Societal gender norms have not always been nice to the male of the species.  Sure, we might make a little more money on average than the fairer sex, but that doesn’t come free.  What, with all the door-holding, chair-pulling, seat-offering, hat-tipping, shopping-bag-carrying and jar-opening we have to do, I’d say a little extra compensation is more than fair.  But hey, at least all of those things make sense.  Men are physically stronger and so it should be no grand sacrifice for us to endure a little discomfort for the sake of the ladies.

My beef is with those norms that don’t really make much sense.  Case-in-point:  Men are expected to be tool-users, problem-solvers and generally prepared for any situation.  We’re also expected to do all these things carrying only what we can fit into our pockets.  Women, on the other hand, can get away with carrying overpriced duffels and not have a single item of practical value within those cavernous bags.  Some might argue that all a man really needs is his own two hands, and are content with carrying nothing but their keys, money/CC’s, and their iPhone.  I’d say that those guys live incredibly sheltered lives, entirely dependent on other men.  Men with tools.

So how do you carry the tools you need as a man on a daily basis?  Well, there’s no shortage of bags available for men.  I’m not talking about fanny-packs or the dreaded “European man bag,” but real manly bags made of boot leather with heavy buckles and hooks with steaks hanging off them.  Of course, unless you live in the city or use it for work, carrying a bag every time you leave the house is not a practical solution.  Men need to move quickly and travel light and can’t be hampered by a bag.  Sure, Indiana Jones carried one, but the only thing he ever bothered to save was his fedora.

So what’s the ideal balance?  Enter the Every Day Carry, or EDC.  An EDC (ya, it’s a noun) consists of the essential tools a man needs on the daily, while emphasizing comfort and light weight.  In the name of manliness, I offer up my EDC for analysis and criticism.  Let’s take a look:

1. Watch: Oris ”Der Meistertaucher” Regulator dive watch. A watch is not jewelry.  It’s a tool.  Wear one.  Oh, but you might say, “I don’t need a watch because my cell phone tells me the time.”  Maybe, but your watch is not just a timepiece.  If you live in the northern hemisphere, try this: Go outside and orient yourself so that the hour hand of your watch is pointing at the sun (if you have a digital watch, please get off my blog).  On the watch face, locate the point directly between 12 o’clock and where your hour hand is pointing; that’s South.  Voila, free compass.

2. Pocket knife: Kershaw Skyline manual folder. I was cutting up an apple at work once with my knife and a co-worker commented on how my carrying a knife might make some people feel “unsafe.”  I stopped, wiped down and put away my 4” blade, pulled out the office’s 8” chef knife and said, “Feel safer now?”  Yeah, I could’ve been nicer, but he was dumb.  Bottom line, if you’re a man and you don’t need a blade throughout the course of an entire day, you’re doing something wrong.  Eat more apples, I guess.  If it’s legal where you live, carry a pocket knife.

3. Cell phone: Motorolla sumthin’ or other.  For communication when necessary, not for endless texting or playing around with your lightsaber app.  A real man uses technology when he needs it.  Never be a slave to technology.  Can you imagine James Bond fidgeting with his gadgets for hours on end, or posting a Facebook status about how bummed he is that his pen-bomb blew up?  Me neither.

4. Wedding band: Triton Tungsten Carbide, 9mm. The only piece of jewelry a man should wear, in my opinion.  Not because it’s pretty, but because it symbolizes one of the most profound and serious commitments a man can make.  But, if you’re gonna wear one, why not make it functional?  Tungsten carbide is what drill bits are made of.  I can open beer bottles with this bad boy and it’s nice and heavy.  Tie it to the end of a shoe lace and you’ve got a pretty nasty flail that could probably shatter a car window.

5. Wallet: Saddleback Leather Small Wallet, coffee brown. Always have ID on you.  Keep it light and thin.  No need to keep shoppers club cards from 9 different supermarkets in there.

6. Keyclip: Lobster claw-type from Autozone.  It’s nice to have a way to keep your keys secure.  I just clip it to my belt loop and let them hang into my pocket.

7. Lip balm:Chapstick, unflavored.  Don’t judge me.

8. Misc. keys: Chances are that motorcycle you sold 4 years ago isn’t making it’s way back to you anytime soon. Only keep the keys you really need.

9. Lanyard:550 lb. test 7-strand paracord, OD green. Made of 10 continuous feet of parachute cord kept together with a cobra stitch.  The strands inside make great dental floss. Oh, and you can tie stuff with it.

10. Key ring: A & P Mechanics 6”. Aircraft cable with a thumb screw for easy access to your pocket tools.

11. Saw: SERE pocket saw. If you ever have to cut your own arm off, you’ll be glad to have this when you hit bone.

12. Can opener: P38. Originally issued to the military, these are nice and compact and a great way to open cans of tuna when you don’t want to use the grimy, never-seen-soap office can opener.  TSA safe.

13. Lighter: Stainless split-pea peanut lighter. A personal fire device isn’t just for smokers.  It’s great for sealing the ends of cut paracord or dramatically burning pictures of ex-girlfriends.

14. Pry-bar:Pico Widgy Bar. Hardened tool steel is great for anything your fingernail is too soft for.  Great for removing those big copper staples that hold cardboard boxes together.  Also, wrapped in paracord for comfort and good looks.

15. Tweezers: US issue tick. These are sharpened to a point for precision.  Great for removing splinters, in-grown hairs and Bot fly larvae.

16. Bottle opener: Free from local liquor store.  Assuming there isn’t one attached to the sole of your flip-flop, it’s probably best to have one in your pocket.

17. Knife #2: Pocket straight razor. Good for precision work, or in case your pocket knife gets lost or confiscated by the principal.

Well, that’s the stuff I carry on the daily.  What do you carry?  Have any suggestions?  Leave them in the comments.