Review: Lacie USB 'key' - EDC tech.

Keychain EDC - USB equipped.

EDC - or Every Day Carry, refers to items a person usually has with them, all day, every day. While this concept is not new to seasoned survival veterans, it's the first thing I bring up when discussing the topic with newbies. It can be a lifesaver - literally and figuratively, to have the right tool at the right time. That said - you don't want to be hauling too much stuff around, only what you'll usually need. That's the tricky part - what do you usually need?

Everyone's EDC selection is different and should be tailored to your own personal needs. Some might need a multi-tool, others an epi-pen. You get the idea.

Today I'll be taking a quick look at an often forgotten piece of kit; my Lacie USB 'key'. I quote 'key' because it's actually shaped like a key. This feature alone was enough for me to pick it up - always with me, hard to lose and just enough storage at 16GB to fit most everything I could use on it.

Quick to pop into a buddies computer to grab some files, to make a quick fix at work (as an IT guy, you can never have enough storage) or better yet, as a security enhancement for my shop computer. Using a program that locks the computer when I'm not using it, the only way to unlock it - even in safe mode - is to plug my key into it. Now, you could rip the drive out and get at it manually, but this is a good desktop level security feature, I figure.

I've used it a number of times, and after losing a few USB sticks that were once a part of my EDC, I have learned a few things.

- Tie something onto it that you notice on your keychain. You'll notice if it's NOT on your keychain later and makes it hard to miss if you're plugging it in to multiple PC's.
- Change the icon to something other than standard - before you close out of that computer, you might have a 'My Computer' window open and will notice it's still plugged in.

Lacie USB

To be honest - I find this key a little skinny. That's good because it keeps a low profile on my keyring; bad because I'm always worried it'll snap off in the USB slot. The key came with a little cover to hide the golden end, but that fell off in less than a few minutes. I'm not gentle with this key - my keys have been thrown around quite a bit. I've never had an issue reading the data on it, but I'm careful not to keep very sensitive stuff on it, in the case it breaks or is misplaced. OPSEC, after all.