Something not too many people have, but you really like. Not like a flashlight or a knife/multitool. My most unique (although still popular) are probably my loop quiet ear plugs. They come in handy in a lot of cases and word really well.
My pocket DAC/Amplifier Combo, works over Bluetooth and wired, built in mic. Allows me to both have great audio quality for music over wired and use my favorite IEMs wirelessly when sound quality isn’t my first concern (biking, working in my lab, chores, etc). I used to just use my wired DAC for listening to my phone, but having the flexibility of choice makes life so nice.
I just wish they had used a better battery, I have had to send it in multiple times for battery swelling.
No, the Ifi GoBlu. Great sound quality, great aesthetic, convenient size, garbage battery quality. I have had to send it in 3 times for swelling. Each time, I have buckled down more on making sure I was more careful with charging; using a smart charging or low power USBC AC adapter, then using only low voltage adapters, finally demanding they send me an AC adapter designed for it since they didn’t include one.
Such a significant thing to cheap out on with a $200 piece of tech, especially when LiPo batteries are already so cheap. They also refused to send spare batteries as well this last time, which I am more than capable of replacing myself, to save ~3 weeks of time. I have decided that if it happens again, I will just find a comparable size/voltage battery and solder it in myself to spare myself the hassle.
I use Tidal for listening to music on my phone most of the time, whether wired or wireless. That, plus USB Audio Player Pro for wired listening, gives a pretty good sound quality over my DAC. At home and in my work office I have dedicated DACs and tube amps for driving my cans (Schitt Modi + Littleblack Mk.2 in my office, Schitt Mobius + Feliks Echo 2 at home).
I use the dedicated DAC on mobile for a few reasons:
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My phone doesn’t have a headphone jack and I have been dissapointed by most USBC-to-3.5mm dongles’ build quality, so using a higher quality DAC gets around that.
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I also generally prefer a balanced 4.4mm jack over an unbalanced 3.5mm, both for a more solid physical connection and to reduce crosstalk, and my DAC has both 3.5/4.4mm ports.
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For wireless. I use IEMs that have a wired connection and the bluetooth adapters/replacement cables are pretty low quality in my experience (low battery capacity, poor sound quality, poor build quality, finnicky connectors, etc.) and a combo bluetooth/wired dac is avoids most of these issues. It also means I can keep the DAC and my phone in different places on my person (great for having my phone on a stand while biking and keeping the DAC in my pocket, or leaving my phone charging while I listen to music in my lab).
A bandaid? Slightly bigger than normal size and in the thicker material.
The random EEC knife cut, children (yours or otherwise), even semi fixed a shoe (makeshift tape).
I carry mine in a wallet so even if I’m without EDC I have it.
I carried BAND-AID® Brand TOUGH STRIPS® (had to go look it up to get all the bullshit right) in my wallet for years. I highly recommend these specifically because they work incredibly well in situations most bandages don’t. I used to slap them all over while working in a wood shop for a variety of reasons. They stay on all day even doing crazy shit. They’ll cover just about anything pretty well including harder spots like fingertips.
I don’t carry them anymore because I have a deathly tape allergy and they will kill me now. I get so many little nicks and cuts to this day that I wish I could slap those fuckers on.
A cheap little tape measure. It’s surprising how often it gets used.
I drilled a little hole in one of my guitar picks and added it to my keychain. It comes in handy for all sorts of things!
A small pair of vernier calipers. I don’t use them a lot, but sometimes they come in very handy.
