Everyday Carry Model
Overview
I stumbled upon the concept of Everyday Carry (EDC) last year which was the concept of items carried on a person at all times. I see it as a name for what daily essentials but it can also be extended to handle different situations. EDCs can be seen on various sites like Everyday Carry website however a lot of them are geared to other countries where carrying weapon is the norm. A good starting video can be found here. I like the layered concept and to a certain extent I have started doing that for certain gear.
What It Means To Me
I’m passionate about workflow and productivity to ease my work and life where possible. EDC seems to fit in with that by explaining the tools and the reasoning behind the tools on you or in your bag. To certain extent it goes well with other ideas like a go bag, pocket dump and other tool categorisation. Like most things the gear will most likely change over time to take advantage of trickle down technology to new innovations like smart phones.
Model
The layered approach is proven in many areas from outdoor clothing to making glass. There are items that are used regardless such as house keys or mobile phone which can then be layered with specific items for a specific situation.
Layers
Starting from the bottom there is Core which is what I’d carry all the time when I leave the house. These should be able to fit in my pockets and carried most of the time. There are always exceptions such as running, cycling etc.
Extended layer includes everything in Core and adds additional items which may fit into a small bag such as a bum bag or coat pockets.
Columns
The A to E are specific “loadouts” or scenarios where I’d encounter them frequently enough to have a list of items per-determined that are required or even packed and ready to go. Typical cases include work related items which include both Core and Extended layers and then other work specific items such as my work laptop and bag.
Summary
I will be writing up more on each layer and details of what they contain so look out for future posts. I hope this gives an idea of how I planned my EDC and look to improve on over time.
