Everyday carry, variously given as every day carry, every-day carry, or EDC, is the complete inventory of personal possessions which an individual has with them on a constant or near-constant basis. The term also applies to organisational systems oriented around this inventory, multitools which provide the utility of many separate tools and devices, and a personal philosophy of optimising one's inventory of tools for one's specific lifestyle. There are many communities online focusing on EDC, including reddit communities for posting photographs of one's entire EDC collection, or specific combinations of items thought to be especially essential, such as the popular "wallet, pen, flashlight, knife" combo, or the more esoteric "mechanical keyboard, headphones, fountain pen" combo.

Most EDC communities encourage positioning all items depicted in an orderly or "knolled" layout which shows them clearly with their branding or features in view, such as leaving a folding knife open. The simplest EDC photo genre is called the "pocket dump," in which an individual empties their pockets onto a table, depicting whatever happened to be with them right that moment. Opinion varies on the extent to which workplace-only materials and tools qualify as EDC; some EDC enthusiasts restrict their photography to items which remain on their persons at all times that they are out of the house, even on days off work. Opinion also varies on whether or not the contents of a purse qualify as EDC, or should be itemised in an EDC image, rather than the purse itself being depicted primarily, and a few token items displayed which align more conventionally with EDC customs.

Items commonly featured in EDC include:

  • House keys and wallet with personal identification and money
  • Smartphone, tablet, and/or laptop
  • Notebook, sketchbook, or journal
  • Ink pen ("Tactical pens" with a carbide glassbreaker on the back end are especially popular, for their functionality as a kubotan weapon. Fountain pens are popular among calligraphy enthusiasts.)
  • Cigarette lighter, with or without accompanying cigarettes
  • Flashlight
  • Headphones or earbuds
  • Pocket knife and/or multitool
  • Wristwatch
  • Sunglasses
  • Flask or water bottle
  • Fidget toy, such as a fidget spinner or begleri beads
  • Items of personal religious significance, such as a rosary or mala
  • Pocket sewing kit, manicure kit, and/or first aid kit
  • Firearm
  • Tools specific to one's individual profession (e.g. a firefighter might place her helmet or fire axe in view when photographing her EDC.)
  • Shoes or work boots, in the case of EDC enthusiasts who consider a specific pair of footwear to be essential to their daily life

Related topics include vehicular everyday carry (VEDC), bug out bag (abbreviated BOB, the method of having an emergency kit prepared in case one should need to flee their current location with no time to prepare), "onebagging" (the method of condensing one's EDC into a single bag, usually intended for long-term use while traveling without a personal vehicle), and "prepping" (stockpiling survival supplies in a secure location, in anticipation of a major disaster or infrastructural collapse).

The origin of the term EDC is unclear, but the website EverydayCarry.com has existed since 2005, and there are mentions of EDC dating to 2003 on BladeForums.com. In their 2017 research article, Sick Bunnies and Pocket Dumps, Katrin Tiidenberg of Aarhus University and Andrew M. Whelan at the University of Wollongong characterise EDC as part of the "not-selfies" genre of self-representation in online social media, because they depict a person's distinct lifestyle, tastes, and personality, without depicting their personal appearance or stripping them of their online anonymity.

Iron Noder 2020, 20/30

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