“What’s with all the walkie-talkies?”

Marc’s EDC FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Everyday Carry

Below you’ll find my answers to a lot of questions people have asked about my Everyday Carry (EDC) hobby.

1. Why do you do this EDC thing?

There are a lot of reasons. I could go really deep, given my background in personality psychology and Jungian-oriented personality theory.
But I don’t want to bore you!
So, keeping it really shallow: It’s a lot of fun, and the hobby is a fascinating fusion of hard-working utility, design, storytelling, and the imagination.
When I’m out with friends or family, I’m also the “stuff” guy. I brought the stuff. You need stuff right? Oh you didn’t think you would, but now you do? OK, I have the stuff. It’s nice to have stuff sometimes, right?
So, EDC is me sharing some of my stuff.

And if you see someone without any stuff, looking all carefree and unencumbered...well, there’s a good chance they are probably close friends with someone like me.

2. Why do you carry item X? What does that do for you?

Sometimes I just carry an item because I like it. That’s all!
EDC beginners often think that people need to have a specific, utility-focused reason for everything they carry.
But sometimes it’s just part of your EDC, and you might not even know why, and you like it, so it stays.
At other times, I carry a specific item because it’s more suitable to: The clothes I’m wearing, the situation I’m walking into, the type of day it is, the activities I have planned, and so on.

3. Is that why you sometimes carry a small knife instead of one of those super-useful huge multi-tools? It seems like one of those huge multi-tools would do it all…?

Those conditions are often the reason why I might not carry a huge multi-tool, yes. People often overlook the conditions, type of activity, and the ability to improvise.
And, I’ve even found that I can do basic pliers-and-scissors-type things with a knife that doesn’t have pliers or scissors.
In fact it’s often very convenient to have a small knife in the pocket, rather than a larger multi-tool. This is especially true in the case of specific social settings or activities.
If I know the activity, I’ll often go for the minimum needed items.
Finally, keep in mind that the super-tools are kind of the most obvious thing ever! After a while they can become a bit boring, just like anything else.
It’s fun to explore more unique perspectives on what can be made into an interesting or useful EDC. Some people call this the “MacGyver” approach.
In general, EDC hobbyists will fall into one of two camps:
1) “The Best” camp, which is based on a broad, shallow survey of lots of items. “Everybody knows that the best in this category is (commonly-known brand) for (simple reasons—has more tools and good materials, etc.).”
2) “The Item” camp, which is based on knowing the specific item really well, knowing its flaws, and maybe even knowing how to make it do amazing stuff. This way, maybe you don’t need the best—you just need whatever you have! It’s a fun philosophy to practice.
Personally I try to use the strengths of both approaches when I can.

4. Why is it so important to photograph your stuff?

Here are some of the many reasons:
1) I really enjoy photography, and this is a great way to gain experience and learn.
2) EDC items are mementos. They bring to mind specific moments in time, moods, experiences, goals achieved, and so on.
3) You’ll notice that this process helps me document and remember many of my life experiences.
4) The things you carry can teach you about yourself. Some personal analysis may be required, as the lessons aren’t always automatic or obvious!

5a. Cheap/Budget Items: Why do you sometimes carry really cheap items? Don’t you generally get what you pay for?

In many cases you can get way more than what you paid for, if you keep your eyes open.
This can be true at any price level.
This is even more true, the more experience you have with products & materials.
Also, as a kid I learned that you don’t always need a serious tool to get important jobs or “serious work” done. I had a very cheap Scout knife and I survived a LOT of adventures with that thing. It wasn’t even very sharp, either!
Sometimes you can fix your car with an old ballpoint pen. Sometimes you can open those really annoying clamshell packages with some basic leverage, or your fingernails and some effort.
And, rumor has it, sometimes you can stave off a zombie with very slow knock-knock jokes.
Finally, you should develop a basic “mental specification” for your purchases. What minimal amount of quality do you need? What products fit that specification, and what’s the cheapest one that will get you what you need?

5b. Cheap/Budget Items: Would you trust your life with that cheap item? You ARE really using it out in the wild, aren’t you?

Yes, I do often use my gear, in distant rural spots, for its intended purpose...even if I sometimes use it for some random activity, like painting in the outdoors with a SAK toothpick...

