Last year, I mentioned—either in a field report or video—that I carry a full Elecraft KH1 field kit in my everyday backpack, my EDC (Everyday Carry) pack.
That led to a great question from Terry, a reader who was studying for his ham radio license at the time. He wrote:
“Thomas, thank you so much for the field report. I had never guessed a complete HF radio field kit [like the KH1] could be so small that it would qualify as a bonafide EDC.
I’m very curious—what other EDC items would you recommend, not just as a radio operator but in general? I suspect you’ve put some thought into this in the past.”
Great question, Terry! And my apologies for taking, well… several months to respond. Your message got lost in the shuffle when Hurricane Helene hit, effectively dropping an atom bomb on my inbox and free time.
To make up for it, I thought I’d turn your question into a proper post.
I Love EDC
Yes, I do put a lot of thought into my EDC items. I’m constantly on the go, and since I never know when I’ll have time to write a field report, review, or even catch up on emails, I take my work with me. My laptop (a MacBook Pro) is a key part of my EDC.
And, as you noted, so is my KH1 field kit. It’s safely packed inside a Pelican Micro M40, so I don’t have to worry about damage if I drop my pack or something heavy lands on it.
But if I understand your question correctly, you’re asking about the other non-radio-related EDC items I carry.
Another reader/subscriber recently (as in a few months ago) asked for a full video tour of my EDC backpack, and I do plan to make one soon. That said, I’ll need time to prepare because—frankly—I carry a lot of stuff!
For now, though, here are ten items that are always in my EDC pack. Most of these aren’t directly related to radio, but they’ve proven their worth time and time again.
(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.)
Item 1: Leatherman Signal Multitool
This is my go-to multitool. It features pliers, screwdrivers (with a bit collection), a knife, a saw blade, a whistle, a fire-starting flint, a bottle opener, and more.
I firmly believe every field operator should carry some sort of multitool—it’s indispensable for quick antenna repairs.
Item 2: Rechargeable Nitecore Headlamp
I’ve said it before: a good headlamp is as essential as a first-aid kit, especially if you hike to your radio sites. This is my favorite headlamp for EDC, though I have many others. The one in my SOTA pack has a beefier battery and a brighter beam, but this Nitecore is perfect for everyday use.
Item 3: First Aid Kit
I always keep a compact first-aid kit in my EDC pack. I typically build my own, focusing on cuts, scrapes, tick removal, headaches, stomach aches, and allergies. I keep a more advanced trauma kit in my car and a separate field first-aid kit in my SOTA/POTA packs.
Item 4: PD Battery Pack
This Anker power bank charges everything from my phone to my laptop. With a Tufteln converter, I can even power a radio in a pinch. It’s a must-have for keeping my gear running.
Item 5: Light My Fire Spork
This is one of the most useful things I carry. It’s lightweight, insanely durable, and much better than disposable plastic cutlery when eating a salad or soup on the go. Such a simple item, but incredibly handy. There are numerous options like this on the market (many in durable plastic) but I like this particular one so much, I bought a second for my wife. Makes for a great stocking stuffer.
Item 6: RF Connector/Radio Accessories Pouch
This small pouch holds an assortment of RF connectors—essential backups in case something in my POTA field kit fails. Because let’s be honest… something always fails at some point.
Item 7: Commando Precision Screwdriver Set
This little kit has saved the day more times than I can count. Unfortunately, I don’t think my particular model is still made because the company appears to have closed shop. Very unfortunate because it’s super high-quality and was made in the U.S.
You might still find them on eBay. I wrote this review on the SWLing Post five years ago.
Item 8: PackTowel
A compact, absorbent, quick-drying towel is endlessly useful—whether for cleaning up a spill, washing up, or drying off gear after a sudden rain shower. I carry this 14×10″ size.
Item 9: Victorinox Nail Clippers
This little Swiss Army tool is a gem. It has excellent nail clippers, plus tweezers, a toothpick, small scissors, and a tiny knife.
Small, simple, and super useful.
Item 10: Notepad and Pen/Pencil
I like taking notes, and this combo–a small Rite in the Rain pad and Graphgear mechanical pencil–is always within reach. It’s also my backup logbook when operating the KH1 in tabletop mode.
