True to it’s name, everyday carry (EDC) items should be the ones that you can carry on a daily basis without too much hassle. They should be compact, light, and serve many purposes so that you don’t have to carry too much stuff.
If you feel that you’re carrying too much, that probably means you pack an inefficient EDC kit. As a prepper, you probably already know that, we pack light and we pack efficiently.
However, a lot of people often struggle to carry all of their EDC items efficiently in their daily packs. Moms with young kids and infants, pipeline workers and miners in the wild, or workers in remote places. They probably need a lot more EDC gear to be prepared when shit hits the fan.
Some preppers also feel insecure if their EDC gear isn’t within arms reach. Hard to unpack your bag when your car suddenly crashes, or when there’s a terrorist attack.
For these people, we recommend buying a waist bag or a fanny pack that can hold all of your EDC gear. These are bags that fit around your waist and help you organize and carry those must have items. Now, all of your gear is within arms reach.
When choosing the best EDC waist bag for your everyday carry kit, it’s important to analyze your personal routine and environment. After doing this, you’ll get a better picture of the threats you face and what gear you should bring.
If it turns out that you need to bring a lot of gear, you better get a bigger waist bag. However, if you don’t need a lot of carrying capacity, a smaller and lighter waist bag is recommended. Don’t bring too much gear because weight is a big factor in survival situations. However, if you bring too few, you’ll find it harder to be prepared for everything.
In this article, we will discuss the 6 best EDC waist bag for every scenario that you might face.
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What to Carry in an EDC Waist Bag
The standard EDC items for just about everyone includes a communication device, wallet, and keys. They are typically kept in your pants pockets or in your jacket. However, if you feel that you need more accessibility, you can place them in an EDC waist bag for easier access.
Extra money or other forms of currency is also very important to bring in an EDC kit. You never know when you need them. Usually, they’re stored in your wallet, but if you want to diversify where you place it so it doesn’t get stolen all in one go. Placing a few dollar bills and a couple of coin in your fanny pack is a great idea.
If you’re not familiar with the location, don’t forget to bring maps or a GPS. There is nothing worse than being stranded in a foreign place.
Other items that are quite important in an EDC kit would be a light source such as a flashlight. Bringing multi-tools such as a swiss army knife would also be very advantageous because it has multiple functions. If you’re out in the wild, don’t forget to bring a source of fire such as a match or ferro-steel. You never know when you need to start a fire to warm yourself up.
Ideally, these items should be stored in your everyday back pack or placed in strategic places around your body such as in your neck, pockets, and jacket. However, you might not be able to fit all of it in your pockets and jacket.
Any items that you can’t wear or fit comfortably in your pockets, should go into an EDC waist bag. By putting your additional items in an EDC waist bag, you can easily put on or take off the bag depending on the situation.
Besides, a waist bag is a lot more accessible compared to a regular back pack. When you need your items in a pinch, you don’t have to put down your backpack and unpack it first!
What to Look for in an EDC Waist Bag
The best waist bags to carry your EDC items are those that has specific features for your needs and sufficient carrying capacity to carry all of your gear. Usually, people look for 3 things when buying their EDC waist bags, these are size, pockets, straps, and durability.
Choosing a waist bag that is sized adequately to carry all of your EDC items with you is critical. A bag that is too large will feel cumbersome and heavy. However, a bag that’s too small can also hinder you from carrying all of your EDC gear in one bag.
Pockets, while not a requirement, are very helpful in organizing your EDC items so that they are accessible. There is no point in carrying all manners of items if you cant find them when you need them. Look for EDC waist bags that have multiple pockets if you’re the type of person to carry a lot of smaller items.
Straps are also very important in making a waist bag comfortable to wear. Look for bags that have reinforced stitching and quality clasps that are easy to operate, even on rugged conditions. Make sure the strap is comfortable to wear for long periods of time, because you’ll be using it everyday.
Some people also prefer to buy bags that allow multiple modes of carrying and wearing. If you’re like this, buy one that allows you to carry the bag on your waist or over the shoulder like a sling bag.
The best waist bags to carry EDC items are durable, rugged, and will last for a long time. Ensure that your waist bag is made out of high quality materials such as Ripstop nylon. Ideally, your EDC bag should also be weather resistant and waterproof. This is very important if you live in areas with high rainfall and are carrying fire starting kits in your EDC waist bag.
Last but not least, make sure that your waist bag has a quality zipper. An EDC waist bag that won’t open is the same as dead weight. What’s the use of carrying it if you cant access your EDC kit inside the bag.
Best Waist Bag for Every Day Carry – Top 6 Picks
OUR #1 CHOICE
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RUNNERS-UP
[su_service title=”Helikon-Tex Urban Bandicoot” icon=”icon: star” icon_color=”#2D3092″ size=”32″ class=””][/su_service]
The Helikon-Tex Bandicoot waist pack is a top performer in the realm of EDC waist bags. This medium sized waist pack offers a number of unique features in a smooth, low-profile package. This pack will be able to carry all EDC essentials, like a wallet, smartphone, first aid kit, snacks, and keys. You can even customize it using the Velcro ID panel on the outer pocket.
It’s four pocket design is large enough to fit personal items along with basic medical supplies or a poncho. The numerous spacious pockets allow more leeway for preppers to organize their EDC items. Bandicoot’s side wings also allow attachment of PALS/MOLLE pouches or other accessories.
Two outer zippered pockets allows preppers to evenly space the load. The pack’s Two-way zipper system allows easy access to the main chamber from either side.
The adjustable belt can be used as chest bandoleer, if the wearer chooses to use it like a sling bag. The hip belt can be detached altogether as well, if need be. Several elastic bands allows the pack be quickly integrated into any MOLLE/PALS system, increasing it’s versatility.