I don’t generally trust my life to any one item. Or any one person, even myself.

So, I would never shop for items, or pack my gear, as if I think this way.

During any given activity, I trust my life to a network of overlapping items, people, groups, and services.

Sometimes I think people have been getting really obsessed with “the best” (gear value for money, survival gear, tool steel, whatever it is), and they don’t realize...in addition to the logic, there’s a qualitative aspect as well. So, there’s a lot of emotion at work in the background.

If these hobby things make you too anxious, upset, or angry with regard to other people or the gear they like, please take a step back and rest. Don’t overdose on EDC!

6. Expensive Items: Why would you carry such expensive items out with you? Why would you hike with a tool that costs so much?

EDC can get very expensive. Sometimes, the expense is due to emotional expression.

Perhaps one is feeling READY to be useful and active, for example. So, they think: “LET’S GO!” And poof, there goes the hobby money, and they begin to regret buying something that now seems to reach far beyond their current level of needs and expertise.
But at the same time, many items are worth the higher cost, especially if the individual has spec’d out something at that price level.

7. Why do you carry a paper notebook?

Ah...you must not know me at all. So: Hi!
My name is Marc, and I’m an artist, graphic designer, former professional illustrator, certified handwriting & art analyst, and expert on journaling. I write in shorthand and often practice lettering and calligraphy.
I cannot stop sketching and doodling, and I’ve even been scolded for writing parking tickets...when I was just sketching a nice car!
I am also an expert on paper and stationery materials, and I used to run a stationery review blog.
My art supply EDC photos have been shared online by stationery manufacturers.
Does that information help answer your question?
Because yeah...notebooks are a HUGE part of my life!
(Also, if you are considering carrying a notebook: Get a simple one for starters, get a short book on sketching, mind-mapping, or journaling, and get started! Don’t treat your materials too preciously, it always gets in the way.)

8. Why do you carry a walkie talkie / ham radio?

Super long story. But I’m an FCC-certified amateur radio operator, and I’ve spent a lot of time studying and writing about portable ham radio operations. So, walkie talkies are kind of in my DNA by now. I know it’s not everybody’s interest.
I often volunteer for local emergency communications events, where I operate the radios at local healthcare facilities around our county. These are for things like earthquake drills, and I fill out a little form indicating how much damage was caused, and read it out over the radio, and say THIS IS ONLY A DRILL so people don’t freak out, and so on.
(Usually there’s a doctor or director sitting there next to me, going “hey can you check all of our ham radio gear here, I’m really concerned we have outdated stuff” to which I sometimes have to say, “oh shoot, this is just a walkie talkie, we need to get an actual ham radio for your place”. Or sometimes they’re going “so here’s what’ll happen...there’s a fault 200m thataway, and so this connecting area here will collapse, we’ll be blocked off by this road over here…” and I’m going “yeah I am glad you have this gear, rural health care doctor!”)
I have also volunteered for other events, like I ran a radio station at a local 50k foot race here in coastal northern California. Because of the station location, there was no cell phone access at all. I even had to ask the owner of a rather huge vehicle if I could mount my radio antenna on their roof!
I’ve been in more than one legit emergency where I needed to use a ham radio to help myself or others, including a cellular communications outage, a wildfire emergency, and various dangerous outdoor or hiking situations.
I also use GMRS and FRS radios to keep in touch with family when we’re in the outdoors together, or when we find ourselves in another situation where radios are helpful.
On a day to day basis though, I will often monitor or scan local frequencies as part of the hobby.
So there’s no pressure to be “ham radio action guy” or anything like that.
Over time, I got interested in the products themselves, so I like to buy a new radio every so often, carry it around, and discover what it’s good at.

9. What should I buy? I want to carry some neat stuff.

I think it’s a good idea to view EDC tools and products in person, if possible.
I also like to support local businesses.
Why not pop into the local hardware store, and see what they have?
You’ve got to start somewhere...

10. Why do you prefer Brand A over Brand B?

Usually it’s for personal reasons.
If you have a personal preference, it should probably be part of your EDC hobby.
And: Your preferred brand or items don’t have to make sense to anyone else.

