I love your videos Gary. I love that you make videos like this, more philosophical, more thought provoking. I've always maintained that it doesn't matter how other people see you, it matters how you see yourself. If EDC makes you feel heroic then more power to you. If EDC makes you feel like a weirdo more power to you. Being the one who carries things like EDC makes us more useful than those who don't. I'm a weird hero who happens to carry some EDC gear
Thanks. All the top EDC channels are just out to promote gear they've been given as freebies by manufacturers. Most of it way over priced for what it is. Unfortunately the said manufacturers realize that people will buy expensive gear not because it's useful or practical but because it IS expensive and therefore cool!
I live in London UK and work in retail so obviously I'd look weird and attract attention on the street and at work if I had tactical pouches all over my belt etc. But I carry a pocket knife - generally a SAK - in my pocket and combine that with a LM Squirt and flashlight in my watch pocket. These all come in useful. Yesterday I used my SAK to open packaging, cut paper and hairs, spread pate on my bread at lunchtime, and crack open a couple of bottles of cold amber nectar in the evening. A couple of weeks ago a guy came into our shop asking if we had a small screwdriver to tighten his glasses with. The shop toolkit is poor quality and a lot of tools were mislaid but I didn't even need to go and look there, just took the small screwdriver out of the corkscrew on my Vic Climber and he was able to fix it. More gear is in the bag I carry to work, but nobody sees it, unless I actually have to use it. Carry first aid gear including a field dressing (Israeli bandage), and a Leatherman Bond with a small adjustable wrench in the same pouch. So whenever I take them out it's because they are actually needed to help someone, so I'm ''hero'' then not weirdo. A lot of people I know actually surprised me by showing me that they carry SAKs or small Leathermans too, but again in pockets or bags. I tend to stick with SAKs here in London because even though I have other UK legal knives which I could carry, they might raise eyebrows, as a lot of people imagine that carrying any kind of knife is verboten. SAKs never have that effect.
In my life it has usually mattered what the item was combines with what size town you were in. Big city = weirdo, Small town/rural = meh when it's knives or multi tools. Either way, don't worry about it as long as you follow local knife laws. I learned a looooong time ago not to worry about them thinking I'm weird. I've been doing EDC since before social media and hashtags that made the term trend. Started as a kid in the 80s with my first swiss army knife my dad gave me and a Maglite Solitaire I bought with money I got for good grades. Back then most people didn't bat an eye at a swiss army knife since I was in a town surrounded by a bunch of rural, smaller towns. The light is what really got people to scratch their heads even though this was long before smartphones with lights and we lived in tornado country. Any confusion was laid to rest after I would fix something for them or help them find something they dropped at night. This continued on well through my teens and into early adulthood. One of my best friends didn't get it until I took apart a propane grill set with my leatherman wave so he could get it home in his SUV. He got a deal because it was the display model but didn't think about how he was going to get it home until after it was wheeled out to the curb. After we got it back to the apartment and put back together he got it too. Also, as time went on and the tools got so common that they could be bought at walmart along with your groceries men would rarely wonder and women would just say "that's such a guy thing" if they saw me with it.
I think about those people on 9/11 walking down those stairs in the pitch black then if they were lucky trying to walk somewhere, anywhere to get home. Millions of people trying to get someplace safe. Your phone is not working the cell towers fell or are jammed. We talk about backpacks but many couldn’t get back to their desk. What about the ones in the restroom when the planes hit, lights went out. If you don’t have some EDC on you at ALL times you are SOL. A knife, flashlight, real cash, your phone in a pocket or some sort of pouch or under clothes money thing or what? for women. Women really need help as their office clothes rarely have any type pocket. What can they rig up for 3-4 Essesntial items for EDC & to get home. What can your child have on their person everyday to get out of a building & get home? Your mom, Aunt Betty, dad, Uncle Charlie? We talk about opening boxes or tightening a screw but what about getting out of Safeway after a tornado, earthquake. We don’t have to be crawling on hands & knees, moving beams to need some help getting out. What should everyone EDC?
