'Rant'

Urban EDC used to be about utility; now it's often curated consumption dressed up as identity. What started as practicality has turned into a cycle of buying and upgrading - less about need, more about filling a vague psychological gap. At some point, this stops being a hobby and starts looking like a loop that's hard to justify.

I am sure that most of us DO NOT NEED that ~1L INR Koenig Mini Goblin Flipper knife ;)

I've been stranded in –20°C weather once, with nothing but a phone and one last bus as a way out. I've also seen phones freeze and become unusable in extreme cold.

Life today is much safer - and that's exactly why my EDC setup is boring.

EDC should be boring, not aspirational.

My list

Scenario: I usually travel in the city by a car / Uber car these days. I often walk in Peth areas. I travel around by train and flights. I visit shopping malls, ISKCON centers which often do NOT allow lighters, knives, and similar stuff.

Worst situation(s): Stuck on the way somewhere ('traffic jams'), Minor accident / slip.

Most of what I carry is cheap, replaceable, and solves recurring problems. No collectibles, no upgrades, no identity signaling - just boring things that work (for me and my situations). This is a lived-in rather than aesthetic-driven list.

Here is my Urban (City) EDC list:

  • Small backpack (700 INR from ISKCON gift shop) / Cheap Decathlon options are also great

  • Spare mobile phone with a SIM in backpack

  • Sunglasses

  • Cap

  • Mask(s)

  • Comfortable footwear

  • Spare money in backpack + debit + credit card(s)

  • Plastic folding spork (quite handy!)

  • USB stick

  • First-aid kit - small, bare essentials

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Tissue papers

  • Small roll of paracord

  • Small water bottle

  • Small Deo stick (from DMart)

  • Mouth freshner (chewing gums)

  • Charged BaoFeng radio (for fun and experiments, not for 'emergency')

  • Pen + small notebook (cheap Hauser ball point, from DMart)

  • USB Power bank + cable

  • Twist ties + zip ties

  • Emergency 'food' -> hard candy, trail mix, almonds

  • Small roll of tape

  • Tracking -> boAt TAG (Google FindMy) + Apple AirTag (quite fun and practical)

If it doesn't solve a real problem in your actual day, it probably doesn't belong in your pocket (or backpack).