11. Why do you carry other things? Dice, toy soldiers, toy cars…?

Some people call this “pocket trash”, and others consider it fidget-toy territory.
To me it is often related to my other hobbies. For example, I do a lot of toy photography. And I design simulations and role-playing games for fun.
Also, it’s usually a symbol, a memento that re-aligns my internal compass…
How can I have more fun today?
How can I reconnect with what’s enjoyable, or interesting in life?
Also, I sometimes use the dice while I’m hiking, to play little mental storytelling games, or games with friends/family. It’s fun. If you are spending time outdoors, you should know or have some games to play.

12. I want to buy & carry a specific item (cool flashlight, etc.) but it’s kind of silly and I don’t think I’ll ever use it. Should I still get it?

I am of the opinion that you should try to invent a reason to use it.
This is normal, healthy, and probably good for your personality or personal vitality.
Your personal psychology may also be sending you a bit of a message—life can be more interesting, fun, or exciting.
You never know!

13. What are some of your all-time-favorite EDC knife or tool items? Please name some brands and specifics!

1) Victorinox Deluxe Tinker, my dad swore by this EDC item, and he bought us both one. I took it to college and opened many cans of soup, and many computers (IT job) with that thing! The most memorable use of the pliers was pulling a cassette tape out by the tiny little plastic bump on the side, extracting the broken tape from a ‘93 Toyota Camry so we could enjoy tunes on a road trip. We had tried every other tool until I remembered that one.

2) Gerber MP-600, this multi-tool helped me fix my daily-driver bicycle and was with me in the messenger bag through TWO typhoons in Japan including flooding, as well as the overflight of North Korean missiles, being chased by dogs, having to fix my derailleur in freezing temps, etc.
It has its flaws, the design is kind of dated, and I’m always cleaning bits of rust off of it, but I love that thing.

3) Victorinox SwissTool, a last Christmas gift from both of my parents. A lovely tool that’s served me well over the years.

4) Imperial BSA Scout Knife, Powerful memories here, thanks for helping me not die while doing so much outdoors stuff. Thanks for never cutting me, thanks for showing me that a dull, cheap knife is still good for lots of things, and even better than a sharp one for some other things.

5) Victorinox Classic & Classic SD

6) Victorinox Outrider

7) Victorinox Midnite Manager

8) Victorinox Climber

9) SOG PowerPint

10) Leatherman PST

11) Victorinox Cadet

12) Victorinox Spartan

13) Victorinox Ranger Grip Series

14) Victorinox Evogrip Series

15) Victorinox SwissChamp

I have many, many more favorites. These are just a sample. I am not paid by Victorinox but I was definitely raised in a Victorinox home!

14. Since you are a personality type researcher: What are the most common personality types in the EDC hobby?

I’ve thought about this a lot over the years, so this part may be deeper than you wanted!

The most common four-letter personality type in EDC groups online would be the INTJ, by far.
These types spend a lot of time in big-picture mental work all day. They are strategists, contingency planners, risk managers, and so on (this is not necessarily their job title, but rather the way they tend to approach life and life’s problems).
They tend to use a lot of mental prediction skills, and they think in terms of probability. “Probably something like X will happen, so we should (bring a back up EDC tool!)”

They are also critics looking to improve things in their world, and very utilitarian in mindset.
So, you can imagine: When they get pulled down back to earth in their personal hobby time, which is for most people a kind of “opposite land” as compared to their normal mindset, they often land in the little-picture zone of small, personal, highly-sensory accessories and tools.
Their critical bent helps them justify expenses as a sort of calibration process toward helping other people become smarter consumers, and many of them have started Youtube channels where they review EDC gear.
INTJs are often found participating in the “p*rn”-style approach to any given hobby. They naturally try to find the most sensory-appealing display method or setting. Which can be a very important or interesting portal to meaning, even for those experiencing the hobby from the outside.
INTJs are also known to be the “brutally honest reviewer” types, unless they’ve been professionally trained or educated in being more nuanced about communications!
Every personality type has a shadow, or a set of accompanying biases and blind spots.
Other types we often see in the EDC hobby include ISFP, ISTP, INTP, ESFP, and ESTP. Though there’s no rule about which types can participate, of course, it’s often fascinating to note the differences, or how the various types interpret the EDC hobby.

15. What are some of your symbolic interpretations of aspects of this hobby?

First, some would say that “things are just things”. Got a screwdriver? That’s probably because you got some screws to tighten! It’s very basic, rational, and barely counts as symbolism—keep the interpretation simple, is how that theory goes.

