This is a question only you can really answer. You want to choose tools that are easy to carry and will make the situations you encounter easier to deal with. These decisions have to be made based on the environment that you are exposed to on a daily basis.

Good tools do a couple of different things.

Great tools do many different things. Leatherman style multi-tools can’t be beat, and there are some very small versions on the market. The Swiss Army knife is the go-to tool for the most compact gadgets you can fit in one pocket.

Some things to consider when choosing your EDC tools:

• How many functions does this tool perform? Is there another that is comparable but has more functions?
• Is this tool usable? Get it and try it out, if it doesn’t work for you just return it and pick another one.
• How much should I spend? Quality gear costs more than sub-par gear. Do your research and remember that this is an investment into your survivability. If you don’t have the budget, simply get what’s in your price range now and upgrade soon.
• Is this the lightest, most compact version I can find? As the tools get lighter and smaller the chance that you will actually carry it with you on a daily basis goes up. We naturally don’t like being burdened by unnecessary weight, and EDC weight ads up fast.
• Will this tool help provide me with what I need to survive? If a tool does a thousand functions but can’t help you do what you need then it’s useless. If the only food you can find is in cans and you’re multi-tool can pick a safe but not open a can, you’re going to be hungry.
• Is this tool useful to the region in which I live? If your daily route is in town, that’s where you live and work then picking a multi-tool because it has a compass is not ideal. This would be a tool for someone who lives and frequently travels in rural areas.