I work in a retail warehouse receiving writing on invoices and receipts all day. My budget pen i absolutely love is the sharpie s gel pens. They write super smooth and easy to replace when they go belly up. I've lost to many pens to vendors and merchandisers with sticky fingers to bother with another pricey pen.
I know not everyone likes to carry stuff on their belts. But... For those who want to carry both the knipex 5" cobra, & the 5" plierswrench, i HIGHLY recommend getting the large leatherman nylon belt pouch. You can hold both pliers in the main compartment, an olight i3t eos in one side loop, & a pen or pencil in the other side loop.
That's almost exactly what I carry every day. A Wave+ in the large bit kit sheath, half the bit kit with the bits I prefer, the Knipex XS tucked in the other side that is meant to hold the other half of the bit kit, the tiny 711L ratchet that nestles next to the main tool, the Leatherman ratcheting bit extender in one of the outside straps, a mini sharpie on the other side, a few feet of micro paracord that stuffs down neatly between the Knipex handles, and a small fishing magnet that fits perfectly in the little gap created between the main tool and the top flap when it is buttoned closed. I then carry the Angel Eyes E3+ or the Lumintop EDC01 with my keys on the Rovyvon U4 Pro Ti carabiner. That particular setup offers so many solutions to a lot of different problems I run into regularly.
Coast makes a flashlight that runs on a single AA battery, has a two way pocket clip that allows it to be attached to a hat brim, and has about a 20hr battery life. The only downside is that it’s not super bright at only about 120L. It costs about $20.👍
The suspension is pretty good. My only warning is that the pocket clip has very weak retention. It had the tendency to fall out of pockets and I ended up losing it in this way.
I got a multi tool on temu for around 26 dollars. Believe it or not it's as good if not better then a Leatherman. I work in a warehouse I have beaten the piss out of that multi-tool and it's still holds up. I now own two of them
Anybody can like anything. But a good tool tells you about it. Multitools are for pinches and work if you can trust your multitool in the mist of danger then its the right tool.
Gerber NXT is a fine tool. Just have to bend the spring to form a slight curve on the scissor to avoid the spring giving way when press down fully on the scissor
I picked up a suspension NXT and am really happy with the options it gives me, for way less than a Leatherman. I really like the pocket clip, no issues for me, but i see why it may slip a bit in a pocket. Olight's i3t2 eos is a nice upgrade to the 3t, and very worth it to have a clip that won't slide off. Love mine!
A good EDC light I'd recommend is the Nebo slim mini. It's compact, lightweight, and super bright. Plus depending on the shirt you're wearing you can clip it to the front of your shirt for hands free illumination. And it's rechargeable which I really like. Also comes with a magnetic base which can come in handy from time to time.
I like the deluxe tinker because it comes with scissors and pliers, and I think it’s about the most economical Victorinox that does come with those options
Have the Victorinox Huntsman in walnut. Doesn't have the pliers, but it's been my EDC for years. Bought matching ones for my brothers, even if they never use them. Tortoisegear makes a good flint/tinder packet that uses the corkscrew as storage, which for me is the FireAnt.
Merry Christmas Zac! Always appreciate your opinions on EDC items and have purchased knives, lights and multi tools based on them. Looking forward to your 2024 adventures!
had the gerber suspension NXT until the pliers snapped while I was trying to unthread a bolt, also the scissors never worked properly and the little wire spring that was supposed to keep them open fell out of track. Would not recommend that tool.
Similar to how you found an NXT, I found a Gerber Diesel on the side of a highway once - it had been run over plenty of times and looked like hell by the time I got to it. Surprisingly, all the tools deployed and functioned. Gerber really does make some great stuff.
Another pen option. Uniball. Doesn't matter if it's the plastic or metal case ones. They write very smoothly, and I believe packs of 4 are under $10, maybe 15
Where I live, a space pen is $50+, so for a pressurised pen I like the Uni Power Tank which is less than $5 (for any Aussies reading this, Officeworks has them)
I have an earlier version of that Lumintop (mine only has two light levels), but it's been a solid little item. I'm still on the same rechargable battery that I threw in there when I bought it o_0
For the arm bar, they just started selling them at my local meijer, so if you don't want to wait for shipping, make a trip, they should have a few there.
