Everyday Carry and Travel Gear Haul: Six Picks Worth a Look

Introduction

Everyday carry is one of those categories where a small upgrade can genuinely change your daily routine. This roundup brings together six recent releases: a flexible compact flashlight, a cut-resistant anti-theft backpack, a levitating fountain pen, two minimalist wallets, and a multi-layer pocket knife that competes directly with the established names. Each one earns its place by solving a real problem rather than chasing gimmicks.

Wuben X3 Owl Flashlight

The Wuben X3, nicknamed the Owl for reasons that become obvious once you see the rotating head, is a compact and lightweight flashlight that punches well above its size. It has a practical pocket clip on the back for pocket or backpack-strap carry, plus a strong magnetic base for attaching to ferrous surfaces, and it comes in four translucent colors.

You get two light sources: a white light with four levels from a 1-lumen moonlight mode up to a 700-lumen turbo, with battery life of up to 50 hours on a single charge, plus strobe and SOS functions. The red light, useful for preserving night vision or as an improvised warning light, offers two levels: 1 lumen for around 30 hours, and a bright 80 lumens that settles to 30 lumens for 2 hours. Operation runs through a single clicky switch and is easy to remember, including direct access to Turbo and a quick return to the previous level. A small OLED screen on top shows light power and battery level at all times, a lockout feature prevents accidental activation, and there is a diffuser at the front for room lighting.

The surprise feature is the rotating head. Use it handheld to light the way ahead, or rotate it to shine downward as a reading or map light, clipped to a backpack strap, set on a table, or even clipped to a baseball cap. Charging is unusual: there is no USB socket on the light itself. Instead you charge inductively on an existing pad, via a simple USB charging base, or with an aluminium charging box that holds the light magnetically and charges it in 2 hours. The box has a built-in 3,000 mAh battery recharged over USB-C, good for around two to two and a half full recharges of the light, and the light can be used while charging. With an IP65 rating it is water resistant rather than waterproof. Pricing starts at around $80 or £70 for the basic light, or $110 with the charging box.

Fendant Anti-Theft Backpack

The Fendant backpack, from a Singapore-based company, is built for people who want serious protection for their belongings. The key is a super-strong high molecular weight fabric developed through a multi-layer composite process, giving it ultra-high tensile strength along with abrasion, cut and punch resistance, and it is water resistant too. In practice, the material is almost impossible to cut through even with a utility knife, which defeats cut-and-run style theft attempts.

With around 22 litres of capacity and a weight around 3 pounds, it suits daily commutes or weekend trips. Around the bag you find two stretchy bottle pockets, a cord retaining system for bulky items, two front zip pockets, and a main compartment with a double zip that opens either just at the top or clamshell style for full access. Inside there is a padded laptop pocket that fits a 15-inch laptop, two smaller pockets, and a zipped mesh pocket at the back. The padded shoulder straps include lashing points and a chest strap, there is a grab handle, a padded back panel with a concealed security pocket at the base, and a zip pocket on each strap big enough for a card or some cash. Prices start at S$149, roughly $110 or £90, with the backpack currently launching on Kickstarter.

Hover Pen 3

The Hover Pen 3 builds on the original with an increased hover angle, making the levitating effect even more impressive, along with a new gravity-defying ray design. Precision engineering and exact positioning of high-density magnets make it all work, and it doubles as a satisfying fidget with a stainless steel tip at the opposite end to reduce friction and prolong the spin.

The big change from earlier models is that this is now a fountain pen, and the nib is made by the German company Schmitt, which also supplies fountain pen tips for Montblanc, so writing quality is well assured. The cap is removable, and the supplied ink cartridge is refillable from an ink bottle, making it more sustainable and cheaper to run, though it also takes standard cartridges. It is genuinely well made and a real talking point on a desk, but it is not cheap: expect to pay around $160 or £160.

Reform RE01 and RE02 Wallets

Reform set out to reinvent the wallet by rethinking design, size and materials, shifting the emphasis away from cash with a focus on functional minimalism. Both wallets are slim and lightweight, use welded seams with box stitching at high-stress points, keep branding subtle, and close magnetically in a genuinely satisfying way. The material is derived from military boots and is claimed to be 10 times more durable than leather as well as waterproof. The surface feels slightly rubbery with some texture, so there is more friction than leather, and it may attract dirt but should clean up easily.

The RE01 weighs 35 g (1.2 oz) and is designed for two to five cards across two pockets, one external and one internal, plus a space for folded notes and coins or something like a key or an AirTag. Squeezing the ends opens the wallet with a snap-shut release. The RE02 is even lighter at 22 g (0.8 oz) with a simpler, thinner design holding three to eight cards across three pockets: two inside and one outside for quick access.

In practice, the RE02 works best with around six cards, and the grippy fabric holds cards and the wallet itself more securely than smooth leather, with no stretching over time. Pricing is on the premium side: the RE02 is £62 or around $80, and the RE01 costs more, so they sit above common slim-wallet alternatives. The quality and simplicity, though, are easy to appreciate.

RaK M42 Pocket Knife

The RaK M42 is a Canadian-designed, China-manufactured multi-tool pocket knife that comes about as close as anything has to challenging Victorinox at its own game. Compared side by side with the best-selling Victorinox Huntsman, the M42 is slightly longer and thicker, and both are four-layer tools. It is heavier, though: 142 g (5 oz) versus the Huntsman at 97 g (3.5 oz), thanks to thicker tools and steel rather than aluminium liners. The M42 also brings textured G10 scales, accessible torque screws for maintenance, and a removable deep-carry pocket clip.

The tool set holds up well. Both knife blades are slip-joint, non-locking and under 3 inches, so legal in most countries, with the M42 blade thicker and more substantial. The steel is Sandvik 12C27, comparable to or slightly better than the Victorinox steel. The scissors are similar, with the M42 having a better return spring, and both pass the paracord snip test. The screwdriver, pry tool, bottle opener and wire stripper are almost identical but thicker on the M42, the awl is slightly thicker at 1.5 mm versus 1.2 mm, and the corkscrews look alike although a Victorinox eyeglass screwdriver does not quite fit the M42’s version. Where the Huntsman offers tweezers, a toothpick, a small blade and a parcel hook, the M42 counters with a much more effective huge pair of tweezers, a short serrated blade with a screwdriver notch capable of seat-belt cutting, a stowable keyring loop, and a substantial glass-breaker tip.

In short, the M42 is more capable while the Victorinox is lighter. If minimal weight matters most or a can opener is essential, the Huntsman still makes sense, but on raw capability the M42 wins, which is a genuine surprise. Pricing is around $50 in the US for both, though in the UK the RaK runs £60 versus £50 for the Victorinox.

Buying Advice

Match each pick to a real need. The X3 suits anyone who wants maximum flexibility in a small light and can live with inductive or boxed charging. The Fendant backpack is for commuters and travellers who prioritize security. The Hover Pen 3 is a premium desk statement for pen lovers. The Reform wallets fit minimalists who want durable, non-leather materials and accept the premium price. The RaK M42 is the pick for a heavier-duty, more capable multi-tool.

Conclusion

This batch of everyday carry gear shows how much thought is going into small, daily-use products. Whether it is a flashlight with a rotating head, a backpack that resists knife attacks, or a pocket knife that out-specs the category leader on capability, each of these picks brings something genuinely useful. Choose based on the problem you actually want solved, and any of them should earn their place in your pocket or bag.