A Traveling Man’s EDC

I submitted this article to my favorite emagazine called the Art of Manliness. They will notify me in three to six weeks to tell me if they want to publish it. I certainly hope they do, but I know that it is a very well known online magazine, and they must set the bar quite high. Even if don't success I can publish it on my own blog here. I hope you enjoy it. (In case you are new to the acronym EDC stands for EveryDay Cary. The tools or objects you carry everyday.)

From the day I stepped into existence I loved tools. Not necessarily using tools, but having them around just in case. By the time I was ten, I had bulging pockets: pocket knife, keys, wallet, phone.... I ended up carrying so much that I got blisters on my thighs from the rub of it all. I soon moved on to a fanny pack. It quickly filled up. Because of my shabby ten-year-old clothing, my family nicknamed me “the Hobo”. I had gone through two fanny packs and was using a third when I realized I needed a real upgrade, something that wouldn't clunk around as I moved, something more fashionable.



I got a messenger bag from a local store. It has several advantages over backpacks and fanny packs:

• You access everything in it without taking it off
  
• It doesn't swing around like a fanny pack
  
• It looks good
  

This is the perfect bag for the world wide traveler. I've carried my traveler's bag on trains, airplanes, ferries, buses, subways, taxis, and bicycles. It gives me access to my things while I'm in transit. Traveling involves waiting and lines that can be very long on the best days. Having to fumble around with a backpack for your passport and ticket can be frustrating and embarrassing. With a good traveler’s bag you can be a more debonair man who glides through airport security. I don't pack pocket knives or other items that are not allowed on flights or border crossings.

What I Carry

Small items

• Pens and pencils.
• Magnetic pointer. It's just so cool.
• Cough drops.

Medium items

• Magnetic detective notebook.
• Tin of mints.
• Small magnifying glass. To unleash my inner detective.
• USB drives on a string.
• Matches in an empty floss container.
• Hand sanitizer.
• A length of cord. For knot practice.
• Pocket size sunscreen. Great for impromptu recreation.
• Camp spork.
• Small length of string.
• Handkerchief. The five-hundred-sneeze tissue and cup sleeve your grandfathers used.

Larger items

• Toilet paper roll. Get the kind without a cardboard roll. Most third world bathrooms don't provide toilet paper. When you need it, you need it. Toilet paper also doubles as napkins, gauze, wipe rag, and possibly emergency rope.
• Sunglasses. In a case with a microfiber cloth, I use them all the time for driving.
• Compact Bible. I have a compact version with both the New and Old Testament.
• Phone.
• Wallet.
• Krazee. A baffling puzzle from my manly grandfather.
• Deck of cards.
• Comb.
• Adjustable belt. It works as a backup for my normal belt. Very versatile I used it on a camping trip to hold a bundle of gear.

Secret Pocket

• Money.
• Laminated photocopy of passport. This can sometimes be used as ID in place of a real passport, allowing you to keep your passport in a more secure place.
• The words to my favorite song. Mine is A Mighty Fortress Is Our G-d.

Rear Pocket

• Rain coat. While it keeps off the rain its close-knit fabric keeps heat in pretty well especially for its small volume. An emergency blanket could fill this role well, but I like not having to look like a hurricane refugee if I get cold.

Final Words

My traveler's bag has been just what I was looking for. It looks good and gives me quick and easy access to the tools I need as I travel. It also provides me with simple entertainment in many of life's long waits. It has equipped me for many adventures. In China, I pulled out a deck of cards and played with strangers on a long train ride. While everyone’s resources, needs, and preferences differ, I hope you can better build your own to be prepared for wherever life takes you and the adventures that await.