When I look across the Internet, I find that many groups use this term. Knives, Flashlights, Cameras, Pens, Handguns, and a great many other things often have the label of EDC attached to them. Many interest groups claim that it originated with them. I have no idea when this term came into being or where it came from.

Everyday carry seem obvious enough but when you look closer you will see that the definition can be quite loose.

If we carry a certain Item 5 days out of the week, is it EDC? I think it still is.

What if we carry an item all of the time except under special conditions when we substitute it with a more specialized tool or larger tool? I still think it is EDC but this is open to debate.

I generally think of an EDC item as a smaller than normal item that is carried with an individual most of the time but I can see how that does not always hold.

EDC I think is different things to different people in one way or another. I have seen people debate about this subject but sometimes they only see if from their point of view. A person in a rural area might have different needs than a person from a city. One person’s life might depend on his EDC one day while another person just likes to have the item. EDC might be different for people depending on their occupation or hobbies. One person may EDC a full sized item where other carries a small item. I am not sure how tight or how loose the boundaries of EDC should be. Perhaps we can figure this out or maybe there is no perfect answer.

Why would a person EDC? My thoughts are that there are many reasons that people would do so. It could be that it is really useful and practical to EDC many items for daily use. Some items may be carried a lot but used little awaiting some need that might occur. Several EDC items are functional or non-functional luxury items or status symbols. An EDC item can be a comfort item or just fun to have and play with. I am sure there are many other reasons besides these.

If it is in your car everyday, is that another level of EDC? I don’t know what I think on this but have had the thought many times. Maybe there are levels of EDC.

It is my hope that we will have people from all walks of life from diverse groups by occupation, hobby, region, lifestyle, and any other thing that might make our look at EDC more well rounded. If I get the kind of group I would like to see, I think we run the risk of many disagreements on things but also the opportunity to learn from each other as well.