EDC: Gun Writer and Court Jester

Here in the sauna of the Southeast, I generally carry a light load.

Just because I like to have fun with every aspect of my life doesn’t mean I don’t take things like every day carry seriously. Hey, I can make fun of Shannon Watts and her outrageous lies while always realizing the serious threat people like that pose to our rights. They’re not mutually exclusive. It’s kind of like mocking whatever President happens to be in office at the time.

With that said, since part of my EDC title says “Court Jester” I’m gonna bend the rules just a bit. To me, “every day carry” means just that. It just happens that some days I carry my briefcase, which most people would call a backpack, while other days I go commando, so to speak, and rely on pocket contents only. So I’m going to cheat and review two EDC configurations. Because I buy digital ink in bulk. It’s cheap and I can afford the extra words.

Daily Perambulation Sans Pack

I see EDC photos on the interwebz and am amazed at the size of other people’s pockets. Maybe they live in Oymyakon, Russia, where the average daily temperature is -58 Fahrenheit. Heck, if I lived there and wore 27 layers of clothing every day I could also carry a Buffalo armored vehicle, a platoon of Recon Marines, and all their camping gear in my pockets too. But I don’t. I live in the rice cooker of ‘Murica – the South Carolina Low Country. With average temperatures of 437 degrees and 312% humidity, I have to dress light almost all year long. I’m lucky if I can cover my man parts, much less carry a bunch of gear around.

With that said, here’s the list of my every single stinkin’ day no matter how freakin’ hot it is outside gear:

Sig Sauer P229 .357 Sig: As I write about guns for a living, the gun changes around based on what I’m working on. But I’ve stuck with this one for a while. I’ve always been nutty about the .357 Sig caliber, and this one is compact, carries 12+1, and has double-action operation that I really like for concealed carry.

Crimson Trace LG-429 Lasergrips: Every carry gun I have that can accept Lasergrips has Lasergrips. I rarely configure a carry gun with a rail-mounted laser, but only because that makes holster flexibility a real pain in the neck. I’ve done a lot of shooting in dark conditions, and I will always choose to have a laser if I can – it’s faster and intuitive under stress, at least for me. Of course my carry guns all have Tritium night sights too. Because two options are better than one.

Blackhawk MOD SFK Folder: This knife earned its way into my EDC lineup for a couple of reasons. I’ll never complain about a larger blade, as I derive much enjoyment watching metros faint when I whip it out to open a box. But the blade length is not the reason this one tops my list. I like the grip. It’s large enough for my slightly bigger than average hands and the finger grooves on both sides are just right for me. I also like the pointed tip profile. The very sharp point is exceptionally handy for opening stuff. Oh, and it’s a heck of a self-defense knife too.

Princeton Tec Impulse: This handy little light has a clip built into the body that’s perfect for attaching to a keychain, clothing, or pack. I chose one with a red LED so it won’t ruin my night vision when I play Ninja Olympics with the neighbors kids. It’s got three modes, all accessible by pressing the same button: low, high, and flashing.

Suunto Core Watch: It’s indestructible, and more importantly, comfortable. Time, alarm, backlight, altitude, pressure, depth and compass features make it a great all aroundtool. Sometimes, I’ll feel dressier and bring the Armour Lite Tritium dial watch shown below.

Jaws Bottle Opener: Hey, you never know when you might encounter a beverage emergency.

When I carry my “briefcase”, I have room for a few extra essentials.

Daily Hoofing With My Pack-Briefcase

If I’ve got business and need my iPad or computer, I’ll have my pack-case. I figured out a long time ago that its much easier on the back to carry things like computers and dozens of charging devices in a proper backpack rather than a briefcase. Masters of Business be damned, I’ll go for comfort over style any day.

Vanquest Trident-20 Pack: I carried a computer briefcase with a shoulder strap for many years. Because I was an idiot. It’s the “businessy” thing to do, wrenched back or not, right? Now that I’m all grown up and smart(er), I carry my “businessy” gear in a Vanquest pack. It’s a clever pack, complete with a swivel feature that presents the concealed carry compartment to the front in an instant. A myriad of orange-lined compartments makes it easy to organize your gear.

Sig Sauer P229 .357 and a spare magazine: Same gun, but with the pack I have the option of carrying the gun in the CCW compartment if I want or need to.

Blackhawk! Ally L-3V Night-Ops Flashlight: It’s small and compact, but features low, medium, high and strobe functions with 15, 65, and 150 lumens of light output. The dial selector allows the tail cap switch to activate the mode of your choice with one press.

Princeton Tec Switch MPLS Light: This is one handy little light. It weighs about 17 grams less than nothing and has three LED modes. A long press gives you 10 lumens of white light. A quick tap provides a red low-intensity light, and a double tap gets you a brighter red LED. I keep the hat clip mount on so it can be used as a task light.

Dyno Kwik Lock Pick: OK, so learning how to pick a lock might have been a mid-life crisis. It’s a handy skill, however, as you’re bound to lock yourself out of somewhere at some point. Plus, when the Zombies come, I can break in somewhere to retrieve a huge can of Butterscotch pudding.

Smith & Wesson Tactical Pen: Whether you just need an impromptu hammer or an actual self-defense weapon, a sturdy metal tactical pen is a versatile tool.

Spare CR123 Batteries: I cover the ends with a piece of electrical tape to prevent drainage and carry them because… spare batteries.

Teeny, Tiny Glasses Screwdriver: It’s amazing how often I use this for things not related to glasses. It makes a great toothpick too.

Delta Free Drink Coupons: For in-flight emergencies.

8Gb USB Stick: If I ever need to break into the Library of Congress to steal the digital version of 50 Shades of Grey, I’m ready.

Lamy Fountain Pen and Notebook: For capture of ideas for the next book in the Insanely Practical Guide series. And I just dig fountain pens.

Lest we forget the car trunk pack, I have that too, but we’ll open that can of worms another day.