Great Video Zac. I love the Rotring 600. I've been somewhat of a pen snob over the years with Montblanc's and numerous vintage fountain pens. But now this is my daily carry. A great thing about the Rotring is that it accepts Parker Style refills, including the Gel and standard Ball Points in fine, medium and broad. Plus different colored inks if you need to color code some writing and info as I often do. Even after retiring and being on more of a budget, the Rotring doesn't break the bank. And glad to see CRKT sponsoring the video. They are becoming one of my favorite Knife Companies.
Lumintop makes some good lights. I have one AAA and 4 of their AA lights. The switches really hold up well. The lowest setting on the AA will run something like 60 hours. The AA version also will run on 14500 batteries, which doubles the brightness. Their AAA even fits in the pocket of dress pants. I have several Fenix lights but won't be buying any more. Their customer service/warranty department is non responsive to you if you have a problem. There are plenty of good light makers out there that have customer service departments that will reply to you. I do not recommend Fenix lights due to their poor customer service.
Hey Zac, great video & loved seeing the Lumintop EDC01! I have 4 of them in my kits (IFAK, Car glovebox, my keys & EDC backpack), and since they're inexpensive & AAA, I gifted 5 more to family members who don't normally EDC. Definitely a Banger for the buck! -Alex@Vanquest
Seeing this be the most liked comment and liked it too made me think about if this is a mirror of our actual society 🤔 beside that, squirrels are awesome too
If you like that fenix e12 you should try the olight i3t2. It costs less than then fenix and is smaller and has way more lumens. It can run rechargeable 10440 or AAA.
My edc multitool is the bibury 19 in 1 tool. Its a knock off of the leather man wave plus it also comes with a bunch of extra bits. Its $20 but still just as good.
Hey do you think the suspension is so cheap because of the materials that they use? It's got all the tools I need but I worry about the quality and thank you for the content this year
I used a suspension nxt for years before getting Leatherman. Honestly not a fan. Tools need some way to lock in place when in pliers mode, the knife loves to wiggle its way out and while I luckily never cut myself it always seemed dangerous.
Just this year I bought myself the Bit-Pen by Böker Plus and I am really digging it! Fits so well in my breast-pockets! And looks very good being clipped in there next to my Micro USB OTF. Never will I ever have lose screws on my pocket knives when I am not near my tools.
Ugh, being from the PNW I want to like Gerber, but their multitools are very uncomfortable to use, their locking mechanism is always unpleasant even moreso when it's cold and the tools always are difficult to pull out even when re-lubricated.
Rotring 600 is a great recommendation. I like the Gelion+ refill if you want a gel pen, the Uni SXR-600 or Easyflow 9000 for hybrid ballpoint ink, or fisher space pen refill for bomb proof operation.
As a practical matter, the only EDC pens (or knives / multitools) worth buying are ones that have a carabiner or lanyard loop for a dummy cord attachment on the body of the pen or tool , not the cap as is usual. If you lose the cap, you still have the pen or multitool dummy corded to your stuff - vice versa doesn't work. Have managed to rig a lanyard loop to cheap multitools, but better just to buy stuff that won't fall off or get lost.
Olight just reduces content creators credibility as a whole especially those "im not shilling olight" monthly "sales videos" that seem to read off more like a scripted advertisement of all the "good deals" olight has while ignoring olights rampant proprietary batteries, chargers, and lack there of quality control?
@@Horde334 totally agree i checked out their "hunting" lights which are all rechargeable.....i dont have a wall outlet to recharge, sure i can use my battery bank but i want to save that for my phone and Zoleo. My browning light can be rechargeable or you can use aaa batteries. Olight is over advertised for a reason. They are mid quality lights presented as top quality. There are much better brands at reasonable prices.
You must not watch Zac's videos often enough. He has reviewed and talked about many Olight torches over the years. I've carried an i5t the last few years and have been very happy with it! Love that it takes good ol AA batteries. Held up well and get used daily.
