Unfortunately, many of us have already experienced how quickly a regular, routine day can go wrong in minutes. A flat tire on a dark highway, a car accident, or a stolen purse or backpack can wreak havoc in our lives. And with increasing stories of terrorist attacks, school shootings, rioting, violence, and weather-related events, we all need to be prepared for the worst.
Everyday Carry (EDC) is a concept designed to help people not only be prepared for life’s unexpected emergencies and daily inconveniences but also can be used to help you survive a potentially life-threatening situation. In fact, you may already have an established portion of an EDC system in place without even realizing it.
Do you routinely check before leaving the house to ensure you have your purse or wallet as well as your keys and cell phone? If you’re doing this kind of a regular check before leaving the house, you are already carrying out a portion of a good EDC strategy. For people who are already in this habit of carrying the same items every day, creating a good EDC kit will simply be a matter of expanding what you already carry to include more items that will be useful for routine tasks or life-threatening situations.
If you’re already carrying your wallet, phone, and keys, you can start by simply adding items to your wallet and pockets. One way to increase what you can carry and organize your EDC items is by using an EDC wallet or pocket organizer.
Benefits of Using EDC Wallets and Pocket Organizers
- Speeds up the donning of EDC items each morning
- Keeps important items secure
- Decreases incidents of “forgotten”
- Reduces “lost” items because everything has its own place—can quickly see missing items
- Organization allows you to carry more items
Suggested Wallet Organizers
Trayvax Original Wallet
- Military grade and designed to withstand the most rugged conditions
- Simplicity and function
- Bottle opener
- Clips to carabineer
- Comes with paracord
- Aluminum and steel construction
- Fire-resistant elastic
- High-cycle Velcro
12-in-1 Pocket Survival Card Tool by Nexfinity One
All these items in a case slim enough to fit into your wallet or pocket:
- Two whistles
- Survival knife with hook
- Firestarter
- Paracord
- Can/bottle opener
- Screwdriver
- Compass
- Hex key
- Ruler
- Toothpick
- Magnifier
- Tweezer Clip
SOG Credit Card Companion
- Weighs in at only 1.4 ounces
- Compass
- 2-inch serrated blade
- Tweezers
- Toothpick
- Can opener
Jackfish Survival Wallet
- Spring-loaded and fully mechanical to hold cards
- Pen and refills
- Paracord
- Three spare matches
- Micro screwdriver
- Firestarter
- Iodine for water purification
- Whistle
- Button compass
- Micro SD card reader for documents
- Hex bit
- Spyderco Bug Knife
Flipside Wallet with RFID Protection
- Made of aircraft grade aluminum alloy and polycarbonate
- Automatically locks when closed
- Holds up to 8 cards in four different slots, just pop out
- Cash slot allows you to easily count or sort bills without removing
- RFID blocking built-in
- Comes in a wide variety of colors
- External clip system for extra storage
T.H.E. Wallet by Spec-Ops
- Great for your pocket or even neck carry using grommets
- Transparent external pocket for ID
- Large wallet for those who believe in “Go Big or Go home”
- Zippered mesh pocket
- Two clear ID panels
- Main Cash section with zippered pouch
- “Shark-Bite” closure
Suggested Pocket Organizers for EDC
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Maxpedition EDC Pocket Organizer or the Maxpedition Fatty Pocket Organizer
- 1000-Denier Nylon Coating
- Full clamshell main section.
- Left slip pocket with nine divisions
- Right side slip pocket with six divisions
- Exterior mesh slip pocket
- Outside attachment webbing
- Sturdy water-resistant nylon material
- Maxpedition EDC is 5” L x 1” W x 7” H
- Maxpedition Fatty is an inch wider.
- Reinforced stress point stitching
Maxpedition also offers a Micro Pocket Organizer:
- Coated with 800-Denier Nylon
- Main section is 3.5” long x 1” wide x 5.5” high
- Water resistant triple polyurethane coating
- Approximately the size of an iPhone 6
- High-quality
- Good zipper
- Molle straps for attaching to belt or bag
- Waterproof
- Durable stitching
- Washable
- Well-placed interior compartments
- Sealed plastic compartment
- Strong snaps
- Handy exterior mesh pocket
Connect EDC Bag from True Utility
- Available via their website.
