Build The Best EDC Bag

Build The Best EDC Bag

Posted on by Photo Source AmazonChoosing the best EDC bag to hold your every day carry items is an important part of your day to day preparedness.  There are many brands, styles, features, and sizes of bags out there, in this article we will help you identify what of these to look for as well as what to avoid when finding the best EDC bag for you.  If you are ready to pick up an EDC bag check out our store below:

Step 1: Picking your EDC List of Items

Whether you are new to the idea of Every Day Carry or someone who has been carrying a kit around for years take this as an opportunity to assess your EDC needs and what the minimum items are that you need to address these.  We cover this in depth in our How To Make An EDC List Article but we will recap here for your reference.  We will do this by performing a EDC List Review by stepping through the following questions.

  • What items do you NEED to carry with you to accomplish your basic daily routine?

These are the basic items that you can’t leave your house without.  It would minimally include a wallet, keys, and phone.  You may require more than this based on where you live or what you do professionally.  Keep this list as minimal as possible, it will be the core of your EDC kit and we will add on from here.

  • What are the threats, risks, and common problems that you are likely to face on a day to day basis?

We covered how to perform a risk assessment in the article we mentioned above (here) but the basics of this are to take a look at your environment and identify what potentially negative events are most likely to occur.  Part of knowing this is to understand what has happened historically in your area as well as keeping apprised of evolving risks around you.  Once you have a list of medium to high probability risks add to this commonly occurring problems in your daily life.  Do you need to frequently open boxes or packages?  Would carrying a knife help you in this?  Is it common for you to be in dark areas or to be out late at night?  Maybe it would be a good idea to start carrying an EDC flashlight (Check out our article here on EDC Flashlights).  What we are looking to address here are items that address common problems and high probability risks.  Think critically about these two elements and be shrewd about what you plan on packing.

  • What could you carry that would be universally useful across many situations?

This follows the methodology of multipurpose survival items we covered here.  What items could you carry that have many uses?  Items like duct tape, paracord, and a multitool fit perfectly into this niche.  Is there anything that you can add to your every day carry bag that fits this profile?

  • What items do you want to carry to assist with a low probability/high impact situation you may have to face?

These items are ones that are nice to have but not things that you hope to have to use except in extreme circumstances.  They may include egress tools such as a seatbelt cutter/window breaker for escaping vehicles, a spare handcuff key, or a pry tool for forcing doors open.  Think about low probability events with a high, negative impact that you could greatly improve your survivability by having a simple tool. 

Choosing your EDC Items

Carefully consider the questions above when crafting your EDC list.  Keep in mind that you are not striving to solve every problem or cover every possibility with your EDC kit, for that you will want a full Bug Out Bag.  Keep your EDC kit as streamlined as possible.  If your intention is to carry these items with you EVERY DAY you do not want a bloated list of gear that you carry around and never use.

Step 2: How Big Should Your Best EDC Bag Be?

After determining your ideal every day carry list figuring out the best EDC bag size to contain it is relatively straight forward.  I suggest finding the smallest bag you can that can fit all your items.  Start with measuring the largest item.  Its size will be the minimum dimensions of your EDC bag.  Also consider if you will be adding any items on a occasional basis to your EDC kit such as rain gear, water bottles, food, documents, or anything else you will be carrying as the need arises.  You will want extra space or the option of modular additions through a MOLLE system or other method to fit these occasional items.  EDC bags come in many styles and sizes, from a small organizer pouch that can fit into a cargo pocket up to 30 liter backpacks.  Anything larger than this is moving into Get Home or Bug Out Bag territory.  If you require a bag larger than 30L, you either have some BIG EDC items to carry or may want to re-examine your EDC list.

Step 3: What is the Best EDC Bag Style for You?

There are many types of bags used for Every Day Carry purposes.  The most common EDC bag styles are:

EDC Organizer Pouch

An EDC Organizer Pouch is the smallest style of EDC bag.  This is for people who have too many items to simply carry in their pants pockets but not enough to require a pack.  EDC organizer pouches typically:

  • Are 1 liter or less in volume
  • Have many interior pockets, hooks, and webbing for organizing EDC gear
  • Have Molle attachment points for integration into larger kits
  • Fit in a cargo pocket or are worn on a belt

Common EDC items that are stored in an EDC organizer pouch include:

EDC Lumbar Pack