Get It While Its Hot
2026 is off like a stabbed rat.
This year’s got heat on it.
I’m training for the Harding Hustle 50K in July out in the Santa Ana Mountains. Never run it before, but this line in the event overview sold me immediately:
So naturally, I started training in sideways rain and violent wind. Storm rolling through. Trails soaked. Getting pushed around by gusts. Sometimes brutal conditions teach you more than perfect ones. You learn to endure. You learn to suffer a little cleaner.
October brings Saddles 50 Mile in Prescott, Arizona. Another one that’ll probably be hot. Probably hard. Exactly why I signed up.
Training like this forces you to rethink what you carry.
I’ve been leaning deeper into Minimalist EDC: How to Simplify Your Everyday Carry. Not extreme minimalism. Just intentional. Carry what you need. Nothing you don’t.
Here’s how I think about it.
A Simple 3-Step Guide to Minimalist EDC
1. Ask One Question: Is It 100% Necessary?
A modular travel backpack uses expandable storage, removable components, and customizable organization to adjust capacity and layout. The same backpack can function as a carry-on travel backpack, work bag, daypack, or extended-travel solution.
We’re not packing for a camping trip. This is EDC. Every Day Carry. That means you should already know what a normal day demands from you.
For me that usually means:
Water.
Some food.
A layer.
Sunglasses.
Maybe a change of shirt.
If I’m honest, trail training has taught me this the hard way. Overpacking equals unnecessary weight. And unnecessary weight equals wasted energy. Nobody wants to walk around all day carrying items that never get used.
2. Pack for the Day, Not for Every Scenario
There’s a difference between being prepared and being paranoid.
I’m not taking the Errant MK II on trail runs. That’s not what it’s for. But I absolutely use it to pack what I need before and after training.
Extra food.
Dry clothes.
Water.
Recovery tools.
It lives in my car while I run. It’s there when I get back soaked, hungry, and smoked. That’s the move. That’s being ready.
Other days it becomes my mobile office. Laptop. Camera. Notebook. Same structure. Same discipline.
Minimal doesn’t mean limited. It means intentional.
3. Choose Gear That Earns Its Spot
If something goes in the bag, it needs to earn its space.
The Errant MK II works because it disappears when I’m carrying it. Everything has a place. Nothing floats around. And if I get caught in rain or sideways wind again, I know my stuff inside stays dry. That confidence matters.
Here’s what’s been in my daily shuffle lately:
- Errant MK II
- MAAP Cycling 5 panel
- Umbro “Against the Fence” shirt
- Arc’teryx Gore-Tex shell pants
- Norda 001 trail shoes
- Oakley Eye Jacket Redux
- Sony handheld
- Owala mug
Simple. Tight. Ready.
The goal is never to be the guy stuck under a bus shelter waiting for rain to pass. Never the guy turning around early because he didn’t pack right.
Minimalist EDC isn’t about owning less. It’s about carrying smarter.
Headed back out again soon.
Carry Authentically You.