@@REDNECKHUNTER75 and the fenix e12 v2 is smaller has better run times then the i5t and a consistent problem i've had with olight is their tail switch always stops working or is faulty...yet my fenix e12 v2, ld12, and lumintop lights tail switches never seem to be faulty....plus I've never had an olight last even more then 3 years. Lets list the olights I've owned an had die through regular use olight st25 tail switch and mode selection switch both died ranomly, i7r stopped working abruptly even regular aaa batteries wouldn't make it work, s10r baton v1 died after 3 years switch stopped working entirely, s30r developed a parasitic draw and drained any batteries you put in it, i1r developed faulty contact points and flickered, i2r pro same issue as i1r, imini developed flickering and outright doesn't even turn on even when fully charged. Plus their rechargeable cells are a joke 18350 stops working entirely and won't charge 18650(3.7 volt) stops working.
Love your videos, watch all of them, big fan. I am a little disappointed you didn't throw the Buck 112 slim in the video. How about some more Americana Dude!!! You threw out way too many Chinese made products. Buck 112 Slim $25 - $30 Leatherman REV $40 Maglite PRO AA $25 Channellock 426 6.5" plier All in my rotation. #America
@@MichaelB2L not true. I got visited by 3 very large, very scary, fellas who took my credit card from me by force and bought several items from this video plus a duvet for my wife. I'm still recovering from the experience. Thanks for triggering the traumatic memory.
We're really living in the golden age of EDC gear with all of the budget choices available to us!
I work in a retail warehouse receiving writing on invoices and receipts all day. My budget pen i absolutely love is the sharpie s gel pens. They write super smooth and easy to replace when they go belly up. I've lost to many pens to vendors and merchandisers with sticky fingers to bother with another pricey pen.
I know not everyone likes to carry stuff on their belts.
But...
For those who want to carry both the knipex 5" cobra, & the 5" plierswrench, i HIGHLY recommend getting the large leatherman nylon belt pouch.
You can hold both pliers in the main compartment, an olight i3t eos in one side loop, & a pen or pencil in the other side loop.
That's almost exactly what I carry every day. A Wave+ in the large bit kit sheath, half the bit kit with the bits I prefer, the Knipex XS tucked in the other side that is meant to hold the other half of the bit kit, the tiny 711L ratchet that nestles next to the main tool, the Leatherman ratcheting bit extender in one of the outside straps, a mini sharpie on the other side, a few feet of micro paracord that stuffs down neatly between the Knipex handles, and a small fishing magnet that fits perfectly in the little gap created between the main tool and the top flap when it is buttoned closed. I then carry the Angel Eyes E3+ or the Lumintop EDC01 with my keys on the Rovyvon U4 Pro Ti carabiner.
That particular setup offers so many solutions to a lot of different problems I run into regularly.
That is a great idea!👍
Been using these Gerber for the last 2 months. And carrying some nice ozark trail knives
Coast makes a flashlight that runs on a single AA battery, has a two way pocket clip that allows it to be attached to a hat brim, and has about a 20hr battery life. The only downside is that it’s not super bright at only about 120L. It costs about $20.👍
I use a SAK SPARTAN, a crescent 4 inc. Pliers And a case middleman stockman, and a zebra F-701 handles everything I ever need.🦉
A lot of great suggestions for the budget minded, thanks for sharing Zac. Be safe.
The suspension is pretty good. My only warning is that the pocket clip has very weak retention. It had the tendency to fall out of pockets and I ended up losing it in this way.
I got a multi tool on temu for around 26 dollars. Believe it or not it's as good if not better then a Leatherman. I work in a warehouse I have beaten the piss out of that multi-tool and it's still holds up. I now own two of them
Anybody can like anything. But a good tool tells you about it. Multitools are for pinches and work if you can trust your multitool in the mist of danger then its the right tool.
Gerber NXT is a fine tool. Just have to bend the spring to form a slight curve on the scissor to avoid the spring giving way when press down fully on the scissor
I love the power pint, not much more than the suspension
I have a Parrot, highly recommend.
I picked up a suspension NXT and am really happy with the options it gives me, for way less than a Leatherman. I really like the pocket clip, no issues for me, but i see why it may slip a bit in a pocket.
Olight's i3t2 eos is a nice upgrade to the 3t, and very worth it to have a clip that won't slide off. Love mine!