Bonus Item: Loop Ear Plugs
As I pulled items from my pack for photos, I realized one more essential: Loop Ear Plugs. A friend recommended them, and I got pairs for my daughters and me this Christmas. I’m easily distracted by loud noises when working, so I often use white noise or instrumental music for focus. I’ve also used cheap foam earplugs, but they aren’t comfortable long-term—especially for sleep.
These Loop Ear Plugs, however, are low-profile, lightweight, and so comfortable I forget I’m wearing them. They don’t block all sound, but they take the edge off loud, percussive noise while still allowing conversations. A game-changer for noisy spaces, for me at least!
So much more…
Honestly, it was tough picking just ten (okay, eleven) items. When I look in my EDC pack, I see so many things I wouldn’t want to be without. Most of them are compact, lightweight, and boringly practical—but they make life easier.
I’m setting a goal to film a proper EDC backpack tour within the next month. It’ll be a long video, but I think it’ll be fun to go through everything I carry.
Of course, I’d love to hear from you—what do you keep in your EDC?
Great ideas, I have to the the one that stands out the most are spare earbuds. I’ve run into situations more than once where I had wished I had a pair due to forgetting them or one goes bad.
👍
I recently did an EDC article for one of my winter treks. It includes a list of what I carry everyday. You can find it here: https://kk4z.com/2025/01/10/winter-wonderland/. I recently switched to an iPad Pro and now I bring that instead of a laptop for writing and video processing. Final Cut Pro for iPad is awesome. I usually run a big radio at low power since I practice EmComm by doing FunComm. I have a prepacked Dewalt Tough box that I take with me. Right now I am running a Yaesu FT-710 Field. Thanks for all you do.
A great writeup, Scott.
73
Stephen (Yisroel Simcha) KJ5AWL
Brilliant article, Scott. I love that Benchmade knife!
I have never edited a video on an iPad before. My videos are so simple that I might have to give that a go sometime, although I’ll need a new iPad for that. My circa 2018 iPad Pro likely lacks the horsepower. I had taken it on flights in lieu of a laptop to save space–at least, back when I had the Apple Keyboard attached. Sadly, the keyboard had an earlier-than-I-would-have-expected demise.
Thank you for the comment!
Thomas, thanks for sharing. The one thing I swear by is the Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer. It is perfectly sized to store a spare KH1 whip, the AXE1 40m/30m coil, spare earbuds, the longer counterpoise wire for 40m/20m and various other bits.
My complete 20m through 15m KH1 station fits in a Pelican Micro 1040 case (a little longer than the M40, so the whip fits in beside the KH1) . The added bits for 40m/30m plus spares fit into the Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer.
Cheers
Michael
P.S. I am also a big fan of The Loop Earplugs. I wouldn’t attend a concert without mine. I also like the the Flare Calmer plugs. These are less obtrusive and block less sound but they do take the edge off in noisy environments for anyone with sensitive hearing/ASD.
Thank you for the tip about the Flare Calmer plugs!
You know, I would love to see your field kit in the Field Radio Kit Gallery! I’d like to see how you pack out that 1060. You’re right…it’s bigger, but not that much bigger, so still very portable.
Thank you, Thomas. This topic is very helpful. We all sense that such well-crafted articles have more work built into them than one might imagine. With all that’s happening around you, I’m amazed you were able to carve-out time and create a forum where we can pitch-in our own thoughts on EDC.
73,
Stephen (Yisroel Simcha) KJ5AWL
Thank you, Stephen.
Greetings Thomas!
Enjoyed the review. Two items I think are very important are in links below. Also don’t forget the roll up hammock with netting & rain tarp.
* Electric Lighter Arc USB Rechargeable Candle BBQ Electronic Windproof – Light your fire easily with a flexible bendable extention type electronic windproof (USB) charge port.
* AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus 2m/ 440 FM + DMR+ Satellite+ APRS Tracking+ GPS+ caculates and applies auto doppler shift freq adjustment on xmit & receive for Ham Sats. DMR via hotspot, local repeater or……..(simplex with a group will ring their radio directly)or text them a message directly & (DMR simplex) is very powerful with 4x the distance and much less battery drain on DMR with long term clear 32 bit clear crisp audio processed thru a voice compander with 500K ham contact memory on DMR with direct readout of names, QTH & text messages you can recall when needed etc. 7 watts with USB battery charging! Send short APRS text messages etc. ((( It’s a whole new world!))) Just a hint, have your ARES people do DMR simplex drills on say 441 Mhz versus just FM which eats up the battery with much less range and copy ability with bass or low audio drawback variables and go with DMR at half the bandwidth, extreme penetration & no doubling! Also on HF, try 60 meters for NVIS comms, excellent – 73 Rich / NJ6F from San Diego area.
https://www.bridgecomsystems.com/products/anytone-at-d878uvii-plus
https://www.ebay.com/itm/395155196957?_skw=Lighter+Candle+Lighter+Electric+Lighter+Windproof+USB+Rechargeable+Electronic…&itmmeta=01JJW0KD3924F22R80W2S0Z3C5&hash=item5c0115cc1d:g:LJkAAOSwrMNlr2mn&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAABEHoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKli3lQhbHxEx9Z%2BLGHrTd6JLGwj4BDFUzJ58lZaKLCr%2ByehyeY%2FCrgkHLqUSjREqkVBJtZwjqczLkke7ifJg08PHX%2BlF3uzkGRQ0lxM7d2SD2%2BhZEZMQ6Sr0MQOlmH7%2FzD8Ia7BfyhY%2BawCikvoiQkQmVQ215UsMfp9xcLmSK5ulExP4F63Mc7W5ZN%2BLqy%2BeOxFJ%2FiCcF%2BqFZite%2FeINbKA5xY14icEWoFgt8Rx27kXLJxTwDhUDAuXQqw%2B%2FlPiLRa2kiRkn9a4BrnKT%2BWtlzmwfT6vUUYIn1KuMD%2FVZpd4V5vSEJVPUD%2B4zBYTdkbdqWS49OXDyn%2Ffpp8fBS7bhs9v%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-TRzYCXZQ
I’ll check them out! Thank you!
I remember Thomas pulling out a Solo Alcohol burner to make coffee during one of his activations. It’s also handy to heat up some warm soup. Comfort foods have a way of calming our mind and change our perspective.
72
Harold
WE4G
100%! I still have my little alcohol stove kit, and I’ve used it to make coffee, tea, and soup. Not a bad thing to have around the house when the power is out, either! 72, Thomas
Nice kit! One thought for consideration. Pay the extra and have an audiologist make you up a custom ear mold hearing protectors. YOU can choose ( in the field ) the level of protection from nearly none, to 25dB, by changing out inserts. I actually have three sets in three different locations with three different levels. Furthermore you can choose to protect one ear more than the other. These have been a game changer and my oldest set is now 20+ years old. // Al
K7AOZ
I’ve never considered doing this. Thank you for the suggestion.
Dear Thomas, i read your description of the EDC kit. Of course, you have reported in general what this kit includes. I would make a comparison, namely: you need a soldering iron (letcon) at 12 volts, for soldering some connection cables. Thanks Peter YO8CDQ
Hi, Kuchta, I do indeed have a small portable soldering iron, but I don’t keep it in my EDC pack (which is basically my mobile office). I carry it in a separate pack with radio accessories for the field. Thank you!
I also carry a tourniquet like this one by North American Rescue . One only has 20 seconds’ time from commencement of profuse bleeding until loss of life, much shorter than most would guess. Hence, I carry one of these (note, it doesn’t work on injured dogs due to their bone- and conical joint-configuration) …
https://www.narescue.com/
73,
Stephen (Yisroel Simcha) KJ5AWL
Thanks, Stephen. Yes, I’m planning to do a “stop the bleed” course this year.
Unless I missed it, you didn’t say what organizer bag you use or the backpack. So what are you using?
My backpack is the Trakke Bannock with G-Hooks. They no longer make these with G-Hooks, and the price is much higher. I got mine during a Black Friday sale in 2023 for $200.
My organizer pouch is the Laggan Pro by Trakke. Again, I got it with double discounts for something like $70 US back in 2023.
I have a number of other packs I rotate in/out, so my EDC bag isn’t always the same.