- Twelve elastic divisions
- Eight utility pockets
- Cushioned inserts
- Paracord Loop
- Internal swivel hook
- Magnetic exterior pouch
- Shoulder strap
- Belt loops
- ID storage pocket (clear)
- Weighs less than half a pound (182 grams)
Qualities of the Best Wallets and Pocket Organizers for EDC
The ability to carry even a few EDC items with you on a regular basis improves your chances of being able to protect your family and yourself. But the way to increase the number of items you can carry while maintaining confidence that the items will still work effectively when you need them is to use a good quality EDC wallet or pocket organizer. There are a ton of wallets and pocket organizers available on the market today. Here’s how to choose the best EDC wallet or pocket organizer for your needs:
The perfect EDC kit is completely useless if you don’t happen to have it with you when an emergency or disaster strikes. So, the first thing to consider when researching these organizers is ease of carry. Your EDC wallet or pocket organizer should not be burdensome to carry, and it should blend in with your everyday wardrobe as much as possible. It’s important that the wallet or pocket organizer you choose is not bulky or too heavy for you to carry comfortably every day.
When researching your options, look at the weight (when empty) and consider what it’ll be once you add all of the items you wish to carry in it. Taking the time to make sure that you purchase a wallet or pocket organizer that isn’t too bulky or heavy will decrease the chances that you will choose to leave it at home “just this once” because you don’t want to be burdened with or need a break from the weight or bulk.
Along with ease of carry, think about which pocket position you will use to carry your wallet or pocket organizer most often. Part of being successful with EDC is routine which means carrying the same or nearly the same items every day in the same pocket every time. If you always carry your wallet in your back left pocket or always carry your keys in your right front pocket for example.
Reaction time is crucial during a crisis. People in crisis sometimes also experience delay or difficulty in thinking clearly because they are in shock. The more habitual and routine you are about what you carry, where you carry it, and how you access it, the more likely that your instincts will kick in for you quickly when it comes time to find and use an EDC item from your kit.
The next thing to think about is, of course, the quality of the materials. Because you will be carrying and using these items on a regular basis, it’s important to make certain the containers are durable and will withstand daily wear and tear.
Consider the types of places you travel to in your everyday activities. If you live in a rainy or wet climate or work or play regularly in an environment where accidentally getting soaked is a possibility, then waterproof and weather resistant qualities will be more important. Zippers and or Velcro or snaps should be easy to use and hold securely.
For those that work or play in an environment where your wallet or organizer could be compressed, crushed, or dropped, perhaps a harder exterior material such as stainless steel or durable plastic will protect contents better than leather.
Of course, one of the key criteria in choosing from the best wallets and pocket organizers for EDC is sufficient and efficient storage. Consider the items you want to carry and how frequently you will need to use them. Then make sure that the wallet or pocket organizer you choose for your EDC kit has enough interior and exterior compartments to allow for storage of items the way that works best for you.
You can carry your EDC items in any combination of locations on your body that work best for you. Some people choose to carry a minimal number of items in their wallet and use a pocket organizer for other items. There are many different places you can keep your EDC items such as around your neck on a lanyard, on your wrist or ankle, in your pants, shirt, or jacket pocket, around your waist, or even on your hands or head.
One of the key factors to surviving a crisis is your reaction time. For this reason, you need to ensure that the wallet or pocket organizer you choose to help carry and organize your EDC kit is designed in a way that keeps your items not only secure as well as easily accessible when the time comes.
If you have to fight to get your driver’s license or insurance card out of its slot every time you need it, then consider a different wallet or pocket organizer that includes a transparent slot for your ID. If your credit cards don’t fit easily or you can’t get that knife out within seconds, it may be time to look for another wallet or consider a pocket organizer with a clamshell opening that is more accessible. If you’re tempted to leave your wallet or pocket organizer at home on some days, it may mean you need to revamp it so that your items are more easily accessible.
There is no one best wallet or pocket organizer that will work for every prepper. We each have different needs, different daily activities, and different skill levels. If you spend some time reflecting on the types of little annoyances, minor emergencies, or major crises that have happened for you in the last year or so, you’ll get a good idea of which items will be most beneficial to you.
Once you gather your items together, think about how often you use or might use each of them to determine how many inside or outside compartments you’ll need in your wallet or pocket organizer. In addition to the amount of storage in your wallet or pocket organizer, be sure to take into account the quality of materials, pocket position, ease of carry, and accessibility.
Did we miss your favorite on our list of best wallets or pocket organizers for EDC? Let us know in the comments below.