The Victorinox Climber is the best inexpensive swiss army knife hands down.
A good EDC light I'd recommend is the Nebo slim mini. It's compact, lightweight, and super bright. Plus depending on the shirt you're wearing you can clip it to the front of your shirt for hands free illumination. And it's rechargeable which I really like. Also comes with a magnetic base which can come in handy from time to time.
I like the deluxe tinker because it comes with scissors and pliers, and I think it’s about the most economical Victorinox that does come with those options
Have the Victorinox Huntsman in walnut. Doesn't have the pliers, but it's been my EDC for years. Bought matching ones for my brothers, even if they never use them. Tortoisegear makes a good flint/tinder packet that uses the corkscrew as storage, which for me is the FireAnt.
Super smart idea about putting the battery in upside down in the Rovyvon flashlight!!
I love that fenix e12. Its my go to AA flashlight, but I’ve been getting into rechargeable so as well.
Zac. Love the content!! Keep it up!
I rock a fisher space pen in raw brass. With me EVERYDAY. Never lets me down.
Merry Christmas Zac! Always appreciate your opinions on EDC items and have purchased knives, lights and multi tools based on them. Looking forward to your 2024 adventures!
That Zebra pen is really underrated. If you want something a bit smaller and lighter, the 450 is great too.
had the gerber suspension NXT until the pliers snapped while I was trying to unthread a bolt, also the scissors never worked properly and the little wire spring that was supposed to keep them open fell out of track. Would not recommend that tool.
Similar to how you found an NXT, I found a Gerber Diesel on the side of a highway once - it had been run over plenty of times and looked like hell by the time I got to it. Surprisingly, all the tools deployed and functioned. Gerber really does make some great stuff.
Another pen option. Uniball. Doesn't matter if it's the plastic or metal case ones. They write very smoothly, and I believe packs of 4 are under $10, maybe 15
Where I live, a space pen is $50+, so for a pressurised pen I like the Uni Power Tank which is less than $5 (for any Aussies reading this, Officeworks has them)
I love how you don't just film at one place in the video's keep going🙂
I use the suspension nxt everyday and it’s worth the price. I picked up one at Home Depot
I am also not a fan of assisted openers, but I still love my Kershaw Leek! The spring is very easily closeable onehanded even even fun to play with.
Great video, great list. I was surprised though not to see the Nitecore TIP SE on it but maybe it is just a item that if you know, you know. Lol😊
Although I generally don’t buy budgets knives for reasons of my own, handle bar Zac is my favorite Zac by far!
I have an earlier version of that Lumintop (mine only has two light levels), but it's been a solid little item. I'm still on the same rechargable battery that I threw in there when I bought it o_0
For some reason….this video was incredible haha. I love the budget category I guess!
For the arm bar, they just started selling them at my local meijer, so if you don't want to wait for shipping, make a trip, they should have a few there.
Found an NXT Walking home still works perfectly fine.
Great video as always fellas. I've been crushing on the Pyrite and now I need one ASAP. Lol Thanks for the content and take care.
Great Video Zac. I love the Rotring 600. I've been somewhat of a pen snob over the years with Montblanc's and numerous vintage fountain pens. But now this is my daily carry. A great thing about the Rotring is that it accepts Parker Style refills, including the Gel and standard Ball Points in fine, medium and broad. Plus different colored inks if you need to color code some writing and info as I often do. Even after retiring and being on more of a budget, the Rotring doesn't break the bank.
And glad to see CRKT sponsoring the video. They are becoming one of my favorite Knife Companies.
Zac I changed out the scales on my super tinker to a set with the ink pen slot so I could add that to it makes it even more useful as an edc.
That piet from CRKT is another beast of a budget banger
The Civivi Elementum Deep Carry Clip works great on the QSP Parrot. You get offbrand clips for a few bucks
7:45 rite in the rain pokka pens are slightly less expensive and do the same as the Fischer pen.
I believe the warranty on the nxt is 25 years. Still good though. I bought 3 for my boys for Christmas for their first multitools
I'm putting a rubber band on my flashlight now. That's genius.🤘🏼
Another helpful video Thanks
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
May I suggest the Fisher Telescoping Space Pen? You can telescope it open one-handed, very pocketable and uses the pressurized space pen cartridge.
