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Everyday Carry for Back to School

School is looming on the horizon. Whether you're heading back in a week or two or after Labor Day, this could be a good time to assess how your pack and other items you use on a daily basis are holding up. Is anything worn out and in need of replacement? Are there new items you would like to add to your Every Day Carry? And even if your school days are in the rearview mirror, consider EDC for work and any changes you might like to make. Here are a few items we like to include in our EDC.

Daypack

Some people travel light and their EDC can be carried in a pocket or two. But if you're a student or if you're carrying your digital devices with you wherever you go, a good daypack can help keep everything safe and in one place. When choosing a daypack, considerations include:

• How much interior space will you need and how is it organized?
• Are the straps comfortable and is the pack proportioned to your body?
• If you're carrying a laptop or other digital devices, is there extra protective padding?
• Is the pack made with quality materials that can withstand the wear and tear of daily use and still look good?
• Does it have a water resistant or waterproof finish?
• Is there a place for your water bottle?

• Can you easily access items like your phone or keys as well as items in the main section of the pack?

At Whole Earth we have daypacks from some of your favorite brands including Patagonia, Osprey, The North Face, Thule, Fjallraven, Cotopaxi, and Pacsafe.

Charger

We've become so dependent on our phones and other digital devices that it makes sense to have a portable charger on hand for those times when the phone or other digital devices plunge into the red zone and there are no outlets readily available. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a portable charger for your EDC.

• Will you be charging just your phone or do you want to be prepared to charge a tablet as well?
• If you're charging just your phone, how many charges would you like for it to provide?
• How much space in your pocket or your pack do you want to devote to a portable charger?
• How long does it take to recharge the phone or tablet with the charger?
• How easy is it to recharge the charger?

We have portable charging devices from Goal Zero and BioLite that come in a variety of sizes and storage capacities.

Gear Bag

Rooting around in your pack to find smaller items can be frustrating. To keep things organized, you may want to use some small pouches or bags. Pens, pencils, highlighters and other items will be easy to find when stored in a pencil bag or pouch. Are you carrying accessories for your electronics? The Thule Subterra Powershuttle Plus was made for protecting and providing easy access to your cords, chargers, adapters and headphones in one place. Use earbuds? Check out the Thule Subterra PowerShuttle Mini Travel Case! Both cases are sized for Every Day Carry in your pack.

Keychain Organizer

Do you have trouble keeping track of your keys? Despite your best efforts do they disappear into pockets, piles of paper or even the refrigerator? The KeySmart Pro with Tile Smart Location Tracking can help. Using Bluetooth tech, you can use your phone to locate those missing keys. The KeySmart Pro can keep up to ten flat keys neatly organized, and it has a loop for a fob as well. And if you have trouble keeping up with the phone, use the KeySmart Pro Tile to find it! No problem with lost keys? Try the Keysmart Key Organizer. It can hold up to ten flat keys in an easy to use, compact keyholder and a fob.

Small Flashlight

Another great EDC is a small, pocket-sized flashlight. There are times when we need to shine a light in the dark and don't want to be draining our phone battery to do it. These days a small flashlight can provide a surprisingly powerful light. At Whole Earth we offer a selection of flashlights with various features including the Nite Ize Inova XP LED Pen Light - 185 Lumens, a lightweight, LED light that uses AAA batteries. If you're looking for something with more features, consider the Nite Core MT21C Flashlight.  It has a magnetic base and an adjustable head for precision lighting. There's even a tiny flashlight, the Nite Ize Radiant 100 Keychain Flashlight, that can live on your keychain to help get the key in the lock when coming home in the dark.  

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are an excellent choice for EDC. We all need to take good care of our eyes, especially living in a sunny place like Texas. There's more to choosing a good pair than liking the color and shape of the frames. In fact, there's too much information to convey in a short list here, so we're sending you on to another Whole Earth blog "Sunglasses Essentials – How do you choose?" It can help you decode some of the lingo used to describe the features that distinguish one pair from another and help you choose the pair that's best for your needs.

Water bottle

Keeping a water bottle close at hand can help keep us hydrated all day long. We particularly like insulated bottles which keep drinks hot or cold.  While they may cost a bit more, they're worth every penny. A refillable water bottle makes sense. Financially, bottled water purchases can add up quickly. Buy an insulated water bottle and the money that would’ve spent on those individual servings can stay in your pocket. Another reason for using a refillable bottle is that our world is choking on trash and plastic, especially plastic water bottles. With a reusable bottle, it's easy to kick the plastic bottle habit altogether and help reduce our impact on the planet.

Bandana

You may not have thought of adding a bandana to your Every Day Carry, but it can be a very useful addition. One bandana can replace quite a few tissues when used and folded and then used again in another quadrant. And instead of tossing a tissue in the trash, toss the bandana into to the laundry. When clean, fold, stack and they're ready to use again when needed. A bandana can also serve as a handy napkin or "place mat" when eating outdoors. And it's also good for a quick cleanup for spills or other messes when you're out and about. Throw it in the wash, and it will be good to go again, and again, and again.

Rain Jacket

If you live in a place where the weather can quickly change from clear blue skies to a downpour, having a rain jacket as part of your Every Day Carry would be an excellent idea. Many lightweight rain jackets can pack into one of their pockets and take up minimal room in your pack. Another possibility is a rain poncho. The Survive Outdoors Longer Heat Reflective Poncho is roomy enough to cover your pack as well as yourself. And last of all, perhaps a compact umbrella is just the thing to keep you dry on rainy days.

These are just a few of the items that we've found useful for our Every Day Carries. Each person's EDC will vary according to their daily activities and the environments through which they're moving. At Whole Earth you'll find many more possibilities both in our stores and online. Have questions? Please ask us! We're ready to help.