Everyday Carry
Lately, I've been watching YouTube for gaming videos and refreshers on programming languages, when the algorithm suddenly sent me down another rabbit hole: Everyday Carry or EDC. After watching a few videos, I can categorize them into the following:
Unrealistic
These are either sponsored, too much, too expensive, or all of the above. Like holy shit, no one is going to bring 7 different fidget toys, nor am I buying this ultra expensive titanium tool for productivity. These can help me discover new things to swap for my old EDCs. I am sure as hell that nobody is bringing everything that is in the video.
Specific
This is alright, not going to lie, it tells you what it is, it is an EDC for someone in a specific field, which I respect. Yes, of course, a Journalist or a Photographer would bring a fuck ton of SD cards or Hard Drives. I don’t see myself using what they have. I can see why they would bring their gear.
General
Honestly, this is like some basic bitch shit, not in a negative way, mind you. It just happens to be a very basic selection, and there is nothing wrong with that; it's stuff that anyone in any profession might consider having. I really like it since it's honest. Of course, you would bring that every day.
Minimalist/Maximalist
They are polar opposites, but they are two sides of the same coin. Usually, minimalists are all the same color gear with 1 multi-tool and an Altoid box and call it a day, while a maximalist has a pouch for their EDC, and another pouch for the fucking pouch. Nothing wrong with them, I just think they’re two separate extremes in the same line.
Now you may be saying, “Ultima, why the fuck are you shitting on a niche, they have they’re own style, so back off.” I get it. So to atone for my trash talk, here is Ultima’s Everyday Carry as a College Student:
Ultima’s Everyday Carry
Phone
Well, this is a “no shit” selection, I have a mid-range Samsung Galaxy A56, it's big enough for my hands and does the job, call, text, social media, and YouTube, so I can hardly complain about it, it does the job.
Fitness Tracker/Smartwatch
It’s a Samsung Fit3. Honestly, I don’t really use it for the workout part, while I do feel a bit of accomplishment when I make 10-15 thousand steps. I’m more into the phone integration part of the band, checking the time, seeing who messaged, and controlling my music without pulling out my phone. Helps me filter what’s urgent and what can wait till my next stop.
Earbuds
I use Galaxy Buds FE. I’m not an audiophile, I just want something that works while I commute/study. It can make ambient sound so I can hear the outside world while listening to Owl City, as well as the noise-canceling mode to ensure I don’t go deaf over the jeepney’s loud ass engine.
Wallet
It’s a wallet, has my debit card, valid IDs, and arcade cards, as well as Cash. My country is not fully cashless, so I have to bring cash, and my allowance is given to me in cash.
Coin Purse
Same as the wallet. I ride a jeepney as they say, “Barya lang po sa Umaga” (Only pay using change in the morning). So I got to have some spare change on me for that reason, also, it's easier to have a separate pouch for spare change.
Power Bank
I bought this cheap one at Shopee (not sponsored), for less than PHP ~200 (USD ~4). It has Regular USB, Lightning, Micro USB, and Type-C. It’s not fast charging, but it does the job enough that I don’t empty my battery by the time I go home.
Small Pouch for Wires
I bring my chargers to school since in some buildings there are outlets that can be used for charging.
Notebook
I can’t rely on a digital to-do list except for sticky notes on windows, so I use a small notebook to handle my weekly agendas, since I don’t think I can follow a daily to-do list, as many things happen in a day that can compromise my to-do list.
Binder
A binder notebook for my subjects, it does the job in a space-efficient way. I don’t write paragraphs most of the time, but I bullet it to get the main idea done.
Alcohol Spray
Covid made most of us conscious of what we touch, a spray or two of alcohol usually removes that worry, that's why I bring it every day.
Handkerchief
For myself and a lady in case she needs it (Ultima, your ass is barely courting her, who the hell are you to tell that she’s your lady).
Water Bottle
I’m not a consumerist who buys the latest aquaflask; I usually get mine second-hand, so it has a few scratches or bumps. Can it still insulate and carry water? If so, I can have it no problem!
Family Laptop (Not Every Day but Often)
I own a desktop computer that is beefy enough to play modern games. But the transportation convenience of it helps a ton.
Banger Outro
That’s it. I am not counting a Bag, calling a bag an EDC feels wrong. I can say this is practical and realistic for a college student. It’s not optimized for aesthetics or tactical purposes.
TL;DR: Most of them do the job enough for me to not complain. It’s simple, honest, and mine. But at the end of the day, you probably must ask, "Ultima, nobody fucking asked for your EDC, you're like the nth guy talking about his EDC. Why make this?" Shut the fuck up, this is my blog.
Thanks for reading.