First and foremost: what’s in your EDC?

(Editor’s note: Some items listed in Patrick’s carry are currently out of stock but restocking. Others have yet to land or are currently out of production. We’ve indicated these per item as specified by Patrick.)

• Horween Wallet
• Terrain 365 DTK-AT, currently sold out
• PDW BOB Tool, not currently in production
• PDW Ti-SAK Scales 58mm on Victorinox Mini Champ
• PDW Ti-Clip, new product currently in production
• Signet Ring
• PDW Mini Coil Lanyard, out of stock, restocking soon
• Rovyvon A4 Titanium
• GRR X Terrain 365 STS-ATB Folding Knife
• Ultem Skull Bead, out of production
• SPD X MKII Paradive, currently sold out
• SPD Ti-MNPara Strap
• PDW Expedition Watch band Compass 2.0, new model currently in production
• Apple iPhone 13 Pro with totallee Case
• PDW Titanium Ball Chain, currently in production
• PDW Dog Tag Tool
• Steel Flame Jewelry Titanium Dog Tag
• Mini Kyber Crystal
• Mini Stash Capsule
• rOtring 600 Mechanical Pencil

EDC’s changed a lot from the blogs and forums of its early years. How are you and PDW navigating this new environment heavily influenced by social media, hype releases, and collaborations, and a much bigger market willing to drop some serious money on their gear?

Having been one of the “founding fathers” of EDC I have seen a great proliferation of goods in this arena from when I first started designing “EDC” products in the late 1990s. I’d have to say I’ve been very impressed with the wonderful and innovative breadth of goods that I’ve seen come to market from every corner imaginable. The competition has gotten fierce and compels any of us involved in this genre of goods to keep pushing the boundaries, to “invent and reinvent the wheel,” to innovate and create. It keeps the market fresh and the general consumer benefits.

Of course, there’s a lot of crap that gets made too, but that just means there’s something for everyone. I keep my nose to the grindstone and keep at it. I can only work on EDC ideas that are born from personal needs and use cases. This keeps my work genuine and authentic in its intent. My work in EDC may speak to many, but not to everyone.

With the breadth and depth of your product lines, what piece of gear do you still dream about making?

Of the several brands I have created, each is something of an outlier in the industry, where I chose to pursue the trifecta of soft goods (packs and bags), apparel, and equipment (EDC gear). There are very few brands that design all 3 product categories in-house and offer them under one banner, and I founded two of them. So I’ve done quite a few products over the years.

But, what “piece of gear do I still dream about making?” Well, for those who remember the late 90s movie, The Saint, it would be something along the lines of the pocket knife featured in it. It was like the ultimate gadget Swiss Army-type pocket knife with an automatic main blade and a host of tools from a lockpick, and compass to a mini-torch. I’d have a different set of tools, but yeah, something along those lines.

What’s the one EDC/tactical/outdoor problem you have that you still feel you’re unable to solve?

Perhaps one of those challenges would be more along the tactical side of things. While most of my public work the past nine years has demonstrated a shift away from the overtly “tactical look,” turning the dial back towards that purpose-driven context, I am a lifelong fan of the science and art of camouflage. I have been thinking for some time now about how to truly level up or literally disrupt the idea of individually worn camo battle dress/combat uniforms. And I do have some ideas which haven’t been done before, which might actually accomplish the next evolution of camo.

Read: Build a Badass Everyday Uniform With Prometheus Design Werx

What would you say are your core tenets that you won’t break when you develop a product from start to finish?

Listening to other people’s “ideas,” I don’t do it. I can’t begin to tell you how many people come up to me with their “good idea” to make. However, any idea is only good, if you have the wherewithal, fortitude, and resources to execute on it. Otherwise, it’s just empty talk and I don’t want to hear it. Don’t waste my time or yours. I have plenty of my own ideas to last several lifetimes and do not develop products that are not my own.

What’s the most uncommon product you’ve designed that you’ve gotten a compliment for?

Recently, I’d have to say those would be my Invictus-AT or STS-AT folders using our proprietary Terravantium® super alloy under my brand Terrain 365. I’ve designed and created truly 100% rust-proof, nonferrous, nonmagnetic folding knives that have blades that hold a lasting edge. By the nature of the limited availability of the Terravantium alloy in bulk, these knives are on the more uncommon side.

Read: Customize Your Carry and Conquer Your Next Adventure With Prometheus Design Werx

You seem to have a complete line of products for almost everything EDC, but do you have any particular gear favorites from other brands that you carry on you?

The only gear from other brands I carry every day are flashlights, some multi-tools, and Swiss Army Knives. I personally carry the RovyVon Aurora A1 and A4 titanium pocket lights. Great functionality, lightweight, but not the best ergonomics and design aesthetic. Definitely could use some work in those departments.

I have been a lifelong fan and user of SAKs. Although for the last few years, I’ve modded them all with my own series of G10 and titanium aftermarket scales. I am also a fan of the Swiss Tool. They are simple, elegant, and finely made multi-tools. When I need a multi-tool, that’s what I grab.

From what we’ve seen of your products over the years, you have a cult following for much of your gear, particularly those in the SPD line. Is there a different approach to how you make those products compared to your main lines? And do you have a tip for interested folks to have a better chance of grabbing them?

As I’ve stated on my website, my SPD designs are generally limited or tackle a more specific use case. In the case of the former, some goods by their very nature means not everyone is going to be able to get one. They can be limited for a host of reasons, especially when it comes to collabs. I’m fortunate to work with some of the longest-running EDC brands (knives, really) that I’ve known for decades.

Often, it’s just a matter of supply. We get what we get, even if we have a PO in for more, and have no say in the final quantities we receive. We feel lucky to just even get them. Keep in mind human nature too. Flood the market, and a gold egg turns to brass.

At the end of the day, I’m going to make some or many folks happy much of the time, but I’ll never make everyone happy all of the time.

With 25 years in the industry, can you describe how your creative vision has changed from when you started [at Triple Aught Design] and now with almost a decade at Prometheus Design Werx?

My vision, at its core, has always been the same. Producing intelligently designed equipment and apparel for the self-reliant and self-propelled adventurer and explorer. What has changed is only an evolution of style where my aesthetic has matured and been academically refined over the many years of empirical experiences. That said, I believe I have a distinct design voice based on the fundamental ethos of “form follows function” and is recognizable to those familiar with it, no matter what brand I created.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Photos courtesy of Patrick Ma. Learn more about his work and products at PDW’s website.

This is a sponsored post presented by Prometheus Design Werx.

The post An Interview with EDC Founding Father Patrick Ma appeared first on Everyday Carry.

If there’s one brand that’s been on a redemption arc and should definitely be on your radar lately, it’s SOG. Back when we first started covering EDC in 2009, SOG had a reputation for being popular with the tactical EDC crowd, thanks to their all-black designs decked out with aggressive styling, skulls and all. That isn’t the reputation SOG had initially, and it’s one that the brand has been working hard to move away from. 

In a triumphant return to form, SOG’s latest and upcoming products have demonstrated innovation, attention to customer needs, and improved quality across the board. I’ve personally seen the transformation take place year by year with each new knife or tool I handle from the brand and after having the opportunity to speak to the team at different trade shows. In this retrospective I’ll highlight how SOG reinvented itself by returning to its roots, one tool at a time.

Our story begins in Vietnam, where members of a highly classified US special ops unit—known as MACV-SOG—carried a unique combat knife into the jungle on covert missions. Years later, in 1986, that knife inspired a young designer named Spencer Frazer to found SOG Specialty Knives. His mission: to reproduce the original SOG Bowie knife and pay tribute to the special ops unit that created it. The knives were high quality and purpose-driven for the most demanding clientele. As time went on and the company underwent changes in management, the premium design and innovation that put SOG on the map took a back seat in pursuit of rapid growth. As a result, they pivoted their product offering to cater to a more mainstream crowd.

During this time SOG did put out a few beloved knives and easy recommendations for EDCers, like the Flash and Twitch models. But along with those hits were several products that took risks that didn’t quite succeed and certain design motifs that were a far cry from the sleek SOG offerings we see today. It was common to see their knives from the 2010s with heavy-handed “SOG” branding all over the knife (from the blade to handle to pocket clip) or the Beret-wearing MACV-SOG skull emblem making an appearance.

It became clear that SOG’s initial mission and later designs didn’t align — there were some instances of innovation, but for niche or questionable use cases. There were plenty of designs, but each one would position the brand further and further from the premium niche they carved for themselves from the outset.

Foreshadowing Change

After year-after-year declines, SOG brought in new leadership to right ship. In 2017 we saw some foreshadowing of SOG’s new direction. I first saw SOG’s willingness to change with the Baton series of multi-tools. While it might not resemble where SOG is today, it was a radically different form factor for multi-tools that came as real innovation at the time, and a markedly different design direction for the mostly tactical status quo for the brand. 

This was echoed in the Terminus, a decidedly less tactical knife option from the brand whose lineup was saturated with blacked out, aggressive tactical knives. The ultra-compact Sync II, which could be worn as a belt buckle, was another example of a return to innovation and thinking outside the box. These products were the first early steps in the right direction for the brand—towards their roots—and they haven’t stopped since.

Wave 1: Making Waves from Ripples

By 2019, the new SOG was in full force. The transformation wasn’t just shown in the products, but in the brand image as well. The first wave of SOG products were recategorized for the end user, with distinct segmentation between outdoors, professional, and civilian EDC use. 

The Terminus XR was a personal standout for me and an excellent example of everything SOG had been going for: new lock technology, premium materials, and sleek design language with both function and form for demanding EDCers. I awarded it Best Knife of SHOT Show 2019 in my coverage of the event; it made that much of an impression. 

Other standouts that debuted that year include the Aegis AT, an impressive assisted folder positioned for the outdoor segment with its high-contrast color combinations and grippy handles, and the Ultra XR, a sleek update to their credit card-sized knife for the urban everyday carry crowd who don’t compromise performance and style. 

Rounding out the three distinct product categories is the Professional segment, which SOG knows best—offering top-notch materials and features for the most demanding tactical applications to satisfy the needs of the pros.

Wave 2: Widening the Scope

At SHOT Show 2020, SOG had officially rebranded and wanted the world to know. They debuted the LTE series, featuring lightweight versions of their successful prior models. The Terminus XR LTE was a strong showing from the brand: its carbon fiber handles improved upon the original Terminus XR by shaving weight and adding some style and elegance. It really proved SOG was able to move away from some of their clunky designs that were more tactical than practical, while still moving forward. 

SOG brought this new energy and design ethos beyond their knives, too. They brought on a new industrial softgoods designer to revamp their bag offerings and the result exceeded expectations. The Surrept series combined tactical features and modularities that EDCers and professionals alike looked for, imbued with materials and performance from technical outdoors packs. The new line of bags had something for almost any use case thanks to the many different capacities and carry styles, from pouch organizers to sling bags to three-day packs. 