I live in Texas and I carry a flashlight, a multitool of some sort (Leatherman/Gerber), and at least 1 pocket knife, 2 on most days.. They come in clutch not just for me on a daily basis. I've been able to help others multiple times... in that case I'm the hero... But there have been conversations had where people questions why I carry what i carry on a daily basis. So I've been both... haha
I think it's about individual applications. I never carried or needed a pocket knife/tool through 15 years of jobs until I started a trade. In some situations it's impractical to carry a toolbag and not need it. Found it better for me to carry some pocket tools for a just in case scenario to smooth out unforeseen glitches in the workday. For some, it's worth every ounce.
I think in simple terms, it makes you a weirdo until it makes you a hero. You’re an oddball for carrying a torch or SAK right up until the point where they need to borrow it.
One would suppose that a deciding factor might be intent. Is the EDC functional and useful for something other than ornamental purposes? If not, then the answer is self evident.
Think the "edc fashion" understandably makes it a bit weird. "altoids tin full of x y z". That's never going to be used, or £80 box cutters because it's titanium. Edc is what it states "every day carry" what you use every day. But it's been conflated with emergency pocket kits. That being said, a torch, knife and pen imho are essential daily carries for anyone.
I don't think your EDC makes me a Hero or a Weirdo. It just makes me an individual. Everyone is different and has different taste, so I don't judge, label , or fault them for what they choose to carry. And I don't persoannly care what they think of me, because if they're willing to judge me on my looks instead of my character, then I don't care to know them anyway. And I don't owe anyone an explanation for why I carry what I carry. Good on you for fixing that license plate Gary. I did the same thing in Bryce Canyon, Utah for a woman who was losing the license plate on her RV, I was able to fix her plate with my EDC. Yes, I agree. I carry my EDC to make my life easier, and to help someone in need if I can. Good topic. Thanks for sharing. JT
I carry all my gear because when I realize something needs to be fixed, cut, adjusted or need some light to find something me or my wife dropped I do it right then and there. No walking away and finding the right tool, don’t have to come back to it after. Plus I can help others whenever they need it, it’s a win win everybody should practise edc
I don't show my knife. I don't even open my pocket knives all the way. I don't recommend it, because it has almost closed on my finger and I've almost pulled it into my self and my partner.
Guess it's where you come from cause here in MS if you tell them you don't carry a knife you get what you don't have a knife what's wrong with you lol.
Yes to both lol. It really depends on how we hold ourselves and how we carry to be honest. I don't look like I'm carrying anything because I only carry what fits in my normal pockets so I look normal and if someone needs something like a bandaid or tool that my multi tool can handle they are grateful. On the other hand there are people that have straps and pouches all over with a multi-tool, neck knife, folding knife, and a fixed blade just walking around day to day and they absolutely come off like weirdos or really scared and insecure.
Exactly! I live in London UK and work in retail so obviously I'd look weird and attract attention on the street and at work if I had tactical pouches all over my belt etc. But I carry a pocket knife - generally a SAK - in my pocket and combine that with a LM Squirt and flashlight in my watch pocket. These all come in useful. More gear is in the bag I carry to work, but nobody sees it, unless I actually have to use it. Carry first aid gear including a field dressing (Israeli bandage), and a Leatherman Bond with a small adjustable wrench in the same pouch. So whenever I take them out it's because they are actually needed to help someone, so I'm ''hero'' then not weirdo. A lot of people I know actually carry SAKs or small Leathermans too, but again in pockets or bags.
I agree with this. I carry a lot of stuff in my pockets and maybe more in a backpack but no one knows that. But when I see someone who is not a police officer festooned with pouches and gear like a Rob Liefeld comic book character, that looks very strange to me.
Great video! There will always be a group of people who will think edc is weird which is fine. I used to care a lot about what other people thought about me (especially in my youth). Now, not so much. The problem is when people start to infringe on other people's rights just because they don't understand it or have a misconstrued opinion about something like a gun or knife and think they are dangerous when in fact, a gun or knife could actually be useful/helpful. It's a shame that we cave so easily to the vocal minority and allow them to dictate how we can live our lives.
