EDC tools designed to help you solve problems that bullets don’t.
What Are The Top EDC Tools:
- MRF MultiCard Multitool
- Pokka Pen
- Sunshine Products Mini Stash Cash Can
- Blue Force Micro Trauma Kit NOW
- KeySmart Pro
- Hanks Belts Kydex Reinforced
- E12 2.0 Fenix Flashlight
- FireSteel Army
- Trayvax Armored Summit Wallet
- Real Avid Gun Tool AMP
Call it gun fever, pistol pandemic or what have you. Folks procure a heater and act as if they’re ready to tackle all the world has to throw at them right then and there. It’s almost enough to laugh at.
Aside from solid training and inside-out knowledge of the particular firearm destined for their hip, there’s a load of additional kit required to do things right. Holster selection alone is a dynamic nearly lifelong process—few hangers are ever defined as perfect. Additionally, there are tons of little things that, along the way, you learn enhance your ability to handle everyday emergencies. A lethal-force encounter isn’t the only thing that can do you in.
So, without further ado, here are EDC tools that either enhance carrying or solve problems bullets don’t.
MRF MultiCard Multitool
In this day and age, who doesn’t have a multi-tool? Then, you know their major drawback: They’re clunky and a pain to tote around. Well, not anymore. The MRF MultiCard Multitool makes being prepared as simple as tucking away your Diner’s Club card. Tipping the scales at 1.55 ounces, credit card-sized (so you can tuck it into your wallet) this EDC tool is engineered for the utmost convenience. Nevertheless, it’s no mere novelty; it’s capable of executing more than 21 functions, including wrenching nuts, stripping wires, manipulating oxygen tanks and pulling nails. MSRP: $39; mrfmts.com
Pokka Pen
For field notes or the potential love-of-your-life’s phone number, you better have a pen that works. Up to this point, pens that worked wet, dry or otherwise tended to run nearly an arm and a leg. Enter Pokka Pen. Designed with partners Rite in the Rain and Fisher, the Pokka is engineered to lay down ink in rain, snow, grease or whatever else you throw at it—at a fraction of the price of any other pen in its class. The secret to the Pokka’s performance is the genuine Fisher cartridges found in the company’s legendary Space Pen. It’s an out-of-sight EDC tool and a worthy addition to any kit. MSRP: $12.95 two-pack; pokkapens.com
Sunshine Products Mini Stash Cash Can
Cash talks, especially in emergencies. Even if you’re wed to your Visa or Mastercard, it’s a solid idea to have some disaster cash on hand, whether commuting to work or traveling across the country. Simple as it is ingenious, this little brass canister makes it easier than ever to keep emergency funds on person at all times. Designed to hold one bill, properly folded, the canister is easily attached to a keychain, backpack or, heck, zipper for that matter. It takes up almost no room and draws little unwanted attention. One hundred-percent American made, the can is waterproof thanks to twin O-rings and impact resistant to most everyday bumps and tumbles. MSRP: $25; sunshineproductsusa.com
Be Prepared:
- 6 Top Micro 9mm Handguns For Everyday Carry
- What’s The Best Capacity For An EDC Gun?
