The scribes at Vox never seem to disappoint. The young adult infotainment site has turned its wonderstruck gaze on the world of EDC gear, what they derisively refer to (with scare quotes) as “readiness.” In their view, it’s all just a slightly less paranoid version of prepping.
Though not everyone in the [EDC] community is interested in firearms — [Kevin] Diale in particular was turned off at first by all the talk of carrying guns before realizing that the community was more about general-purpose tools — some members take it to extremes.
For example, [Ridge Wallet COO Sean] Frank says he often sees some gun enthusiasts in EDC spaces repeat the refrain “one is none,” which reflects their belief that carrying at least two firearms at once is the only way to ensure their personal safety.
When I bring up the example of my father, who has never once used any of his guns to shoot anything more threatening than the squirrels invading our attic, Frank admits that the focus on “readiness” can seem a bit at odds with the white-collar lifestyle of some EDCers — including himself.
“I have a very comfortable life in LA, and I get to walk to work, and everything’s super safe,” he says. “I carry a knife, but partly for my job. But the community is super-focused on that. Like the guys who carry two guns, how often do you need to use one gun? Never. A lot of it is those guys preparing for any situation, a bit of masculine cosplay, trying to be that person.”
– Steven T. Wright in Meet the men obsessed with carrying all the right stuff