The idea that in the UK people think it's odd or "evil" to carry a pocketknife is so very strange to me. How long did it take the government to create this unnatural fear and distress in the populace? In the US they can't even get people to think that carrying a rifle while walking down the street is odd. I imagine if somehow the UK could eradicate knives, the government would campaign against ownership of hammers and screwdrivers.
While I'm not a fan of UK knife laws I'm also not taking it to mean people think carrying a knife is evil etc. I think in a country that has strict knife laws someone would look pretty weird and potentially unhinged to be carrying multiple knives. It would be similar to walking into a school or government building in the US with a gun strapped loud and proud. It's definitely going to draw some understandably negative attention because it doesn't make any logical sense. I live in the US and while I'm all for gun ownership don't kid yourself that people think open carry in a public space is remotely normal. When I see people open carrying in public spaces I see guys that are afraid and paranoid. People that are afraid and paranoid make some pretty terrible decisions when shit hits the fan.
@@sadisticD I think that your comment is very insightful, especially about the open carry. I'm going by EveryDayGary's comment that knives are seen as "evil", but maybe he was exaggerating to make a point.
I don’t think people think a knife is evil, they just think that a knife is a weapon. A weapon, not a tool. So it’s linked in their mind to violence, even if the carrier is benign and therefore in their minds carrying it strictly in self-defense. It still just equates to conflict. I guess because it’s the worst weapon we have to contend with in the UK and as such it is legislated against, so it seems transgressive and rebellious to carry one when 99.9% of the population get by just fine without doing so.
I use my flash light multiple times a day, I use my Leatherman Charge multiple times a day ( the knife and pliers mostly or using it as a hammer) they save so much time for me. Also everyone ought to carry a pen
EDC seems the wrong term, I prefer to use the old scouting motto "Be prepared". Most EDC RUclips sites are about aesthetics and a woeful amount don't seem to carry any form of medical emergency equipment in their pockets, they may have a car bag or something in their day pack but lack what I would consider the necessities or first aid training that we should all have close at hand. Such as 300mg of chewable aspirin in case you or someone else is having a heart attack, a tourniquet and gauze (ideally an Israeli bandage to stop severe bleeding) a mylar blanket to prevent hypothermia and scissors designed for cutting through clothing. Oh and real cash too many people don't have a redundancy and only do contactless. I have a draw and bag by the front door where I pick and swap out things I might need for going out depending on distance, weather and duration. The tools you use unless they are into EDC are probably only going to be of interest to them when they need to use them and being aware of the people around you should always be a consideration, walking around town using a Swiss army knife to sharpen a pencil is innocent compared to pulling out a bowie knife to do the same task. I am not against the EDC trend but I often think the priorities seem more like the EDCer wants to show off a cool gadget and wants more things broken to fix (tbh so do I as I like tinkering and fixing things) with the annoying reality it is more likely they want to borrow a pen, a charger or battery pack or use a plaster, paracetamol or an antihistamine tablet. I'd also recommend carrying cheap backup versions of certain EDC for those wanderers such as a cheap Bic pen, lighter and torch as it's always good to have redundancies. You should also always carry ideally in two places an emergency contact list with your medical history, I keep one in my wallet and one in my back pocket, in case my phone is lost, broken or stolen you'll want a way of contacting loved ones or for other people to if you are unconscious.
I think the perception of hero vs. Weirdo largely rests in the type of knife in the EDC kit, a SAK or leatherman that’s cumbersome and requires 2 hands to extract the blade then it’s all fine, but a single blade knife like this that can be released single handed could potentially send someone immediately to thoughts of a mugging despite the clear intended use being further from this. I’m making the assumption that you are UK Based? Therefore would that blade be considered as legal for EDC?
I love your videos Gary. I love that you make videos like this, more philosophical, more thought provoking.
I've always maintained that it doesn't matter how other people see you, it matters how you see yourself. If EDC makes you feel heroic then more power to you. If EDC makes you feel like a weirdo more power to you.
Being the one who carries things like EDC makes us more useful than those who don't.