Second, others would say that “everything is a symbol.” Meaning itself is a symbol. Personality types and people are symbols. Did you really pick out all of your favorite items and colors, or did they...somehow stand out to you, effectively forcing the choice?

These two perspectives are both very useful at times. But most people know next to nothing about the second one.

It took me years to learn this. Some of it may only apply to me!
But I’ve noticed that a lot of people find this useful, to help answer: “Why would I buy this EDC thing…? Why do I have so many of them? Why spend so much money on it?”

Symbolic Equivalents for EDC Items:

Guns: For target shooting--Hitting a goal-type target, often a monetary target. For self-defense--Metaphorical/emotional distance to problem/target and size of problem/target are often indicated by the type of gun and the type of ammunition, or numbers of problems by the capacity. Defending oneself from oncoming problems that are overwhelming—often there is a significant stressor in life which should be address-ored. In many cases it’s a person or other people who are presenting us with difficult perspectives or raising issues we don’t want to handle, and we may need to create more distance from them.
In the self-defense sense, guns signify “IDK what to do about this problem in my life, but it’s danger-close and I really just need it to be gone” more than most other items. It may be important to consider how to stop the same problems keep recurring, if gun- and defense-related items are constantly coming to mind.

Survival items: Often a pointer to difficult money situations or economic situations. (Always a good idea to interpret these personally first; be careful about predicting global catastrophe, it can be embarrassing…)

Knives and tools: Cutting into things metaphorically. Making that first surgical cut into a difficult problem. Problem-solving. Fixing things up right. See details of type of tool etc. The brand, toolset, and so on can be very important. Imagine the stereotypical user of that tool, and ask what kind of person that is and what their skills or gifts are.

Notebooks and pens: Informational or emotional outlay / expression is needed or helpful. Size or thickness of notebook can express the necessary breadth and depth of outlay that’s appropriate. The type of pen and ink, or pencil and so on can indicate the type of information or emotion. Fountain pens are more “about” emotion. Mechanical pencils are more “about” diagramming, planning, technical information, drawings, and charts.

Watches: Time and scheduling. Indicates a need to identify a schedule or specific deadline. The issue of time or timing around problems in life may be vague on an internal, individual basis. Expensive watches typically indicate a reason to grapple with the issue of use of time being very important or precious.

Aviation-related items: Indicates big-picture thinking, strategic plans, new ideas and concepts.

Knucks: Indicates down-and-dirty problems, possibly close-range overwhelm in life, for example surrounded by over-stimulation at work, and so on.

Lighters: Emotional expression, indicates a need to make a situation warmer / bring in heart-felt perspectives. Possibly relevant in situations where things need to be improved soon.

Flashlights: The problems in life may be vague. We may need to stop talking about them and get at the specifics. We may need more illumination/information/eyes-on before we try to pick the right “tool” or solution for a life problem.

Calculators: Often indicates a money concern or budget-planning application. Can indicate a gift for solving the current problems to the degree that those problems can be converted into numbers or equations.

Radios: Points at a need for planning / anticipating what’s ahead. Range of the given radio band often parallels the range of needed planning. Receivers are more about perceiving what’s going to happen. Transceivers are more about anticipating and then designing or planning what will happen.

Phone: Gets at the value of communications, availability, and connection. We may need to find a gentle but effective way back into our shared work with others, and out of our heads.
Other Symbolic Cues:

Vivid colors: Emotional expression indicating availability of energy. Specific colors and patterns often differ in meaning.

Highly portable items: Points at a need for physical activity or engagement.

Multiple items: (Lots of pens, and backup pens, and so on) A constant need to be expressing the symbolic meaning of that item. It is a very useful and likely powerful or versatile tool for the given personality.

Decorated, stickered, decal’ed items: Points at a need to personalize one’s approach, to bring the self into one’s daily work. To adapt one’s personal style and reconcile identity and emotion with utilitarian problem-solving. To reconcile feelings of diversity, pain, anger, or hurt with the desire to be useful, friendly, productive, helpful, and so on.

Normal Items / Nerdy Items: Points at a possible need to step away from the emotions and instead engage problems with logical tools and mindsets.

