EDC Radios, Bags and Accessories
Opening
Every Day Carry or EDC means many different things depending on the subject that’s being discussed. Since this channel is primarily focused on GMRS and Ham radio topics, that’s the area we’ll be looking at.
In the radio world, every day carry spans a pretty big range.
At one extreme it can be as simple as choosing your favorite HT to clip to your belt. On the other extreme, it can mean a small back pack filled with things like a couple of radios, connectors, and antennas just to name a few.
Where you end up on the EDC continuum depends on your situation and even what you’ve got planned for the day.
Overview
By way of an overview, in this video we’ll be talking a bit about how every day carry might apply to you, how to choose the best radio for your EDC needs, what extra accessories you might want to include and take a look at several kits or pouches you might want to consider to meet your individual EDC needs.
EDC Covers a Broad Range
As I’ve alluded to already, EDC can differ between people based on their needs and can even differ for a single individual based on the day and that day’s activities.
One of my favorite ham activities is the weeklong Quartzfest Ham Convention and Campout held each January in Quartzsite Arizona. For that week, I have an HT clipped to my belt or in my pocket pretty much all the time. With 800 hams all within a mile there’s lots of activity on the radio with announcements and schedule updates.
Around town, my EDC is my mobile radio in my F-150. I can listen in on local nets, and visit with folks as I choose.
Having a radio on during working hours is likely not something the boss or coworkers will appreciate, so, EDC doesn’t have to mean having a radio present and on all the time.
Moving away from the basic level, a small pouch or kit for a radio and a charger that lives in the car is a ready backup if your phone doesn’t work. A similar bag with some additional supplies can fill that everyday carry need when traveling in someone else’s car or evenings at a hotel for those of you who are road warriors.
My main point here, is that every day carry can mean different things to different people in different situations.
Your Best EDC Radio
So, what’s the best radio for everyday carry. As with so many questions, the answer is, “It depends.”
If you’re a GMRS guy or gal, you’re a bit more limited that the ham guys, but only slightly. A good GMRS radio, even a budget class radio can work very well.
You should consider a dual band radio with USB charging and at least 200 programmable memory channels. You may also want to find one with NOAA weather channels for those times you’re away from home and the weather looks threatening.
For the ham guys, your choices are a bit broader.
Since ham radios have a wider set of features and capabilities, you’ll want to decide which of those are important to you. Besides the same dual band, USB C charging and large channel count that allso applies to GMRS radios applies to ham radio. You’ll also want to consider whether APRS is important to you. Also decide if additional band coverage such as the 6 meters or the 1.25 meter band is important. Oh, and don’t forget about digital modes like DMR or D-Star.
Environment
Whether you’re a GMRS operator or Ham, you’ll also want to consider the environments that you expect to operate in.
If you’re big into the outdoors, you may want to consider a high IP score and an easy-to-see case color in case you drop your radio. Speaking of dropping the radio, you may also want to consider a budget class radio if you find that you’re hard on radios.
Losing or breaking a $30 dollar radio is frustrating but losing or breaking a $500 dollar radio will ruin your day!
You may find that the radio you choose for a particular day’s EDC changes depending on what activities you have planned. There’s no rule that says your EDC radio has to be the same every day.
Accessories
Let’s spend a minute or two talking about what accessories you should consider taking along with you. This might include taking along a pre-packed pouch or case to keep everything together.
Here are some things you might want to consider adding to your EDC kit. As we’ll see, you might even choose to have more than one – a basic kit for short excursions and a more comprehensive kit for longer trips.
Consider things like paracord, multi-tool, extra batteries, Power bank, various USB cables, small notebook, and pens or pencils.
Pouches
Now let’s take a look at a couple of bags or pouches that might come in handy. I’ll have links in the video description. Several of these came from AliExpress. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the quality, cost, and speedy delivery. A couple of these arrived within a week.
You can find examples of these bags by searching for Molle bags. They come in a variety of sizes with various openings and cavities.
Closing
As you’ve seen, everyday carry can take several forms. Having a couple of bags all set up, with or without the radios is a good way to have a grab and go comm kit without you having to rustle up all the pieces and parts when heading out the door.
Grab the right radio for the excursion, slide it into the right bag, and you’re good to go.
