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I am very in to stuffing the maximum amount of utility into the smallest space possible, a micro utiliarist if you will. What this usually manifests in is me having a dorky little kit that I take with me so I can be prepared for anything! This page is full of the items I carry everyday that would drop from my inventory if I died mincraft style.

P.S. None of this is sponsored, though a boy can dream.

Leatherman Wave Plus

This is one of the many multitools I've carried with me and so far its my favorite. You can open the pliers and blade portions one-handed, and you can swap out the wire cutter teeth if they ever dull. additionally it has a swappable screwdriver head they you can buy alternate bits for if you'd like! When I got this tool, the previous owner had snapped the tip of the blade off using it as a prybar. I've since cut a new tip angle into the blade and it works good as new!

Fossil gen 6 hybrid smartwatch

This is a pretty unique smart watch! It has traditional watch hands and an E-paper display, so it has a very low power draw. One battery charge lasts almost two weeks! In my opinion it looks pretty classy while maintaining all the regular functions of a smart watch. I've always loved the functionality of a smart watch, especially when I work at a place where I dont always have access to my phone. Unfortunately Fossil discontinued this watch but you can still find them in good condition on Ebay.

Graphgear 300 & Papermate Inkjoy

These are the writing utensils I use day to day on the job. They both have a good weight and size for my hands which helps a little with my poor penmanship! I'd like to fancy myself a stationery enthusiast but I really just got both of these at Popshelf because I liked the way they felt. The Graphgear I use has a 0.9 size graphite, I like a thick line when I write! I love the way the Inkjoy writes, the green ink in it is super vibrant, however it doesnt dry fast enough on the water-resistant labels we use in the bar, so if anyone has a suggestion for a pen that works well on material like that I'd love a reccomendation!

Coast G22R Flashlight

I used to think that all the EDC guys were dorks for doing this, and maybe this says more about me than it does them, but at 27 I love having a little flashlight to carry around. I think a lot of my flashlight joy is because the place I work can get pretty dark, but also it gives me a sense of dad-like satisfaction when I get to use it to help someone. This one in particular I got from Walmart for about $6, but after a quick search online it seems like it's raised in price. It is by no means the brightest light, but its the size of a jumbo crayola, is brighter than my phone's flashlight, and only uses a single AAA battery.

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2

Calling myself an audiophile feels evil and wrong, much like calling a bartender a mixologist. That being said, I grew up in a very musical household so I do love to play my tunes on nice hardware! These guys have a fantastic battery life, and a funky quirk where you can magnetically snap the buds together when not in use to turn them off and conserve the battery further. They have excellent audio quality with some 9mm drivers which I believe is Audio Technica's special sauce for these, and they sound great playing lossless audio. They have both ANC and a hear-through mode. The ANC is just about as good as you can get with buds, and would probably be even better with some aftermarket tip replacements! The last thing I like about them is physical buttons instead of touch control. I have yet to accidentially skip a song because of them!

Heltec V3 Meshtastic node

This is a Meshtastic node. Essentially it's a pager, but what's special about it is that it works without cell signal or wifi! You can send encrypted messages over pretty long distances so long as there are other nodes around to bounce your message off of. It also has a host of other capabilities if you solder on the right modules. I typically carry this around in my bag or when I'm driving long distances to map out the network of other nodes to bounce communication off of. The most realistic use cases for devices like these are while camping, or perhaps at a music festival. Places where cell signal is absent but you may need to keep in touch with a friend. For me, this kind of results in a borderline HAM radio-like hobby. There are a few people in my area that frequently send out messages to the public band and it's fun to chat with them on a Friday night! In theory it's also helpful in an emergency situation to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, but Ideally I'll never have to use it for that! When this node was given to me, it had a stock case and battery, and I've since given it a small upgrade with an 18650 lithium cell I nabbed out of a vape someone left behind at work! The case was 3D printed by me, but designed by AlwaysKeen and can be found here.

Field Notes notebooks

These are easily my favorite brand of notebook! They're pocket sized, made of materials durable enough to withstand the beating I give them day to day in my pocket, and they always have such great designs! Field Notes typically comes out with new designs for their notebooks quarterly, and they're always new and interesting. The two pictured in particular are the United States of Letterpress edition and the Expedition edition. The latter being very important in my bar since it contains waterproof paper! I've filled several of these notebooks over the years, and I am blessed to have friends and family who know me so well that I frequently get a new pack of them for Christmas or my birthday right on time for a refill! My favorite edition I have ever used has been the National Parks edition. I would encourage you dear reader to check out the art on these in particular and to check out their archive of past editions. It's a blast to see their art and designs! You can check them out here.