Seven Principles for Building Your Everyday Carry (EDC) Adventure Kit
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Time to read 8 min
Since I began the journey of designing the Kitworks gear management system a few years ago, I'm frequently asked a question that goes something like "what is your favorite / most important part of your system?"
The answer is always, and without hesitation "my EDC Gear Box."
Because...
- Inevitably, we'll arrive at the trailhead and the weather isn't what was expected.
- Someone in the group forgot their headlamp - or water bottle - or gloves or...
- A great swimming hole shows up at just the right time on your road trip.
Part of what makes getting outside fun is adapting to the little things that happen along the way - the problems and unexpected opportunities. Discovering a new trail or ski line for the first time, or the running across the unexpected hot springs.
This post will explain what the Everyday Carry (EDC) Gear Box is and why I think it's the most important bit of outdoor gear we can have with us. We'll break down some fundamentals to keep in mind when building out your kit and recommend several items that should have pretty universal utility for anyone getting recreating outside.
But first...
Table of contents
This is Matt
We all have stories of days outside that didn't go exactly according to plan. This is just the most recent one in my life - fortunately it's a fun one and not one of those scary epics that makes us question why we do what we do...
Matt is one of my favorite adventure partners. He's a super experienced climber, backcountry skier and mountaineer. We share a similar risk profile. And he understands how to prepare for and safely have a great time in the mountains. He's definitely one of those guys that you want with you when things go sideways.
Oh, and he inspired our annual 5-sport day, which is absolutely a post for another time.
I recently met up with Matt and our friend Cam for a quick ski tour while visiting Central Oregon. We were presented with one of those perfect early winter days: sunny, calm winds, soft enough snow. A fun day to spend time outside with friends.
We were all really excited to get out, as it was the first time we had skied together this year, and we were all looking forward to catching up and getting a little fitness prior to an upcoming backcountry hut trip.
We all started to gear up at the truck - squeezing the cold ski boots on, getting the packs organized, beacon check, putting the skins on…except...yeah...Matt's skins were in one of his other packs. Which was back in Portland - 3 1/2 hours from where we were about to ski.
So, after some troubleshooting and evaluating our options - drive back to town (too far), see if someone had an extra pair (unlikely), sit in the lot and drink coffee (fun, but not as much fun), we started getting creative.
What did we have that could safely and efficiently get us up the mountain? We remembered having talked to some friends a while back about using several Voile-style ski straps under the binding area to provide some traction if someone lost a skin in the backcountry. Hmmm… could it work? Now the day had gone from a fun ski tour to an even more interesting experiment in resourcefulness and McGyver-ism. As some of the best days do.
So, we gathered up all of our extra ski straps – fortunately, we had about six of them in our EDC gear box. Together with some ski crampons from another pair of skis, we were able to fashion a very serviceable solution to get Matt up the hill. Voilé
Did it work? Yes. Would we want to be stuck having to hike miles out of the backcountry with this setup? Only if it was the only option. And, if you want to know - it's not great in deep snow or really firm snow - but that's where the ski crampons come in.
So, this stuff can happen to anyone - I can tell you about my forgotten helmets, water bottles, climbing shoes... But, we had just gone from scrapping the day altogether to creating one of those great memories that we’ll never forget. That's what it's about - right?
Gearing up for the inaugural 5-sport day at Mt. Hood. Ski tour - climb - mountain bike - surf - run.
7 principles for building your edc adventure kit
1.
It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Too obvious? Just think about the number of times you’ve needed something and known exactly where it is – at home. Just keep it in the back of your vehicle or in your gear garage in a place that makes it impossible to forget.
By having your kit and using it often, you're also helping your adventure buddies be a little bit more prepared, helping everyone have better days out.
Always good to go.
2.
Make a mini EDC "Go" kit
Sometimes, space is at a premium, or you’re headed for a trip overseas, or you're on a human-powered backcountry mission. Creating a self-contained EDC kit that includes the core of your kit and can easily travel with you allows many of the benefits of your larger kit. If a friend is driving, I always grab my EDC gear cube. I’ve shared what I keep in my portable EDC kit here.