Overall, the Helikon-Tex Urban Bandicoot is a fairly priced, high quality, portable EDC waist pack with many features fit for a prepper. If you’re looking for the best of the best, you can’t go wrong with this option.
[su_service title=”Herschel Eighteen Waist Pack” icon=”icon: star” icon_color=”#2D3092″ size=”32″ class=””][/su_service]
The Herschel Eighteen Waist Pack is a modern waist bag that has multiple exterior pockets and an expendable main compartment. The relatively large size of the Eighteen allows you to store a lot of EDC gear inside of it. You can even store 16oz water bottles inside the bag comfortably.
It’s made out of 100% polyester, although not as tough as the BraveHawk or Helikon-Tex, the Herschel can endure a lot of abuse. However, do note that the fabric is not waterproof so be extra careful when storing fire starting gear or electronics inside the bag.
The adjustable mesh webbing and straps allow for a variable fit so that you can wear this in comfort. Besides, you can also adjust the straps so that you can wear this pack on the hips, waist, or on the shoulder.
If you’re looking for a large waist bag that can carry all of your EDC gear and then some, look no further than the Herschel Eighteen waist pack! However, beware of it’s weight and bulk, if you prefer to go light weight, choose other packs such as the BraveHawk or Mosslian.
[su_service title=”CamGo Tactical Fanny Pack” icon=”icon: star” icon_color=”#2D3092″ size=”32″ class=””][/su_service]
The CamGo tactical fanny pack is a very well made waist bag that can carry all of your EDC gear and then some. This bag is made out of 600D nylon fabric which is very durable, wear-resistant, and also water resistant. Because of that, you won’t have to worry about damaging the bag when out and about in the wild.
It has 5 pockets that consists of 1x front zipper pocket, 2x side zipper pocket, 1 x main dual zipper pocket, 1x back zipper pocket. Because of that, you’ll find it easy to organize and store your EDC gear in this bag. It’s large carrying capacity also helps in carrying your many EDC gears.
The bag has a D ring on the front and sides. You can attach small things such as a key ring or other straps to the bag via these D rings.
CamGo’s tactical fanny pack also has a widely adjustable strap that can fit waists size ranging from 20″-42″. The straps are also very comfortable, making it ideal for daily use.
If you’re looking for a relatively large fanny pack that can carry all of your EDC gear, the CamGo tactical fanny pack is one to look out for.
[su_service title=”Mosslian Fanny Pack” icon=”icon: star” icon_color=”#2D3092″ size=”32″ class=””][/su_service]
The Mosslian fanny pack is one of the greatest lightweight fanny packs around. This bag is made out of highly durable 210D nylon that is also water resistant. The zippers are also made out of high quality materials that has been rigorously tested so it won’t fail easily.
Although small and lightweight, the Mosslian fanny pack has 6 separate compartments consisting of a large main pocket and 5 small pockets. In the main pocket, you can hold a cell phone, passport, purse, and other critical EDC items. Then on the small pockets, you can store coins, keys, and other smaller gears such as a swiss knife.
The large amount of pockets helps you to organize your gear better and increases gear accessibility. Both very important things during critical situations.
This bag has a widely adjustable strap that’s designed most waist size(37.4″-55.5″), it is suitable for both men and women. Because of that, you won’t have to worry about having discomforts while wearing this. However, you can only wear it on your hips or waist.
If you’re looking for the lightest and most compact waist bag that can store your EDC gear, look no further than the Mosslian Fanny pack. When wearing this pack, you’ll be challenged to pack ultra light and only carry the barest of essentials.
[su_service title=”CPSL+ Urbn Hip Pack” icon=”icon: star” icon_color=”#2D3092″ size=”32″ class=””][/su_service]
The Urbn hip pack made by CPSL+ is a relatively large waist bag that has a large carrying capacity. This hip pack is made out of 100% nylon exterior that is both durable and water resistant. For added water protection, it’s interior is lined with Polyurethane.
This handy fanny pack has a total of seven pockets for ease of organizing. This including a main pocket with hidden zip closure pocket, 3 side pockets and 2 front pockets. The pockets are quite large and will be able to hold most of your daily gear without too much trouble.
It also has a widely adjustable strap so that the wearer will be more comfortable. You can wear it on the hips or sling it over your shoulders.
Its sleek, more modern appearance makes it a great addition to the younger prepper community that does not like the military look most prepper gear aims to imitate. If you’re looking for a more relaxed, street-wear style EDC waist bag that’s also well made, look no further than the Urbn hip pack by CPSL+.
How to Find The Perfect EDC Waist Bag
Now that you’ve seen the 6 best EDC waist bags to carry your everyday carry gear, the next question is, which one is best for YOU?
Well actually, all of them are great in their own right, they have different niches and functions that they do best. When buying a waist bag, you should analyze what you need and what you’re going to face before blindly buying ‘the best EDC waist bag’.
The most important thing is you need to know how much EDC gear you’re going to carry. If you’re going to carry a lot, or if you’re going to carry for your kids too, then you’ll need a bigger bag. In this scenario, it’s better to buy a big and bulky EDC waist bag compared to lightweight ones.
You can comfortably store more gear that way and you won’t have a hard time packing it all in. Just remember to not over pack because the weight can add up.
On the other hand, if you’re lightweight packer, prefer compact multipurpose tools, and are constantly on the move, then you might not need a big and bulky EDC waist bag. Buy small and compact fanny packs instead so you’re not burdened by the weight and cumbersome size.
All in all, always pick the right kind EDC waist bag for you and your needs. Don’t feel compelled to buy one because it is labelled ‘the best’ because it may not be the best for you!
