My Everyday Carry Items And Why I Carry Concealed

What do I carry with me on a daily basis in my pants or attached to my pants. First I start with a good belt, I need one that is stiff enough to carry whatever I need to carry without being too heavy. The EDC gear that goes on my belt consists of my cell phone, an UltraFire CREE flashlight, Next is my key ring in my left front pocket, my Schrade folding pocket knife in my right front pocket and my Maxpedition Micro Wallet that goes in my right hip pocket. Lastly is my Glock 30 (.45 auto) handgun, and yes I have a concealed carry permit, but more on that later.

The gear I mentioned is what I carry on my person and some may not agree with my choices, but it makes sense to me. That is the important thing, it needs to make sense to the person who is wearing them. The belt I wear these days is leather and I like them. I like the way they feel and smell as compared to the tactical-style belts. I am not talking- down the tactical-style just for me leather is the way to go. They should be two-ply and glued and stitched together or one thick piece of leather for added strength. The belt must hold the weight of everything placed on it and not sag or bend.

A cell phone is pretty much normal these days, we all need them for work and our private lives. I use an iPhone and that works for me, but it may not suit you and your needs. My only comment about about cell phone is they need to be secure so that they will be there when you need it. I am not one to keep it in a pocket because in my opinion they can fall out easily. Whether it is in the case that they come with or one that is purchased, I feel this is the way to go so it will be there when it is needed.

I carry my flashlight on a daily basis too and some people as me why, is it really necessary? I live on a small farm and I am doing many things early in the morning or late in the evening, all of which is in the dark. Now I can go in the shop to grab my large flashlight to use or just pull my little flashlight out of my belt holder to get the job done in a hurry, you can chose what makes better sense to you.

Keyrings are a normal item, as everyone seems to have them. I keep my keys on a Colorado State University keyring (my employer and college) which also contains a short landyard that I made out of paracord. The paracord is a personal accent that is fun to make but also gives me a fast way to pull my keys out of my pocket if needed. Some people do not mind the jingle of keys in their pocket, others need a way to keep them quiet. I will address that in a future post.

In my life a SHARP knife is a necessity! It is hard to believe how much you can use your knife on a daily basis. Sorry but “sharp” is a pet-peeve of mine, what good is having a dull knife! A dull knife that barely cuts anything is better let at home. I have had and used many folding knives throughout my life, some very expensive and others not so much. It always seems like I loose the expensive ones or someone borrows it and forgets to return it. So I now look for knives that are not that expensive but can definately do the job. I have really began to enjoy Schrade knives the last few years, they are nicely put together but do not break the bank. I carry the SCH109, nice wide blade, strongly built and keeps a good edge. More to come in this area too.

Next is my wallet, how many have you had in your lifetime? I used to want to carry everything in my wallet, so much that when I was driving I would have to remove it from my pocket and put it in my glove box, to avoid the sore hip. Then I began wanting to make a change, who needs all that stuff in your wallet? That’s where the “minimalist” thoughts came around. only keep what you absolutely need and get rid of the rest. Maxpedition has a great little wallet, it’s not the smallest around but it is a great step toward very small. It holds your drivers licence, health cards, and maybe 2-3 other cards, some money and a couple of other things and that’s it. It is so small I hardly know its there. Now its a breeze when I drive, I never have to remember where I put my wallet.

My final item is my Glock 30, some people will relate to this and others will not. If you want to get into the WHY do I carry a handgun, that will be addressed in the section below. I like the Glock 30 because it is very compact, accurate and always goes “bang” when I need it to. It may not be the lightest or thinnest handgun available, but it definately works for me. Since I carry a heavier handgun I realize the importance of using a good belt to carry my handgun and using a good holster to help conceal it is a necessity. In a later post I will discuss concealment holsters and why I use what I use.