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I love building a \u201ckit,\u201d a \u201cpack,\u201d a bag with enough stuff<\/em> in it to make sure I am ready for every eventuality. I\u2019m not talking about a survival kit per se, just some things that mean I am basically ready for any modern situation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nEDC or Every Day Carry is basically part of my personality at this stage. It started with smartphones, moved on to earbuds, and steadily, like many of you, I accrued an assortment of gadgets, products, and things<\/em> I found myself dragging with me everywhere.<\/p>\nI am constantly on the lookout for the next thing<\/em> to enhance my EDC. I\u2019m not alone in this; Andrew is in the same boat. We\u2019re product people first and foremost, but practicality has to be a component before it becomes a bigger part of daily lives.<\/p>\nWe figured that we\u2019d share some of that intimate knowledge, driven by building packs for trade shows, travel, and just, well, hanging around.<\/p>\n
\tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/span><\/p>\nSo, this is Out of Pocket, our new series diving into what makes our EDC tick. Expect more deep dives into the kinds of things that are adjacent to your smartphone, the things that you carry every day, or brand new products that might pique your interest. After all, we all have our own specific EDC essentials. Here are a few of ours to hopefully get your own creative juices flowing\u2026<\/p>\n
My current kit (Damien)<\/h2>\nThe Sidebag \u2013 TomToc T33 (3.5L)<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMy search for the perfect sidebag has been, I\u2019ll be honest, arduous. Day-to-day, I\u2019m not much of a backpack guy, so a sling or a sidebag is the perfect accessory for all the little things I feel like I need. I already own a Bellroy Venture Ready sling, and while it\u2019s awesome. It is just a little bit too small for a real<\/em> EDC kit.<\/p>\nTomToc\u2019s T33 sidebag is exponentially better with more pockets, exceptional internal organization, and interior sections. You could fit a small-ish water bottle or drink in the middle section, but netted segments mean I can throw in paracetamol or lip balm for easy access. There\u2019s enough room for a really small tablet or notebook and documents in the back portion.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a key carabiner so I can throw in my house keys and keychain right at the front. It\u2019s stretchy enough to open a door and have the key snap back into the front pocket.<\/p>\nOne of my must-haves on a sling is a body-facing \u201csecret\u201d pocket. When I\u2019m traveling, my passport goes here so it\u2019s accessible, but also harder for someone to try and slip their hand in \u2013 not that this has been a problem.<\/p>\n
One of the most important things for me is that it\u2019s waterproof. While it\u2019s hot right now in England, we\u2019re due a downpour. I like that all my stuff inside is safe and dry. The zippers are smooth, with waterproof seams, and there are lots of carabiner anchor points too, so you can attach a hat or a water bottle. It hits all the right notes, and I\u2019ve abused it thoroughly, and it just wipes clean.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s super cheap for what it offers at under $45. My only gripe is that the color options aren\u2019t all that extensive, but you could level that criticism at basically any sidebag. This is one that won\u2019t break the bank.<\/p>\n
The Juice\u00a0 \u2013 Anker Nano 5,000mAh power pack<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tPower banks are just so ubiquitous now that you can basically boil it down to what you want or need. Because I use the Pixel 11 Pro, I always want a Magsafe-compatible power bank around to slap to the back of the phone.<\/p>\n
I had been using the Genki Energy Pack for almost a year now, and there were a number of reasons for that. Firstly, it looks awesome with the black and orange color scheme. Secondly, it\u2019s Qi2 certified, so it does all the necessary handshake stuff required to get faster and more efficient charging speeds.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s blocky and bulky, so I switched it out recently for something a little lighter. I\u2019m rocking the Anker Nano power bank now because it isn\u2019t as bulky and has enough juice to give me a full charge on basically any phone I\u2019m carrying.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a tiny strip of LEDs that shows remaining battery level; it\u2019s Qi2 certified, but that is limited to 15W. I use the solitary USB-C charging port if I need 20W and above, but most of the time it\u2019s absolutely fine when you\u2019re out and about. For what it\u2019s worth, I carry a super short USB-C cable that\u2019s like 10cm for that specific reason too.<\/p>\n
