Many of you know I am a knife guy. I never leave the house without a pocket knife or small Swiss Army knife. Thinking beyond my EDC, here are five other tolls you should never leave home without.
Flashlight-
You don’t always need a flashlight in your pocket, but you better have one close at hand. Always keep one in your car. Some of the high-end ones are small enough to fit in the coin pocket of your jeans. If you can’t afford one that size, just get something that’s bright enough for home use.
Cell phone-
I wrote an article about ways to survive in a disaster , and still think cell phones will be the #1 tool when the shit hits the fan (apologies for my French). Phones don’t need to make calls anymore, they connect with Bluetooth to your earpiece or speaker. They store information like maps, contacts, etc. So it makes sense that they’re always at hand. Please keep yours close; would hate for you not be able to call me after I’ve saved you from some tragedy!
Multitool-
This is the most basic of all EDC pieces you need when you venture out of the house. The multitool has multiple uses, ranging from prying open boxes to tightening bolts. I carried one for years before upgrading to a Gerber Dime. A multitool isn’t just handy when you’re in need of something; it’s also good when you feel like doing things the hard way (a hobby of mine).
Work Glove-
Every man needs a glove that protects his hands and gives him better grip than bare-skinned palms can provide. I’m not saying you should work unsupervised in construction zones with these babies on, but they’ll keep your hands safe when changing tires or handling tools . They can be made out of leather or suede and come in pinch and pull styles.
Knife-
I don’t understand guys who don’t own at least one pocketknife. Literally the only guy I know who doesn’t have one is my dad, and he’s lost more remotes than imaginable. Just about every man needs an average-sized pocketknife . It used to be that there was a certain type of knife that was acceptable; it had standard dimensions with wood or plastic trimming on the handle, maybe some designs carved into it, and two blades (a big one and a little one). A knife like this isn’t enough anymore.
Pocket knives can vary in size from mini-knives small enough to go on your keychain up to huge hunting knives you don’t want to ever see coming out of your pants pocket. A modern pocketknife should suit your purposes. If all you need is something to open Amazon boxes, than a mini folder will do the trick. If you want a knife for more edgy purposes, than you might need something bigger.
The tip of the blade should be sharp and come to a fine point (serrated edges are OK if that’s what you like), and it should remain strong under pressure because the blade is thinner at the end than in the middle (making it stronger). The blade should be made out of metal without too much play when opening and closing; there should also be no gaps between the handle and the blade.
I know I said five things, but a knife is a freebie and obvious. The next item is not so obvious to many!
Pen-
The other no brainer is a good pen. Never leave home without one! You never know when you might need to write something down. First, even in this modern age you still need to write stuff down. You might not have your phone to take a note, even if you have a great memory. But, it’s more of an emergency thing. You need something to write with in order for the other guy to get your message. I mean come on, what are you going to do? Write them an email or text message?
A good pen is also nice for just writing down notes. Maybe you’re sitting in a class and want to go over things later from the lecture, maybe you just found out about this really cool physics equation that helps prove general relativity that you definitely don’t want to forget about! Or maybe there’s that girl who sits next to you in chem but she always wears headphones so she doesn’t hear when people ask her questions.
Sounds basic, but these are things a man needs each day.