Cool video and nice area to film in. Was calming to watch
1:33 i can not unsee the kangaroo in the scissors.
damn
Lumintop makes some good lights. I have one AAA and 4 of their AA lights. The switches really hold up well. The lowest setting on the AA will run something like 60 hours. The AA version also will run on 14500 batteries, which doubles the brightness. Their AAA even fits in the pocket of dress pants.
I have several Fenix lights but won't be buying any more. Their customer service/warranty department is non responsive to you if you have a problem. There are plenty of good light makers out there that have customer service departments that will reply to you. I do not recommend Fenix lights due to their poor customer service.
Hey Zac, great video & loved seeing the Lumintop EDC01! I have 4 of them in my kits (IFAK, Car glovebox, my keys & EDC backpack), and since they're inexpensive & AAA, I gifted 5 more to family members who don't normally EDC. Definitely a Banger for the buck! -Alex@Vanquest
I EDC the SAK Huntsman. Using something on it daily.
I still use and abuse my original Gerber Suspension and SAK Huntsman. Good investment for tools that last and don’t break the budget.
My favorite phrase to junior techs, from my days riding Submarines for a living..."RTFM!"
I like turtles 🐢
🐢
Turtles are good food.
God bless that stunned little child.
I prefer turtle heads
Seeing this be the most liked comment and liked it too made me think about if this is a mirror of our actual society 🤔 beside that, squirrels are awesome too
If you like that fenix e12 you should try the olight i3t2. It costs less than then fenix and is smaller and has way more lumens. It can run rechargeable 10440 or AAA.
My edc multitool is the bibury 19 in 1 tool. Its a knock off of the leather man wave plus it also comes with a bunch of extra bits. Its $20 but still just as good.
Please keep this series going!
Can you do some unusual edc like best damn edc / Taylor?
Heheh good idea man
I own the Gerber armbar, but after following your last clip i still bought the Milwaukee 1505....
Boom 💥🔥💥 stellar vid as always my man
Excellent video Sir!
Hello Zac!Nice Review and merry christmas to you here from leipzig germany!!
Instant subscriber thank you for this my man
Would love to see the new old truck.
Great list Zac!!!
I have always carried a stainless steel Zebra pen since middle school, I grew up in a ghetto…(30+years)👍
Hey do you think the suspension is so cheap because of the materials that they use? It's got all the tools I need but I worry about the quality and thank you for the content this year
A big factor is probably where it's made. The Gerber MP600 and Leatherman multitools are USA made, while the Suspension is made in China.
i like the boruit v10 flashlite personaly
I used a suspension nxt for years before getting Leatherman. Honestly not a fan. Tools need some way to lock in place when in pliers mode, the knife loves to wiggle its way out and while I luckily never cut myself it always seemed dangerous.
I was eyeing that gerber at Home Depot the other day. After watching this I ended up just grabbing it with my depot card 😂
I don’t understand the placement of the clip on the rovyvon. Who likes the lamp to extend quite a bit out of the pocket?
a Zac in the Wild live stream would be cool, maybe like once or twice a month
The sharpee pens are awesome… 2 for 7
Huntsman is the best thing I ever bought
Cheers for the updates mate. Go budget or Go Home.!
On my gerber suspension nxt the suspension of the pliers no longer works. Even though the part was almost just in the drawer?
Those g750's are great but break, sorry try dailying that for more than a week before the clickers kills itself
I hate being in Canada for stuff like this. He says the NXT is $35 ish.
When I look it up it’s more in the $70 range here.
Just this year I bought myself the Bit-Pen by Böker Plus and I am really digging it! Fits so well in my breast-pockets! And looks very good being clipped in there next to my Micro USB OTF.
Never will I ever have lose screws on my pocket knives when I am not near my tools.
Ugh, being from the PNW I want to like Gerber, but their multitools are very uncomfortable to use, their locking mechanism is always unpleasant even moreso when it's cold and the tools always are difficult to pull out even when re-lubricated.
Rotring 600 is a great recommendation. I like the Gelion+ refill if you want a gel pen, the Uni SXR-600 or Easyflow 9000 for hybrid ballpoint ink, or fisher space pen refill for bomb proof operation.
