The goal of everyday carry is to have the items you need, exactly when you need them. You want the right tools for whatever job you may face. Since you can’t possibly know what your day entails, the only way to truly be prepared for any situation is to meticulously plan. Even then, you’ll discover holes in your everyday carry plan. Maybe you could have used a certain tool your multi-tool didn’t have or a serrated blade would have worked better than the blade you decided to carry today.
Fact is, you end up having to carry a lot of things on your person in order to fill any holes or weaknesses you may have in your gear. This can lead to your everyday carry gear weighing your pants down or getting bogged down in carrying items that are too large or redundant. You don’t want to be the person wearing the over-sized cargo shorts filled to the brim with things they don’t need.
There are two relatively easy ways to max out your everyday carry without looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger from Commando:
- Find smaller items that don’t sacrifice functionality
- Find everyday carry items that handle multiple jobs
When we say to find gear that can handle double duty; we don’t mean buy something just because it has a million pieces and claims to do a million different things. You have to research and make sure you actually need it. We’re trying to cut weight and save space on things you don’t need.
Remember, you have an entire body to carry items, not just in your pockets. Utilize your belt, front and back pockets, keychain, wallet, neck and wrist for everyday carry. You have a lot of real estate you’re probably not using right now. Use it to carry more gear.
Here are the Best Minimal Everyday Carry Items Organized by Category
Survival Necklaces
Multi-Tools
Keychain Multi-Tools
Pocket Knives
Neck knives
Minimalist Wallets
Credit Card Multi-Tool
Belts
Wide Brim Hat
Each category has multiple products to fit your everyday carry needs. Here are a few of our favorites from each category:
Wazoo The Bushcraft Fire Starter Necklace
If you’re going to wear a survival necklace, it should also look good. Wazoo is known for their bushcraft gear and The Bushcraft Fire Starter Necklace is a great addition to any everyday carry plan. You never know when you may need to start a fire; matches can get wet and lighters can run out of fluid – but a fire starter will always work. This is your backup to your backup plan. You need to practice or at least watch a video on how to start a fire with a fire starter. There’s a little work involved and you need to know what type of materials to gather, but you can do it. We like these fire starter necklaces because you really never know when you will need a fire and as we all know, gear can fail at any time.
CRKT Pilar Large Folder Everyday Carry Knife
You know you need an everyday knife for daily cutting tasks, but do you really need a large survival knife? While they may be effective and fun to carry, they do take up a lot of space. If you’re trying to take a more minimalist approach to your everyday carry, the CRKT Pilar Large Folding Knife is a great place to start. Larger than the original best-selling Pilar, this larger version was designed with a larger blade and D2 blade steel. You get superb edge retention and fast opening – the flipper pushes the blade out fast! This comes in handy when you need your blade for self defense type situations. The G10 handle gives you perfect grip even in wet conditions and is perfect for daily cutting task, hiking, camping, self-defense, fishing and is perfect for the office. It’s small, so you won’t draw a lot of unwanted attention and you can easily conceal this everyday carry knife.
Gerber Dime Mini Multi-Tool
You always need tools, but don’t want to lug around a heavy tool box. This is where multi-tools come in handy, and even more so, mini multi-tools. We chose the Gerber Dime Mini Multi-Tool because we are trying to save space but pack the most tools that we can for your everyday carry. This isn’t a cheap gag gift; these things are made from sturdy stainless steel and are made to take abuse. Compact and lightweight so they don’t take up too much space. You get 10 tools that you will probably use every day of your life in some form or fashion. The butterfly opening makes the tools more accessible and easier to get to. Even with all the tools the Gerber Dime Mini Multi-Tool comes with, it’s only 4.25” total length and 2.75” when closed. You can’t beat it for the price and the space it saves.
