My everyday carry has changed over time, and will most likely continue to change. I hope that by sharing this I can give an idea to people new to the concept on how they may want to set theirs up. I’m going to touch on each individual item and some of the benefits they have to being carried. The principle idea behind the “loadout” (for lack of a better term) is to equip yourself with the best possible assortment of tools for your situation. As an individual moving around a “civilized” society I carry what I prefer.
The firearm I choose changes with the times and with my personal growth; presently it is a Sig Sauer P320 compact 9mm with an Inforce APLC light. I find this pistol to be just small enough for my day-to-day dealings. However, on occasion I carry a single stack 9mm pistol if I feel something more concealable is warranted. The Sig P320 has a 17 round capacity and is equipped with tritium night sights; I was drawn to it for the ergonomics and exceptional trigger too. I carry one spare magazine for it in my pocket. My holster is a small-time company made Kydex AIWB.
My knife is a Kershaw Injection 3.5, a medium-sized folding blade that cost around $14. It can be used as a defensive tool if no other choice is afforded, but mostly I use it to open boxes and cut miscellaneous stuff. It’s extremely inexpensive and easy to sharpen so if I lose it or break it I don’t really care. In fact, because of its price point I don’t mind using it as much given the cost of some of the more expensive knives out there.
My flashlight is a 5.11 TMT PLx light I got at SHOT show for free (they cost like $20), it runs on two AAA batteries and is perfect for simple lighting tasks after dark. It’s small as heck so I don’t mind carrying it in my pocket all the time which is a big thing for me. If any one item is too cumbersome then I probably won’t carry it nearly as much. It’s also relatively inexpensive but sturdy enough to be a serious impact weapon.
My Tourniquet is a RATS and only cost me about $10; let me stop you there because if you think I’m going to run around with a CAT TQ in my back pocket daily, you’re crazy. It’s small and can be worn around my belt/waist line securely making it something I have no problem keeping on me daily. I strongly believe in carrying, at the bare minimum when it comes to medical equipment, a TQ of some kind.
Of course I have a cell phone, RFID protected wallet, a metal pen, and other random items, but the above are the main components. Hopefully you carry something too because being prepared can save a life. I hope I gave you some ideas and at the very least demonstrated that you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on a suitable EDC. Use what you have and above all train routinely with it because there is no buying or substituting for skill.
