Welcome to the Urban EDC Showcase! Each week, we feature one member of the EDC community and the gear they rely on every day. Want to be featured? Submit your gear photo.
All the way from the south of England, Neil (@yompnotes) believes in an everyday carry that is simple, discreet and which blends in seamlessly with his lifestyle. Read on for an insight into Neil's decision-making process as he selects the individual pieces of kit that make up his highly utilitarian core everyday carry.
Featured Tools:
- Cordage: Custom 10ft 550 Paracord Bracelet
When I was a kid, this would have been rolled up as neat as possible and stuck in a pocket or maybe hung from my belt but now I carry it in the form of a cobra weave bracelet.
What it is made of is key - 10ft of 550 military-spec paracord. This cord has a breaking strength of 550lbs. and can be unravelled to expose its core, which is made up of 7 strands all of which are strong enough to be very useful.
I made this myself and have chosen to use a stainless steel buckle as I have melted the plastic version so much so that I had to hacksaw it off my wrist! So stainless steel is good for me even if it is a bit bling.
- SAK: Victorinox Cadet
Through my life, pocket knives have come and gone and the Swiss Army Cadet is a relative newcomer for me. So far I've had two of them, the first being confiscated at Hong Kong airport. Stupid of me to still have it in my pocket!
In my defense, I intended to put it in my luggage for check-in but like a turd completely forgot. The Cadet is a great little knife for every day, mostly for urban use. Friends do find it amusing that I carry it; it's not really the done thing in the UK, but nevertheless, I have been asked if it can be borrowed more than once.
My lifestyle is more urban these days so the pocket knife is more likely to tighten a screw, pop open a bottle or open a packet of biscuits than whittle a stick but useful on an everyday basis nonetheless.
- Firestarter: Exotic nanoSTRIKER
This is in the form of an Exotic nanoSTRIKER. I love this piece of kit, the attention to detail of its design and construction brings a tear to the eye. I think it's ideal for an everyday-carry-forget-until-you-need-a-fire-starting-solution. No moving parts, no gas or fluids to think about and top up. This gadget does require a little experience and practice to get the best out of it but I kind of like that.
- Watch: Garmin Fenix3 Sapphire
They say that ‘Time, tide and buttered eggs wait for no one’. That being the case we all understand the importance of keeping track of time. My watch is a Garmin Fenix3 Sapphire which includes many apps for tracking one's health and exercise which are a lot of fun, especially when out running or hiking. I also use its ability to sync with my iPhone and send text, email, social media, voicemail messages and more to the watch.
I find this very, very useful as it allows me to keep track of incoming comms and leave my iPhone in my rucksack safe-and-sound. For me this is a real piece of spy equipment, we had nothing like this when we were kids so I guess that's why I have it now.
Background:
My name is Neil Stevens and apart from running a little blog, I own a graphic design and digital agency on the south coast of England.
When we were growing up in the countryside, our father used to say that if we carried a pocket knife, some string and some matches with us, whatever happened, these basic bits "n" pieces would be helpful.
Basically; cut a stick, tie together, make a shelter, light a fire and we'd practice this with varying degrees of success and sophistication. There are no photos of our overnight shelters or our campfires but let's just say that we were always glad that it didn't rain and that it was summer.
To this day, this ideal is what I base my EDC on. A little bit practical, a little bit of nostalgia and a little bit of survival prep and this just works great for me.
In conclusion, my EDC is small, neat, light, and unobtrusive. It easily blends with my everyday life, therefore easy to carry and always remembered. This kit is always with me. When I step out the door to walk the dog or run a quick errand, I know without thinking that it's with me.
This is my EDC No. 1 that's always with me - basics, the core.
Favorite EDC Tool:
For me, the Garmin Fenix3 Sapphire is my most favorite piece of EDC gear. It's genuinely the most useful tool on a daily basis.
What's On Your Gear Radar:
I am very happy with my EDC but there is one last item I have on my radar: a single knife sheath by Eric Savitsky Designs. For me, this would serve two purposes: to act as a knife shield, therefore, hiding the fact that I'm carrying a knife, which in my country (UK) is not considered polite.
And the other, to stop the knife chewing holes in my pockets which is a real problem. I'm really looking forward to this purchase but I'm still deciding on the design, these things just cannot be rushed.
