Everyday Carry Essentials – What You Need in Your EDC Kit

"What should I carry in my EDC bag?"

This is a question that frequently comes up once someone has purchase their everyday carry bag. Red Oxx has the everyday carry bag and essentials category covered. Nearly every conceivable bag option for EDC carry is offered. From a full size rucksacks, to a variety of totes, including a rocking zippered top super tote, to versatile daily use bags with multiple carry options. These include our Booty Boss Waist Pack. Or is it shoulder sling carry, cross body, belt bag, a clutch? You decide.

Red Oxx even builds a group of everyday carry laptop bags. Some of these can even bring along your overnight clothing.

Want to get into greater detail about Red Oxx everyday carry bags. Curious about which ones will work best for you? Read up in What is an EDC Bag and Why You Need One.

So now that you’ve got your everyday carry bag, you need to fil ‘er up with daily-use items. Read on to prepare your everyday carry items list.

Loading Your Everyday Carry Bag Kit

Since we use a lot of our bags in the everyday carry capacity, it’s reasonable to assume that many items in our Travel Essentials category can be used to outfit your EDC Kit. Frankly, you’d be right.

Let’s start with PPE – Personal Protection Equipment.

Cleanup in Aisle O’ Hands

Next up is the Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Soap in a travel bottle size, Choose from two lovely scents: almond or citrus. Now you’ve got your hygiene covered for your EDC kit.

So you’ve washed your hands, how do you dry them? Pick up any one of four sizes of PackTowl Travel Towels. You can dry off hands, feet, and body as needed. Packtowls are reusable, simply rinse, squeeze, and hang up to dry. Each comes with their own mesh storage baggie.

EDC Personal Grooming Necessities

Ever been out and about and suddenly you tear a finger nail? Where’s that fingernail clipper when you need it? Tuck the best made nail clipper on the market from Seki Edge into your EDC kit. You’ll no longer worry about that torn nail catching on something and really getting ugly.

Might as well stock up on a Seki Edge Tweezers as well. This high-performance tweezer has a hand-sharpened angled edge to get in there and pull out those nasty splinters.

While Red Oxx doesn’t sell knives, we do offer a rock solid pair of ever-sharp scissors. These scissors are also from grand master groomers Seki Edge. In some cases a scissors can do many things a knife can, and a few other things, all while being a bit safer to use.

A good sharp scissors can cut cloth, bandages, even slice up meat and veggies. A scissors can become a stabbing weapon if needed. Seki Edge Scissors have a unique serrated blade that "holds-on" to slippery things while doing your cutting. All Seki Edge grooming instruments feature a lifetime warranty from Seki. Can you say that about typical store brands?

Kisser Protection

Red Oxx teamed up with the hard-core athletes at Badwater® Marathon and came out with the Badwater® Lip Balm. This sweet protective lip balm is available in three delicious flavors, including our delectable Red Oxx exclusive Montana Huckleberry. Few things more annoying than cracked, sun-burnt lips. Get that SPF-15 kisser protection you need, when you need it.

Writer’s Block Unblocked

There are times when you need to make a note, like writing down some directions. Or you need to create a shopping list? Perhaps write down a poem or jingle or rhyme that comes to mind? Maybe you just want to whip up a cute love note? Is it time for an apology or personal reminder? Capture a brilliant idea as a sketch?

Nothing beats the authenticity of a hand-written note therefore nothing beats a Rite in the Rain Memo Notebook for jotting that vision down. Fully waterproof and oil resistant, these rad notebooks are like nothing else in the writing world. Only 4-5/8" wide x 7-1/4" tall, it’s the ideal size to fit in your EDC Bag’s slip pocket.

Everyday Nap Time

Sometimes you require a nap for a bit of recharge, no matter your location or time of day. What better way to outfit your EDC kit with a Mack’s Dreamweaver Eye Mask and Earplug kit? Awake refreshed and ready to cap off your day.

I Can See Clearly Now, the Smudge is Gone

There are times you must see in the dark, and do it hands free. Toss the Petzl e+LITE Mini Headlamp in your favorite EDC bag. This is one of the smallest, and brightest, headlamps you can buy. These cool portable mini-headlamps are made in France with an easily replaceable common CR 2032 button battery.

