My everyday carry 2023

I always loved seeing other people’s gear. Similarly to how I like learning about the creative process of others, seeing their stuff is a glimpse at their workflows and practices.

After spending much of 2022 with changing and experimenting with my own EDC, and finally figuring out a small kit, I figured it would be fun to do a “What’s in my pockets?”-type of post. Going into 2023, these are the things I carry with me everywhere. (Some things shift and change, but by and large this is the stuff that’s always on me.)

None of the links are affiliates or sponsored. I get no kickback whatsoever, and paid full price cash money for all of them.

1. Belt pouch. I love this Peak Design Range Pouch (charcoal, small) — while I do carry sometimes a PD Field Pouch as a minimalist sling bag, I came to have this one on my belt all the time instead. Fits a bunch of bits and blobs, and is conveniently at hand on my waist.
2. Wallet. I bought the Bellroy Slim Sleeve (charcoal, leather-free) wallet a while back, and haven’t looked back since. It’s as minimalist as it gets, with enough functionality that it isn’t too minimalist.
3. Keys. I hate keys as much as the next person, but managed to slim it down. The Bellroy Key Cover (graphite) does a great job of being unobtrusive but handy.
4. Smartphone. Never leave the house without it! I switched from the 11 Pro Max to the Apple iPhone 13 Mini (256GB, white, with a black Apple leather case), because I wanted to reduce the time I spend staring at the screen. The Mini does it all if I need it, but it’s too small to tempt me into doing all the things with it all the time.
5. Power bank. Always handy, but given the Mini’s battery life, having the Anker 622 MagGo power bank with me can prevent a lot of headaches. It’s not big (but still a bit too big for the Mini; I can live with it) and if I use it, I need to recharge it overnight — but that’s fine, it’s for emergency uses only anyway.
6. Wristwatch. I used to wear an Apple Watch, but decided to cut out some more notifications (read: distractions) and bought a Sea2See SEAL 05 instead. I like having a non-smartwatch, and I got to contribute to recycling ocean waste at the same time.
7. Smart ring. As much as I didn’t want the distraction of a smartwatch, I did enjoy the health tracking features. The Ōura ring does the latter, without the former, and it looks unassuming (I rarely worry about it being stolen) yet super cool.
8. Necklace. I’ve been wearing these Firefly ‘dog tags’ for years. Bought them in a comic book store in 2014 or so.
9. Rings. I love rings, and I especially love meaningful rings. And these ‘Zen’ rings from Clocks & Colours are awesome. Love the details, love the symbolism.
10. Bracelet. A magnetic lava bracelet I bought at Orr in Reykjavik. A memento from a country I adore and where I built what I am today.
11. Pocket notebook. Lately, I took to prefer analog to digital more often than not. I started carrying a pocket notebook (using a thin Moleskine right now, but ordered a couple of A6 Leuchttrum1917 plain notebooks to switch out; I like the paper better) to jot down notes, doodle, write poetry or whatever when I’m out and about. In 2023, I want to do a daily (or close) ‘gingko’ practice: a ‘haiku walk’ in the middle of the day to snap out of work, relax, and recharge; creatively as well as physically and mentally.
12. Pen. For bullet journaling and quick notes, I use the Drehgriffel gel pen from the Leuchttrum1927 x Bullet Journal collaboration. I love that it’s small but not too small (feels great in the hand) with amazing build quality.
13. Fountain pens. When I’m not journaling or jotting down quick notes, I always default to a fountain pen. I carry a Waterman Hémisphère (with black ink) and a Parker IM (with blue ink) with me for poetry and prose. I use two, with different colored inks, because Neil Gaiman does. He said that he switches between them daily, to easily see progress from one day to the next. I liked the idea, so here I am.
14. Pen holder. This custom-made leather pen holder was my Mom’s, she received it as a gift from one of her graduating classes. When she passed, I started carrying it as a memory. And it’s handy, too — fits the two fountain pens easily, with space for either the Drehgriffel (although that I usually just carry in the belt pouch) or a spare ink cartridge.
15. Earbuds. I use a pair of Apple AirPods Pros (1st generation), and I can’t tell you how much I love them. The noise canceling is amazing, shuts the world out. I also have a pair of wired EarPods, for backup and for the gingkos where I don't want to completely isolate myself from what's happening.
16. Journal. I started bullet journaling toward the end of 2022. My journal is in a minimalist, “more functional than stylish”-fashion (using Pick Up Limes’ awesome video as inspiration) and it’s been… well, life-changing, in some ways. I feel more organized and productive, even if I’m still a novice of BuJo. Ordered the official Bullet Journal Edition 2 journal, and it’s great. Slapped some stickers on it, because I like slapping stickers on things.
17. Camera. I used to carry my big camera (a Canon EOS-R with the RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens) with me all the time, but it’s a bit cumbersome and draws a lot of attention. I still grab the Canon when I go out specifically for photography, but for a daily carry, “guerilla style” camera I bought a Sony ZV-1 instead. (And even when I have the Canon I have the Sony in my belt pouch for backup.) I could use my phone, but the Mini’s battery is questionable, and I don’t want to pull my phone out any more than I absolutely have to. (Distractions, distractions. Look, squirrel!) Plus, I enjoy the small size while still being able to shoot really good images, in raw. Originally bought it for vlogging, but that ain’t happening, so. Not wild about it being a Sony, and the menu system is a nightmare, but I’m learning it and it does the job excellently.

And that’s it. Everything I carry every time I leave the house. (Okay, I cheated a bit with the bullet journal — but I take it with me more often than not, and transfer notes between the pocket notebook and the journal when I get home.) I’ll do a post on what’s in my creator bag, the extended gear I use for all my creative work, and carry with me if I go on an extended trip. Also about what’s on my phone, and how I minimized (pun not intended but nice to have) distractions by switching to the iPhone Mini and using a specific setup.

It’ll be interesting to see how (or if) this setup will change for 2024.

What’s in your pockets?