I'm a weird hero who happens to carry some EDC gear
Ya know, I really do like and appreciate what you're doing on this channel. Way too many edc channels are just advertising platforms.
Thanks. All the top EDC channels are just out to promote gear they've been given as freebies by manufacturers. Most of it way over priced for what it is. Unfortunately the said manufacturers realize that people will buy expensive gear not because it's useful or practical but because it IS expensive and therefore cool!
I live in London UK and work in retail so obviously I'd look weird and attract attention on the street and at work if I had tactical pouches all over my belt etc. But I carry a pocket knife - generally a SAK - in my pocket and combine that with a LM Squirt and flashlight in my watch pocket. These all come in useful. Yesterday I used my SAK to open packaging, cut paper and hairs, spread pate on my bread at lunchtime, and crack open a couple of bottles of cold amber nectar in the evening. A couple of weeks ago a guy came into our shop asking if we had a small screwdriver to tighten his glasses with. The shop toolkit is poor quality and a lot of tools were mislaid but I didn't even need to go and look there, just took the small screwdriver out of the corkscrew on my Vic Climber and he was able to fix it.
More gear is in the bag I carry to work, but nobody sees it, unless I actually have to use it. Carry first aid gear including a field dressing (Israeli bandage), and a Leatherman Bond with a small adjustable wrench in the same pouch. So whenever I take them out it's because they are actually needed to help someone, so I'm ''hero'' then not weirdo.
A lot of people I know actually surprised me by showing me that they carry SAKs or small Leathermans too, but again in pockets or bags. I tend to stick with SAKs here in London because even though I have other UK legal knives which I could carry, they might raise eyebrows, as a lot of people imagine that carrying any kind of knife is verboten. SAKs never have that effect.
Obviously hero AND weirdo, depending on their reaction. But, for myself, it just makes me sufficient.
Most people will do just fine with a swiss army knife.
In my life it has usually mattered what the item was combines with what size town you were in. Big city = weirdo, Small town/rural = meh when it's knives or multi tools. Either way, don't worry about it as long as you follow local knife laws.
I learned a looooong time ago not to worry about them thinking I'm weird. I've been doing EDC since before social media and hashtags that made the term trend. Started as a kid in the 80s with my first swiss army knife my dad gave me and a Maglite Solitaire I bought with money I got for good grades. Back then most people didn't bat an eye at a swiss army knife since I was in a town surrounded by a bunch of rural, smaller towns. The light is what really got people to scratch their heads even though this was long before smartphones with lights and we lived in tornado country. Any confusion was laid to rest after I would fix something for them or help them find something they dropped at night.
This continued on well through my teens and into early adulthood. One of my best friends didn't get it until I took apart a propane grill set with my leatherman wave so he could get it home in his SUV. He got a deal because it was the display model but didn't think about how he was going to get it home until after it was wheeled out to the curb. After we got it back to the apartment and put back together he got it too. Also, as time went on and the tools got so common that they could be bought at walmart along with your groceries men would rarely wonder and women would just say "that's such a guy thing" if they saw me with it.
Every day Gary? Lol, i love it😂. Like your points here
I think about those people on 9/11 walking down those stairs in the pitch black then if they were lucky trying to walk somewhere, anywhere to get home. Millions of people trying to get someplace safe. Your phone is not working the cell towers fell or are jammed. We talk about backpacks but many couldn’t get back to their desk. What about the ones in the restroom when the planes hit, lights went out. If you don’t have some EDC on you at ALL times you are SOL. A knife, flashlight, real cash, your phone in a pocket or some sort of pouch or under clothes money thing or what? for women. Women really need help as their office clothes rarely have any type pocket. What can they rig up for 3-4 Essesntial items for EDC & to get home. What can your child have on their person everyday to get out of a building & get home? Your mom, Aunt Betty, dad, Uncle Charlie?
We talk about opening boxes or tightening a screw but what about getting out of Safeway after a tornado, earthquake. We don’t have to be crawling on hands & knees, moving beams to need some help getting out. What should everyone EDC?
