What are you carrying right now? I’m not asking about your firearm, I’m interested in your every day carry (EDC) gear. You can’t take your firearm everywhere, so it is good to have other tools. As a Liberty Carrier, I want to be ready for anything, my EDC gear allows me to respond to daily challenges with ease. Minor annoyances or stressful situations can be overcome by being prepared.
Have you ever been in a situation where the power suddenly went out and you were in the dark? Has your cell phone battery ever died? Have you ever been unable to pay for something? Have you ever lost track of time or were late to a meeting? Were you ever unable to open something? I’m sure at one point or another some of these things have happened to you. Obviously a gun would not be the tool to help in those situations, this is where your non-firearm EDC gear comes into play. These items are small and easy to carry on my person, my 4 essential EDC items are: wallet, watch, knife, and flashlight.
Wallet
I carry my wallet at all times for several reasons. One reason is for identification, whether I think I will need to show it or not. I don’t live in a constitutional carry state, thus I need to have my CPL with me at all times when carrying. A second reason is to have multiple forms of payment available; if there is a power outage, no electronic cards can be processed and merchants will only accept cash. I can protect my privacy by using cash, instead of leaving a record of the merchants I visit. The final reason is that it keeps my important things organized and secure in one place. I have used a Maxpedition wallet for 8 years and it shows little signs of wear.
Watch
There are only 1,440 minutes in a day, I want to be productive as possible with such a scarce resource and honor my time commitments. In addition to displaying the month, day, and time, other useful features of my Casio G-Shock digital watch are the back light, timer, and stopwatch. I set the timer for 4 minutes everyday while my french press coffee is brewing. Using the illumination in the dark does not ruin my night vision or give away my location. Wearing a wrist watch allows both of my hands to remain free which makes life easier and is much better for self defense.
Knife
My SOG Flash has just about unlimited uses, I can’t say enough about this folding knife. The most common thing I use my knife for is opening packages, especially those I order from my advertiser Amazon.com. Some boxes of ammo are taped on the end, so a knife is the perfect tool for the job. I once was walking down a busy path and saw a girl fall off of her bike because her pant leg became pulled into the chain and stuck in the gears. She got up on her own, but was attached to her bike by the caught fabric, my knife made quick work of cutting the material and freeing her. Your EDC gear can help others as much as it will help you. Your knife can go places that your gun cannot and can be used for self defense. An attacker may be too close and you cannot draw your gun, a knife is much quicker. I recommend taking a knife fighting class, if you can’t find one, the next best thing is to read the excellent book Contemporary Knife Targeting by Christopher Grosz and Michael Janich.
Flashlight
You can take a flashlight anywhere, it will allow you to light up the darkness. With out-of-control government regulations shutting down the coal industry, we are much more likely to find ourselves in the dark. One time I was shopping with my mom in a large store when a sudden and powerful thunderstorm knocked out the power. There were no emergency lights, the store was pitch black, my Fenix flashlight allowed us to see our way out of the store. A flashlight can be useful day and night, it can also be used as an improvised defensive striking implement.
Smart Phone
While a smart phone is a versatile tool, it cannot be relied upon. Everyone knows someone who has had a broken phone, cracked screen, dropped in water, won’t turn on, etc. It is a delicate computer with limited battery life. I protect my Galaxy S4 with a heavy duty Otter Box. It’s best used as a communication tool, do not use it to check the time constantly as you will be wasting battery and distracting yourself, not to mention rude. Imagine using your cell phone flashlight to find your way out of somewhere but the battery is quickly depleted and dies, leaving you with no way to call for help.
At night, many criminals will lie in wait around mall parking lots looking for a person with the cell phone glow bathed across their face. You are easy prey when you are distracted by a cell phone and the bright screen diminishes your vision. You likely won’t see the attacker(s) coming, plus one or both hands will be tied up, unable to parry an attack. The smartphone itself may be the target of theft for resale on the black market. Keep your phone out of sight and out of mind and maintain your situational awareness.
Where does it all go?
All of these items will be placed into secure pants or shirt pockets. You wouldn’t want to put your gear in a coat or bag that you might set down. When I change clothes or when it’s time to retire for the night, all of my EDC items go into one spot, ready to go when I am. I’m using the Violent Little Machine Shop Bento Box which I received as an awesome gift from my cousin, thanks bro!
What are your thoughts on EDC? Let us know in the comments!