling by Bellroy! Seldom-used-high-return objects go into a pouch, which then joins a pen, post-it notes, and some wet wipes that go into the sling bag, which itself sometimes goes into a large bag. I prefer Bellroy’s large sling, which, when loaded with the usual stuff, is mostly empty, so if I need to, I can put more stuff into the sling. The difference between carrying a small sling that is full and a large sling that is mostly empty is negligible, and it opens up options.

[tokiomitohsaka]

It’s a pretty smart system when you do want to carry these things. For me, I can’t imagine myself carrying so many things every day… maybe it’s the ultralight bro in me, but my entire EDC has to fit in my jeans’ pocket without being too bulky.
For me, rear right pocket is wallet and keys, front right is phone, rear left pocket for a super slim first aid, and front left for a pocket notebook and a pen. Probably because I live in a dense urban environment and have everything really close, so all my trips and commutes are short.

[philvallee]

Great video Ben this is what I come to your channel for! Please go into more detail on your new pack when you can.

[TAMusic]

Amazing video, you’ve really encouraged me to think through every aspect of how I can optimise different areas of my life and enjoy the process of doing so. I started off by watching your keyboard videos (have been using a corne keyboard for a while now!) but have basically binged all of them at this point. Your attitude towards finding solutions to everyday problems is really inspiring, I have always hated settling for suboptimal ways of doing things and your channel really captures that in a positive way. Looking forward to which rabbit holes you encourage me to go down next :)

[InsEngineered]

I keep my EDC in my car. My pocket just for car key, ultra slim wallet, phone and a napkin. Trust me, its soo fun to walk around with lighter trouser ;P

[Ian_is_Outdoors]

Just found your channel and enjoying the content. There are a lot of parallels between how you’ve set up your system and how I’ve come to do it. I do find though that since edc has kind of become a hobby for me, I tend to carry far more stuff than is needed 😂 However, when I do need something, it’s usually a pretty important work-related problem, so better to have it and not need it etc.

I also have a small sling that I take everywhere - and have to because it contains my keys and cards. For anything other than a local trip, I have several slings of increasing size, up to 25l and modular kits for tools, electronics, first aid and communications (for work reasons).

I’ve come to rely on Vertx and Vanquest as the quality is unmatched - (but the import fees can sting a bit!)

Really enjoyed seeing your approach and also the individual items you’ve chosen. Cheers!

[Zelks]

Love this type of concept. Thanks so much!

[jonathanwhitmore]

I think I’m too insecure to carry a handbag. But I agree with the day tripper concept. Every dad should have a backpack like that

[akavlie]

That tool roll looks pretty nice. I’d be concerned about convenience of access though. It works best when you have a flat surface to unroll it. If you need to grab some first aid in the middle of a hike, for example, there’s not going to be a good place to unroll it.

[GmailNexus]

It's so cool! ☺️ I ended up with many of the same choices as you did without ever watching / reading any dedicated EDC content. Just by considering my everyday needs deeply, weighing everything (both literally and figuratively) and iterating / trial and error (quite a lot 😅)

PS: Not showing your actual house-keys is a very smart & security conscious move

[AndrewHelgeCox]

Would you say your EDC systems as documented in a series of videos over the years are asymptotically approaching optimality, or is each one an equally valid experiment with pros and cons of its own?