On Prefab EDC Kits

With the growing popularity of everyday carry retailers are jumping on the bandwagon and doing all they can to get a piece of the action. Generally, I think this is great; the more the merrier. However, there are a few developments that I find mildly troubling. One of those developments is the emergence of prefabricated “EDC kits.”

There’s one that comes to mind. It’s being offered here for $44. It consists of a split-pea lighter, a set of tweezers, a pry-bar, and two just-slightly-larger-than-a-key screwdrivers (one phillips and one flathead). All the items are sourced from CountyComm, as far as I can tell.

As an initial observation, I find it a bit silly that they explicitly state in the description that EDC is personally defined and that it’s the result of evaluating and satisfying personal needs while they’re selling a package of stuff that is neither for the vast majority of people.

While the kit consists of relatively high-quality gear it’s also a compilation of stuff that most people probably don’t need. Of course, it’s retail; they’re trying to capitalize on an emerging market and offer a product that people will actually buy. However, as the EDC movement receives growing attention and popularity there will be more and more people trying to find their way into carrying “stuff.” That means that there are plenty of people out there who will try to jump on the EDC bandwagon by purchasing things like the prefabricated kit, throw the stuff in their pocket, and occasionally take pictures of it to post on the internet.

That’s not really EDC, is it? If everyday carry is truly the careful evaluation of one’s own needs and the carrying of gear to satisfy those needs then buying a kit of stuff that has been thrown together by someone else - a kit of things that are more superfluous accessories than anything - is offensive to the underlying principles of EDC.

Sure, if you’ve decided that you’re in desperate need of a less-than-accessible lighter, a pair of tweezers, a tiny pry bar, and some screwdrivers on your keychain this solution is for you. Absent that unlikely scenario, this compilation is a tad silly.

I can only imagine that people who purchase this “EDC kit” - or any other, for that matter - either quickly retire the majority of pieces to a drawer or keep their keychain and pockets unnecessarily cluttered with stuff that they’ll never use...