Best EDC Gear You Can Buy at Academy Sports: A Complete Budget Carry

Introduction

Building a complete everyday carry from a single big-box store is always a fun challenge, and Academy Sports turned out to have more interesting options than expected. Some sections of the store delivered genuinely good value, a few items felt gimmicky, and one category, multitools, was surprisingly thin. This guide walks through every item worth considering, what it costs, and where it fits in a real pocket carry.

Wallet: Chums Zip Wallet

A wallet is not usually why people visit a sporting goods store, but the Chums zip wallet is a surprisingly solid option for the money. At around $14, it offers a zip pouch on the back for cards or cash, a clear ID window, and a small exterior pocket that can hold more than just cards. That outer pocket is genuinely useful for stashing a small multitool or a compact pry tool.

There are a few color choices, including a floating orange version that is handy around water, and a split ring on the wallet means you can attach keys directly. It is simple fabric construction with zip pockets, which is exactly what makes it more practical than the rigid tool-card style wallets you often see in this price range. For the money, it is hard to beat.

Pen: True Utility Tool Pen

The True Utility tool pen packs a twist pen, a two-sided screwdriver bit with Phillips and flathead ends, a ruler, a bubble level, and a capacitive stylus tip into a single barrel. It works: the pen writes, the screwdriver turns small screws, and the level is passable even if it is not the most accurate.

The problem is that several of these functions feel dated, the stylus in particular, and the whole package leans a bit gimmicky. At around $15 it gets the job done if you specifically want a pen and a screwdriver in one body, but most people would be better served putting that money toward a higher-quality pen. It is fine, just not something to go out of your way for.

Keychain Tool: True Utility Tweezer Tool

Staying with True Utility, this small keychain tool includes tweezers, a bottle opener, a cord cutter, a small flathead, and a tiny knife blade, all hanging from a large split ring and packaged with a carabiner. The tweezers are sturdy to the point of being stiff, and the small blade has enough bite to cut packaging if you want an ultra-minimalist keychain knife.

This is the rare True Utility item that could be a genuine winner, mostly because it disappears onto a keyring and covers several small jobs. It is best for someone who wants the absolute minimum carry and accepts that every tool in it is small and basic rather than refined.

Key and Gear Clip: Hero Clip

The Hero Clip is a folding carabiner with a pivoting hook that turns it into a hanging solution for almost anywhere: over a bathroom stall door, on a tree branch, or on the edge of a table so a bag stays off the ground. Academy carried the small and medium sizes, and it has appeared in plenty of gift guides for good reason.

As a key carrier it works, though the pivoting top section can rotate annoyingly when the spring gate opens, so it is not the most elegant key solution. The real argument for carrying one on your keys is always having a gear hanger with you, which solves the common problem of leaving a dedicated carabiner clipped to a backpack you are not near.

Multitool: Gerber Dime

The Gerber Dime is one of the best bang-for-buck multitools you can put in a fifth pocket. It has spring-loaded pliers that are honestly closer to glorified tweezers, a two-sided Phillips and flathead driver with a very small file, decent scissors, a package opener, a small blade, a bottle opener, a split ring, and a pair of tweezers that could be bent apart a bit more.

Expectations matter here. This is a budget compact multitool, and small pliers can develop slop if you twist nails with them. Pricing also varies wildly between stores, with the same tool ringing up well over $30 at some retailers while Academy had it for around $22, so it pays to compare. Set your expectations for a $20 multitool and it delivers.

Utility Knife: Outdoor Edge SlideWinder

The Outdoor Edge SlideWinder is one of the better budget EDC utility knives around. Alongside a locking utility blade it includes a Phillips head, a flathead, and a bottle opener, all in a compact body. The blade deployment feels like a reverse out-the-front: press the orange button, slide, and the blade locks open, then press again to disengage.

Blade changes are the weak point. Thicker aftermarket blades, such as the gold carbide style, fit awkwardly in the slot, so stick with standard blades. For around $10, though, it is a genuinely great always-in-your-pocket box cutter: cheap, compact, and it works as intended.

Lighter: Zippo

Finding a Zippo at a sporting goods store was a pleasant surprise. This is the standard model with the standard insert, now running about $20, which appears to be the new normal price. Zippo also sells a large can of lighter fluid for around $7 if you need fuel on the spot.

A lighter earns a permanent place in many pockets, and the classic windproof design keeps earning fans. If you prefer torch performance, Zippo also makes a dual-flame butane torch insert that drops into the same case, which is a worthwhile upgrade to consider later.

Flashlight: Nebo 90-Degree Rechargeable

Nebo has improved considerably in recent years, and this right-angle rechargeable light is a decent example. It charges over USB without removing the battery, has a magnetic base, a properly oriented pocket clip that works as a headlamp clip, and a lanyard with a quick release in the package. Output runs from around 60 lumens on low up to 600 lumens, and pressing and holding jumps straight to turbo.

As an EDC light it has real flaws. There appears to be no lockout, so it can easily switch on in a pocket. The clip sits low enough that a long section protrudes, its retention is weak, and turning the light off means cycling back through modes rather than a quick click-off. Low mode is also still quite bright at 60 lumens. At roughly $30 it is a reasonable buy and arguably better than the alternatives on the same shelf, just not the ideal pocket light.

Pocket Knife: Buck 722 Spitfire

Academy’s knife wall here tops out around the $100 mark, with brands like Buck, Gerber, CRKT, SOG, Kershaw, and Cold Steel. Several Buck options in the $60 range looked appealing but used 7Cr blade steel without the Bos heat treatment, and they cost more than the better-steel options. The Buck 722 Spitfire, with 420HC steel and the Bos heat treat, is the smarter buy.

At around $42 to $43, the Spitfire is a classic liner lock that feels genuinely solid in hand, with a confident snap when it locks closed. It is not a high-speed flipper and it cannot be flicked open, but it will simply get the job done, and it is hard to beat in this price range. The trade-offs are cosmetic: a large eye-catching pocket clip and Buck branding on nearly every surface. Even so, it is arguably the best knife on the shelf at this store.

Buying Advice

The standout value picks from this haul are the Gerber Dime, the Outdoor Edge SlideWinder, and the Buck 722 Spitfire, each delivering far more function than its price suggests. The Chums wallet and the Hero Clip round out a practical carry for very little money. The True Utility items are the weakest links unless you specifically want their niche formats, and the Nebo light is best treated as a around-the-house or camp light rather than a daily pocket light.

One practical note: identical items can vary wildly in price between retailers, as the Dime’s price swing from around $22 to over $30 shows. Check a couple of stores before buying.

Conclusion

A complete, sensible everyday carry can absolutely be assembled at Academy Sports, anchored by the Gerber Dime and Buck Spitfire and supported by a few cheap, useful extras. Skip the gimmicks, watch the prices, and the result is a carry that covers most daily tasks without straining your budget.