Viperade EDC Leather Sheath
Pocket organzers save space and allow you to easily carry more tools that you use every day. It helps when it’s made from smooth leather and has that handmade look like the Viperade EDC Sheath. Made from high quality leather, this everyday carry (EDC) essential can hold items such as knives, flashlight, leatherman multitools, tactical pens and tools and other items you want to carry. This is an upgraded version of the Viperade PJ8 that many people still use. There have been a few upgrades that allow you to carry more and the item is sturdier. The pocket design allows you to grab your EDC gear in mere seconds. You can really fill this EDC leather sheath/organizer with a lot of essential gear. Keep in mind, the leather may feel tight until it relaxes. This is common with high-quality leather gear, so it is nothing to worry about. If you want to carry an extra pocket knife, flashlight, multi-tool and tactical pen – this is the leather sheath to look at.
Armour Supply Co Tactical EDC Wallet with RFID Blocking
That’s a mouthful – basically, this is a tactical wallet with RFID blocking capabilities (more on that later) and it comes with a money clip, multitool and key organizer. You get a lot with this EDC wallet, possible a little double dipping in the multi tool department if you already have one. But who would complain about extra tools? Especially, when you can stuff them in your wallet and it doesn’t take up any extra space. This tactical RFID blocking wallet can hold up to 12 cards and 5 folded bills and you can front carry or slip it into your back pocket. We recommend carrying in your front pocket to make it harder for thieves to snatch it. The tactical multitool card gives you access to a bottle opener, screwdrivers, hex keys, ruler and more. It doesn’t have as many tools or functions as your multi-tool, but count it as extra tools. We really like the key holder – it’s made of aircraft grade aluminum and stainless steel and it saves a lot of space. These RFID blocking wallets can help stop wireless theft and keeps your information secure. You can get the Armour Supply Tactical EDC Wallet in aluminum, carbon fiber, brass and bamboo. It’s always good to have choices.
SOG Instinct Neck Knife
A neck knife comes in handy! Think of a blade right at chest level that you can easily and quickly deploy for whatever you need. We like to think of neck knives as “last-ditch” or backup knives as they are extremely useful, but also on the smallish side. While they can easily handle daily cutting tasks, you may want to carry a larger knife on your belt as well. It’s good to have two knives and a neck knife frees up space on your belt. The SOG Instinct is one of the best neck knives on the market with a G10 handle, fixed blade, 5.9” total length and only weighs 2.3 oz. You can’t beat it for a cool little everyday carry knife to go along with your pocket knife or as your main knife.
Wallet Ninja 18-in-1 Credit Card Multitool
The Wallet Ninja packs a ton of useful tools into a tiny space. Being one of the best selling multitool cards in the world, they know how to make a good EDC tool. We like these because it adds a few extra tools to your arsenal. You get 18 tools in 1 handy toolcard that you can put in your wallet or front pocket. Made from 4x heat treated steel, so you know it will last a long time. These aren’t meant to replace a tool-box, but they can get you out of a bind when you need a quick tool and don’t have your full-size tools on hand. These cost around $12 and have a lifetime guarantee.
Fairwin Tactical EDC Belt
You need a good belt to not only hold up your pants, but to carry your gear. The Fairwin Tactical Belt features military style webbing and a heavy duty quick-release metal buckle. You never know when you’ll need to get out of your gear fast! The tactical belt comes in 4 colors and has a belt length of 45” and width 1.5”. The buckle itself is 2” wide and 5/16” thick. This isn’t your every day belt, but can be worn with regular clothes. Made from 1000 D environmentally friendly material and is comfortable enough for daily use. This belt doesn’t stretch due to the nylon webbing and is infinitely adjustable – which is a good thing. It’s also a great width for most gun holsters and many people report that you can’t feel that you’re even wearing a gun.
Stetson Dune Gun Club Hat
You may be wondering why we included a hat in this list; but there’s plenty of reasons why you should wear a hat. A wide brim hat shields you from the elements such as rain, sun and snow. We’re constantly bombarded by harmful UV rays and a good hat can protect you and provide shade for your face, neck and parts of your shoulder. Wide brim hats come in various materials such as wool, leather, straw and each one excels in different weather conditions. Not only do hats like the Stetson Dune Gun Club Hat provide protection, they also look great! You could wear hats like this one to the camp or around town. You will want to look at wool hats if you live in a cold climate, straw hats for warmer climates and combination material mesh hats for in between. Your choice.
Jerome is an avid outdoorsman who moonlights as an attorney when he’s not creating the world’s greatest online content.