Precision items / Sharpened items: Indicates the use of additional detail-focus or conscientiousness. More care must be taken than usual in order to solve the most relevant problem. One should set aside the needed time and space, since extra energy or skill will be involved. Using words or phrases that are gentle and precise. Being careful not to disturb or hurt processes or people who are important to us, while we address problems.

Expensive Items: Points at very strong emotional engagement with the symbol. It is crucial that the symbolic-equivalent activity be engaged for best use. It is possibly a life-concerning or life-threatening issue.

Cheap / Budget Items: Temporary engagement with the symbol is needed. Or, the needed approach to today’s activities should be very basic and simple. Don’t be precious about it, “just” do it, and so on.

16a. I see you use a lanyard. Aren’t those fiddly when you’re using your tool or knife? Don’t they get in the way too much?

Marc’s Lanyard Rule: If a lanyard seems fiddly or gets in the way too much, then slow down, adjust it, or take a break.

In this way, a lanyard can help you better understand and work with your energy levels.

And they can do even more than that...

16b. Why do you use lanyards on everything? Why do you use such long lanyards?

It's harder to drop an item, if it has a lanyard.
It's harder to forget to bring a thing, if it has a lanyard on it. And speaking of forgetting things, you can tie knots in your lanyard to remind you of things. Knots can be a form of code.
It's easier to see an item you dropped, if it's got a lanyard.
It's easier to find something you lost, if it's got a lanyard.
It's easier to spot items with lanyards in a backpack or in a tent.
If it fell under your car seat, you can find it more quickly with your hands, if it has a lanyard.
Lanyards help prevent items from slipping out of your grip.
Lanyards can be repurposed very easily for a variety of needs.
Lanyards make it easy to hang stuff, suspend stuff, or tighten stuff.
Lanyards can make basically anything into a better fidget toy.
Lanyards help you learn how to tie knots, and other fancy things like braids.
Lanyards remind me, personally, of scouting and the outdoors. I really like those vibes sometimes.
Lanyards can be made out of a variety of cords, ribbons, fabrics, strings. It's pretty easy to make a lanyard, and so it’s a good crafting-teaching tool as well.
Paracord has some additional outdoor utility / survival value. It's also easy to find paracord that also contains fishing line or fire-starting material.
There are a lot of paracord designs & color schemes available which complement the design that already went into the tool / knife.
Lanyards make an item look much more "yours" and personalized. "Whose knife is this?" is a super easy question to answer when a lanyard is attached.
(“Why That Length?”) Sometimes people ask if there’s a bit of string or rope. I use lanyards that are around the length of the usual "do you have THIS much rope" situation / request.
Lanyards can help you swing stuff that's made of heavy metal. Lanyard ninjitsu? Well, or maybe just lanyard physics.
A lanyard can serve as a marker or signaling device, or it can help you create a marker or signaling device.
Lanyards can be very attractive. They show that you care about how things look, not just how they work! I used to teach graphic design to college students, and I still love to experiment with color combinations and textures. My students understood--things need to work, they need to function. But they also understood the value of visual aesthetics.
Lanyard people are unique. We tend to have our ship together, and keep our ship together! If you see a lanyard in use, it's often a sign: You are with somebody who is organized, productive, and ready.
I have been an active hiker for decades now. I thought lanyards were kind of pointless for a long time. Now, I get it--lanyards may not be strictly necessary, but at the very least they can be a really fun and handy aspect of owning and using outdoor tools.
If an item falls, it is usually easier to reach it when it has a lanyard attached.
If a hard item falls, it is less likely to roll or slide away if it has a lanyard attached.
Lanyards are fiddly sometimes, but quite often this is a good reminder: SLOW DOWN and do not try to fix things like a primate.
If a lanyard seems impossibly fiddly, you may be way too tired, inexperienced, or overworked. A very helpful thing to know.

Don’t drop your stuff!!! Picking up something that you dropped after 1+ miles up a trail, especially with a backpack on, immediately reduces your energy by at least 50%!

You may then require immediate hydration and candy supplementation in order to recover a proper hiking mood.
This is a known fact. (I’m half-joking but it really can feel this way)

16c. How do you open that tool / knife with the lanyard in the way? How do you operate the tool / knife with the lanyard in the way?