Another item that, while not being something to consider to put in your kit, you can attach them to your zippers on your favorite EDC Bag to increase the safety of being seen in the dark. What could this handy item be? Why our Reflective Monkey Fist Zip Knots, of course.

Choose from six bright colors, each available in handy 6-packs. Built-in 3M refection strips in the weave of paracord reflect light. The fact that they wiggle and dangle around as you move makes them even more noticeable. They’ll usually fit only medium to large zipper tabs. Each Monkey Fist is hand-tied through our Fair Trade Cooperative in Guatemala.

Eyeglasses wearers need to see clearly, and that means not using your shirt tail to clean your glasses! Instead, protect your vision investment and use a Spudz Microfiber Cleaning Cloth that snaps onto your key ring in your EDC Kit. The cleaning cloth tucks neatly into the built-in neoprene pocket and never gets lost.

Speaking of keys…

No More Lost Keys

Attach a Pin Mount Key Clip to the inside lining of any Red Oxx Everyday Carry Bag any where you want it. Don’t like where you put it? Unscrew it and move to another place. The optimal location versatility beats any sewn-in key ring.

If you’re on-the-go a lot with your keys, try the Red Oxx Key Fob Mini Coil Lanyard Tether. The special Mil-Spec coil wrap won’t get knotted up in your pocket and the lanyard tether can extend all the way out to three feet! Red Oxx CEO Jim Markel doesn’t leave home without his Mini Coil.

Got the Mini Coil? Hook it up to a Titanium Line Of Fire FOB. This little guy weighs less than an ounce and includes a removable #2 Phillips head screwdriver bit. Supplies are limited!

A Good EDC Minimalist Wallet is Hard to Find

What is an EDC Wallet? Basically, it’s a good everyday carry wallet that should help carry a few of those smaller every day items like your indispensable ID, the ahem, dispensable credit card (no more than two), and include a zippered coin pouch for those times when you need to "spare a dime", hide that hideout key, or stash some of, well…yer stash! The Red Oxx Rigger Wallet is a slim Velcro® closure tri-fold nylon wallet that can do all of the above, and do it in any one of your favorite of our classic 12 vibrant colors.

Need a Place to Toss Your Everyday Items?

You’re not on-the-go all the time so what do you do with those "pocketed" items you didn’t stuff in your EDC bag? How about keeping them organized with an EDC Valet Tray? The Red Oxx Travel Tray makes a fine nightstand valet tray. The bright colors Red and Saffron are a popular choice. It’s the right size for phones, wallet, keys, utility tool/knife, sunglasses, etc. The soft padding protects your goodies and when you’re ready to head out, un-snap the corners and it stores flat in your EDC bag (and provides extra padding!).

Custom Pink Red Oxx Travel Tray

Organize Your Meds and Supplements

A good portable bag for packing these types of important sundry items is our Lil Roy EDC Caché Bag. Inside there is a center storage compartment, with a snap close mesh pockets on either side. And of course, comfortable carry handles. Slips neatly inside any bag. Mix and match for color coordinated packing.

Might be a good idea to slap some of your medical information on a Red Oxx Customized Personal Dog Tag – like your blood type, allergies, etc. and attach that tag to your EDC Bag with a simple Red Oxx Twist-on Cable Lock.

Drink Up — You’re Mostly Water, Stay That Way

Of course the experts have been telling us to stay hydrated all day long so it’s a good idea to include a water bottle. Red Oxx carries the king of water bottles, also made in the U.S.A. – the Nalgene Wide Mouth "Everyday Series", available in four handy sizes and configurations.

New to our lineup is the cool Multidrink Red Oxx Woodcut Oxx Water Bottle, fitted with a unique locking mouthpiece and stenciled with the cool Red Oxx "Woodcut" Bull Logo.

A Bag Within A Bag

Might sound excessive on the surface but when you see how compact you can fold down the Red Oxx Laundro Bag Mesh Wash Sack, it’s a good likely-hood the idea of stuffing a bag inside your EDC Kit is a fabulous idea.

You can use this particular compact lightweight mesh bag unfolded to haul groceries, store your layered or wet clothing, carry a hat or gloves or flip flops, or just have on hand as that "extra bag" when you need one. The Laundro Bag folds down to a compact pocket size roughly 6.5″ Long x 5.5″ Wide x 2.5″ Deep. Brilliant!

Now load up your everyday carry bag with all these essential kit items and you’ll all be set to go and keep right on going.