There are two reasons why you are here reading this article. You are either a HUGE nerd about everyday carry items and you are constantly looking for the next piece to add to your collection… OR… you have never heard of everyday carry, and you are about to have your world rocked.
Everyday carry is the art of finding the best tools to have on you throughout your day so that you are always prepared for what life may throw your way. If you are an experience everyday carry nerd, you will perhaps use this list of the best options for such a collection to compare to what you already have. If you are new, strap yourself in for a whole new world!
MINIMAL WALLET – If you are focused on your everyday carry, you know that a wallet is not just something that you carry money in, but something you can tailor to fit your exact lifestyle and carrying habits. Wallets come in many different shapes sizes and materials. Carved, for example, creates beautiful metal wallets out of colored resin and sliced wood burls. Simple, yet effective.
MACHINED PEN BODY – One of the main tenets of everyday carry items is that they must be durable. If you are still carrying around a Bic pen, what are you really doing with your life? There are so many options for pens that cost pretty much exactly the same and will deliver a much better writing tool. Of course, if you’re a true nerd, you’ll find yourself an awesome brass or steel machined pen body that fits a Pilot G2 refill like a champ.
POCKET KNIFE – People tend to really get out of hand with this one. Remember, you are not buying a knife for protection, although you might have to use it for that someday, that’s not its purpose. What you are buying is just a knife that is big enough to help you cut through small things that you encounter throughout your day (check out Kershaw knives). Another major tenet of everyday carry is to keep your items as small as possible so that your pockets aren’t bulging wherever you go.
CELL PHONE CASE – You might not have even considered this a part of it, but of course, your case is a part of this list. You don’t just have to get whatever case is available at the phone store. You could get a case that actually looks nice or serves a purpose. In fact, the same site that sells those minimal wallets from earlier also makes phone cases. Be purposeful with everything you do, because you are the one that gets to curate your own life.
NOTEBOOK – I understand most of the notes you’re making throughout the day you can make in any one of a number of apps that act as a notepad, but nothing beats putting pen to paper. There is a true magic to being able to actually write something. When you type, you move quickly, writing takes longer and forces you to focus on your thought longer. Go out and take some random notes as you people watch, you’ll be surprised how much you get out of it but just let yourself thing. Notebooks come in all shapes and sizes and all sorts of bindings, just focus on paper weight and binding quality and you won’t go wrong.
Everyday carry is a whole new world that you can explore. I would argue that the items that you carry and use every single day are the most valuable items you own. I made a promise to myself when I was young that if I spend money on any one thing, it’s the things that I use the most. My wallet, my cell phone, my pen, and my notebooks are things that I use EVERY SINGLE DAY so I might as well devote some attention to them, and so should you!