In this second wave last year, SOG didn’t stop there. In a surprising but totally fitting collaboration, SOG partnered with PopSockets to spread the EDC philosophy of preparedness to a more casual demographic. The PopGrip multi-tool was a clever way to bring the utility-driven mindset to basically anyone with a smart phone. This is just one example of SOG’s user-first design process, where they identify a need and design a product to fulfill it.

Wave 3: Dialing In

This year, SOG’s sights were set on better serving the Professional market. Knives like the Pentagon OTF and SOG-TAC AU automatic were designed with tactical and personal defense applications in mind, offering lightning-quick deployment only automatics and out-the-front knives could deliver. 

Even in this more niche space, SOG showed their dedication to innovation with the Pentagon OTF. Its Dynamic Locking System provides secure lockup and eliminates rattle, resulting in a reliable switchblade that inspires confidence in use. SOG’s third wave doesn’t exclude civilian EDCers entirely, though, with Compact and CA-legal versions of their SOG-TAC AU automatic knife on the way.

What’s Next for SOG

After a few rocky years, we see SOG back in top form. It begs the question, where do they go from here? I reached out to SOG’s VP of brand, Jonathan Wegner, for some insight. According to Wegner, “there is still a lot of opportunity in the EDC space. As most readers of Everyday Carry will attest, when we walk out the door each day we consciously—or even unconsciously—make a deliberate decision on how we prepare for the day. We’re already making choices on how prepared we’re going to be with what we carry in our pockets and pack—wallet, keys, we add a cell phone as a modern part of our tool kit. But where go above and beyond is that we carry a knife, a tool, a certain pack set-up, a pistol, a light, a medkit, or a combination of these things to tackle whatever the day might throw at us. We carry not because it’s pocket bling, but because we take responsibility for our personal preparedness.”

“I don’t want to overly romanticize it, but I think a lot of us feel it is our personal duty to be self-reliant, part of this is that most EDC folk are avid problem solvers. Having said that, as EDCers we want things that suit our needs, having these items be an extension of our personal style is important, not just in aesthetics, but also use modes. So, there’s many layers to EDC, and lot so much opportunity for innovation and idea development, I think this is an area that you will see SOG push some more in the near future.”

It’s clear to me that Wegner deeply understands the needs of the EDC community at a personal level, so I’m especially excited to see their next wave focus on the EDC space. As the brand is set to reveal their upcoming 2022 line-up later this month, we’ll be keeping them on our radar. In the meantime, you can check out their current offerings at their website linked below.

Learn More

The post How SOG Reinvented Itself, One Tool at a Time appeared first on Everyday Carry.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Brad Thor’s Full Everyday Carry

My EDC starts with the weapon I am carrying (and that depends on what the demands of my day will be). I love my custom Accuracy X 1911. It’s a .45 and admittedly a big gun. It can get heavy. Sometimes, I will swap it out for my SIG SAUER p365. I’ll carry multiple spare mags, as well as a tactical flashlight. My choice on the flashlight side is the CRKT Williams Tactical Applications Flashlight. I have gotten to know James Williams and am a fan of everything he designs – especially his knives. I love his Osoraku Zukuri folder. It is super lightweight, an easy everyday carry, and very good looking.

I’m also a big sunglasses guy. The most expensive ones I own (and they’re not that pricey) are my Ray-Ban Classic Wayfarers in tortoise. I’ve also become a big fan of the Shady Ray’s brand – with my favorite pair being their Emerald Ice frames. No matter what you’re wearing, you can always take it up a notch with a great pair of sunglasses.

This year I’ve fallen into the rubber watch strap trend. I have a Rolex Explorer II with a white face and have been mixing it up with all different kinds of bands – white, blue, tangerine, lime…. My two favorite companies to buy from are Horus Watch Straps and Rubber B.

For our readers who might not be familiar, could you explain what you do and what your day on the job is like?

I am an author of international thrillers. Getting each and every detail right is critical – especially when it comes to weapons, tactics, and tradecraft. My research has taken me around the world – from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Egypt to Switzerland, Scotland, and Greece.

Where do you find the inspiration to sit down and write?

I believe that you should write what you love to read. I grew up loving the novels of Tom Clancy, Freddy Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, and John le Carré. As the son of a United States Marine, I set the bar very high for myself. 

I like to say that I don’t work for Simon & Schuster, but rather, I work for the readers – they are my employers. It is incumbent upon me to give them a white-knuckle thrill ride every time and to get better with every book. When they post on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, etc. – that’s my annual performance review. I want to make certain that I earn 5 stars.

Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?

I am passionate about history, politics, tech and shooting. As I get older, my tastes are running toward owning fewer, better things. I have a firearms collection that I’m very proud of. Many of my pieces are custom, or were made in extremely limited runs. 

Whenever possible, I ask the owner/manufacturer if they can do something special to make the purchase stand out. Mark LaRue of LaRue Tactical, for instance, laser-engraved the magazine wells of rifles with the hammer of Thor. Steve Huff of Accuracy X engraved the slide of my custom 1911 with “Norseman,” the call sign of my series protagonist.

Why do you EDC?

As the son of a United States Marine, I was taught to be prepared. Being ready is something I take pride in. Also, as a writer, I never know when a good idea is going to strike. And when it does, I don’t trust it to my iPhone – I have to write it down; ink on paper. 

If I have my briefcase with me or am wearing a suit or a blazer, I’ll be carrying a nice pen like the classic gold-coated Montblanc Meisterstück (given to me long ago by my godfather) or the yellow Waterman Charleston given to me by my wife. If I’m rolling casual, it’ll be a black Fisher Space Pen. I normally carry a Field Notes 48-Page Memo Book or a Classic Moleskine Soft Cover notebook.

Is there a particular everyday product you’ve been meaning to add to your EDC? If not, what’s your favorite item out of all your daily essentials?

My favorite item is my latest addition. Native Union came out with an all-leather wrap for the AirPods Pro case.  It matches all my leather travel gear – as if it was designed to go with it. I really like the continuity.

Tell us about your new book that you just published, BLACK ICE.

I tell people that my books are a lot like the James Bond movies. You don’t need to have seen any of the earlier films to enjoy the latest. BLACK ICE is a twisty tale of espionage and danger set high above the Arctic Circle. It is my 21^st novel overall and the 20^th to feature Navy SEAL turned intelligence operative, Scot Harvath. In it, Harvath is assisted by a stunning Norwegian spy named Sølvi Kolstad. She’s just as broken and badass as Harvath, with a cutting sense of humor to match. I introduced Sølvi in last summer’s book, NEAR DARK, hoping my female readers would love her. They did, but my male readers went crazy for her. They all want me to give Sølvi her own stand-alone book. Maybe I’ll have to consider that for summer 2022.

Given your success as a novelist, do you have any secret tips for other writers trying to make it?

My biggest tip is when it comes to looking for an agent. THE GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS is one of the best resources out there.  It’s a directory that breaks down, by genre, what agents are looking for new writers. 

Here’s my tip – agents will tell you to query (a fancy word for approaching/making your pitch) only one agent at a time. But if it takes an agent three months to get back to you and you have to go through twelve agents before you finally land one, that’s three years out of your life. I tell writers to go with a shotgun approach. Pick the five to ten you are really interested in and query them all at the same time.

See more of Brad’s work at his website, and keep up with him on Twitter.

Photos courtesy of Brad Thor

The post Novelist Brad Thor, What's in Your EDC? appeared first on Everyday Carry.

Could you tell us about what you do now after serving in the military?

Carr: I was a Navy SEAL for twenty years. I left the military in 2016 to write. I am the author of The Terminal List, True Believer, Savage Son, and The Devil’s Hand. The Terminal List is currently filming episodes for its first season. Chris Pratt is starring as my protagonist, Navy SEAL sniper James Reece. Antoine Fuqua is directing. It is scheduled to drop on Amazon Prime in 2022.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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See Jack Carr’s Full Everyday Carry

Carr: The SIG P320 AXG Scorpion shoots like my old P226 that I carried in the SEAL Teams. I tried a lot of different holsters over the years and absolutely love the Black Point Tactical Mini-Wing. I have a small Surefire weapon mounted light. If I am carrying a weapon mounted light, then I also carry a small handheld so I have options and don’t cover something with my pistol that doesn’t need to be covered because I’m using the light on my pistol when that might not be appropriate. I’ve been wearing Gatorz sunglasses since 1998 and this exact pair was with me on every deployment. My ARES Watch is designed by a friend with time at the CIA. My Dynamis belt has a few secrets. It was designed by my SEAL Teammate Dom Raso at Dynamis Alliance. My wallet is from my longtime friends at Ball and Buck. My fixed blade is designed by former SEAL Bill Rapier and is just for fighting so it stays sharp. My folder is made by my SEAL Teammate Andrew Arrabito. I use that one for everything other than fighting. Not pictured is my daily carry backpack, a SITKA Drifter, which has a med kit from Dark Angel Medical which includes a tourniquet and a copy or two of my latest novel in case I run into a reader who might like a signed edition.

Awesome gear, thank you for sharing. As expected, every item here is carefully considered. What motivates you to EDC and how does it shape your gear choices?

Carr: I carry because it is my responsibility to protect that most precious of all gifts, the gift of life. As a husband and father, it is my responsibility to be prepared to defend my family rather than rely on others to do so. It is not only my job to be prepared with the tools necessary to protect but to also be prepared through training. I train at Thunder Ranch at their beautiful facility in Oregon. Maybe I’ll see you on the range.

Excellent point about training — it’s just as important to know how to use your gear than to simply have it on you. With that said, what’s your favorite item in your EDC?

Carr: I like having options depending on what I’m doing and where I’m going. I also carry the SIG P365 in a Black Point Tactical Mini-Wing and also have an ankle ring for it if that makes sense for what I’m wearing and what I’m doing. On my vehicles I have seat back organizers from Grey Man Tactical and a go-bag from Fieldcraft Survival.

You’ve written an impressive number of books for having started so recently after your time in the NAVY. How do you find the inspiration to write these stories?

Carr: The inspiration for my novels comes from a lifetime of reading. I am first a fan of the thriller genre. Growing up I naturally gravitated to books and movies with protagonists who had backgrounds I wanted to have in real life one day. I read everything by Tom Clancy, David Morrell, Nelson DeMille, A.J. Quinnell, J.C. Pollock, Louis L’Amour, Marc Olden and Stephen Hunter.  Though I didn’t know it at the time, these authors were my early professors in the art of storytelling. Later, I found Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor and Mark Greaney. Throughout my life I have also studied history, more specifically the history of warfare; special operations, terrorism, insurgencies and counter-insurgencies. That early reading, coupled with the academic study of war and my experiences on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan, all form the foundation for my series of novels.

On top of all that reading and writing, how else do you spend your time these days?

Carr: Right now, I am focused on writing my 5^th novel and taking care of my family. My wife and I are busy juggling our three children and dog.

It’s no surprise you’re already hard at work on your next novel now that The Devil’s Hand is out in the world. What else can we look forward to from you?