I live in Texas and I carry a flashlight, a multitool of some sort (Leatherman/Gerber), and at least 1 pocket knife, 2 on most days.. They come in clutch not just for me on a daily basis. I've been able to help others multiple times... in that case I'm the hero... But there have been conversations had where people questions why I carry what i carry on a daily basis. So I've been both... haha
Well, say it! "You haven't seen a hero before?" And smile
I think it's about individual applications. I never carried or needed a pocket knife/tool through 15 years of jobs until I started a trade. In some situations it's impractical to carry a toolbag and not need it. Found it better for me to carry some pocket tools for a just in case scenario to smooth out unforeseen glitches in the workday. For some, it's worth every ounce.
I think in simple terms, it makes you a weirdo until it makes you a hero. You’re an oddball for carrying a torch or SAK right up until the point where they need to borrow it.
One would suppose that a deciding factor might be intent. Is the EDC functional and useful for something other than ornamental purposes? If not, then the answer is self evident.
Think the "edc fashion" understandably makes it a bit weird. "altoids tin full of x y z". That's never going to be used, or £80 box cutters because it's titanium.
Edc is what it states "every day carry" what you use every day.
But it's been conflated with emergency pocket kits.
That being said, a torch, knife and pen imho are essential daily carries for anyone.
I think we are both geek-wierdo and also therefore the hero!
I don't think your EDC makes me a Hero or a Weirdo. It just makes me an individual. Everyone is different and has different taste, so I don't judge, label , or fault them for what they choose to carry. And I don't persoannly care what they think of me, because if they're willing to judge me on my looks instead of my character, then I don't care to know them anyway. And I don't owe anyone an explanation for why I carry what I carry.
Good on you for fixing that license plate Gary. I did the same thing in Bryce Canyon, Utah for a woman who was losing the license plate on her RV, I was able to fix her plate with my EDC.
Yes, I agree. I carry my EDC to make my life easier, and to help someone in need if I can.
Good topic. Thanks for sharing.
JT
I carry all my gear because when I realize something needs to be fixed, cut, adjusted or need some light to find something me or my wife dropped I do it right then and there. No walking away and finding the right tool, don’t have to come back to it after. Plus I can help others whenever they need it, it’s a win win everybody should practise edc
I don't show my knife. I don't even open my pocket knives all the way. I don't recommend it, because it has almost closed on my finger and I've almost pulled it into my self and my partner.
Guess it's where you come from cause here in MS if you tell them you don't carry a knife you get what you don't have a knife what's wrong with you lol.
Yes to both lol.
It really depends on how we hold ourselves and how we carry to be honest. I don't look like I'm carrying anything because I only carry what fits in my normal pockets so I look normal and if someone needs something like a bandaid or tool that my multi tool can handle they are grateful.
On the other hand there are people that have straps and pouches all over with a multi-tool, neck knife, folding knife, and a fixed blade just walking around day to day and they absolutely come off like weirdos or really scared and insecure.
Exactly! I live in London UK and work in retail so obviously I'd look weird and attract attention on the street and at work if I had tactical pouches all over my belt etc. But I carry a pocket knife - generally a SAK - in my pocket and combine that with a LM Squirt and flashlight in my watch pocket. These all come in useful. More gear is in the bag I carry to work, but nobody sees it, unless I actually have to use it. Carry first aid gear including a field dressing (Israeli bandage), and a Leatherman Bond with a small adjustable wrench in the same pouch. So whenever I take them out it's because they are actually needed to help someone, so I'm ''hero'' then not weirdo.
A lot of people I know actually carry SAKs or small Leathermans too, but again in pockets or bags.
I agree with this. I carry a lot of stuff in my pockets and maybe more in a backpack but no one knows that. But when I see someone who is not a police officer festooned with pouches and gear like a Rob Liefeld comic book character, that looks very strange to me.
Great video! There will always be a group of people who will think edc is weird which is fine. I used to care a lot about what other people thought about me (especially in my youth). Now, not so much. The problem is when people start to infringe on other people's rights just because they don't understand it or have a misconstrued opinion about something like a gun or knife and think they are dangerous when in fact, a gun or knife could actually be useful/helpful. It's a shame that we cave so easily to the vocal minority and allow them to dictate how we can live our lives.