I do think it\u2019s a little pricey, but you can get it in different colours and mine has taken a beating over the year or slightly longer I\u2019ve been using it. It\u2019s just something that can slip on to the back of your phone without being huge or messing around with cables \u2013 which is something I appreciate.<\/p>\n
On-the-go entertainment \u2013 Boox Go 6 e-reader<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tI reviewed the Boox Go 6 e-reader almost two years ago, and since then, it has become a staple in my EDC setup. It\u2019s just so small and inconspicuous that it basically lives in my sidebag.<\/p>\n
As an e-reader, it\u2019s nothing special. I\u2019d even say it\u2019s a little underpowered for what it offers, but the size and shape are what keep me coming back basically every single day. I basically leave it running the Kindle app or download some epub files, and it handles those absolutely fine. It is technically an Android tablet, so you can share files using Quick Share. I find this is great if you find something you want to read because you can just fire things over without messing with cables. Heck, I have hundreds of EPUBs that just work now, which is lovely. Even PDFs work just fine.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s under 300g with a magnetic flip case attached, so it\u2019s not heavy by any stretch of the imagination. I have my eye on a few of the even smaller Magsafe e-readers, but at 6-inches this is like a pamphlet or an especially large coupon. Perfect for reading novels, documents, or even a downloaded webpage \u2013 not that I would recommend that!<\/p>\n
A newer version has just been released that enables note-taking and various other improvements. I\u2019m hoping to test drive that soon, but I have genuinely loved the compact design of the Go 6 and think I\u2019d struggle to go back to a full-sized Kindle for that reason alone. It has come down in price to around $160, which isn\u2019t cheap, but still not bad if you want something super small. That said, something even smaller might be better for just throwing into an even smaller sling bag\u2026<\/p>\n
Always available audio \u2013 USB-C earbuds<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tI simply hate not having some earbuds with me when I\u2019m out of the house. I simply must be distracted with podcasts, YouTube Music, or if I want to take a call, I cannot live without a pair in my bag.<\/p>\n
I usually have about 20 pairs of Bluetooth earbuds lying around my desk, but when the battery dies, they\u2019re useless. I was so annoyed at a pair of buds dying mid-flight while traveling last year that I bought a random pair of USB-C earbuds from an airport vending machine to keep the music flowing. I think they\u2019re from Xiaomi as there\u2019s a little \u201cMi\u201d logo embossed on the inline remote. I only paid like $16, but Belkin makes a pair that are $15 and reputable enough that I might pick up a pair as a spare.<\/p>\n
Honestly, they sound fine. The threshold is that a pair of earbuds just needs to sound better than traffic or that dull airplane drone. These earbuds live in my bag as a last resort audio option, heck, they\u2019re great to just share with someone if they\u2019ve forgotten their own earbuds. They take up basically negligible space, too. When I\u2019m done with them, I quickly wipe them with an alcohol pad, and they\u2019re sterilized. Trust me, it\u2019s worth having at least one backup option because the one time you need them, it\u2019s a lifesaver. If you lose them, it\u2019s not a big deal. Win-win in my book.<\/p>\n
Retro on the go \u2013 Gamesir Pocket Taco controller<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tIf I\u2019m taking a backpack, I usually try to make room for my Steam Deck or Switch 2, but if I\u2019m going out for a few hours, I\u2019ll usually stick to something much smaller. I love Gamesir\u2019s range of controllers, but the Pocket Taco is one that, as a millennial gamer and Gameboy obsessive, I\u2019m sticking with for now.<\/p>\n
It clips onto your phone \u2013 don\u2019t worry, it has rubber pads to stop scratches \u2013 and gives you real buttons to play games in portrait orientation like Nintendo intended back in the late 1980s. It really does feel like a DMG Game Boy in the best ways. Thankfully, there are more buttons that you can map so that you can play other emulators, not just Gameboy.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not a gamer, mobile or otherwise, this might not be for you, and that\u2019s absolutely fine. For nerds of a certain \u201cvintage,\u201d you\u2019ll probably love this as much as I do.<\/p>\n
