“Everyday carry,” or EDC for short, is among the most popular and controversial topics among armed citizens. People love talking about gear. They love arguing about gear. In this case, regarding EDC, the broad question is, “What should I carry on me every day when I leave the house?” The reason this topic is surrounded by so much debate is largely because of this false idea of “right” and “wrong” EDC and the very human impulse to either do what everybody else is doing, or to think everybody else should be doing what you’re doing. In much the same way that drivers view everyone going faster than them as a maniac and everyone going slower as an idiot, the natural perception when thinking about EDC gear is, “Everybody carrying less than me isn’t taking it seriously and is going to get killed in the streets. Everybody carrying more than me is a paranoid Tactical Timmy living out a commando fantasy.” People typically think this irrespective of how much they carry.
The Smart Approach to EDC
The truth is, the best approach to EDC is not a copy-and-paste checklist of popular items, or to simply mimic the EDC gear of your favorite firearms instructor or social media influencer. The smartest approach to selecting your EDC gear is centered on a personal risk assessment of what problems you’re likely to need to solve, and your personal contextual limitations. Today I will share my personal defensive everyday carry and the reasons behind my choices.
Carry Gun/Holster Combo
My primary carry gun is a Glock G48 with a Holosun 507K red dot sight. My particular Glock G48 has been worked over by Ben Simonson at Boresight Solutions, who reshaped and stippled the grip to fit my hand well. This additional custom work is a luxury, to be sure, but if you can fit it in your budget, I highly recommend it. In the gun I keep a well-tested Shield Arms 15-round flush fit magazine, loaded with Federal HST 124-grain jacketed hollow points (and 16th round in the chamber). For a “sweatpants gun” for carry around the house, or when I need something small and very concealable for deep concealment in certain attire or environments, I often carry a Ruger LCR .327 Magnum loaded with .32 S&W Long wadcutters from Buffalo Bore Ammunition.
With both guns, I typically carry in an appendix-inside-the-waistband (AIWB) holster, or in the PHLster Enigma AIWB concealment rig, which allows me incredible versatility to carry in workout shorts, tuck in dress shirts and other concealment options difficult with traditional holsters. In addition to PHLster Holsters I also use Dark Star Gear, Henry Holsters and KSG Armory holsters. The snubby also occasionally sees use in a pocket holster when appropriate.
Recommendation: Fulfill whatever requirements exist in your jurisdiction to lawfully carry a handgun, gain proficiency with handling, shooting and carrying a handgun, and then carry a handgun whenever possible. What kind of handgun? One that is reliable with your carry ammo, is large enough for you to shoot well, but small enough to conceal in most attire so you’ll actually carry it on a regular basis. What kind of ammo? Preferably choose ammunition that meets the FBI ammo-testing protocol. What kind of holster? A holster purposefully manufactured for your handgun that conceals the gun adequately, completely covers the trigger guard, remains open when the holster is empty (otherwise holstering gets risky when you practice) and retains the gun during vigorous movement.
Got a Light?
On the other end of the “excitement” spectrum is my EDC handheld light. I carry a Cloud Defensive MCH EDC handheld light for defensive purposes. Over the years, I’ve also carried Surefire, Modlite and Streamlight flashlights and recommend all those brands. It’s true that our cell phones invariably have a light on them, but those lights are what are called “task lights.” In other words, they’re good for helping you find the remote control under your couch but lack the “throw” (ability to cast an intense beam of light over long distances) that we’d prefer out of a handheld light.
Quality handheld lights can help us to see better in low light scenarios, giving us more information to make better decisions (i.e. “Who is that? What is that in their hand?), as well as create photonic barriers to deny information about ourselves when dealing with suspicious people. Handheld lights have the additional benefit of demonstrating our awareness of our surroundings to those who might be sizing us up to decide whether or not we’d make a good target for their nefarious activity.
Recommendation: Carry a quality high-lumen, high-candela handheld light. Used properly, handhelds can help you identify people, objects and activities in low-light environments, (a really important part of the process of armed self-defense), provide a photonic barrier and dissuade bad actors from selecting you as a target. The best part is you can carry a typical handheld pocket flashlight anywhere, so it is one extremely usefully tool you can always have with you. (My article on lights can be found here.)
Between a Harsh Word and a Gun
In the wise words of lawman Chuck Haggard, “It’s nice to have something between a harsh word and a gun.” Thus, a less-than-lethal defensive tool is a good idea. Regarding tools widely available to private citizens, OC/pepper spray is hard to beat. It is inexpensive, easy to use and generally effective at dissuading attackers. I always carry a POM Industries pocket clip canister of pepper spray when I leave the house.
Most of my life I considered pepper spray a tool exclusively for women, and as a large man I chose to rely on my striking and grappling skills. However, in my late 30s I had a job that required me to work in a large city that had a problem with aggressive drug addicts accosting citizens, and it occurred to me I neither wanted to punch any of those people in the mouth, nor roll around with them on the ground. Thus, I concluded that in the event I was dealing with an aggressive person attacking me who didn’t meet the threshold of a lethal threat, having the ability to spray them in the face with pepper spray and make my exit was a good option to have.
Recommendation: Purchase a quality pocket sized pepper spray (POM and Sabre Red are brands I’ve carried with confidence), as well as an identical inert trainer from the same company that will allow you to practice using it correctly and hitting your target. Then carry it as an option to deal with threats that require force, but not lethal force.
Saving My Own Skin
It would be a serious disappointment to win a gunfight against an armed criminal attacker, but then bleed out waiting on first responders to arrive at the scene. Therefore, I carry medical gear on my person every day. I wear jeans or trousers most of the time, and typically carry an ankle medical kit from Wilderness Tactical that contains a tourniquet, chest seal, hemostatic gauze, and a pressure dressing. Even when I’m wearing workout shorts, I try to at least throw a tourniquet in a pocket, as they take up little space and when you need one you really need one. I’ve also carried a “trauma wallet” that fit some first aid basics into a pouch you could put in the back pocket opposite of your wallet.
Recommendation: Take a “Stop The Bleed” class or similar training and learn the basics of trauma first aid, then carry lifesaving equipment. I’ve had to use my EDC medical gear more than anything else I carry except for my flashlight, and it isn’t just good for gunfights, but for everyday accidents and mishaps as well.
Conclusion
Ultimately, there’s never going to be a one-size-fits-all EDC list that works for everyone. An individual’s daily attire, physical size, risk environment, and numerous other factors will inform what each person’s EDC should look like. I actually carry more than what is listed here (I’m blessed with a large frame and the freedom to wear clothes with large pockets daily), but wanted to focus this article on items that I think every person should consider adding to their EDC to be better prepared for life’s unpredictability. Ultimately, think through the problems you think you might one day need to solve, and tailor your EDC gear to your needs. After all, you will be the one relying on it.
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