- Selecting The Best EDC Knife And Top Picks
- The Personal Journey To Your EDC Gun
- Is Everyday Carry (EDC) Really Necessary
Blue Force Micro Trauma Kit NOW
No one’s coming to save you, including medics. Given this, including a trauma kit in your possibles bag isn’t a sober choic. It’s a lifesaving one. Blue Force puts one right at hand with its Micro Trauma Kit NOW system. Designed for belt carry, the IFKA is convenient enough to become a constant companion and boasts the instruments to manage a slew of traumatic injuries. Chief among these include hemostatic dressing, tourniquet and medical tape. But you can upgrade the kit to include QuickClot Combat Gauze, chest seal, decompression needle and nasopharyngeal airway, among other things. Chances are you won’t need a lick of this gear. But, by God, if you do, you’ll be glad you have it on hand. MSRP: Basic $129.95; Advanced $199.95; blueforcegear.com
KeySmart Pro
Traditional keyrings have run their course. Disorganized and bulky, they clutter pockets and barely accomplish their main function—hardly what you’re looking for in a tidy EDC tool. Luckily, KeySmart has completely rethought how you carry and utilize these vital everyday items. Functioning almost like a pocket knife, the organizer holds up to 14 keys in a neat and orderly fashion. Along the way, it trims up the gear you have on person, making space for more vital kit worth having on hand. Furthermore, KeySmart also solves the whole lost key problem. Linking with a smart device via Tile, the device gives you a way to locate keys quickly and efficiently. A tidy little package, it not only streamlines your EDC system, but it also makes it more effective. MSRP: $59.99; getkeysmart.com
Hanks Belts Kydex Reinforced
It goes without saying, but if you’re rocking a regular belt for concealed carry, you’re asking for trouble. Limp as a noodle, that single layer of leather is going to allow your pistol to print. Worse yet, it won’t facilitate a clean and consistent draw. A gun belt is in order for EDC—the stiffer the better, which is exactly what Hanks’ Kydex Reinforced belt provides. Better yet, it does so without weighing you down. Light as a feather, the rigid thermal plastic is the ideal core material for a rock-solid gun belt for everyday wear. Hanks goes a step further, keeping the belt slimmer than others in its class, utilizing nylon backing on extra-thick full-grain leather. It’s a nifty system, one that ensures you won’t be caught with your pants down in a life-threatening situation. MSRP: $89.99; hanksbelts.com
E12 2.0 Fenix Flashlight
A flashlight is an imperative enhancement to a self-defense gun, but it’s also a must-have for about everything else life throws at you—unless you stay indoors after the sun goes down. Seeing as few of us do, the E12 2.0 Fenix proves a godsend. It’s small enough to always be on person and strong enough to blind an assailant or pinpoint where you dropped your keys. Measuring a tick over 3 inches and tipping the scales at less than an ounce, the second-generation E12 fits perfectly in a front or rear pocket. When the rear power button is hit, it deploys up to 160 lumens of light. Waterproof, dust-proof, boasting an adjustable clip and running off everyday AA batteries, the E12 makes carrying a flashlight an absolute breeze. MSRP: $26.95; fenixlighting.com
Light My Fire FireSteel Army
Much of everyday carry revolves around urban settings, but it’s foolish to think that’s the only environment you need to prep for. Do any hiking or cross-country travel? It’s a solid plan to be ready to face Mother Nature. A number one EDC tool in that column is a way to start a fire. Swedish-made FireSteel Army has you covered for kindling a lifesaving flame in nearly any conditions. No larger than a house key, the magnesium-alloy fire starter takes up next to no room in a pack or jacket pocket and is completely self-contained. Its striker is attached via a durable nylon cord and is good for up to 12,000 strikes. Biobased plastic handles provide ample grip space, so even gloved hands can get the 3,000-degree sparks flying. MSRP: $19; lightmyfire.com
Trayvax Armored Summit Wallet
Counterintuitive as all get out, the right wallet makes EDC a world easier. Listen, you already have around 20 ounces of gun stuffed into your waistband and likely a second magazine, why would you tote around a George Costanza behemoth wad of cash and cards? With the Armored Summit, you won’t. Vastly streamlined and a whisper of your former wallet, the system keeps your ID, credit cards and bills in order. Width and length are just a hair larger than a card, and thickness, with six to seven cards, is less than the average cell phone. On top of that, the 100-percent USA-made melonite-finished (yup just like handguns) steel plate blocks RFID readers, keeping your identity and bank account safe. Plus, it’s infinitely more dashing than that piece of old cowhide in your pocket. MSRP: $34.99; trayvax.com
Real Avid Gun Tool AMP
If Murphy rears his ugly head, do you want to troubleshoot your on-person self-defense gun with what’s at hand or tools meant for the job? Real Avid knows the answer to that question, which is why they cooked up undoubtedly one of the cleverest EDC tools ever to come down the line. Are you going to install a custom trigger with Gun Tool AMP? No. But you’re armed to address some of the most common problems you’ll encounter on modern concealed-carry pistols. With 11 functions—including nut wrenches, hex keys, pin punch and more—you have everything you need to chase off firearms gremlins … be they plaguing your micro reflex sight or magazine follower. About the size of a common clip knife—and yes, it does have a 2.5-inch blade—the AMP is a prudent investment to ensure your gun always runs like a top. MSRP: $69.99; realavid.com
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2020 Everyday Carry issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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