Every Day Carry on a Budget

Every Day Carry, is it a must? In today's world EDC is a very popular topic. You can find thousands of videos and blogs discussing the topic. However, it can be a tough topic to discuss. EDC is not for everyone and what you carry does not have to be what the other person carries or suggests you carry. I am going to outline some of the essentials I carry on a budget and what I think everyone should carry if they are going to take on the EDC world.

The Pen

The pen is an item I think everyone should have with them. There are millions of pen options out there, some for everyday office use, personal writing and specifically made for the EDC community. Depending on your budget and need may depend on the pen you purchase. I feel everyone should carry a few cheap pens in the car at all times. You need a writing utensil more than you think and having a few cheap ones in the car always comes in handy. If you are looking for a budget friendly EDC style pen, I would suggest the Zebra Pen X-701, which you can find on Amazon for around 13-15$. The pen is a stainless steel design with a lanyard loop at the end. It comes with two extra refills, for a total of 3 ink cartridges. It is a ballpoint style pen capable of writing up to 250 degrees and -30 degrees, giving you a chance to use it in almost any situation. The ink is a pressurized barrel allowing you to write from multiple angles, even upside down. This is a very affordable pen for the EDC person who is looking for something stylish and functional.

Pocket Knife

For the pocket knife, as with anything, you get what you pay for. For me I keep it budget friendly and go with affordability over quality at this point in my life. For my camping knives and fixed blades, I try to go for more quality, they are getting used more and in rougher conditions, my pocket knife is not seeing the same type of tasks as they are. So for an EDC knife I rotate a few different pocket knives at the moment, two of which are Ozark Trails and one that is Mossy Oak. The blades came razor sharp and are suitable for basic daily tasks. I do not expect to use them in the wilderness, but to use them to open a package, cut a thread, or protect myself, I feel they are more than capable blades. The Mossy Oak blade I carry the most, it is a small blade with a seatbelt cutter built into it, a window breaker on the handle, a 2.5 inch blade, and a bottle opener for the more important things in life. Carrying this knife allows me to then have the function of multiple tools all built into one. If you are not worried about brand, and your pocket knife is going to be used minimally, then sometimes budget friendly is the way to go. If you are a collector or just want a better quality knife that is fine too, your EDC setup should suit your wants and needs, no one else's.

Firearm

The biggest part of anyone's EDC set up is a firearm. Now regardless of your budget, there is a gun for you. A lot of people would urge you to not go with a budget pistol, however, if it's all you can afford, then that's what you get. Do your research when buying a pistol, look up reviews and read/ watch a lot of them before buying. I have a budget pistol, a SCCY 9mm, there are a ton of mixed reviews about this gun. Some people hate it, some love it, I personally love mine. For the price, I cannot complain. I have had it for 5 years now and besides some slide hang ups when I was breaking it it, I have had no issues since. I shoot it often and take good care of it and have not encountered any issues while at the range. I carry it often with me, almost anytime I go out with the family or myself, I would rather have it and never need it, then need it and not have it. The company SCCY has continued to improve their firearms and have built a solid reputation amongst the budget buyers. Even some high level gun enthusiasts have said it's a solid gun for the price. Some will say it is a good gun for that price range and then give other options they like better at or near that price point. Once again due the research and form your own opinion before buying. Build your EDC around your needs and wants. I am very happy with my choice of the SCCY 9mm, and I know I will get some negative feedback from some, but others also love it and swear by it.

In the end if you want to put together an EDC setup you can do so regardless of your budget. Make a carry set up that suits your needs and wants. In my opinion a pen, knife and firearm are the big three to build around. From there you can add to the set up, build inventory to rotate and learn to change and adapt for different events and days. Regardless of your set up, make sure you do some research and set up the system based on your needs.