EDC and Your Wallet

Chances are your wallet is bursting with cards. Credit cards, reward cards, and cards from businesses you rarely use. They take up space, and can be difficult to quickly find in a cluttered wallet. “Seinfeld” character George Costanza memorably had a wallet he could barely close. While sitting he began tucking napkins under his other back pocket, so that he wasn’t sitting at an angle.
Jerry:
Your back hurts because of your wallet. It's huge.
George Costanza:
This isn't just my wallet. It's an organizer, a memory and an old friend.
Jerry:
Well, your friend is morbidly obese.
George Costanza:
Well, at least I don't carry a purse.
Jerry:
It's not a purse, it's European.
I know that it is not Spring, but is it time to “spring clean” your wallet? Now is a great time to make a fresh start and do some long overdue spring cleaning, even in your EDC. A great place to start is with the wallet in your pocket: it's one of those things in your carry that can really get out of hand. To keep your wallet trim and tidy, just follow a few of these simple steps.
Get rid of those business cards, Walmart receipts, and ticket stubs. Snap photos of things you want to remember on your phone for reference, then physically clear them out from your wallet. It's a quick and easy way to start trimming your wallet down. It might also be a good time to use up those gift cards or give them a new home in your sock drawer.
Do you really need those loyalty club cards or key fobs? If you actually use them leave them in. If you only use them once in a while keep them at home until you plan to actually use them. This will take some planning on your part. If you have a wallet app then you can record them this way or put your membership cards on your phone. If you really need something there may be a key chain version you can carry.
I carry 2 bank cards. One is my debit card and the other a credit card. I very rarely use the credit card but I like to have it for those times when I may need it and it has happened a few times. But otherwise I only carry two. Take a hard look at your bank cards and try to keep them down to just the few you use the most.
Cash and coins are probably the most difficult essentials to carry, but they're essential nonetheless. With so many cash-only establishments out there, carrying cash can be a necessary evil. Instead of walking around with a wad of small bills, keep it to a minimum with a bigger bill you'd carry most of the time and just break it when necessary. I know in the prepping world cash is king. For privacy cash does not leave a paper trail.
One way to make all of this easier is to carry a wallet that leans towards minimalism by design. Not only does a minimalist wallet take up less pocket space overall, it also discourages hoarding cards and receipts and such. Without a bunch of dedicated card slots, there's no temptation to keep them filled with cards you won't use.
There are many preparedness items you can carry in a wallet. There are “credit card” multi-tools, knives, and even sewing kits. I carry a couple of Band-aids in my wallet that I have used many, many times. I also carry important phone numbers that I may need if my phone goes out.
Everyone has different skills and needs. Your wallet will be different from anyone else. There are many tactical wallets out there to choose from. Most are reasonable in price but some are quite expensive so buyer beware. But consider your wallet carefully because you take it with you everywhere!
Semper Paratus
Check 6
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