• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Loadout Room

The Loadout Room

Professional Gear Reviews

Hardcore Gear and Adventure

Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • m243The M24: America’s Headhunter
        • skorpFull-Auto Fun — Shooting the full-Auto vz. 61 Škorpion
        • p320-full-leftSIG Sauer M17/M18/P320 Pistol Just Can’t Seem to Escape Safety Controversies
        • TISAS_10100520_1__98179Tisas 1911A1 U.S. Army Review: Best Budget .45 ACP WW2 1911 Clone?
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • Viking-Bags Logo 2Pic of the Day, Viking Motorcycle Bags 45L Tactical XL Bag
        • Hunting in TexasThese 5 ATV Dealers Will Get You Ready For Hunting Season in Texas
        • ac65a540-2ef3-4598-8d11-afdf53f46e94.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount HL-X: A Thoroughly Bright Review
        • Bluetti 2 handsfree power backpackBluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • Neoron Energy DrinkNeoron Brain Booster Review: A Clean Hit of Focus
        • Viking-Bags Logo 2Pic of the Day, Viking Motorcycle Bags 45L Tactical XL Bag
        • Tom and Blake Sell TeaHow Sasquatch Tea Is Revitalizing a Stagnant Tea Market With Veterans and Outdoorsmen in Mind
        • redcat-blackwidow-articleheaderWar of Words: In the Ultra-Competitive Defense Tech Industry, Storytelling is a Secret Weapon
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Buying Guides
  • Shop
  • Advertise
EDC

Marine Corps Vets weigh in on Top pieces of EDC gear

August 10, 2019 by Nick Coffman Leave a Comment

Marine Corps Vets weigh in on Top pieces of EDC gear

Everyone can agree that there are some pieces of EDC, survival, and travel gear that you can’t go without. For this article, I polled the writers of the Loadout Room and asked them to share with me in one or two paragraphs what their top three pieces of kit are. Much of it is due to preferences and lessons learned directly from our military service. Here is what a few of us came up with.

Nick Coffman (USMC)

My favorite items come from plenty of experience with discomfort and misfortune over the years.

  1. Lip balm – This may come as a shock to some as my first choice, but when traveling or operating in any sort of survival situation, any level of comfort can provide a major confidence boost. Whether in Iraq or back in the United States going about my normal routine, I’ve always got some Burt’s Beeswax in my pocket. There are some survival tricks with lip balm but my primary benefit is comfort.  Anything that will increase my level of comfort and give me a boost while not taking up much room is always welcome in my EDC.
  2. Silkies – Much like the lip balm, I won’t leave my house without wearing my silkies (also known as Ranger panties) under my trousers. Early in my Marine Corps enlistment I quickly became frustrated by chafing during physical activity from wearing boxers or boxer briefs. At one point for me silkies were just for PT or grossing out civilians on base, but now they are legitimately an important part of my everyday kit because they are comfortable in any environment and allow me to stay focused on whatever I’m doing.
  3. Quality pocket knife – This one seems like a no-brainer to have, and it may be, but I still feel it is important to mention. There are so many uses in virtually any setting you find yourself in that require a good knife. I went through several, let’s say “affordable” knives before I finally decided to spend the money on a $100+ knife that was easy to conceal, durable, and effective.  For everyday self-defense and survival, I never leave my house without at least a quality pocket knife on me.

 

Rich Moore (USMC)

My 15 years in the Marine Corps was mostly spent overseas and my top pieces of gear is constantly carried today especially when I regularly travel.

