Men’s Essentials: My Everyday Carry [EDC]

I’ve seen a few people talk about their EDC, which (apparently) is an acronym for Every Day Carry, i.e. the essentials that men walk around with in their daily life. What do you usually carry around? What can’t you leave the house without? I’ve done a few posts like this before, but I’ll have a bit of a refresh and show you what I carry, and it’s not really a lot! 😀

For some people they use this as a photo opportunity to show off all the crap they have, and try to wedge it into the photo so it looks good. For the usual lifestyle stuff, I don’t think you really need to carry a lot, not in Newcastle at least. I’ve seen a few people who talk about penknives and other things, I guess they’re American or live out in the country, because there’s no chance you need something like that in your actual every day life.

Wallet Or No Wallet

I know that a good leather wallet is considered to be gentlemanly and a must have for men, but it’s something which I’ve rarely used in my adult life. I do like them, I love that they’re stylish and you can keep everything tidy and all in it’s place. However…If you lose your wallet then you lose EVERYTHING! Cards, ID, money, literally everything inside. If you have your things spread out in different pockets, then you’ll have less chance of losing things, and in the event you lose something, you’re unlikely to lose everything.

Money

It’s 2017, we have Bitcoin, credit cards, Apple Pay and contactless payments…But if you ask me, cash is still king. You should always keep at least a small amount of cash on you, even if you’re going somewhere or doing something where you’re not likely to need it, because you never know, you might do.

Mobile Phone

The reason we can carry less is because of a mobile phone, because it can do almost everything. Calls, texts, maps, camera, notepad, everything. As mentioned above you can even use it to pay for things, so it’s really taken over and become not just an addition, but an essential.

Sunglasses

If I’m driving, I have to take my sunglasses. I rotate between my Ray Bans and use my Aviators and my Wayfarers, I have others but rarely wear them. I need to use them a surprising amount, even though it may be cold, it’s still sunny, so they’re pretty much a daily thing all year round.

Keys

Obviously I need my keys, and car keys when I’m driving.

ID

Yes, I may be over 30 but I still have to carry ID! That is, if I plan on buying anything which you need to be over 18 for, such as alcohol. Pretty ridiculous, but this is the UK where people are turning more and more into jobsworths

Headphones

Using headphones depends on where I am going. If I am using my car, then I don’t need them. Any other time, I will take my headphones with me and listen to my music. It doesn’t matter if it’s going somewhere by bus, train, walking or even going abroad, I would be lost without listening to music.

Watch

As you know I got my Larsson And Jennings Watch and I love it. I wanted a new, smarter watch for day to day wear, and this is it, and I love it. I think that you really do need to wear a watch, it’s a proper man thing which I like, I think everyone should invest in a nice timepiece. (if you want ideas, check out my minimalist watch guide).

That’s It!

That is all I really do for my Every Day Carry. What do you carry around, anything essential which is unique to you? What do not not leave the house without?