EDC/Man Purse

I have had enough of not having what I want, when I want it, where I want it. I try to keep each car supplied with some basics, but inevitably they get taken out and dissapear. So I have decided that I need a purse. I am not really ready for the mocking that would entail, so I searched for a solution and came up with an EDC or every day carry pouch. This waas my inspiration:

Most of these assume you are going to get stuck in the woods and have to fend off bears. For me, I assume that I will be at Panera and not be able to charge my phone or take a call on headphones. Or I will have to unscrew something or open a box or find something in the dark.  So I bought a little pouch and I went with the following:

• Leatherman Wave - Little of everything in a compact unit
• Flashlight - Yes, iPhones have flashlights, but this one is also a USB battery to charge devices so it has a dual-function.
• Sharpie and Paper - The sharpie has thin and broad tips and some scrap paper let me take notes or leave a note. 
• Lightning Heaphones with 3.5mm adapter - I can take calls or listen to music on the phone or laptop or whatever
• Multi-plug USB charger - With Lightning, mini USB and the other thing I can charge most things. Will replace one that adds a USB-C plug as well.
• USB wall charger - Cords are easy to find in the wild, plugs are not.
• Tweezers - Someone always has a splinter and it is usually me
• Cable tie - because why not
• Lens wipes - for cameras or glasses
• Cash - for emergencies
• Bic Lighter - No one I know smokes, so when you need to light fireworks or a stove at a camp or burn the evidence, its handy to have

And that's it. Its too big for my pocket, so I am trying to get in the habit of tossing it in the car or bike whenever I travel. Anyone else rocking a man purse these days?

As soon as I buy that electric car!

I once had a habit of carrying about $15 in change.  Don't ask me why, I just never dumped it out.

So I try to limit my EDC to necessities. 

That's a great idea. The only thing I'd add would be a power bank, if it will fit, since you may need to charge the phone when you aren't near an outlet. 

I have most of that stuff on my belt or in my pocket, never really felt the need to put it into an easy to lose case.

In reply to z31maniac :

The flashlight is also a power bank, trying for maximum versatility. 

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

Way cool, do you mind sharing exactly what the EDC and such you got?

I keep a small tool kit and a first aid kit in Kandy Van.  My leatherman is usually on my belt when I'm at work, I always have a pocket knife.  I like the extras.

It's a European Carryall......

We sure that's a Wave? Looks like a Sidekick, Wingman, or Rev to me. 
 

In any case, nowadays I carry nothing most of the time. Working from home, charging cords in the cars, Leathermans/gerbers in the cars and around the house not to mention a full set of tools. 
 

In my backpack though, I keep basically everything you have there plus a little first aid kit and a 3-plug outlet. 

I keep all of that stuff in my truck and quite a bit more. I carry a phone (which has a notepad, camera, flashlight, etc in addition to making calls) and a pocket knife in my pockets every day. My phone battery easily lasts 24 hours. If I need a pen there's always one somewhere nearby, but I don't remember the last time I needed one when it wasn't connected to work or a vehicle. Both of which have pens. 

I have a daily carry backpack that has all of that plus. Basically, everything needed to keep me alive and fairly comfortable for 72 hours. 

Paracord.   Get a hank of real 550 and put it in there.  Mind sharing a link for the pouch?

In reply to ultraclyde :

There's always a pen until you really need one. I always have one with my knife in case I have to open an airway.   I probably watched too many MASH reruns as a kid.  
 

For a pen, I keep a fisher space pen. It can go a year without being used and it still writes. I wear khakis with 12 pockets and there is stuff in each pocket.

A week ago I used my 4 inch crescent wrench as a replacement scissor jack handle to change someone's tire in a parking lot. I carry far more than most. I have no idea what I will do when I wear out the last of these discontinued pants.

EDC Pouch on Amazon

There are a lot of EDC pouches out there, but this was only $10 and I did not want anything larger or with a shoulder strap. I did want a loop so that I could easily sling it or hang it.

I 100% agree that a pocket knife and a smartphone and a wallet gets you most of what you need day-to-day. What I was finding is that I would run an errand, and forget that I had an important call to be on. Headphones are a big help. Or once I am on-site somewhere wanting to take photos on my phone, the battery would be dead because my charge cord got pulled out of the wall by the dang cat or kids or something.  I have a battery case on my iPhone so it takes a lot to drain it, but it happens and only when you are really counting on it. I also have kids who constantly hit you with emergency repairs, or "dad can you finish assembling this table for me?" or "my car died" or "can you change the batteries in this toy". I can't be ready for everything, but this covers a lot of the stuff that comes up.

I do keep supplies in my cars, but you know how it goes. You take everything out when moving your daughter into the new apartment and you MEAN to put it back...  

I swear I'd wear a fanny pack if it weren't for how they were viewed the first time around

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

That seems like a pretty slick pouch.

I like it.

I have a couple of small bags like you have there. I also have a bunch of USB battery banks from purchases and trade shows. I even have a cable that can do all the major connector types. I already own most of the parts. My only issue is that the USB Li-Ion battery banks I've owned have a fast enough internal discharge that I can't just charge and forget.

Justjim75 said:

I swear I'd wear a fanny pack if it weren't for how they were viewed the first time around

What are you talking about?  Everybody knows that fanny packs are way cool.  I wear the Chuck Norris signature model.

i might add some paracord....

https://mountainhouse.com/blogs/emergency-prep-survival/everyone-paracord-bracelet

Laptop case. Carries all that stuff plus a small computer. 

You need less stuff. Not a purse to put it all in.

Keys

Card holder with credit cards and ID. Keep a $100 bill tucked away in there just in case you need cash. It's big enough you won't want to break it unless you have to.

Phone 

Pocket knife.

All the other gak can be replaced by the credit card, phone and a short trip somewhere. Money and a smartphone combine to make a magic wand that makes a lot of stuff happen in a short time.

I like the idea of setting up a case like the OPs for each car in the family, but for EDC I took a different approach and went the minimalist route and eliminated the separate wallet.

I have a phone case that's a folio with room for a debit card, credit card, license, limited cash (currently $20 bill) and an open slot. The wallet attaches to phone magnetically, so at home I'm not carrying the folio part around at home. 

I keep the leather man crunch on my belt. All the cars have charging cables to ensure power to charge a phone when running errands. 

On edit: I also went to a 12 mini for the phone to reduce size. 

My entire truck is nothing but a really huge man purse.