When you think of everyday carry items, your mind may go to the tactical, high speed, low drag style of EDC. You know, the type of gear that guys in law enforcement and the military carry. While the type of gear that our public servants use is quite effective (and pricey), it’s not the only style or way to go!
Everyday carry doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, you can build a high-quality EDC kit on a budget of only $150 and get everything that you need to be ready to face the day’s challenges. EDC kits are as complex or as simple as you want to make them, because at the end of the day, it’s meant to fit your needs only! But what sort of gear items do you need to create a well-rounded EDC kit? These items offer the best place to start when building out your kit. Consider picking up:
- A knife
- A flashlight
- A key organizer
- A pen
- A pocket tool
- A money clip
By focusing on getting quality gear in these categories, you’ll build a quality EDC kit in no time at all. Let’s get started!
Knives
Budget: $30-$35
One of the most important gear items to start building your EDC kit with is a knife. There are so many applications for knives every day. From cutting open boxes to self-defense, a knife is going to help you out no matter what situation you find yourself in.
EDC knives vary widely in price. Some of the things that affect price are:
- Quality of steel the blade is made from.
- The ergonomics of the blade and how its handle is designed to fit in your hand.
- The mechanics of how it opens.
Find a knife that fits your hand well by going and picking up a few knives. See what feels right and then try to source that knife online for a cheaper price than you’d find in stores.
A couple good ideas for knives that will help you stay within your $150 budget and get your EDC kit started right include:
- The CRKT Pilar EDC Folding Pocket Knife
- The Kershaw Cyro II Pocket Knife
- The Kershaw Barricade Multifunction Rescue Pocket Knife
Flashlights
Budget: $20-$25
After you’ve sourced a quality knife, it’s time to pick out a flashlight. Now, it’s easy to pass this one off as most people who carry smartphones today will argue that “your phone already has a flashlight built into it!” Well, there are a couple of problems with the phone flashlight.
- Smartphone flashlights are NOT very bright.
- When you use your smartphone flashlight, you drain a significant portion of your phone’s battery which can leave you with a dead phone and no way to communicate.
You don’t need a giant Maglite flashlight to build out your EDC. In fact, there are tons of great flashlights that are inexpensive, illuminate a surprising amount of space given their size, and are incredibly lightweight so it’s easy to carry them everywhere you go!
Each one of these flashlights would be an excellent addition to your budget EDC kit. The best part is that each one is less than $25, which means that you’re getting a quality light without the fear of losing it as each one is easily replaceable!
- The Lumintop Tool 2.0 Keychain Flashlight
- The Streamlight Stylus Pro LED Pen Light
- The RovyVon Aurora A1x EDC Flashlight
Key Organizer
Budget: $15-$20
Keeping your keys in an easy to reach area is paramount to living in modern society. From houses and apartments to cars and mailboxes, everyone has to have a system of organizing their keys.
The popular way of carrying your keys back in high school was likely on a key ring and a lanyard. These were great until they got hooked on something (or someone grabbed them) and the next thing you know, your keys are gone forever!
A good idea is to get a key organizer that will keep your keys from jingling all over the place and will keep them close to you in a discrete manner. Many key organizers today are created with durable material that will last for years but are designed simply enough that you’ll be able to get to your keys without issue whenever you need them.
Some great key organizers that are under $20 each include:
Pens
Budget: $15-$20
One of the most frustrating things that a lot of folks run into is being in a position when they need to fill out a permit or other sort of paperwork and not have a pen around to do it. This is especially frustrating when you go camping and need to fill out a camp permit only to find that the pen that was chained to the registration post has evidently walked off!
Keeping a pen in your EDC kit is one of the best things you can do because you’ll have a tool that you can use to communicate with as well as to use in the event of a serious emergency.
Imagine that you get into an accident or come across someone who is severely injured. In the event that there is major bleeding, you can use your EDC pen to fashion a make-shift tourniquet, which can ultimately save lives!
Some great EDC pens to consider that will fit your $150 total budget include:
- The Rite in the Rain All-Weather Clicker Pen
- The Zebra Tactical Ballpoint Pen
- The Zebra Retractable Ballpoint Pen
Pocket Tools
Budget: $10-$15
How many times have you gone to work only to notice that a screw is a bit loose on your desk drawer handle? Or maybe you need to fix how you stapled a set of documents together, but you can’t find a staple remover to pry the staples out, so you don’t accidentally tear the paper and have to recopy? Well, for those that carry a pocket tool with them every day these aren’t problems since they have the solution on hand at all times!
Pocket tools are great because they can be adapted to pretty much any EDC without much effort. They’re compact and lightweight, making them easy to carry. They’re also durable and full of various tools, giving you the confidence you need to face the tasks at hand.
Often times, you can carry your pocket tool in your key organizer or in a minimalist wallet like the Axwell wallet. This makes it so that you won’t need to add on bulk to your EDC kit since it can fit in several easy to carry items!
Some excellent budget pocket tools include:
- The Kershaw PT-2 Compact Keychain Pry Tool
- The Gerber Shard Keychain Tool
- The Gerber Mullet Multitool
Money Clip
Budget: $10-$15
One of the best things that has happened to the modern economy is that so much has been transferred to digital spaces. This means that carrying things like credit cards, debit cards, driver’s licenses, and practically every other card and document you used to need a big trifold or bifold wallet for is a thing of the past! But we all still need to be able to carry a few of the most important things around with us. So how do you carry only the essentials without a bulky traditional wallet?
Enter the money clip. The simple design is strong enough to hold all of your most important cards with you as well as cash. These are great because they’re small enough to carry practically anywhere on your person as opposed to a traditional wallet which usually is carried in the back pocket due to how large they tend to be. Switching where you keep your money and cards by using a money clip will help you ensure your stuff is always where you can see it while also helping to reduce lower back pain that comes with sitting on a large wallet!
Some great starter money clips for your budget EDC build include:
- The Travelambo Carbon Fiber Money Clip
- The Axwell Money Clip
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many options out there that will help you achieve the goal of building out a quality EDC kit for a total budget of $150. The most important part of building out your kit is to get tools that you’ll feel confident carrying with you every day. This is especially important as you begin incorporating your EDC kit into your daily habit of getting ready, as the last thing you want to do is to leave an item at home because you’re afraid of losing it due to the expense!
As you outgrow your initial kit, it’s completely understandable if you want to upgrade and go beyond the $150 budget. In fact, if you want a quality everyday carry wallet that comes with a lifetime warranty then you’ll need to increase your budget past $150. Upgrade to an Axwell Wallet so you never have to replace your wallet again.
Get a special offer on your first purchase and free shipping within the USA.