The extras \u2013 \u2018stuff\u2019 and \u2018things\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re all humans, so we can\u2019t just have cables and batteries in our bags. I carry a few other key things that are useful. Most of these are just cheap things that I\u2019ve found are worth having.<\/p>\n
After a trip to a city with questionable-quality streetlights, I picked up a little keychain torch that just attaches to my keys. Olight makes a ton of EDC lighting products, but I love the iMini 2 at just $20 because it can just go on my keys with the carabiner clip.<\/p>\n
I just charge it every couple of months using the integrated USB-A plug at the back, and it lasts a lotng time despite the fact that it\u2019s absolutely tiny. Detach to power on, then it magnetically snaps back into place, and the light turns off. Super useful if you don\u2019t want to drain your smartphone\u2019s battery, and it\u2019s bright enough to light a small room. Sometimes I just use it to fine stuff I\u2019ve dropped down the side of my car seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tI have spilled tea and coffee on my clothes so many times that I started carrying around a Tide stain pen a while back, and it has saved many a shirt. It\u2019s not going to get out huge stains, but it\u2019s still nice to stop something from ruining your outfit. They\u2019re around $15 for a 5-pack. I can\u2019t recommend them highly enough because they\u2019ve stopped so many of my shirts and t-shirts from getting completely ruined over the past few years.<\/p>\n
On a similar note, I try to carry a microfiber cleaning cloth, alcohol cleaning pads, and napkins or tissues. Throw in some hand gel, lotion, a little sunscreen, and I\u2019m covered for basically any eventuality.<\/p>\n
My current kit (Andrew)<\/h2>\nThe backpack \u2013 Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L<\/h3>\n Whether I step outside with a sling or my backpack is entirely down to whether I decide to tote my laptop along. I use a MacBook Air 13-inch, which has the smallest footprint one can reasonably expect a bag to fit. But even so, there is a true limit to the number of slings that can carry a small laptop. So if that\u2019s coming with me, I\u2019m taking the Peak Design Travel Backpack 20L.<\/p>\n
The 20L variant has easily become my favorite backpack to lug around if I\u2019m going with a heavier loadout. It weighs very little, and it\u2019s completely unassuming. If there needs to be more on my back, it can expand slightly beyond that small capacity. But otherwise, I\u2019m able to carry my laptop and a few essentials without worry.<\/p>\nThe main compartment is great for just throwing random items in. When I\u2019m using this bag, stuff doesn\u2019t need to be organized as it would in a dedicated camera bag. I\u2019m generally going to bring my tech pouch along, too. But that\u2019s almost overkill because the top pocket has all of the same inner pockets for those little things I want to tag along.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tIt has all of the little creature comforts you\u2019d want. Magnetic strap keepers, a pass-through for luggage handles, and an internal water bottle holder, so a giant container of liquid isn\u2019t sloshing around way off balance. Overall, it\u2019s simple but incredibly effective at what it does.<\/p>\n
The sidebag \u2013 Bellroy Lite Sling Mini<\/h3>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAs for the sling, my rule states that I\u2019ll swap to this if my laptop isn\u2019t coming along. The Sling Lite Mini has the feel of an outdoor bag without so much of the look, so it flies under the radar more than a technical pack might. The outer material is strong and lightweight, but it doesn\u2019t repel liquid as well as I\u2019d hope it would. The internal pocket structure is simple, but efficient. The main pocket is plenty large enough for random items, and it\u2019s complemented by a zipper pocket for thinner items. One of the gussets that let it expand is lined with a pocket I use to slip my Nomad titanium pen and handy USB ChargeKey. On the other side, I clip my knife and flashlight.<\/p>\nThe best part about it being geared towards outdoor use is that it\u2019s expandable. The gusseted construction keeps it compact, no matter how much you stuff in it. So even if it\u2019s full, the shoulder strap pulls it tight so the overall profile is kept slim.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s tough and just easy to grab and go. I love this bag.<\/p>\n
Neither is traditionally \u201ccheap,\u201d and Damien offers a great alternative with his TomToc sidebag. But at $79 for the sling and double that for the Travel Backpack, it\u2019s a \u201cbuy it for life\u201d sort of purchase.<\/p>\n
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