The Devil’s Hand, my 4th novel in the New York Times bestselling series just hit the shelves on April 13. My podcast, Danger Close: Beyond the Books with Jack Carr is out now and available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and my Jack Carr YouTube channel. The Amazon series with Chris Pratt will be coming in hot in 2022. You can get more information on the gear I used in the SEAL Teams and what I carry today on my website (be sure to sign up for my newsletter to stay in touch!). You can follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @jackcarrusa.

Thanks for taking the time to share your work and your EDC with our readers. Before you go, what’s one tip you’d give to our readers?

Carr: Never pay attention to the odds. People will love to tell you how hard something is, like how difficult it is to make it through BUD/S (SEAL Training) or how low the odds are of getting published. File that away and focus all your bandwidth on doing the work you need to do in order to get where you want to go, regardless of what that dream may be. And, along that journey, never miss an opportunity to make someone’s day.

You can get your copy of Jack Carr’s latest thriller, The Devil’s Hand, on Amazon today.

The post Interview: Jack Carr, Author & Ret. Navy SEAL appeared first on Everyday Carry.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View coconutb’s Full Everyday Carry

• Samsung galaxy S9+ 
• AT&T Unite Explore 4G LTE Hotspot 
• Gucci Print leather bi-fold wallet 
• Apartment keys
• Picture of family 
• Icebreaker coolmints
• Gamergoo
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Stereoheadphones tuned by AKG 

For our readers who might not be familiar, could you introduce yourself and what you do?

Lim: I’m a Twitch streamer with a combined total following of 100,000 people. Think of Twitch.tv like Youtube, but with everything done in live on camera in broadcasted to an online audience. Due to this, it’s not rare for streamers to develop close relationships to their viewers which I don’t think happens a lot on Youtube. I stream roughly 6-8 hours every single day. I spend more time with my community then my own family at times. Everyone has a different approach to streaming, but for me I like to be energetic, and always trying to find new ways to make people laugh. If I can give someone comfort or just act as distraction only if its for a few, then I’ve done my job. 

From where do you draw inspiration?

Lim: I draw inspiration from my mother. As a kid growing up my family was very poor and we were unable to afford anything. We couldn’t afford any family vacations either, so it prides me that I’m able to take her to Disney world for the fourth of July this year as well as sending her money whenever she needs it. 

Besides your career, what else are you passionate about?

Lim: I love mixed martial arts (MMA). I am obsessed with it. People think of MMA as barbaric, but to me it’s one of the most technical sports in the world. Besides training 3-4 times a week, I watch highlights, fights, as well as technique demonstrations on Youtube all the time. 

Why do you EDC?

Lim: Never thinking about what I need and having it all ready gives me the push to start my day and do what needs to be done.

Is there a particular everyday product you’ve been meaning to add to your EDC? If not, what’s your favorite item out of all your daily essentials?

Lim: I think I wanna get one of those huge battery pack portable chargers so I never have to worry about a dead phone again. 

Given your profession, what advice, tip, or secret would you offer to our readers?

Lim: I’ve made many mistakes throughout my career on Twitch but I didn’t let those mistakes define who I am as a person. I owned up to them and moved on. Success isn’t an overnight success, either. It’s days of grinding, sleepless nights, and a lot of stress. Nothing in this world worth anything is easy to obtain otherwise it wouldn’t be worth so grind and take whats yours!

You can tune into coconutb’s Twitch stream at his channel, here.

The post Interview: Josiah "CoconutB" Lim, Twitch Streamer appeared first on Everyday Carry.

He spent many years as a lawyer before co-founding Razer, and it’s only been up from there becoming one of the most prominent figures in the tech industry. Over the course of only 12 years Razer went from a small company that made a great gaming mouse to a worldwide lifestyle brand with its own esports team. 

Early in 2017 Razer also acquired phone manufacturer Nextbit and not long after released their first phone for gamers, the Razer Phone, to positive reviews. You can say things are going pretty well for the company, but we wanted to pick the mind behind it all to see what gear in his pockets he values the most.

For those of our readers who don’t know, can you introduce yourself and your role at Razer?

Min-Liang Tan: I am Razer’s CEO and co-founder, Min-Liang Tan. As the leading lifestyle brand for gaming, we design kickass products and have fun at the same time getting into rounds of Overwatch… stuff like that.We pride ourselves with hiring and working with some of the best and most dedicated people in the industry. From scientists and designers, right down to esports professionals. Beyond being phenomenal at work, we want Team Razer members to be passionate in their field. And if you’re a gamer, it’s certainly a huge plus. 

What’s in your everyday carry?

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See Min-Liang Tan’s Full Everyday Carry

Min-Liang Tan: At Razer, we don’t just design gaming products. We design products that suit the gamer lifestyle, so unsurprisingly, many of the things I carry are from Razer. My Razer Rogue backpack is my main go-to bag of choice. It houses my Razer Blade Stealth and Razer Atheris mobile gaming mouse. My Razer Phone is the perfect everyday device. Especially now that there is compelling mobile gaming content like Arena of Valor! I also carry a Bluetooth headset—the Razer Hammerhead BT (with included carrying case), and a pair of gaming glasses that we designed with GUNNARS. To keep me going, I pack a couple of tubes of Celsius easy mix, which work way better than an energy drink. 

Would you consider yourself a minimalist when it comes to what goes in your pockets?

Min-Liang Tan: Definitely. Life should be kept simple. In fact, if I could have a single device to fulfill all my needs—I would. If not, maybe l should get my engineers to design one (heh).  

One item almost everyone has in their EDC is a smartphone. How do you think the new Razer Phone will improve someone’s day-to-day as part of their EDC?

Min-Liang Tan: In my opinion, the smartphone is the quintessential everyday carry, so it’s not surprising that it tops the list of so many people. It’s a compact device that allows productivity, social media, and for an increasing number of us—gaming. I like to be connected all the time, and I’d also like to be gaming all the time. Our recently-launched Razer Phone is ideal for me because of the phenomenal display, the cinematic audio, the insane performance and the incredible battery life.

In only 12 years Razer has come quite a long way. Where do you see yourself and the company in another 12 years and what piece of tech do you hope will be small enough to put in your pockets by then?

Min-Liang Tan: Razer has always been a disruptor in the tech and gaming industry. We were the pioneers of esports, we started the gaming peripherals industry, invented the first true gaming laptop, and developed one of the largest ecosystem for gamers. It’s my hope that 12 years from now we’re still doing the same thing – designing phenomenal products, software and services built around one person – The Gamer – and remaining always For Gamers. By Gamers.

You can keep up with Min-Liang on Twitter at @minliangtan.

If you’d interested in checking out Razer gear, the team at Razer have hooked it up with a special VIP discount for our readers to help level up your gaming EDC at the link below.

Learn More

The post Interview: Min-Liang Tan, CEO of Razer appeared first on Everyday Carry.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1997, serving for over a decade in various heavy equipment and ordnance roles, and deployed to dozens of countries around the world. His long service has given him a unique take on using and designing tools, and he’s put this experience to use with his creations.

2017 marks Les George’s 25th year as a knifemaker, known for his clean, military-inspired designs and collaborations with Kai USA. We got in touch with him for this interview with help from our sponsor Zero Tolerance to announce the release of his latest design, the ZT0920, and talk about his EDC, his love of all things knives, and the future of his work.

Could you give us a little background on yourself: what’s your current profession and where are you located?

Les George: I’m a full time knifemaker, so my day to day is pretty much just like you think. I do have to take into account that I live in the back woods of Mississippi, so what I carry can depend on what I plan to do that day.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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See Les George’s Full Everyday Carry

Les George: Right now, I carry a Glock 19, a Zero Tollerance 0920 knife, a Kevin King leather wallet and a black Sharpie. When I wear a watch I have a Sinn U1 SBR that I like a lot.

In just one sentence, how would you describe your EDC?

Les George: My EDC is 99% of the time simple and consistent: knife, gun, and wallet.

How does your EDC help you throughout the day, whether for work or for leisure?

Les George: The item that I use the most is my knife. I carry a variety of knives, depending on what I feel like. When a new knife that I’ve designed comes out, I carry that one for a while.

Why do you EDC?

Les George: I try to carry as little as possible while still having what I need. Around my place, I’m not too far away from all my tools and supplies, and when I’m out and about, my truck is usually handy and also has a bunch of my stuff in it.

If money was no object, what EDC item would you like to own?

Les George: If I had the money, a Panerai watch would be cool.

I wish that the Glock pistol that I carry wasn’t so pedestrian, but it’s the gun I shoot the best. I have more expensive and cooler guns, but they just don’t work as well for me. I will keep buying new guns though, just to make sure!

How would you describe your style and process when designing knives?

Les George: I prefer knives to be simple. My VECP design is that way.

The challenge is to design knives that are simple and effective while being visually interesting. Literally anyone can design a solid, usable knife. It’s much harder to design one that’s cool and not exactly like one that’s been done before.

From where do you draw your inspiration for your designs?

Les George: I am inspired by knives. I know that sounds weird, but I just really like knives. I play with knives, I work with knives everyday, I’m a knifemaker largely because I am so interested in knives. I’m just about useless for any other work. I might be playing with a knife and think, “I wonder if it would be cool to move this part here or there,” and take off down a design rabbit hole.

Do you have a favorite knife design that you’ve done? If so, what is it and why?

Les George: My favorite one is the newest one [the ZT0920]! That and any dagger!

What do you think the next generation of EDC knives will look like?

Les George: I am not sure what it will be. In the short term, I will be making more high-end knives. In the design and EDC world, [creating] more capability with less, if that makes sense.

Do you have any recent accomplishments or interesting projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?

Les George: This year marks 25 years since I made my first knife. Next year is the 100th anniversary of my favorite knife, the M1918 trench knife, so I will be making more trench knives next year!

More new designs with Kai USA will be forth coming or course. I am always excited about that.

Any last advice, tip, or secret would you offer to our readers?

Les George: The best thing I can tell people about EDC gear is be realistic. Have realistic expectations of your gear and your abilities with that gear.

This interview is presented by our sponsor Zero Tolerance.

The post Interview: Les George, Knife Designer appeared first on Everyday Carry.

The main draw would be the quality and utility of the tools—something I think is safe to say most EDCers can get behind. But beyond that, they’re highly collectible. They come in different sizes, materials, tool combinations, and colors. For many EDCers, they satisfy that itch for picking up new gear to add to the rotation.

Last Thursday, Victorinox opened a new retail store in NYC at Rockefeller Center to celebrate the SAK’s 125th birthday. For collectors, this is welcome news. The store stocks some new collectible gear, like this limited edition Climber in gold just in time for the 2016 Olympics. But you’ll find much more than just SAKs here. For example, you can see the Climber’s sitting pretty next to a paracord INOX, one of Victorinox’s tough-as-nails watch offerings.

Carl Elsener, the global CEO of Victorinox, flew in from Switzerland to kick off the store’s grand opening. I took this rare opportunity to scope the new location and talk SAKs with Mr. Elsener himself.

In this quick interview below, Mr. Elsener shares what’s in his pockets, what model of SAK he swears by, and two incredible stories he’s heard over the years of a SAK coming to the rescue. It’s been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Could you show us your EDC?

Mr. Elsener: I have three knives on me today. Can I leave my phone out? It’s not too important.

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Mr. Elsener’s EDC is minimalist, and understandably 100% Victorinox gear. I noticed he keeps his keys on a long chain anchored in his pocket to his larger knife—a pretty clever way to prevent losing your keys without having to fuss with clips or keychains. His ultra slim cardholder turned out to be an early prototype (perks of being the CEO, I guess). His watch caught my eye too—it’s a titanium version of the INOX, coming out later in August this year.

Since your great grandfather started this company, your family has done a lot of work to help people around the world be prepared. Why would you say carrying a tool is important to you, personally?

Mr. Elsener: I was lucky to grow up in a knife factory. Even today with cell phones and technology, when a child receives their first pocket knife, you can still see a glow in their eyes. It was the same for me. When I received my very first pocket knife from my father, I felt like a grown up. It was very special for me knowing that my father and his team were manufacturing these knives. I don’t travel without my Swiss Army Knife, because as you said, I feel prepared.

What’s your all-time favorite Swiss Army Knife?

Mr. Elsener: I have to travel a lot for business, but I also like to hike. Because of this, I like the Traveller very much. It has all the main important features, but it also has a digital watch on the scale. It shows me American Time, Swiss Time, altitude when hiking… I had this knife with me on Mt. Kilimanjaro! For me, it’s very practical for hiking and traveling.

My Traveller has a little ballpoint pen that I use for signing important contracts. I use the knife everyday to cut an apple, to clean my teeth with the toothpick. If I have a splinter, I can use the tweezers to take it out. I have a little screwdriver in my corkscrew and I need it to adjust my glasses or sunglasses. And today, for the grand opening, of course I need my scissors to cut the ribbon!

What about for everyone else? If there was just one SAK everyone should have, what would you recommend?

Mr. Elsener: It depends — I’d actually recommend two knives. Either the Climber, because it has all the basic tools as well as scissors, which is one of the most important tools you could have. Otherwise, I’d recommend one of the smaller Classic knives for the keychain. I prefer the Signature because it has a very practical ballpoint pen. And when you open the file, it fits really nice in your hand. It also has an LED that’s perfectly aligned for writing. So when you wake up in the middle of the night with one of your ingenious ideas, you can write it down right away.

At this point, I mention my favorite SAK is the Manager. He notes that it’s similar but has an added caplifter and screwdrivers. His genuine passion for these tools is endearing, and I’m convinced he’s memorized every SAK ever made.

Can you recall an anecdote where your SAK or a customer’s saved the day in a surprising or interesting way?

Mr. Elsener: There are just so many. We receive stories from customers all over the world. I’d like to share two stories which I love the most. The first story was read around the world, featured in Reader’s Digest.

It’s about a little girl on an airplane who was eating candy, when she started to choke. Passengers turned her upside down and tried putting an oxygen mask on her, but nothing helped. Fortunately, there was a doctor on the plane. A Swiss passenger was there too, and happened to have a Classic with him. With the help of the small blade, the doctor performed a tracheotomy to save the child. She survived and recovered with no infection or anything.

The second story comes from Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut who’s spent more than 4000 hours in space. In his book, he describes how he had to dock his shuttle to a Russian space station. The Russians had given him tools to open the hatch. But when Hatfield started unscrewing the hatch with the tools, he soon realized he couldn’t get it all done. He wanted to go back to get more tools, but then he remembered he had a Swiss Army Knife in his pocket. He went on to write, “Never leave the planet without a Swiss Army Knife.”

That’s awesome. Next time I head out into space, I’ll remember to bring mine. One last question, besides this new store, what else can fans of Swiss Army Knife look forward to?

Mr. Elsener: At the moment, our aluminum knives and collector’s knives are very much on trend. We have a very nice collaboration with Nespresso (the coffee company). Nespresso coffee comes in aluminum capsules, and they approached us to help recycle them and use the metal in our knives’ handles. In this first collaboration knife, we’ve made handles from completely recycled Nespresso capsules, and have chosen one of the colors of the pods as a limited edition handle color. We’ve done this in Switzerland so far, but Nespresso may be interested in bringing this limited edition in other colors to other countries.

The Alox Pioneer is super popular with our readers. I’m glad to see them in more colors! Thank you so much for taking the time.

You can check out this wall of SAKs, as well as other Victorinox gear and new releases at their just-opened Rockefeller Center location.

The post Interview: Carl Elsener, Global CEO of Victorinox appeared first on Everyday Carry.

Whether he’s managing his online presence or shooting in far-off locations, Chris stays prepared with a solid EDC. In this interview, he shares what’s in his pockets, the inspiration for his work, and must-read advice for aspiring photographers.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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See Chris Burkard’s Full Everyday Carry

The list is long, but I’ll try to pare it down to just the essentials:

• Sony a6300
• iPhone 6 with Lander Powell Case and LoveHandle Strap
• Olloclip Lens
• GoalZero Venture 30 Solar Power Bank
• Bose QuietComfort 20i Noise Cancelling Earbuds
• PeakDesign Camera Strap
• Field Notes Notebook
• KarasKustoms Bolt Pen
• Nomad ChargeCard
• Petzl ZIPKA Headlamp
• All Good Lip Balm and Healing Balm
• Gerber Crucial
• Northern Lights Optics NL6 Sunglasses
• Tsovet JPT-NT42 Watch

Could you tell us about your job, and what you do? 

I guess I’ve never thought of my job as a profession. I am a photographer. My work is mainly rooted in adventure and I try to seek out moments that are meant to inspire and bring people joy, while at the same time, motivating them to get outside. I currently travel about 6 months out of the year. I shoot, speak, and direct amongst a host of other random things. Other than that, I am a father and husband which is by far my most important and rewarding role.

You go the extra mile to capture photos that really inspire others. How do you find inspiration for yourself?

It’s pretty simple. I find my inspiration in nature. Heading out and spending days off the grid and away from civilization is where I feel most relaxed. It lets me really see things in a different light. I used to draw a ton of inspiration from magazines and photo books, but now it’s more from music, architecture, paintings, poetry—really anything that opens up my senses in a new and interesting ways.

I’ve always tried to approach subjects with caution and humility. I never want to be running around taking photos without a clear purpose. So I try to really take in the places I go and make sure that I am feeling some connection with them before I get to work. It’s an important part of my photographic process.

Some of my top influences are Alex Strohl, Paul Nicklen, Michael Fatali, Ron Stoner, and so many others. My faith is a huge influence next to my family as well. My mom gave up a lot for me. She never traveled and practically had me as a teen, so when I travel, I do it for her.

We can see what’s really important to you by the subjects you shoot, but behind the lens, what else are you passionate about?

The ocean, and everything that has to do with it. I go on these long trips, and most of the time I find myself just craving the ocean. I’m always wanting to get back home to go bodysurf and smell the salt in the air. It’s kind of an addiction in some ways. I never leave on a trip without a pair of fins and board shorts just in case I get a chance to jump in the water somewhere. Honestly, you can usually find me in a river somewhere… hahaha.

I also love lending my voice to help protect wild places. I enjoy having a platform to share, so I usually EDC a notebook with me wherever I go. It allows me to jot down anything that come to mind. I’ve found find that I have my best ideas in 2 places: traveling on a plane, and hiking on a trail when I don’t have cell service or other distractions pulling me away from the moment. I really try to respect those times and use them as great opportunities to think out loud.

Why do you EDC?

A shot of Tórshavn from Chris’s Instagram

In a lot of ways, it’s crucial to living a creative life. The ability to document your life and share it has never been easier. When moments pass by and I don’t have these items, I feel like I missed out on something. Maybe it’s just a bad case of FOMO, but I feel like the iPhone in particular is one of the my best tools for video, photo, social, etc. It’s such a unique tool that I can do most of my work on, while at the same time, allows me to share it with millions of people. That brings me a ton of joy.

I can tell by your carry that you’re pretty savvy when it comes to good gear. What’s next for your EDC?

I really want to get one of those Nomad carabiner/iPhone cables. They look really simple and rad.

Any recently completed projects you want to let us know about? What can we expect to see next from you?

In the past year, I was lucky enough to achieve a longtime dream of mine and published a children’s book. I have published 5 books centered around my photography, but making something specific to kids was super important to me. Also, I recently finished shooting a film about surfing under the northern lights. It was insane. So cold, brutal and wild. It really tested my resolve. I shot with the Sony A7Sii which is specifically optimized for low light. It was the only way possible to get the images we capture. I can’t wait to share it!

You mentioned earlier that it’s never been easier to document and share your life and your work with others. Given your success, what advice do you have for people looking to explore a field like yours?

To all you hopeful photographers out there: love what you shoot. I spent a ton of time early in my career serving the needs of editors, magazines, etc. But once I finally focused into shooting what actually made me happy and brought me joy, my career skyrocketed. I also realized what I was good at and stopped trying to convince others that I could do everything. That is really important. Don’t try to show an editor tons of images that reflect a broad variety of work. Focus on what is most important: your best work. The stuff that shows what you specialize in. It will help you become a better curator and editor for your own work. The worst thing you can do is try to tell people you can shoot everything well. You’re hired because you are a specialist in a certain area, so the sooner you realize that the better.

See more of Chris’s photography and art at his website, and join over 1.6 million people following him on Instagram (@chrisburkard).

Photos courtesy of Chris Burkard.

The post Interview: Chris Burkard, Outdoors Photographer appeared first on Everyday Carry.

When you think of a military character in one of your favorite movies, chances are it’s R. Lee Ermey who you’re picturing. With such memorable roles as the intense Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket to the plastic army men in Toy Story, Ermey has appeared in over 60 films over an impressive span of four decades. His 11 years in the Marine Corps and passion for acting have produced several iconic roles in some of the most highly-regarded military films ever made. We had the opportunity to talk with Ermey about his day-to-day activities, his passion projects, and of course, the things he carries every day.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View R. Lee Ermey’s Full Everyday Carry

• SOG Fat Cat Knife
• Self-Designed Gold Crucifix with Marine Corps Emblem in the center
• USMC Watch Marathon Automatic
• Sharpie for autographs
• Parachute Cord Bracelet
• Golf Tees
• Warthog Tusk Keychain and Keys to my 1973 Dodge Charger
• My Personal Challenge Coin. GLOCK.
• ChapStick Classic Cherry
• Custom self-designed Marine Corps Ring

We’ve seen the finished films and television shows, but what is your day-to-day like when not on the set?

As a celebrity, I take on many jobs. I am an actor, TV host, spokesperson, and charitable contributor. My day to day varies depending on my role on any given day. I could be giving a speech to a crowd or I could be in front of the camera. Or, I could be hobnobbing with my fellow Marines. I play golf whenever I can. And, I work with select charities whenever possible. I enjoy hunting and fishing, and I try to get in as much time doing both as my hectic schedule permits.

You mentioned charity work, what inspires you to give back to the military community?

My inspiration would be in helping my fellow veterans and retired military personnel. Making sure that we take care of them properly. I never let them feel that their sacrifice is not appreciated. I work with organizations to facilitate veterans causes, and that inspires me each and every day.

Why do you EDC?

If there’s one thing that the Marines taught me, is to be organized and always prepared. I everyday carry items that keep me prepared for everyday situations. I need items on me that help get me through my day, and also offer me motivational support.

You carry a lot of purpose-driven gear, what’s your favorite item out of all your daily essentials?

My favorite item would have to be the one that I use the most. And that would be my knife.

Do you have any recent accomplishments or interesting projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?

I enjoy hosting the Armed Forces Bowl, working with the Young Marines Youth Organization, giving away houses and helping our veterans on one of my TV shows, Military Makeover, and being a Board Member of the NRA.

Although it may look like a glorious job from the outside, professionally acting is a ton of work. Given your decades of experience, what advice, tip, or secret would you offer to our readers?

For the young actor/actress, don’t be so quick to get married. Wait until you are where you want to be in this Industry. Don’t let anything hold you back. A spouse would hold you back. And, as a struggling actor, it is very difficult to provide for a family. To be successful as an actor, one has to take chances. You need to be single to take the right kind of chances. That way you are only responsible to yourself. You need to be available to travel and go out and socialize, and that also puts a lot of pressure on married life. Stay single until you are where you want to be in life.

Stay up to date with R. Lee Ermey by Liking his Facebook page, following him on Twitter (@RLeeErmey), or visiting his website.

This interview has been edited for clarity. Photos courtesy of R. Lee Ermey.

The post Interview: R. Lee Ermey, Actor appeared first on Everyday Carry.

Kevin Gillespie is an American chef, restaurateur, and author. You might recognize him as the runner-up and fan favorite in season 6 of Top Chef. He took some time out of his hectic schedule to join us for a quick interview. Read on to see Kevin share his thoughtfully selected EDC, fill us in on what it takes to be successful in the culinary industry, and leave one tip he believes everyone should follow.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Kevin Gillespie’s Full Everyday Carry

• Panerai Luminor watch
• Benchmade Griptillian pocket knife
• Klarus XT11 tactical flashlight
• Tru Ball Fang 4 Archery Release
• Sharpie Marker
• JM & Sons front pocket wallet
• Mammut carabiner and keys
• Custom-made tortoise shell and cherrywood beard comb given to me as a best man present by Joey Ward, Gunshow’s executive chef

We’ve seen your cooking skills, but what’s your day like outside of the kitchen? Can you tell us more about your other roles?

I am a chef and restaurateur. Lots of people think I’m behind the stove all day but this is a business like any other and I spend a lot of time doing small business tasks like strategic planning. I also write cookbooks and do TV appearances. I think the qualities that help me succeed include abstract thought, a sense of humor, and an extremely high level of drive and ambition.

What hobbies do you enjoy when you’re not working on making great food?

I’m passionate about sportsman pursuits, music and fine wine.

Why do you EDC?

I have such a busy schedule that I can’t afford to forget things. I need to rely on my essentials. I never know what direction my day will take – it’s not predictable – so I have to be prepared.

Your carry looks like you’ve put a lot of thought into it. You’ve picked some of the best gear around, but if you had to choose, which item is your favorite?

My pocket knife is my favorite. You just can’t overstate it’s practicality. You can use it to open a box or a beer, as a screwdriver… there’s just a million things it can do. I feel like I’m missing an article of clothing if I don’t have it.

It’s clear you’re an innovator — your Atlanta restaurant, Gunshow, mashes up a Brazilian churrascaria with Chinese dim sum style dining. What are you cooking up next?

Back in July, I opened a new restaurant called Revival. It’s in the Decatur neighborhood of Atlanta and I’m very excited about it!

It’s not easy to “make it” in the restaurant world. Given your success and experiences, what tip would you share with our readers?

A while back there was a shift from blue collar to white collar jobs. Now I see people appreciating the blue collar job more (which is what I consider my job to be). My tip is to learn classic life skills. People don’t know how to fix things anymore!

If you’re in the Atlanta area, stop by Kevin’s restaurants Gunshow and Revival, and keep up with him on Twitter at @topchefkevin.

Header photo credit: Christopher Watkins

The post Interview: Kevin Gillespie, Chef appeared first on Everyday Carry.

Matt Alexander is the founder and CEO of clothing e-commerce companies Need and Foremost, together known as The Edition Collective. He’s also an influential figure in tech, a mentor, a creative, and an overall stylish guy. In this interview, he shares the gear he uses to run his businesses, and gives advice for those aspiring to start projects of their own.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Matt Alexander’s Full Everyday Carry

First and foremost, I carry an iPhone 6 (Space Grey 64GB). I run a significant chunk of my business(es) from it, whilst also spending a lot of time dabbling with photography.

I’ve started wearing an Apple Watch (42mm Stainless Steel with Black Sport Band) recently, too. As I live on my iPhone, the Watch has become exceptionally useful as a means to cut down on the amount of notifications and activity that’s happening on my phone everyday.

I have a Louis Vuitton Florin Wallet which carries my credit cards. I try not to keep much more than the day-to-day financial and identification essentials within.

I always have my keys with me. I have my car key, apartment key, office key, apartment entry fob, and a fob for WELD (co-working space) attached.

I’m currently wearing some Shwood Francis Tortoise and Ebony sunglasses. And I often have a Neff beanie (grey or blue) or snapback hat (Jiberish or ONLY NY) with me, as I’ve recently shaved my head and am rather conscious of the elements on the other side of that decision.

Beyond that, I’m always carrying my 15-inch MacBook Pro (2014) with me in a Hard Graft Folio Sleeve. It’s rather cumbersome, though — and I’m currently traveling at least once or twice per month — so I’ve got a 512GB MacBook (silver) ordered. It ought to arrive this month.

I also sometimes have a Hermes Ulysse notebook for taking physical notes. (And usually a non-descript pen.)

And, if I’m traveling, I’ll have a pair of wireless Beats Studio headphones and a Retina iPad mini (32GB with LTE) with me. Usually in an Amos backpack.

Entrepreneurs tend to wear many hats. What’s your role at your companies and what does your day to day look like?

I’m the founder and CEO of Need and Foremost. Together, these projects represent my vision of how fashion — and, more broadly, e-commerce — ought to be handled.

When I founded the company, I was the only employee. So, my day-to-day used to be divided between shipping, customer service, sourcing, and so on.

These days, I’m mostly known to be skateboarding around the office, whilst chatting on the phone. (I can’t sit still during phone calls.)

As with most people who are building things, it’s fairly difficult to get out of your own head. You can’t escape something that fundamentally inhabits you.

So, I try to do little things for myself each day. Whether it’s making a Chemex of coffee each morning or riding my bike around town, I tend to gravitate towards activities that prohibit me from looking at my phone for any extended period of time.

When you’re building new things, where do you find the inspiration to innovate?

I’ve always had a policy of not having lunch by myself. Whenever I have the chance, I’ve made a habit of meeting with interesting, passionate people.

We talk about all manner of things. Whether it’s their craft or their business or their experiences, I love hearing people talk about things for which they fundamentally care.

I tend to think these conversations provide a great deal of context. Although these people aren’t in my industry, for instance, they’re all grappling with a variety of issues and challenges. And hearing about those experiences is deeply illuminating at useful.

It’s not that I want to emulate their path. Quite the opposite. I just think of building a company or idea as contributing to a larger conversation. And this is a very straightforward way of experiencing that on a day-to-day, low-level basis.

At the end of the day, I’m inspired by people. I care about their stories. And it’s not for anything more than simple curiosity.

Do you have any hobbies or interests that help you “get out of your own head” as you put it?

At a very high-level, I like to keep up with — and remain somewhat immersed in — contemporary culture. From film to literature to comic books, I consume a great deal of media.

As with most other people who deal with things on the Internet, I’m also increasingly becoming a fussy coffee person. I love the act of making a well-made cup of coffee everyday.

Aside from that, I skateboard, run, and ride my bike from time-to-time. Basically, for all of this, I’m an enormous startup person stereotype.

Why do you EDC?

I’m comfortable in the knowledge that I don’t ever carry too much with me. For me, though, I find paralysis in the feeling of over-preparation. I’m always at my best when I’m unencumbered by superfluous items and belongings to account for all manner of situations.

I gravitate towards the exercise of working out what I truly need to keep my life and business moving each day. And the fewer items I can have on my person, the better I’ll be at achieving those goals.

What gear do you want to add to your EDC next?

As I mentioned, I’m very excited about the new Macbook. Although it’s “underpowered” and whatnot, I really don’t think of technology as being dictated by specifications any more. I don’t buy an iPhone for its processor. I buy an iPhone for its design and its simplicity.

Laptops are increasingly being seen in the same light. We’ve reached a certain point of advancement at which most rudimentary tasks are accomplishable by everything on the market. It now becomes a matter of practicality and design.

As I’m beginning to travel a lot, the new Macbook is increasingly alluring. I can do true work (sorry, iPad), without worrying about having to bring a larger bag for everything.

For all of these words, it represents an opportunity to cut down on the amount I’m carrying with me, whilst also drastically reducing weight. And the less weight, the less I’m thinking about it. (Which is the ultimate goal.)

Do you have any recent accomplishments or interesting projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?

In terms of professional activities, we just launched Foremost, whilst also working on a new version of Need. It’s been an exciting/exhausting time. We’ve merged the companies and we’re in the midst of a significant round of funding from a variety of prominent people in the US and abroad. We’ll be exciting that over the next few months.

On a more personal level, I’ve just found out I’m a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Which is gratifying! (And, apparently, I’ll be the youngest to be included. They made a special exception to the rules for me to even be included, so it’s all been rather surreal.)

Aside from those two, we’re hard at work on our iOS app. I’m increasingly considering it more as a third brand than it would be a portal for Need and Foremost. And that’s a really exciting prospect.

Given your profession, what advice, tip, or secret would you offer to our readers?

Many, many people spend far, far too much time over-thinking things.

For instance, I receive email all the time from prospective founders looking for advice about starting out. They all tend to ask when it’s going to be the right time, how much diligence they should do, and how long their business plans ought to be.

Although those are valuable questions, the truth of the matter is that, regardless of how much preparation you have, your plans will change. And, although you might’ve done a lot of research, you still fundamentally do not know what you’re doing.

The world changes. Projects change. Markets change.

Excessive planning only serves to halt your intuition and ability to make quick decisions.

Read more from Matt at his blog, OneThirtySeven, and follow him on Twitter for more updates.

Photos courtesy of Matt Alexander

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Brad Thor is an American novelist, whose works include several New York Times Best Sellers. He’s just finished his newest book, Code of Conduct, and took some time to share his everyday carry inspired by his many military- and spy-themed thrillers. Read along to see what gear he uses and to discover his secret for any aspiring author looking to get published.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Brad Thor’s Full Everyday Carry

I write about spies + the SpecOps community. Most of what they do is under the cover of darkness, and the color black plays heavily in their gear selection. I suppose, over time, that has seeped into my consciousness.

Black is sleek, timeless, and always stylish:

Field Notes – Pitch Black + Fisher Bullet Space Pen: I never know when a good idea is going to come my way and I always want to be prepared. There’s nothing worse than getting a flash of something fantastic, only to lose it because you didn’t bother to write it down. By carrying a small notebook + a pen that works no matter what the angle/weather conditions, I have no excuse not to commit everything to paper.

Knife – Otanashi noh Ken – Designed by James Williams for CRKT. Simply put, one of the most badass folding knives on the planet. Tons of SpecOps members carry James Williams’ blades. Based on centuries-old Samurai designs, nothing on the market beats it. I carry it because men whose lives depend on their tools, also carry it.

Magpul iPhone 6 cover – I love the Magpul brand and I own tons of their gear for my rifles. Theirs is a wicked smart company, always on the cutting edge. If everything else I have is battle-ready, why shouldn’t my phone be?

Gerber “Shard” keychain tool – Gerber makes some excellent products. I incorporated the “Shard” into my EDC so that I would stop abusing my knives. I open lots and lots of cardboard boxes, which dulls blades pretty fast. If my knife comes out in an emergency situation, I want it to be super sharp. The “Shard” does the day-to-day work I need done and is the packhorse to my Otanashi noh Ken thoroughbred.

Leatherman Style PS multitool. Multitools are great to have around. My problem was that whenever I needed mine, it was sitting in my bug out bag in my SUV. It was just too big to carry, and I’d be damned if I would wear something on my belt. Then Leatherman came out with this version and I knew I’d be carrying it everyday. Super small, super light, and super strong – no matter what the job, I’m always carrying the right tool.

Also in my bug out bag, is an awesome headlamp. Unless you’re in a fighting scenario, they are absolutely the way to go. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a headlamp setup compact enough to EDC. That’s why I carry a compact flashlight and love my Streamlight 88030 Protac Tactical Flashlight 1L. In addition to being small and lightweight, I love its battery shelf life and the fact that you can remove the pocket clip. I can also drop it in water for a half hour without fear, it offers easily indexed high and low intensity options, plus it includes a strobe feature – which every EDC’er should demand of any flashlight they carry.

Finally – I saved the BEST for last. My favorite EDC item is my Kobold Phantom Chronograph. How badass is this watch? Google “James Gandolfini Watch” and see what pops up. This is the watch my Navy SEAL protagonist, Scot Harvath wears and it is the watch I wear. From top-to-bottom this watch projects “Don’t Fuck With Me” confidence. It is the Rolex for men who are the real deal. Kobold (of Pittsburgh, PA) has designed timepieces for not only special edition Land Rover vehicles, but has also sent their watches on some of the most harrowing global expeditions ever attempted by humankind. I love it because elite operators who do some of the world’s deadliest and most precision-demanding work, wear a Kobold. As far as I am concerned, that’s the ultimate endorsement.

How would you summarize your profession, and what your day-to-day is like?

International thriller author.

Everything I do is about discipline. Writing is easy. It’s the sitting down to write that’s hard. But as Jack London once said, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

Where do you find the inspiration to sit down to write?

No matter how many books I have sold, I continue to see myself as a small business owner, handcrafting a new and extremely special product every year.

My readers are not just my customers, they are the people I work for. It is incumbent upon me to not only give them the very best, white-knuckle thrill ride I am capable of, but to get better at my craft every year.

Let’s face it, there are lots of things competing for people’s time and dollars. If I can’t earn your loyalty, I don’t deserve it. But I hate to lose, so I work harder, longer, and smarter than anyone I know. Phoning it in, is not in my nature. If you are not committed to kicking complete and total ass, you’re swinging your sword in the wrong arena.

Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?

I enjoy bourbon and antique typewriters – on brand for an author, right? I also love watches, cufflinks, knives, and all sorts of firearms.

My favorite cufflinks are made from a pair of old typewriter keys that read, “Shift Freedom.”

I love well-tailored suits, and shoes that take a high shine. I have two pieces of crystal on my desk, passed down from my godfather. One is a lion, the other is a ram. They symbolize courage and determination – two traits I strive to embody on a daily basis.

My desire is to live ready. Whether it’s for the next intriguing idea, something my wife or children need fixed, or who-knows-what. Whatever comes, comes. I just want to be the man people can turn to. And in doing so, I hope to set the example for others.

Why do you EDC?

The short answer for why I EDC can be summed up by the Latin phrase “Virile Agitur.” (Editor’s Note: That roughly translates to “do the manly thing.”)

I EDC because even when I sat (post college) in a little office in Chicago, trying to figure out who and what I wanted to be, I knew that I wanted to be ready for whatever the world threw at me.

I EDC because I know that smart people EDC. People who sit on the side of the road with a flat, waiting for help are not EDC’ers. People who EDC come from all walks of life, but we all speak the same language. We all want to be the solution, no matter how small, of whatever problem pops up. In short, we’re both old school and new school. We’re old school, in that we’re prepared, but we’re also new school in that we look around and see that we’re the only one’s who are prepared, ready for any challenge.

What I love about EDC, is that this is a fraternity (of men & women) who are thinkers and problem solvers. That’s not only what our culture needs, it’s just damn cool.

Do you feel there’s anything missing from your EDC?

Night Vision. Night Vision. Night Vision.

It’s like headlamps. We need smaller and better night vision that works for EDC.

Do you have any new releases we should check out?

My new thriller, CODE OF CONDUCT – which incorporates TONS of very cool EDC, has just been published and is available now.

Given your success as a novelist, do you have any secret tips for other writers trying to make it?

I love giving advice on the topic of how to become a published writer, because there is so much bullshit out there.

First, the good news on getting a publisher:

If you want to write non-fiction, you only need to write an outline, a book proposal, and a sample chapter.

If you want to write fiction, you have to write the entire novel.

How did I get published?

If we’re talking fiction (that’s my A.O.), once you have a complete manuscript (and which you have had everyone you know sweep for typos), pick up The Guide to Literary Agents and learn how to pitch agents.

Secret Brad Thor Tip: Ignore the part about submitting to one agent at a time. Pick your top 10, or 20 agents and shotgun them! The best thing that can happen is that they fight over you. If you send to one agent at a time and wait for a response, you could waste years of your writing career. (Agents HATE that I tell writers this. Too bad.)

See more of Brad’s work at his website, and keep up with him on Twitter.

Photos courtesy of Brad Thor

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Scott Jordan is the CEO of SCOTTeVEST, an apparel company known for their travel clothing designed with tons of hidden pockets. He knows a thing or two about EDC, having pocketed his gear for decades. In this interview, he shares his daily setup, speaks on how the practice of EDC shaped his company, and reveals his secrets for making it in the business world.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Scott Jordan’s Full Everyday Carry

Most of my EDC items are electronic or meant to support electronics. Battery life is a HUGE concern, and I’m a power user of devices, so I try to keep my devices topped off at all times. I’m always looking for the best gadgets, and these are the best out there right now.

Tell us about your company. What’s a day at work like for you these days?

My company SCOTTeVEST creates and sells stylish clothing with tons of hidden pockets that are designed to carry gadgets and EDC items. I founded the company in 2000 so I could carry all my EDC stuff without a fanny pack or a man purse. Since then, I’ve appeared on Shark Tank, written a book and grown my company to a $50 million business. These days, I spend close to half my time touring the country in my Polaris Slingshot three-wheeled motorcycle to promote SCOTTeVEST. I live a very mobile lifestyle and stay in constant contact with my mountaintop headquarters in Sun Valley, ID with just what I can carry in my (many) pockets.

It’s rare to find clothes that put an emphasis on the practicality of pockets. What inspired you to start making clothes that do? What inspires you to keep going?

When I first started SCOTTeVEST, I was inspired by needing a solution to my own problems. I was a gadget guy and I always EDCed tons of items… Discman, headphones, wallet, etc. Hey – it was the year 2000! After I caught a headphone wire on a doorknob and almost ripped my ear off, I invented a way to run wires through the lining of clothing… an invention that I patented (If you watch Shark Tank, you know the full story behind this).

Now, I get inspired by traveling and meeting fans around the country and sometimes around the world. But no matter how far I travel or how cool my new EDC gadgets are, I always love to come home. That’s what inspires me the most: the road home to my wife and three standard poodles.

What sort of hobbies interest you?

When I was a kid, I was really into transistor radios. I had the world’s smallest radio… and then the next month’s world’s smallest radio. That hasn’t really changed much, and I’m even more passionate about gadgets today because they are so much cooler! I also tend to be a few steps ahead of the curve with gadgets. For example, I see a lot of people carrying around selfie sticks lately. I don’t. I had carried one in 2010, so they’re old news to me now.

Why do you EDC?

I’ve been EDCing long before that was a well-recognized term. It has always just made sense to me. I love feeling connected and being able to get things done at any time when I have a spare minute. The only reason I’m able to run my business and travel at the same time is because I EDC the items I need to use every day, and because I have refined my processes to take full advantage of technology. It IS possible to be a mobile entrepreneur if you have the right equipment, and it does you no good to be sitting in a drawer back at the office. I built my whole company around the concept of EDC, so I am a true believer.

As a gadget lover, what’s the next piece of kit you want for your carry? What gear gets the most use in your current setup?

Right now, I really want the iWatch! It’s small, so you don’t need to pull out your iPhone, which is pretty important when you are toting a big phone like the 6 Plus. It’s a workout just to answer a call.

My ultimate EDC product would be a fully functional Google Glass with great battery life. It has so much potential to be game changing, but they don’t stay charged long enough to wear it all day, every day.

I don’t know that I have a favorite item, but my most useful is the iPhone 6 Plus… it’s like a digital Swiss Army Knife. But without extra batteries, it’s just a paperweight, so extra juice is critical.

Do you have any recent accomplishments or interesting projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?

I wrote and released my first book a few months ago titled, “Pocket Man: The Unauthorized Autobiography of a Passionate, Personal Promoter.” It’s received great reviews, and it sparked an idea: I really am Pocket Man. I started my own business around putting hidden pockets in clothing in 2000, and I haven’t looked back.

So now I pimped out my new Polaris Slingshot, which is a three-wheeled cooler-than-the-Batmobile motorcycle and travel the country promoting my book and company. I was invited to speak at Google and UCLA, and it’s been a blast. Since the Slingshot has zero storage, I pretty much need to travel with just my EDC items and a change of clothes. It’s the ultimate test for my multi-pocket SCOTTeVEST clothing. I can run my whole office with what’s in my pockets as we work toward our next $50 million.

As a successful entrepreneur, what secrets would you share for anyone going down that path?

Use technology. Use it. If you want to succeed, survive, thrive and grow in business (and still have a life) learn to use technology. I use apps to remind me to follow up on emails and projects. I use live-streaming through Periscope to expand my brand reach. I use Basecamp to keep tabs on projects. The more you can automate and streamline your life using technology, the more time – and therefore freedom – you can enjoy.

After all, having the tools you need when you need them – that is, EDCing – is all about finding freedom, isn’t it?

Keep up with Scott on Twitter, and check out his line of pocket-heavy apparel at their site, SCOTTeVEST.

Photos courtesy of SCOTTeVEST

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Rian Dawson is the drummer and percussionist of All Time Low, an American pop punk band. He’s also a coffee addict, watch collector, gadget enthusiast and avid EDCer. He set some time aside from touring to share his daily essentials with us and talk about interesting hobbies and the gear that goes with them.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Rian Dawson’s Full Everyday Carry

• Moleskine Notebook – I use this when using Pro Tools to make notes to myself. I love being able to listen to a song all the way through without stopping, and having a notepad nearby is great so I can jot down ideas without losing my place in the song.
• Tom Ford Oud Wood — I am a fan of smelling good, but also don’t like to smell like every other guy on the street.
• CRKT Folding Tactical Knife – I always like to have this nearby, not even for personal safety but just because I always find it to be handy to have.
• Panerai Luminor Marina watch – I have loved wearing watches ever since I was a kid. As I’ve grown up, I’ve started collecting them. The Panerai is one I wear every day as it seems to fit whatever attire I’m wearing that day. Shorts and a T-shirt all the way to a suit, I’m a fan.
• Carbon Fiber Bottle Opener – I keep this in my wallet just in case another bottle opener isn’t handy. I had a steel one but it weighed down my wallet too much, so I made the swap to carbon fiber.
• Coffee Beans – No matter where in the world I am, I try to get a sampling of the coffee.
• JH16 Custom Molded In-Ear Monitors – When mixing audio, it’s very important to have a clear, well represented sound no matter what the environment.
• WD My Passport Wireless – This hard drive is great for backing up because as soon as it recognizes a wireless network, it seamlessly backs up all your data in the background. I also use the WD hard drives for all of my Pro Tools sessions for easy access.
• AAA Future Hearts Laminate – Tough to get around on tour without one of these. This allows access backstage, on stage, out front, out back, in the pit… you get the point!

For our readers who might not be familiar, could you introduce yourself and what you’ve been up to?

I am a drummer in the band All Time Low. We’re currently on tour around Europe for the summer and just finished up a nationwide headlining tour in the U.S. called the Future Hearts tour.

What is your approach to creating your work and staying focused?

I am very passionate about everything audio related. About five years ago, I started becoming obsessed with how records were made. How each record has its own unique sound, and what goes into making each record sound different. So I started learning how to engineer in the studio, and that branched into mixing audio. When I am not touring, I spend a fair amount of my free time in my home studio trying to learn more and more about mixing and engineering. I think it’s important to have other interests when in a touring band, as you often find yourself with a good amount of down time.

You mention having other interests. Besides audio, what other hobbies do you enjoy? Does your EDC play into them at all?

I have an obsession (read: addiction) to caffeine. I love finding good coffee, which is great because I am in a different city every day, so I can always find the best local spots and buy some beans. I keep a coffee grinder, kettle, and french press on the bus at all times so I am never far from a fresh cup of coffee.

As I stated before, I am also always looking for new music to mix, which explains the JH Audio In-Ears and Western Digital hard drive. I keep all my Pro Tools (Editor’s Note: Pro Tools is industry-standard music production software) sessions on an external drive, and back them up again to the cloud. I have the in-ears so I always have the same audio reference, as a pair of speakers can sound different depending on what room you’re in. It’s great to be able to go to any studio in the world and have my sessions on me at all times through monitors that I am familiar with.

Why do you EDC?

I have always liked feeling very self-sufficient. I’ve been touring now for seven years and have learned the best way to have fun on the road is to learn how to best spend your free time. I love being able to advance other hobbies and interests in my life no matter where in the world I may be. It’s nice to start a day mixing a song in the bus, go to a watch shop in the afternoon, and play drums on stage at night. It sure as hell beats sitting in the dressing room all day.

Clearly you put in a lot of thought into your carry — which item is your most essential?

This is a tough one as I truly consider all of the items in my EDC absolutely essential. But if I had to pick one, it would be the WD Hard Drive. Within that hard drive are hundreds of gigs and countless hours worth of Pro Tools sessions that I have mixed and I would be absolutely devastated if I lost it. Of course I also have a redundancy back up, but still… the thought of losing it is horrible. The cologne really does smell good though…

Do you and the band have any recent accomplishments or releases we should know about?

A very proud accomplishment is our newest album Future Hearts reaching the top ten charts worldwide and in some countries reaching number one. This is a true testament to our fans and their loyalty so I am most proud of accomplishing that and truly grateful to our fans.

It sounds like you’ve got a great balance of doing fulfilling work and using your free time productively. Could you share some advice on that?

I think people overlook the idea of having a hobby. As busy as you may be, it’s very important to be able to do something that you truly enjoy (even if you enjoy your work, I don’t consider that a hobby). This doesn’t need to be anything expensive or terribly time consuming, I find a huge amount of joy in a very good cup of coffee in the morning, something as small as this can change the outlook of your day. I can lose myself for a few hours looking at watches, or dissecting a mix of a great sounding song. Having everyday interests can make the boring or bad days turn around quite quickly. Find something to enjoy in the little things!

You can keep up with Rian on Twitter and check out his music with All Time Low at their website.

Photos courtesy of Rian Dawson.

The post Interview: Rian Dawson, Drummer of All Time Low appeared first on Everyday Carry.

David Heinemeier Hansson is a Danish programmer, creator of web development framework, Ruby on Rails, founder and CTO of leading project management tool, Basecamp, and class-winning endurance racing driver. In this interview, he shares his minimal, considered carry and how it fits into his everyday life.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View DHH’s Full Everyday Carry

Red Bull carbon fiber sunglasses, Hublot Ayrton Senna mechanical watch, platinum wedding band, Moto X 2014 w/ wooden back, iPhone 6 black, standard leather wallet.

I carry two phones whenever I’m abroad. The iPhone has my US sim, so my main number still always works. The Motorola will get whatever local sim I’m using.

How do you typically spend a day at work?

Most of my day is either spend programming in the wonderful language that is Ruby, or dealing with the mechanics of running our 10 year-old Basecamp product and company.

What motivates you most to do great work?

As it pertains to code, I’m mostly motivated by things that are just not good enough. Code can be better written, software can be simpler, a company can be more harmonic, life can be more tranquil. Stoicism is a philosophy of life that resonates with me deeply.

Besides your prolific programming career, what else are you passionate about?

I love motor racing and participate in the World Endurance Championship and its marquee event the 24 hours of Le Mans. I’m also an avid photographer. And I love spending time with my wife and little boy.

David’s car at the 2015 24 hours of Le Mans

Your carry is quite minimal, but if you had to choose — what’s your favorite item out of your few essentials?

My favorite daily carry is probably my mechanical watch. It’s just a joy to marvel at. I’ve worn it for many years now. Consumer electronics come and go, but the Hublot Senna has been on my wrist through some truly epic moments in my life: The birth of my son, getting married, winning at the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Why do you EDC?

I love practical works of art. Mechanical watches fills that role great for me. They’re completely outdated in the functional sense of the word, but it’s a testament to human accomplishment and drive that we still bother. Carrying that on my wrist feels great.

I also love tactile consumer electronics. The Moto X is the best feeling phone I’ve had, mostly due to that lovely real wood back. The iPhone 6 next to it is better in almost every objective way, but I still love the Moto.

Both the sunglasses and the watch are made from carbon fiber. Beautiful material that’s also strong and light. It’s also what the race cars I drive are made of.

Carbon fiber details on David’s supercar

What new challenges are you tackling these days?

I’m always working on making Basecamp and Rails better. It’s been 10 years, but there’s still so much to do, and I still have so much fun doing it. I also just raced in the 24 hours of Le Mans for the fourth time earlier this June.

Any parting words or final advice for our readers?

Happiness is a choice.

Learn more about David at his website, and stay updated with him on his Twitter (@dhh) and Instagram (@dhh79). 

Main and EDC photos courtesy of David Heinemeier Hansson, inline images via his Instagram.

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Steph Davis is one of the best rock climbers, having set multiple records as the first and only to summit several of the world’s toughest routes. She’s taken some time from shooting photos from dizzying, breathtaking heights to snapping her everyday carry for us to see. Read on to find what gear she finds most useful on the cliffs and her quick advice to apply to your gear and your life.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Steph Davis’s Full Everyday Carry

You’ve followed your passion for climbing and now you’ve made a career out of it! How do you spend your day-to-day?

I spend equal time climbing rocks, jumping off cliffs, and on my computer. For me, there is no same old day-to-day. Sometimes I’m traveling, sometimes at my home base in Moab, Utah.

What are the most important things in life that keep you focused?

I like to keep a balance between the activities I’m passionate about (climbing, base jumping, wingsuit flying) and my work and personal relationships. My cat and dog are extremely important to me too. Mainly my goal has always been to have as much freedom as possible.

Besides climbing itself, what do you enjoy doing most of the time?

I love taking pictures and I’m often going up or flying down from a cliff, so my iPhone lanyard is pretty crucial gear in helping me capture those moments. I usually try to bring my dog with me everywhere I go. And staying hydrated is my unpaid, fulltime job.

How’d you end up with your current EDC?

These are the bare essentials for a regular day in Moab, and I’m pretty picky about gear. So these are all things I’ve come to trust and need.

Out of those things you trust and need, what’s your favorite?

That iPhone lanyard is probably the most used thing I’ve ever owned!

Do you have any recent accomplishments? What’s the next proverbial mountain to climb for you?

I did a Tedx talk this year, and since then I’ve been focusing a lot of energy on public speaking.

You must have a unique perspective on life from your years of climbing. What advice would you leave us given your experiences?

“Light is right!” Most of the things I do requires gear. It all adds up, so I try to focus on minimalism all the time. This carries over to everything else in life — I want the things I need, and that’s it.

See more from Steph at her blog, High Infatuation, and follow her on Twitter at @highsteph for more updates.

Photos courtesy of Steph Davis.

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For our readers who are not familiar with your profession, could you explain what you do and what your day-to-day is like on the job?

I have the best job in the world, I’m the CEO of Tile. If you have ever lost or misplaced anything, we provide a service that helps know where your stuff is and get back all that wasteful time searching for misplaced items. Using our app you can have your keys, wallet, or anything else show up on a map or beep so you can easily find them.

Every day I get to lead a great team of amazing people to make sure we are delivering the best of class support to our current customers. As CEO, I oversee all departments, including engineering, public relations, marketing, finance, and operations. The feedback we get from our community every day motivates me and the team to make sure we are engineering an amazing product.

From where do you draw inspiration?

Since I was child I was always a huge fan of the Rocky movies. The underdog overcoming all odds with hard work and passion is so powerful. Starting a company is very similar, you just have to keep powering forward. At Tile we call it the “wolf” mentality, where I encourage everyone to push the boundaries and create the new. When looking at the other great leaders in the world, it’s one thing to see the greatness they have achieved and strive to be like them, but it’s a great challenge to aim to get to that next level that no one has seen yet or imagined. As often quoted in history, the best way to predict the future is to create it. It’s a blend of creativity and hard work that makes that happen.

Besides your career, what else are you passionate about?

I am really passionate about music. I am a jazz saxophonist and am still able to weave in some jam sessions in between board meetings and production pushes. I read a lot and travel as well.

I think you can learn a lot about business and tech from the arts. Silicon Valley has a reputation for being all about the tech – but what music has taught me is that the user experience is often what sets tech apart from utility. It’s more about being human and having a product that fills a need of the human condition – in this case, “Honey, have you seen my keys?”

Artists have a very unique way of looking at the world. Often there is no reference point or foundation, but just a blank score and the motivation to try something new. And often playing with other musicians, you learn about collaboration and being able to identify patterns and opportunities that cannot always be planned out. Taking what I learned from music has had a profound impact on how I approach business.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Mike Farley’s Full Everyday Carry

My everyday carry is a blend of tech, music, and style. Everything is about craftsmanship, soul, and efficiency. For example, I carry two phones so I can keep in touch with family and also test out beta functionality for the Tile Community. I love my Apple Watch, but choose the Movado if I am attending a formal gathering. The last part of my EDC is about music and writing, which are very important to me. There is something about dabbling in analog that opens up the soul and makes for a better week, and brings clarity to everyday impossible problems. So much of technology is focused on the left brain, where part of my everyday carry allows me to work from the right brain as well. This interdisciplinary approach provides a creative foundation for how I approach life and work.

Why do you EDC?

The basis for Tile was to be able to keep track of the things that matter to me every day. In many ways, this is the essence of EDC. The things I carry with me everyday represent an elegant mix of design and utility — my two phones and Apple Watch for app testing and keeping connected to the world, my Moleskine notebook that helps me keep track of inspiration when it hits, and lastly my music gear. Although I am always thinking about work, I make time to listen to my favorite album or break out the saxophone for my creative release and some mental clarity.

Is there a particular everyday product you’ve been meaning to add to your EDC? If not, what’s your favorite item out of all your daily essentials?

Something that I recently added was my Apple Watch. It seems so simple, but only having to glance down at my wrist for key moments in my day, versus opening an app or pulling out my phone has really enhanced my productivity. I also think it represents a new kind of object that is more about layers of interactivity as opposed to a single use case. For example, I used to do the “pocket pat down” to make sure I had my three essential things, but now I just glance down at my Tile Watch app and see that all my stuff is with me. Plug aside, the Watch does not make sense for all apps or interactions, but it changes enough of the small moments of my day to make a difference so I can spend that extra time on other things.

Do you have any recent accomplishments or interesting projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?

Several weeks ago we had someone in Belgium recover their stolen van using our product. It’s extraordinary that our device helped someone get back their car because another Tile user walked by the stolen vehicle and reported the location to the owner’s phone. It represented a big tipping point that our data already had validated that the members of our community were really global at this point.

Given your profession, what advice, tip, or secret would you offer to our readers?

Now is the time to act.  If you have an idea, project or goal, go for it, NOW. It’s never too late to make it happen. Also, achieving anything substantial is not going to be easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. Know that there will be hiccups, but that’s the fun part. When it looks like there’s no way you can make it work, persistence and drive will help you break through. Never underestimate the power of persistence!

Photos courtesy of Tile

This is a sponsored post presented by Tile.

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Robert Love is a Boston-based software engineer at Google, speaker, and author of several books on Linux, an operating system. In this interview, he shares his everyday carry, brief philosophy on engineering (software in particular), and some advice on how to gain knowledge and enrich your life.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Robert Love’s Full Everyday Carry

My everyday carry is geared toward urban life. I live in Boston and work in Cambridge. Not this awful winter, but when the weather is agreeable I walk to work. What I carry is mostly about what I can stuff in my pockets.

Friends find the newspaper surprising. Who reads physical newspapers anymore? I do. I love ’em—the smell, the touch, how you digest the news differently in broadsheet form than online. I read both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

For technology, I have an Apple 13″ Retina MacBook Pro as my laptop, a Google Nexus 5 for my smartphone, and an Amazon Kindle Voyager for e-books. I’m not particularly allegiant to any platform.

For our readers who are not familiar with your profession, could you explain what you do and what your day-to-day is like on the job?

I am a software engineer at Google. I lead search infrastructure teams in our Boston office. “Search infrastructure” is the systems that power Google search: the servers, algorithms, and software that make it all work.

The most exciting part is the scale. I find engineering — building stuff — a wonderful pursuit in and of itself. But there’s this visceral quality when you know that even the smallest endeavor is going to be seen by thousands of people a second.

I’m also an author. I’ve written three books: Linux Kernel Development, Linux System Programming, and Linux in a Nutshell. The first is for developers of Linux, the second for developers on Linux, the third for users of Linux.

What about software engineering inspires you to do it?

People and how technology can improve our lives.

Software is just the most malleable of media. Software engineering is the least constrained of engineering disciplines — programmers are building cars and watches and ride sharing services, for goodness’ sakes. It truly is a fascinating time to be in this field.

What do people do? What do people want? How can technology help? Asking and trying to answer those questions is my inspiration.

What are your passions outside of building things as an engineer? Do you have any major hobbies?

Wine. Drinking it, tasting it, collecting it, the geeky aspects—everything but making it. I appreciate how wine is such an integral part of so many places, cuisines, and peoples.

As a personal challenge, I recently studied for and earned my Certified Sommelier designation from the Court of Master Sommeliers. As a gift for passing, I received this Chateau Laguiole Grand Cru wine key in olive wood. It isn’t in my everyday carry, but it is a big part of my better days.

Why do you EDC?

I appreciate good design, particular the balance between daily practicality and beauty.

I don’t like words on anything I carry or wear. Take the Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, for example. I carry that everywhere I go, left pocket. But I peel the label off. Words and logos drive me crazy.

What’s your favorite thing to carry?

I wear that red cashmere skull cap everywhere I go approximately six months out of the year. I love it. It gets me out of combing my hair for half the year.

Could you tell us about what projects you’re working on right now?

We are beginning work on the seventh edition of Linux in a Nutshell. This book is the least personal, since I write it with several great coauthors, but in many ways it is the most important. Linux in a Nutshell is, for many Linux users, their introduction to the platform. It is the user reference book—indeed, Linux Journal’s Readers’ Choice Awards awarded it “Best Linux Book of All Time”.

We’re still in the planning phase, but I’m curious to see where this edition takes us. The book’s evolution mirrors Linux’s evolution. As technologies change, as people’s use of Linux evolves, so does the text. I’m looking forward to it.

What one piece of advice would you leave for our readers?

Find a mentor and cultivate that relationship for everything it is worth. Not some dude on the Internet, but a man or woman in your life who can gift you their experience and knowledge. There’s this assumption in many fast-moving industries that the old can’t teach the new any tricks. How can an old mainframe programmer help a kid writing an Android app? That isn’t the point. The point is to have someone to discuss the big picture, to offer career advice, to bounce ideas off.

And once a couple mentors have enriched your life, become one yourself.

For more from Robert, connect with him on Twitter (@rlove) or check out his website at rlove.org.

Photos courtesy of Robert Love

The post Interview: Robert Love, Software Engineer appeared first on Everyday Carry.

Dan Cederholm is a web designer, author, and speaker. He co-founded Dribbble, a community for designers, and blogs at SimpleBits. In this interview, he shares the tools he uses on the daily, his thoughts on each of his essentials, and some sage advice about how you should use tools everyday.

What’s in your everyday carry?

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View Dan Cederholm’s Full Everyday Carry

• iPhone 6 with black leather case. Also my primary camera.
• DDC pill case from draplin.com. Sadly, the logo wore off. Essential meds, never leave home without them.
• Dribbble-branded black wood pencil. Of course.
• Corter Leather bottle opener/key hook. Subaru Outback keyless key. This brass thingy keeps your keys from dragging your jeans down. Plus it opens bottles. And it’s made in New England.
• Finn Wallet from Waterfield Designs in San Francisco. Waxed canvas and leather. Love everything they make, and the wallet can hold a bunch of cards and cash and still stay very thin. It also fits my iPhone 6, which is handy when going through security at the airport.
• Chromatic banjo tuner. Clips to the headstock. Critical for open jams. Stay in tune, stay golden.
• Shinola Runwell Chrono 47mm. This is relatively new. I’m not sold on the Apple Watch yet, so in the meantime, this hefty thing keeps me on time. The Horween leather is thick and the face looks like something out of a WWII fighter plane cockpit. Handmade in Detroit.
• Bose noise-cancelling headphones. Absolute necessity when flying. I find wearing them decreases my anxiety and makes for a better trip.
• Gear Head pocket phone charger. Always be charging. Crucial for backseat battery emergencies on long car trips with my kids.

Could you introduce yourself and walk us through what you do?

I’m Dan Cederholm. I co-founded Dribbble, a community for designers, and founded SimpleBits, my blog-turned-business-turned-blog. I spend my day designing, HRing, emailing, partnering, etc., for Dribbble. I also write books on web design and occasionally speak at conferences. I play clawhammer banjo, snowboard, kayak, and try and make my kids laugh.

As a web designer and author, you must be constantly thinking of creating usable, beautiful things. where do you look for inspiration to start that process?

I’m inspired by so much. Music, nature, packaging design, films, typography, my kids, other designers, the Dribbble community, traveling, and cautious adventuring.

Besides your work, what else are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about music. And right now, especially clawhammer banjo (hence the chromatic tuner). I also like to travel (pocket charger, noise-canceling headphones). Photography is another passion of mine.

Why do you EDC?

I love the idea of sharing the items we use daily. I’m a big fan of efficiency and quality these days. And I like small companies that make great products. It’s fun to discover brands from the lists of items under each everyday carry posted here.

Out of all your essentials, which piece is your favorite in terms of design?

Out of all the items, my favorite is the Finn wallet. It’s such a simple, brilliant design. And has kept my back pocket from being overstuffed for years.

Do you have any recent accomplishments or interesting projects in the works that you’d like to tell us about?

I’m busy making Dribbble better, growing our team and growing the community. We’ve got lots of great stuff in store for designers and fans of design.

To wrap this up, what advice would you leave for our readers?

Don’t be afraid to use tools to make your life easier. And by tools, I mean physical things like a camera or a computer — but also non-physical tools. As I get older I realize more about what makes me happy and keeps me at even keel. So meditate, play music, take a walk, upgrade your airplane seat, get therapy, etc., and know that millions of others are doing the same.

See more of Dan’s work at his blog, SimpleBits, and can keep up with Dan on Twitter (@simplebits).

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