A core tenant of EDC (everyday carry) is that your gear needs to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. If items in your kit aren’t ready for use when needed, you’re just carrying deadweight. Now, life happens, stuff breaks down over time, but how do you ensure that the gear you carry for EDC is ready to go when you need it? Two words: carbon fiber.
Carbon fiber is one of the lightest, sleekest, and most durable substances out there. With a tensile rating higher than that of steel, carbon fiber is undoubtably going to be the best bet when it comes to material used to create EDC gear. If you’re looking to start an EDC kit or you’re looking to upgrade your current kit with the best gear you can get your hands on, you’ve come to the right spot. In this post, we’ll discuss what carbon fiber is, the merits of carbon fiber for EDC, and finish up with our top 7 picks for the best carbon fiber EDC essentials on the market in 2024. Let’s get started.
What is Carbon Fiber?
Carbon fiber is a polymer that has been refined through a process known as polyacrylonitrile, PAN for short. The process begins when a carbon manufacture takes its proprietary blend of organic carbon molecules and spins them together to form extremely thin strands.
From there, the strands are subjected to a process known as carbonization where the material is heated to extremely high temperatures in an anaerobic atmosphere. This process bonds the strands together in order to create a cloth like material that is then strengthened through a layering and chemical bonding period to create the final product of carbon fiber.
While this all sounds like a new age method and incredibly complicated, the carbonization process has actually been used for ages. Ever use charcoal? Charcoal is formed similarly in that wood is subjected to extremely high temperatures in an anaerobic environment. The lack of air prevents the wood from burning, the same way that the raw carbon fiber strands are heated, thus producing a new and improved product that’s ready for use.
Why is Carbon Fiber Great for EDC?
As mentioned earlier, carbon fiber is one of the lightest and strongest materials on the planet. With a tensile strength of 4000 MPa (megapascals), carbon fiber is far stronger than steel. Steel’s tensile strength can vary based on how it was produced, ranging from 295 MPa to 2400 MPa. In other words, items made out of carbon fiber are nearly twice as strong as those made out of steel.
In addition to being incredibly tough, carbon fiber is also extremely lightweight. In fact, it’s about 5 times lighter than steel. It’s no wonder why carbon fiber is used in airplanes, high end sports cars, and high-quality racing bikes. If Boeing trusts carbon fiber to keep its planes in the air, you can bet that carbon fiber is a bomber material for EDC gear.
7 Best Carbon Fiber EDC Essentials in 2024
1) WE Banter Knife - Forged Carbon Fiber
A non-negotiable when it comes to EDC is a quality knife. And when it comes to knives, there’s not very many knives that can compete with the WE Banter. With an overall length of 6.5”, blade length of 2.9”, and weight of 2.86 oz., the WE Banter is capable of being used at the office or out in the woods. The handle rests naturally in the hand for an extremely comfortable grip. The blade deploys like a dream with a ceramic ball bearing surrounded pivot point, which gets the blade out and ready immediately when you need it.
2) Axwell Wallet- Forged Carbon Fiber
One of the best things you can do for your credit cards, debit card, and driver’s license is to put them in an Axwell Wallet. The minimalist design of the Axwell Wallet helps to create peace of mind by cutting down on the extra business cards, receipts, and coupons that seem to multiply in traditional leather wallets.
The minimalist design is the only thing that is minimal about the Axwell Wallet. RFID blocking Mag-Lock plates prevent wireless theft from would be thieves, keeping your credit card information from being ripped off without you even realizing it. Plus, the Mag-Lock plates are easy to change out to give your wallet the look you want.
3) Ray-Ban RB8313 Sunglasses
Keeping your eyes shaded from the sun is imperative to being able to respond quickly when you need to. But one of the most frustrating things about sunglasses is that the frames are often failing and breaking, leaving you blinded by the light in the most inconvenient times.
If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of broken sunglasses, you have to check out the Ray-Ban RB8313s. These sunglasses are practically bomb proof due to the carbon fiber forged frames. Each set comes with a case and cleaning cloth to keep your shades protected and smudge free. And the pilot design will have you looking ready for Top Gun wherever you go.
4) Mous Limitless 4.0 Phone Case - Carbon Fiber
Keeping your phone safe from the world can seem like a full-time job. Cracked screens and damaged processors from accidental drops is an all-too-common experience. Why trust arguably one of your most expensive EDC items to a cheap case?
The Mous Limitless 4.0 phone case safeguards your phone against accidental drops like a dream. The carbon fiber outer layer is surrounded by an extremely thin liner that creates an air pocket to absorb the shock caused by dropping your phone on hard surfaces. The Limitless 4.0 is also incredibly functional in that it pairs seamlessly with Apple’s MagSafe accessories, so you’ll still be able to use your phone’s wireless charging capabilities as well as mount your phone to MagSafe mounts with confidence.
5) Olight Seeker 2 Pro Flashlight - Carbon Fiber
Something that a lot of folks miss when it comes to building out an EDC kit is a quality flashlight. The main argument against it is that practically every phone out there comes with a built-in flashlight feature, so why double up? Well, if you’ve ever used your flashlight on your phone to see further than 3 feet in front of you, you’ll understand how ineffective they can be to illuminating the darkness.
The Olight Seeker 2 Pro is one of the best carbon fiber EDC lights on the market today. With a maximum output of 3200 lumens, you’ll be shocked by how well this compact little light is able to light up the dark. Its rechargeable battery keeps you from having to continuously keep batteries on hand. With a 12-day continuous run time, you’ll know that you have a flashlight you can depend on at all times.
6) Zippo Carbon Fiber Lighter
Part of why we carry all of the gear that we do in our EDC kits is to be ready for anything that comes our way. You never know when disaster is coming, so having something on hand that you’re able to create a fire with is imperative. While picking up a cheap lighter is easy to do, you don’t want to leave your safety (or more importantly the safety of your loved ones) up to chance. That’s why picking up a Zippo Carbon Fiber Lighter is the smart move.
Weighing in at only 2.88 oz., the legendary reliability of Zippo lighters can ride easily in your pocket, backpack, or satchel. And with the never go out flame, you know that you can count on this excellent lighter to work every time you need it to.
7) Stealth 2.0 Carbon Fiber Pen
One of the most frustrating things in the world is needing to write something down and not having something to write with. Whether you’re filling out forms at work or completing a camping permit for a weekend of fun with the family, having a pen on hand is an excellent way to stay prepared.
The Stealth 2.0 Carbon Fiber Pen is the exact solution to this problem. Weighing only 1.3 oz., this 5.5” long pen certainly lives up to its name. You’ll love how easy it is to write with its smooth ballpoint tip. And when the ink runs out, you can easily swap it out for a fresh ink stick that comes complimentary with the pen.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to EDC gear, carbon fiber reigns supreme. With a strength to weight ratio that beats steel as well as a plethora of applications, it really is a no brainer for those who are looking to build out the best EDC kit they can. Even if you only have a few items that are carbon fiber in your kit, the benefits of having carbon fiber gear are self-evident.
One of the best items you can get to start your carbon fiber EDC kit is the Axwell Wallet. Pair your new Axwell Wallet with our Chipolo tracking bundle and you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your wallet is always within arm’s reach no matter what.
Start your carbon fiber EDC load out today by clicking here for a discount on your first order.
