Complete Everyday Carry (but will they find it useful?)

Building the Perfect Everyday Carry Kit for My Mom

Author

Ark
May 16, 2025

Introduction Not Sponsored @bellroy_official #bellroy_official

A portion of this article is sponsored by Broy. I’m putting together a complete everyday carry (EDC) kit for my mom to surprise her when she visits me in Taipei. This kit is designed to be cool, functional, and tailored to her lifestyle changes—retirement, post-hip replacement care, and newfound travel freedom. Her tiny EDC purse just isn’t cutting it anymore, so let’s dive into creating a better solution.

Starting with the Bag

Everything begins with the bag: the Broy Cinch Tote. It aligns with my mom’s preference for non-leather materials and offers larger capacity. The challenge is ensuring her frequently used items are quickly accessible without rummaging through a bigger bag. The key feature here is the orange loop, which anchors the organization system.

The Organization Hub

For quick access, I’m using the Nite Ize Key Rack, a medium-sized carabiner with six mini S-biners. This setup clips to the orange loop on the Broy Cinch Tote, keeping essentials easily locatable by touch. Here’s what’s anchored to the key rack:

1. Flashlight: Olight iMini 2

Mom’s been using an Olight iR2 on her key lanyard, a great EDC torch with a twist-to-activate mechanism and USB-C charging. However, it’s less ideal for her frequent low-light tasks, like reading menus or bills at restaurants, due to its fixed lanyard attachment. I upgraded to the Olight iMini 2, purchased on Shopee (Taiwan’s Amazon equivalent). With a 50-lumen output, it’s magnetically anchored, turns on when pulled out, and shuts off when snapped back in. No buttons or clipping required—just pull, use, and snap back. The keyring hole doubles as a USB charger. The iMini 2 takes the first slot on the Key Rack.

2. Multi-Tool: Victorinox 580

Mom loves her tiny Victorinox nail clipper, but using it to open snack packages is less than ideal. I upgraded to the Victorinox 580, which has a similar footprint but includes scissors for her frequent needs, plus a nail clipper, tiny file, small knife, toothpick, and tweezers. The gimped thumb tab makes deploying the clippers easy. This takes the second slot.

Mom prefers compact wallets, so I chose the Broy Venture Card Wallet, also from our sponsor, Broy. I’ve been a fan of Broy’s minimalist, durable designs for years, backed by their industry-leading warranty. I’ve used their Note Sleeve and recently switched to the Apex Note Sleeve for its magnetic closure, ideal for cash-heavy countries during my six-month work trip across Asia. For Mom, living in Toronto, she rarely uses cash and focuses on earning travel reward points. Her travel rewards credit card goes in the left sleeve, while her driver’s license, health card, Costco card, and debit card fit in the stretchy right sleeve. A back pocket holds a $100 bill for emergencies or cash-only situations. The wallet’s durable looped cord zipper pull clips easily to a mini S-biner, taking the third slot.

4. Pen: Pilot FriXion with Sleeve

Mom’s a perfectionist who’s used the Pilot FriXion Pen for 15–20 years. Its erasable ink and proprietary nub are non-negotiable for her grocery lists. To prevent it from getting lost in the bag, I paired it with a leather open-top pen sleeve with a hole for clipping to another mini S-biner. This takes the fourth slot.

5. Keys

Mom’s key needs are simple: car keys, a condominium NFC tag, and a unit key. She prefers them on a lanyard to avoid losing them, so I attached a lanyard to the key rack, taking the fifth slot. With six mini S-biners, there’s one spare for future additions—like a photo of her favorite child (sorry, sis!).

Water Bottle: A7 Memo Bottle

Mom’s been using a vending machine can with a screw-top lid from Japan for years due to its size, but it leaks if not upright. I chose the A7 stainless steel Memo Bottle to match her preferred size while ensuring leak-proof storage in the bag. Stainless steel Memo Bottles are pricey and non-insulating, fine for her room-temperature water preference. For budget-conscious readers, the clear plastic version is half the price and just as compact. She prefers glass or metal, so I splurged on stainless steel.

Additional Storage: Broy 2L Pouch

To accommodate extras like tissues, sanitizing wipes, or lotion, I added a Broy 2L pouch for organized storage of less frequently accessed items.

Packing the Bag

Here’s how it all comes together:

  • Outside: A small umbrella in the side pocket, given Taipei’s rainy forecast.

  • Front pocket: Her phone goes in the button-closure pocket for fast, secure access.

  • Open sleeve: The Memo Bottle slides behind the phone pocket.

  • Inside: The key rack, with all five accessories, clips to the orange loop. The 2L pouch, packed with tissues and wipes, fits easily, leaving ample space.

Even with the pouch packed, there’s room for errands or groceries in Toronto or travel essentials like a hoodie, passport wallet, travel adapter, and cables. The bag handles it all effortlessly.

Testing the Kit

I took the loaded bag for a spin to Taipei’s MRT station. The city’s aesthetic laneways and greenery made it a perfect backdrop. When Mom arrived, she loved the setup! Building this EDC was about evaluating her habits, preferences, frequent tasks, and lifestyle needs.

Conclusion

Crafting the perfect EDC kit is a personal journey. If you want to build your own, check out my recommended products linked below or watch my other videos for inspiration. Consider subscribing and hitting the bell for more EDC content!

Links to products mentioned are available in the description below. Thank you to Broy for sponsoring this portion of the article.

#EDC #EverydayCarry #MothersDay Just a week before Mother’s Day—and also as my own mother flies over to visit me here in Taipei—in this video, I try to build a complete everyday carry kit from scratch that, hopefully, is one that she’ll find much more useful and functional than her current one.

#Innovation #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #DigitalMarketing #Technology #Career #Networking #Business #Motivation #FutureOfWork

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