Everyone carries differently.

Some people never notice the O-rings. Others build entire ecosystems around them–color-coded Key Straps, Swivel Double Carabiners locked and loaded, Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches, almost obsessive precision.

Everyone has a secret code for their bag – The Philosophy of Everyday Carry.

That’s the beauty of an EDC: it becomes what you need it to be and what you make of it. It’s a reflection of your world, and how you move through it. For some, a bag is just a bag. For others, it’s a mobile base of operations. The difference? It all lies in intention.

An O-ring isn’t just a loop–it’s a critical piece of your routine. A moment of control. A ritual. A 3D Organizer Cube isn’t just a cube. It’s a packing system, a day bag, a chaos-slayer in a world that doesn’t slow down…

Good design doesn’t shout. It whispers. It invites you to notice, or not. That’s where we start—with details that can be invisible until you need them most. A zipper that opens with one hand while you’re boarding a train. A pull tab that fits your fingers even when they’re cold. A clamshell that opens wide, like a book you know by heart.

We design our bags to be interpreted. Built with structure, but made for spontaneity. There’s no right way to pack a Techonaut. No correct number of Cubelets. What matters is that it works for you—your rhythm, your rituals, your philosophy. Some features are subtle, not noticed by many, but indispensable to many more. 

Everyday carry isn’t just about the bags. It’s about the relationship between design and use, the subtle ways thoughtful details shape habits, and the unexpected, creative ways people make those details their own. Some use Packing Cube Shoulder Bags to, well, pack. Others turn them into mini purses, glove box organizers, or cable kits. We’ve seen Syniks crammed with camera gear, turned into mobile diaper stations, or used to haul nothing but snacks and a sketchbook.

That’s the thing about modular bag systems—they evolve. You start with one setup, then tweak it, rebuild it, rethink it. The same bag means something completely different in someone else’s hands. And that’s by design. Because while we create designs that work well, you always find a way to make them even better for your life.

Maybe for you, Wisteria Halcyon is a fashion statement. But for someone, it’s part of a system–a visual code separating clean from dirty clothes, socks from shirts. A flash of purple that brings order to the chaos of packing.

Maybe you’ve never dabbled in Key Straps or solely use them for (you guessed it,) keys. Or maybe leaving the house without them is unheard of– hooked onto an O-Ring in a pocket, connecting a wallet to a belt loop, securing headphones to a keychain. However you use it, it’s yours. Your carry, your code.

This is what drives us at TOM BIHN: making gear that’s built to serve, not dictate. The kind of design that gets out of the way and lets your habits take the lead.

That’s the philosophy of everyday carry. It’s not about the gear—it’s about what the gear allows you to do. And how you make it your own.

We’d love to hear yours. What’s your system? What’s the carry ritual that keeps your day together?

Drop your philosophy of EDC in the comments below.