If you’re new to practicing the mindset of EDC or if you got your first pocket knife in elementary school, constantly evaluating your EDC is an important part of ensuring you are prepared for the unknowns of the everyday. Only you know where you’re going, what you’re doing, who you will be with.
We drool over the latest tools, knives, and gear, but updating your everyday carry doesn’t have to be expensive. We put together a list of our top EDC gear under $10 so you can change up your Primary or Secondary EDC to ensure you have the most useful setup, no matter what you have planned.
In no particular order, let’s take a look at our top 10:
Pocket Notebook
We have talked about before how important carrying a pocket notebook is in day-to-day life. Being intentional about writing things down, whether to-do lists, notes, phone numbers or just doodles, can better set you up for remembering life’s details. It also creates a record of what you wrote down, giving a little bit of history in the mundane parts of life.
Gerber Shard
We did a full review of the Gerber Shard here as its an EDC favorite for many.
At only 0.6 ounces in weight, it boasts 7 functions and easily fits into your keychain EDC setup. The large lanyard hole allows you to use all of its 7 tools without taking it off, which sets itself apart from many other one-piece keychain tools.
Unlike a folding multitool that conceals its tools and functions, this one-piece leaves all its tools exposed, which depending on your keychain setup, can poke you in the wrong places.
Here at Option Gray, we’re pretty evenly divided about keeping the Shard (or any other OPMT, one-piece multitool) on a keychain that lives in our pockets or attached to a belt loop via a carabiner or TEC Accessories P-7 Suspension Clip. Either way works.
For function and price, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better value than the Gerber Shard.
CountyComm Screw Key Set
Made out of heat-treated blackened steel, this Screw Key Set is as basic as it can get. It’s the simple idea of a screwdriver on your keyring.
The set includes a standard and Phillips screwdriver, both attached to a 1″ diameter satin keyring.
Especially if your Primary EDC includes a folding pocket knife, having screwdrivers easily accessible on your keychain (or kept in your Secondary EDC Pocket Organizer) can come in handy if you’re opening up battery covers, assembling basic furniture, tightening a loose door nob, and even just to scrape or pry, which saves your blade. It’s a great inexpensive upgrade for your keychain tools.
Vargo Spork ULV
Having an eating utensil in your Secondary or Extended EDC makes you ready for the next time you find yourself without something to eat with. Keep it at work, take it with you on your next camping trip or throw it in your EDC organizer.
Vargo’s “Ultra Lightweight Version” Spork is only 0.38 ounces for a full size, 6.5″ eating utensil. Made out of titanium, it’s seemingly indestructible.
If you’ve never EDC’d a spork, “splurge” on this one over the plastic throw-away fork you stole from Chick-fil-a. You won’t regret it.
Uncle Bills Sliver Gripper Tweezers
Crafted from a single piece of spring-tempered stainless steel and precise in their point of contact, you can grab fine hairs, splinters, stingers, stitches, thorns, and more with these tweezers.
Especially if you’re out with your family, having tweezers available to provide some basic first aid is a great way to be prepared. They come with a clip that allows them to be put on your keyring.
Just squeeze to pull out the tweezers to remove them from the clip. To replace them, just squeeze and push the pointed end into the clip’s slot until it clicks into place.
Field Notes No2 Woodgrain Pencils (6-Pack)
In today’s day of technology, nothing beats putting pen to paper. We’ve written before about how important carrying a pen and paper is, but that also applies to good, old fashioned pencils.
They don’t run out (well, it takes a very long time), are much more forgiving with the built-in eraser, and sharpening it with your pocket knife is strangely mindless and rewarding.
Field Notes No2 Woodgrain Pencils are a good place to start. For less than $5, you get 6, which should last you a while. Throw one into your go bag, your car, your backpack or anywhere else having a writing utensil will come in handy.
Slip-n-Snip Folding Pocket Scissors
Scissors are a great way to diversify and grow your Primary and Secondary EDC. Write Notepads paired up with Slip-N-Snip for these handy, made in the USA, scissors.
We previously wrote about six reasons why you should add scissors to your EDC and at under $10, these folding scissors make it easy to do.
Write Notepads Pocket Linear Measuring Device (Ruler)
This 611C ruler is a two-sided 6″ ruler with a clip. It is 1/2″ wide and .020″ thick. It has pica/half-pica increments on the front top and inches (16ths) on the bottom. On the back edge, there are point increments on the top and metric on the bottom. It has a flush start, making accurate measuring simple.
As part of your Primary EDC, you can keep the ruler clipped to your shirt pocket if you use it throughout the day. For most people, it makes an easy addition to your Secondary EDC, as it fits in most of our Pocket Organizers, so you can make sure you always have an accurate way to measure.
TEC Accessories Python Clip
There are countless uses for the TEC Accessories Python Clip, and we gave five good ones here. It’s the perfect keychain accessory to keep specific items detachable. Make your keys useable and flexible so they can easily change depending on where you are going and what you’re doing.
A much easier option over standard split rings, the Python Clip allows for quick addition or removal of items. Once you clip it on, it will NOT let go, and at less than $5, you can justify multiple to get the most out of your Primary EDC setup.
Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Medic
First aid is an important part of your EDC. Having basic first aid supplies can clean you up after a cut, stop an oncoming migraine, or even save your life.
If you’re looking for something small and lightweight, that won’t break the bank, Adventure Medical Kit’s Pocket Medic is a good place to start, especially if you currently don’t have any first aid gear in your Secondary EDC. It contains the basics for one person, like wound care, blister care, burn care, tweezers, and medication.
We believe all of these options are budget-friendly ways to expand or upgrade your EDC. If you have found any holes that need filling it shouldn’t cost you much to get up to speed.
What other budget-friendly EDC items do you recommend?