Recommended EDC Gear of 2018

I completely missed out on doing my recommended gear of 2018 video/blog post before 2019 hit, but it's better late than never! I probably tried more gear in 2018 than any other year, so it was a little hard to slim down my favorites. Of all the new stuff I tried in 2018, these are the things I'd recommend without a doubt.

As far as knives go, the top two knives I tried were the CRKT Eros and Benchmade Proper. One other honorable mention is the Kershaw Dividend. The Eros is easily my favorite knife I tried in 2018. There's very few tiny flippers on the market that actually flip well. CRKT's IBKS bearing system makes the Eros flip like a dream. The action is so quick/smooth and fires well all of the time. I'm bummed CRKT discontinued it, but it does to show that you can still do good flippers in a smaller form factor. The Proper was a very generous gift from someone that watches my videos and something I never expected to try. I've only tried classic slipjoints but never really liked their style. The Proper is a more modern take on the slipjoint that has some of the best ergos I've ever felt. The edges of the handles are so perfectly rounded which makes the knife just melt into your hand. I love the red scales and size too. It's a great knife all around! The Dividend was one of the best spring assisted knives that I tried. It was a clean looking design that functioned well for EDC. 

Two pens made the list last year: the Pokka pen and the Valiant Concepts stainless steel keychain pen. I saw Pokka pens all over Instagram and was intrigued by how affordable they were (3 pack for about $9). It's essentially a plastic ballpoint version of the Fisher Bullet space pen. I still prefer the Fisher pens for EDC, mostly because I prefer metal pens over plastic ones. However, it's nice to see more compact EDC pens on the market. I had originally borrowed the Valiant Concepts keychain pen from a friend of mine and immediately had to buy one for myself. I love how tiny and cute it is. Despite its size, it is very comfortable to write with and surprisingly comfortable. I've thrown it on my keys so I can always have a pen on me. They're pricey ($35) but will definitely last forever. The refills are specialized Fisher refills which is neat too.

Lastly, a Hydroflask and the Lumintop Tool AA flashlight round out my recommended gear list. I held off on getting a Hydroflask because of the hype, but they're worth every penny. It truly does keep my water cold all day long. It's so nice not to have hot or room temperature water anymore. The Lumintop Tool AA is an awesome light! I believe the max output is above 500 lumens which is more than enough light for my EDC usage. I love the purple and green tailcap combo! I need to give this light a lot more carry this year. That's about it for my recommended EDC gear of 2018! Sorry it was so late. What were some of your favorite things you tried in 2018 or even so far this year? Thanks for looking!