The nxt scissors kinda suck but great combo
Great options! Thanks!!! 1 question, what glasses frame do you have? Need a new pair 😂
I miss Zac 😢
I broke a tool in my leatherman rebar, doing something stupid with it, and they fixed it and resharpened my blades no questions asked. Great company.
What about the AG-7 Fisher Space Pen? Being a click person what about that one?
Between the qsp parrot and the civivi mini praxis which one is the best?
I would go with the mini praxis out of the two but I think the full sized praxis is the best
@@palmerconnellyOk thanks👍🏻
Zera 701 is a better pen and Protip it accepts Fisher space pen refills which gives you all the benefits of a fisher pen, at a bargain price
I broke the pocket clip on my Gerber NXT and called looking to buy a new clip and they sent me a new NXT no questions asked.
great video as always! i love the fisher space pen
Pre-video-comment whooooo!
Cool
I believe Rotring was the pen Bourne used on that guy in the Bourne Identity
As a practical matter, the only EDC pens (or knives / multitools) worth buying are ones that have a carabiner or lanyard loop for a dummy cord attachment on the body of the pen or tool , not the cap as is usual. If you lose the cap, you still have the pen or multitool dummy corded to your stuff - vice versa doesn't work. Have managed to rig a lanyard loop to cheap multitools, but better just to buy stuff that won't fall off or get lost.
we need to introduce you to olight bro. Start with the baton 4 and you'll thank me
Olight just reduces content creators credibility as a whole especially those "im not shilling olight" monthly "sales videos" that seem to read off more like a scripted advertisement of all the "good deals" olight has while ignoring olights rampant proprietary batteries, chargers, and lack there of quality control?
@@Horde334 totally agree i checked out their "hunting" lights which are all rechargeable.....i dont have a wall outlet to recharge, sure i can use my battery bank but i want to save that for my phone and Zoleo. My browning light can be rechargeable or you can use aaa batteries. Olight is over advertised for a reason. They are mid quality lights presented as top quality. There are much better brands at reasonable prices.
Nope!!!!!
You must not watch Zac's videos often enough. He has reviewed and talked about many Olight torches over the years. I've carried an i5t the last few years and have been very happy with it! Love that it takes good ol AA batteries. Held up well and get used daily.
@@REDNECKHUNTER75 and the fenix e12 v2 is smaller has better run times then the i5t and a consistent problem i've had with olight is their tail switch always stops working or is faulty...yet my fenix e12 v2, ld12, and lumintop lights tail switches never seem to be faulty....plus I've never had an olight last even more then 3 years. Lets list the olights I've owned an had die through regular use olight st25 tail switch and mode selection switch both died ranomly, i7r stopped working abruptly even regular aaa batteries wouldn't make it work, s10r baton v1 died after 3 years switch stopped working entirely, s30r developed a parasitic draw and drained any batteries you put in it, i1r developed faulty contact points and flickered, i2r pro same issue as i1r, imini developed flickering and outright doesn't even turn on even when fully charged. Plus their rechargeable cells are a joke 18350 stops working entirely and won't charge 18650(3.7 volt) stops working.
Love your videos, watch all of them, big fan. I am a little disappointed you didn't throw the Buck 112 slim in the video. How about some more Americana Dude!!! You threw out way too many Chinese made products.
Buck 112 Slim $25 - $30
Leatherman REV $40
Maglite PRO AA $25
Channellock 426 6.5" plier
All in my rotation. #America
I am going to have to start carrying a hair tie. I never even thought about getting a woman by having a hair tie.
noice 😎
This man just recommending anything
We all know what the hair tie is needed for Zac... 😅
I have one and really love it! The knife is dookie though. The grind is just terrible. Other than that its great
Always expensive videos to watch especially with the links right there.
Haha! No one is forcing you to buy stuff 😉
@@MichaelB2L not true. I got visited by 3 very large, very scary, fellas who took my credit card from me by force and bought several items from this video plus a duvet for my wife. I'm still recovering from the experience. Thanks for triggering the traumatic memory.
@@JM7284 😂😂 nice!