It’s not in the way. All of my tools / knives are easily open-able with lanyard attached.

Also, sometimes a photo can make lanyard attachments look more complex or fiddly than they really are.

17. Why did you pick the wrong color for that lanyard? It should be (red & white stripes, whatever) due to (visibility / historic / other) reasons.

This topic gets too subjective to be “wrong”...but since you asked:

The lanyard colors I pick usually relate back to my memories of specific time periods & settings. For example, I might pair a lanyard color with a knife color because it matches the vibe of a favorite ‘90s comedy film.

I don’t usually pick a lanyard color because it is best for other people. But sometimes I do switch lanyards before going on a trip, for reasons like making an item more visible or identifiable.

18. Why do you like hiking? I hate hiking. I almost hate the outdoors, but I guess I don’t mind sitting in the park on a nice day.

I also had a strong dislike of hiking until I learned to solo hike properly.

Here are some tips for enjoying hiking more:

It’s important to do some basic solo hiking. Figure out how to do it your way. Find a very simple trail you can hike by yourself. Usually these are trails where lots of other people hike. Don’t pick a hard one! Pick an easy one, like a hike on trails next to a beach. You can use hiking apps to identify easy trails near you.
Pick a few different reasons to hike! Examples:
1. Gear hiking: Obtain, buy, or make some gear and go test it out! This could be EDC gear, multi-tools, a pack or sling bag, binoculars, a camera, a navigation app, a homemade needle compass, a sketching notebook & pen/pencil, new shoes, a (ham or not!) radio gadget, or a new podcast and your favorite headphones.
2. Goal hiking: Pick a fitness goal to reach via hiking. For example, getting 10,000 steps a week via hiking. Or, doing fitness in the outdoors! Many hikes offer locations where you can stop and do some simple exercises. A patch of grass would be great, and some rural parks even have exercise stations.
3. Food hiking: Hike so you can eat or enjoy a snack guilt-free! Go hiking and then enjoy a favorite dessert or beverage afterward. Or, go buy some favorite snacks, then enjoy them on a hike.
4. Know-it-All Hiking: Get to know the area around you! Learn to identify animals, trees, flowers, mushrooms, boundaries, courses, sets of trails, major and minor landmarks, best views, and so on.
5. Volunteering: There are lots of ways to get involved in volunteering that involves hiking. Check in your local area. Sometimes this can be as simple as a solo litter-collection effort, as well.
I like to practice. Hiking 2x weekly, for fun, is a practical minimum to keep up the practice. Bring some serious gear when you practice. If anybody asks what it’s for, remember: You’re practicing with it, getting a feel for it. This is super important, because you should usually not take new (to you) gear out on a serious hike for the first time.
I usually start out my hikes very slow. I start out a hike like I’m walking to the house next door. That’s it. There should be no time pressure.
Identify your favorite and least-favorite aspects of hiking. This is one of the best things you can do for enjoyment. Examples:
1. Do you sweat too much? Go slower, and get in more practice going slower. Bring a small portable spray bottle and spray water on your arms, neck, or face to cool down. You can even bring a portable neck fan, I’ve done it in 100+F temps and it helped!
2. Do you get grumpy? Try another time of day, or try a little candy, good music, a phone call with a friend, a funny podcast, etc.
3. Do you get aches and pains? Cut down on the time you spend hiking initially, and only gradually increase it. Check with your doctor if there are medical concerns.
4. Do you not have time to really get into it? Consider some time-management hacks, or social pacts with friends, like an agreement to wake up early and hike 5 miles a week. (For a long time, I used to go hiking at 4:30 in the summer mornings, and it was amazing for getting in the hiking time before things got too hot or busy)
5. Do you not have a hiking location nearby? This can require some basic creativity. But always, always answer the question: How far would I have to walk, ride, or drive before I could start hiking? Once you can answer that question, you can control the situation better. For example, ride the train an hour from your apartment in deeply-urban central Tokyo to reach Mount Takao, stay at a convenient location, and get in a couple of days of hiking. During the week, focus on hobbies like urban exploration, which can really be like a different type of hiking.

Whatever course your hiking journey takes, the basics of enjoyment are simple: Make it yours, make it fun, and adjust or work around the annoying parts.

By Marc Carson, www.friendlyskies.net