3.
Replenish, Recharge, and Repair.
Whether you keep a small notebook in your kit or a note on your phone, make a habit of noting anything that you’re running low on, or needs to be replenished, recharged (e.g. headlamps, communication devices, batteries), or repaired after use. One way we do this at our house is to always bring the EDC box into the gear garage, where it lands on our staging table while being refreshed. I also have a recurring to-do on my phone to test and recharge electronic devices like headlamps, 2-way radios, and my Garmin InReach. It only takes 5 minutes every few months to make sure your gear will work when you need it.
4.
Consider your partners
If you’re anything like me, you have a diverse set of adventure buddies – some are always ready for anything and others… not so much. Personally, I know that some of my MTB friends will never have a spare tube, tire plugs, or basic maintenance tools with them. So I always have spares on hand.
If you have kids, extra hats, gloves, and jackets are lifesavers when the weather turns.
5.
Keep it Organized
When you need something from your EDC kit, often times, you need it now. And you need to know it’s in condition to be useful. Which means starting organized, and staying organized (things go back where they belong).
One of the reasons that we designed the Kitworks system with organization at it’s core, is to make sure that everything is in its place when you need it. We don't want to be digging around the bottom of a plastic bin when we need a specific piece of gear. Whether you use a Kitworks product or another solution, here are a few things to think about:
- Divide the big stuff – keeps it clean, protected, and organized.
- Organize the small stuff – gear cubes, packing cubes, stuff sacks, and other containers keep batteries, tools, first aid, food, and emergency supplies neatly packed away so you and others in your group can easily find what you need – and put it back in its place.
- Label your gear for easy identification.
- Make sure it’s safe from water and dust - avoid throwing dirty gear back in there after you've used something.
6.
Your kit is specific to your adventures and always evolving.
Several factors will inform what your specific EDC kit will look like:
- What time of year is it, and what type of weather will you be experiencing?
- What activities and what type of environment will you be in?
- How far from home or from emergency services will you be?
- What is your, and your partners' knowledge and experience?
- Do you frequently get outside with kids?
If you're just getting started building out your kit, start with a small bag or gear cube with the essentials and add to it over time. If you need some thought starters, check out this blog about what's in my kit.
We're always learning from experience - it's helpful to make a "gear" note in your phone as a reminder of things to add into your kit when you get back home.
7.
It’s not only about getting out of a bind – it’s also about having the most fun.
Stock your kit with things that make being outside a little bit more fun or more comfortable.
- Having a swimsuit and extra towels on hand for when you run across a river for a quick swim after a hike or ride.
- If you get outside with kids, often times a couple of well-timed small pieces of candy keep the excitement of a hike that’s gone a little bit longer than planned.
- Having a deck of cards or a small, portable cribbage board on hand can be a game changer when you're stuck in a tent or enjoying a night around camp.
- A lightweight packable blanket can take the chill off and make being outside a little bit more enjoyable.
Greg Mills
Greg is the founder of Kitworks. A lifelong skier, mountain biker and climber with an active family, he founded Kitworks to bring better solutions for managing outdoor gear - in an effort to help people get outside faster, start organized and stay organized during trips, and have thier best adventures. Greg lives in Beaverton OR, with his wife Erin, his sons Ryan and Ian, and dog Riley.
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A couple of things about this blog:
Our Mission
Our mission at Kitworks is build the highest quality, most useful gear management solutions that enable your best adventures. Part of delivering on this mission is to provide information related to gear management and the outdoor pursuits that capture our imagination. We hope this is helpful and are always interested in your feedback about what you'd love to see more of from us in the future.
Product inclusion
Throughout our posts, we will include links to products from Kitworks. The intent is to help you understand how our system can be used to solve certain gear management challenges and make life a little bit easier more organized when you're getting outside. We promise to remain in the "helpful" space and never venture in the the "annoying" space.
From time to time, we will also link to products or services from other brands. There is no financial relationship with these companies. These are simply relevant products that we've personally had extensive experience with and can easily recommend to our community. If you have other recommendations for gear, we'd love to hear from you!
