u/FlagrantTomatoCabal

https://preview.redd.it/k0edco5rhbdh1.png?width=710&format=png&auto=webp&s=c4cf68b1b3803ac93fb6b3dd46d4458ef61eaa7d

Maybe I'm just getting old.

I've been carrying a swiss army knife since the late 80s. Like a lot of people Macgyver was probably the reason. I remember hearing the term EDC around the early 2000s and thought yeah thats exactly what it is. Stuff you actually carry every day because it's useful.

Now it feels like EDC has become an entire marketing category.

Every week I see another titanium gadget, another multitool, another pocket organizer, another thing that's apparently essential.

Some of it is really well made. I'm not arguing that.

What I'm wondering is ......how much of it do people actually use?

It reminds me of coffee enthusiasts. At some point companies figured out there was money to be made selling people accessories. Then more accessories. Then accessories for the accessories. Eventually you''re buying things because you're a coffee person, not because they make better coffee. Edc feels like it's heading the same way.

There are so many things sold as multitools now. Some honestly aren't that well designed. Others are perfectly designed but solve problems I don't think 99% of people will ever have.

Then people end up carrying what's basically a small handbag... okay, tactical pouch. 😂

No offense if that's your thing. I knew someone in med school who carried a bag full of tape, staplers, scissors and all kinds of supplies.

But I also think a lot of us are carrying around a bunch of "just in case" gear that never gets touched because we've been convinced we might need it someday.

Every few months I empty my pockets and ask myself "when was the last time I actually used this?" If I can't remember, maybe it doesn't belong there.

To me EDC was always about carrying the least amount of stuff that solved the most problems.

Not carrying the most stuff that fits in your pockets.

I have notice this shift over the last 15 or 20 years. One pro I think is tools are more accessible now than before. The con I see is largely inflated prices just so they can differentiate themselves from the copy cats.

Lots of people treat it as some special dish. It's not. It tastes okay. It's protein. It's meat and fat. The cow's already done 98% of the job for you.

If you made steak, don't treat it as if you made biryani, mapo tofu, fish curry, beef rendang, tonkotsu ramen, peking duck, adobo, osso bucco, taco, paella, etc. Even central asian dishes are more amazing than steak.