Our Beginner's Guide To Everyday Carry: Everything You Need To Know About EDC

We talk a lot about everyday carry here at Machine Era Co and that's because it forms the foundation of what we do. We create goods that men use day to day and the sort of accessories that are built to last.

That being said, it's always good to go back to basics and explore the fundamentals of what you do so we've decided to compile a Beginner's Guide to Everyday Carry for anyone that is new to the term or who just wants a little more information about what it exactly entails.

A Growing Community

Perhaps the first thing to say about everyday carry is that it has an ever growing community of enthusiasts who aim to streamline their accessories and only carry the essential bits of kit that they need on a daily basis. Everyday carry is, in essence, quite a broad term insomuch as some define it as the stuff that you carry around in your pockets on a daily basis such as wallets, pens, notebooks etc but others would also include the items in your bag that you use on a daily basis too.

Regardless of which camp you sit in with the above, Everyday Carry is a term that we here a lot here at Machine Era Co and we always look to keep our ear to the ground within the EDC community to make sure that we're crafting exactly the sorts of goods that people want and need on a daily basis.

Most men today base their everyday carry choices on a desire to be prepared and ready for any scenario and the whole ethos of the community is built upon the foundations of both utility and being prepared. Every item that forms part of your everyday carry line up should serve a purpose or, at least, have at least one function that you'll likely need to use on a daily basis.

Common Everyday Carry Items

Whilst, strictly speaking, any item can be considered everyday carry if you're porting it about on a daily basis, there are certain items that often form the basis for a men's line up of EDC items and we look at the most common of these below:

• Wallets - A wallet is a core piece of every man's EDC collection and the sort of piece that you'll be looking for great functionality, robustness and style from and that's why we're so happy with what we've accomplished with our range of men's wallets here at Machine Era Co. As mentioned, every piece of EDC should serve a purpose and that of the wallet is to keep your valuables i.e. cash and cards protected from the wear and tear of daily use.
• Phone - No man will typically leave the house without their phone in tow and that's why it forms another essential component of a man's EDC. Your choice of phone should be based on your requirements and personal taste and from a functionality point of view, today's smartphones are difficult to top because they essentially put the likes of a camera, flashlight, compass and even a wallet what with Apple Pay etc right there in your pocket.
• Keychain - Another essential part of your EDC is the keychain. Whilst, of course, the primary purpose of this accessory is to house your keys, many men look for a bit more functionality from their keychain, such as our excellent multi-tool keychain which adds a bottle opener, flat head screwdriver and 1" rule to proceedings.
• Knife - A versatile knife is another piece of everyday carry that a lot of men will opt for as part of their line up because it offers solutions to various issues that you can encounter on a daily basis. Obviously, you should be carrying a small, functional knife as a tool for things like opening boxes, cutting cords and various other daily tasks you may be faced with.
• Pen - Despite the digital nature of today's world, a pen should still very much form a part of your EDC line up because it's important not to lose the joy of writing by hand so investing in a good quality pen is a good idea for anyone who is serious about their everyday carry - and our great Field Pen won't let you down in either form or function.

Advantages of a Well Thought Out EDC

When you're serious about your everyday carry, you'll put a lot of thought into the pieces that make the cut as part of your day to day routine and there are a number of tangible benefits to streamlining your EDC such as:

Convenience - There will be many occasions when the pieces of EDC that you have on you offer a certain level of convenience. For example, you won't waste time hunting through drawers and garages in search of screwdriver if you've got a multi-tool sitting on your keychain.

Be More Prepared - Let's face it, none of us know what life is going to throw at us each day so the more wares you have at your disposal to deal with it, the better. Your EDC line up should be as functional and versatile as possible to make sure that you're prepared for as many eventualities as possible. So multi-tools are a great addition to any everyday carry collection for this very reason.

Express Yourself - Your EDC choices reflect your personality so the accessories and items that you pick and choose to use on a daily basis are a great way to express yourself and your own personal sense of style. We all know what we like and these are the things that should underpin your everyday carry collection and be added to with new bits and pieces when a space frees up in your line up.