The idea that in the UK people think it's odd or "evil" to carry a pocketknife is so very strange to me. How long did it take the government to create this unnatural fear and distress in the populace? In the US they can't even get people to think that carrying a rifle while walking down the street is odd. I imagine if somehow the UK could eradicate knives, the government would campaign against ownership of hammers and screwdrivers.
While I'm not a fan of UK knife laws I'm also not taking it to mean people think carrying a knife is evil etc. I think in a country that has strict knife laws someone would look pretty weird and potentially unhinged to be carrying multiple knives.
It would be similar to walking into a school or government building in the US with a gun strapped loud and proud. It's definitely going to draw some understandably negative attention because it doesn't make any logical sense.
I live in the US and while I'm all for gun ownership don't kid yourself that people think open carry in a public space is remotely normal. When I see people open carrying in public spaces I see guys that are afraid and paranoid. People that are afraid and paranoid make some pretty terrible decisions when shit hits the fan.
@@sadisticD I think that your comment is very insightful, especially about the open carry.
I'm going by EveryDayGary's comment that knives are seen as "evil", but maybe he was exaggerating to make a point.
I don’t think people think a knife is evil, they just think that a knife is a weapon. A weapon, not a tool. So it’s linked in their mind to violence, even if the carrier is benign and therefore in their minds carrying it strictly in self-defense. It still just equates to conflict. I guess because it’s the worst weapon we have to contend with in the UK and as such it is legislated against, so it seems transgressive and rebellious to carry one when 99.9% of the population get by just fine without doing so.
I use my flash light multiple times a day, I use my Leatherman Charge multiple times a day ( the knife and pliers mostly or using it as a hammer) they save so much time for me. Also everyone ought to carry a pen
EDC seems the wrong term, I prefer to use the old scouting motto "Be prepared". Most EDC RUclips sites are about aesthetics and a woeful amount don't seem to carry any form of medical emergency equipment in their pockets, they may have a car bag or something in their day pack but lack what I would consider the necessities or first aid training that we should all have close at hand. Such as 300mg of chewable aspirin in case you or someone else is having a heart attack, a tourniquet and gauze (ideally an Israeli bandage to stop severe bleeding) a mylar blanket to prevent hypothermia and scissors designed for cutting through clothing. Oh and real cash too many people don't have a redundancy and only do contactless.
I have a draw and bag by the front door where I pick and swap out things I might need for going out depending on distance, weather and duration. The tools you use unless they are into EDC are probably only going to be of interest to them when they need to use them and being aware of the people around you should always be a consideration, walking around town using a Swiss army knife to sharpen a pencil is innocent compared to pulling out a bowie knife to do the same task.
I am not against the EDC trend but I often think the priorities seem more like the EDCer wants to show off a cool gadget and wants more things broken to fix (tbh so do I as I like tinkering and fixing things) with the annoying reality it is more likely they want to borrow a pen, a charger or battery pack or use a plaster, paracetamol or an antihistamine tablet. I'd also recommend carrying cheap backup versions of certain EDC for those wanderers such as a cheap Bic pen, lighter and torch as it's always good to have redundancies. You should also always carry ideally in two places an emergency contact list with your medical history, I keep one in my wallet and one in my back pocket, in case my phone is lost, broken or stolen you'll want a way of contacting loved ones or for other people to if you are unconscious.
I think the perception of hero vs. Weirdo largely rests in the type of knife in the EDC kit, a SAK or leatherman that’s cumbersome and requires 2 hands to extract the blade then it’s all fine, but a single blade knife like this that can be released single handed could potentially send someone immediately to thoughts of a mugging despite the clear intended use being further from this.
I’m making the assumption that you are UK Based? Therefore would that blade be considered as legal for EDC?
No. I live in the USA, although I am British by birth I’ve been here for 20 years
@@Everydaygary that makes more sense, I was getting excited about upgrading my 10 year old SAK climber!