  1. Water Purification tabs – Whether you are in the Jungles of Asia, the Fjords of Norway, a desert, or any 3rd World Country, the accessibility of clean water is few and far between. A drop or tab of water purification goes a long way to keeping healthy and if you like ice in your adult beverages then a tab or liquid drop in your drink will only keep you healthy.
  2. Multi-tool – A multi-tool is a must on any adventure. You never know when you will need pliers, a file, screwdriver, etc. There are many today that are TSA approved for travel or you can simply stick one in your checked luggage. In my USMC career the multi-tools have progressed a long way in their design, abilities, and job-specific tooling.
  3. Suture kit – There were many times during my career that I didn’t have a Corpsman available to take care of my stupidity, I always carried a suture kit. They come in handy if you are alone and slice open your leg from coral or barbed wire, or your multi-tool slips and the cut requires more than a Band-Aid, I can personally state that going to a clinic or other 3rd World doctor’s office will most likely get you sicker than when you went in. A suture kit in your gear will give you the time and opportunity to get to a proper place. This kit requires some additional training, but if you’re constantly learning, this is one of those pieces of gear that will literally save your life.

 

Scott Witner (USMC)

The following three pieces of kit were drilled into me while serving in the Marine Corps. Now that I’m on the other side living the civilian life, all three pieces still prove valuable on a daily basis.

  1. Water – From day-1 in boot camp, they reiterated the importance of hydration. We ALWAYS had a canteen of water with us no matter where we went. Due to the physical nature of the training and lifestyle, you had to keep hydrated or you’d end up in medical with an IV stuck in you. Fast forward to current day and I still drink 1 quart of water in the morning and another quart at lunchtime. Your body is naturally dehydrated when you wake up in the morning. Water is the elixir of life. Drink it every day.
  2. Motrin – If you’ve spent any time in the military and dealt with your units’ medic or went to medical for any ailment, you were handed two Motrin and sent on your way. That seemed to be the cure-all in the military along with water. I still to this day carry a bottle of either Motrin or Ibuprofen in my backpack.
  3. Socks – Putting on a clean pair of socks does wonders for your moral and positive mental attitude. As with water and Motrin, socks were always third on the list for personal hygiene. We had to take care of our feet if we were to be combat effective. During long forced marches we had predetermined stopping points to drink water and change our socks. It was mandatory. Even today if I’m traveling a long distance, just changing your socks makes a big difference in your mood and gives you a boost of energy. It may only be a mental thing, but the bottom line is that it works.

In the Marine Corps if you showed any signs of sickness, whether it was the common cold or nasty flu, or you had physical soreness from PT and training, they had the same answer; Drink water, take two Motrin and change your socks. That advice still sticks with me to this day. It may sound funny, but the shit works. Nowadays when I’m traveling I keep a ranger roll inside my bag which consists of a fresh t-shirt, socks and underwear. In addition to that, I have a bottle of Ibuprofen and a full water bottle. If my checked luggage does get lost, I still have the necessities to keep going.

Share This

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

Primary Sidebar

Most Read

  • West Coast Armor IIIA Plates Review: Lightweight, American-Made Protection
    West Coast Armor IIIA Plates Review: Lightweight, American-Made Protection
  • Mossberg 930: the affordable 12 gauge auto-loader
    Mossberg 930: the affordable 12 gauge auto-loader
  • Black Widow and the Brain: Palladyne and Red Cat Prove the Future Is Autonomous
    Black Widow and the Brain: Palladyne and Red Cat Prove the Future Is Autonomous
  • War of Words: In the Ultra-Competitive Defense Tech Industry, Storytelling is a Secret Weapon
    War of Words: In the Ultra-Competitive Defense Tech Industry, Storytelling is a Secret Weapon
  • Bluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers
    Bluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers

Find Us on Facebook

Recent Comments

  • Stepvenlau on Different Types of Rifle Scopes and How to Choose One
  • Stepvenlau on UH-1 Holographic Sight by Vortex Optics
  • Stepvenlau on Vortex Spitfire AR Prism Scope with Bullet Drop Compensator (BDC) Dial

Latest From SOFREP

War Stories

A Memorable Gunfight

Aviation

Drone-Busters: Ukraine’s Yak-52s in Action

Op-Ed

The Bolduc Brief: Where Are Our Generals and Admirals When We Need Them the Most?

News

Morning Brief: Chicago Pushes Back as Trump Threatens National Guard Deployment, Venezuela Deploys Warships to Counter Drug Trafficking

Military Content Group

© Copyright 2025 Military Content Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers