EDC Pocket Dump- Part 1

A popular thing in firearms-related groups on social media platforms like Facebook is the “pocket dump” discussion. This is where members post a picture of their EDC items (everyday carry). Sometimes the resulting discussion is useful. People ask about specific items they see and useful information. Sometimes it is really a way for the poster to humble brag by showing their expensive watch or letting their Mercedes key fob be in the picture. Still, it can be entertaining. So, this is going to be a pocket dump of Alan’s EDC items. We’ll do David’s in the coming weeks.

What are we looking at?

Sometimes these discussions get out of hand. People end up showing their cell phones, air pods, lighters at whatnot. I’m trying to focus on things that make us Better Protectors. So my 5-year-old Casio watch, my 3-year-old Samsung phone, or the keys to my Honda aren’t going to be in the discussion. This is about keeping ourselves and those we love safe, not my choice of sunglasses.

Firearm

The first thing you probably notice is the pistol. This is a Sig Sauer P365. I typically carry it with a 12-round extended magazine in it. My P365 is stock, with the exception of the engraved backplate that has Psalm 82:4 on it. The P365 is one of the standard bearers for the micro-compact genre of pistols. It is a great balance between size, capacity, and shootability.

Not visible is the ammo. Most of the time, I carry Sig V-Crown JHP ammo. I usually choose the 115-grain bullets, but sometimes carry the 124-grain when I get a deal on them. In other guns, I also carry Speer Gold Dot, Hornady Critical Defense or Federal Hydra-Shok as the most common.

I do carry other guns on occasion. Currently, I am evaluating replacing the 365 with a Glock 43x with a Holosun 407K red dot sight on it as my primary EDC. Actually, my 43X isn’t stock. So that I could use the red dot, I replaced the slide with a Palmetto State Armory Micro Dagger slide. The bundled deal they had for the slide and red dot was too good to pass up.

Sometimes, especially on days when I’m mainly sitting in the office, I will carry a Ruger LCP Max with extended mags. But the P365 tends to be my go-to at this time.

Holster

If you’re carrying a gun, it MUST be in a holster that covers the trigger guard. No exceptions. The pictured holster is a Xiphos V2 from Tier 1 Concealed. This holster is designed for inside the waistband carry in the appendix position. Tier 1 makes great holsters, but I do use others. For example, the Glock 43X I’m evaluating is in a DeSantis holster. My range holsters are often from Safariland. Please be prepared to spend time finding a secure and comfortable holster. Don’t buy some cheap “universal” holster from Uncle Mike’s and call it a day.

Reload

No matter what I carry, I carry one reload for it. Most of the time, that means carrying it in a Pitbull Tactical Universal Magazine Carrier. I love the Pitbull UTC. They’ve been my EDC for years and I’ve discussed why in a previous article that I’ve linked to. Opinions vary on whether or not a reload is necessary. I carry them. Magazines are often a cause of malfunctions and simply dumping a mag and inserting a new one is one of the fastest ways to fix that.

You can get the Pitbull Tactical UMC here.

Knives

Yes, there are two of them, but for different reasons. The folding knife is a Benchmade Griptilian with a partially serrated blade. Either this or my CKRT Mirage (no longer in production) is always in my pocket. These are not necessarily for defensive use (although both could do the job quite well). They are for the things you need a knife for in the normal course of the day.

The second blade is the Clinch Pick from the Warrior Poet Society. This small, fixed-blade knife was designed by Shivworks’ Craig Douglas for extreme close-quarters work. This is not for opening Amazon boxes or cutting strings. This blade serves a single purpose, getting an attacker off of you.

Depending on how I’m dressed or if I’m going into an environment where my Clinch Pick may not be allowed, I will swap it out for a good tactical pen that I can use for much of the same role.

Light

This is where the controversy starts.

A sizeable number of people insist that a weapon-mounted light (WML) is the only way to go. I disagree. Day or night, I have a flashlight on me. Why? To see things in dark spaces. I may be trying to read the port on the back of a TV, looking for something under the seat of my SUV, or for any number of other reasons. Not a week goes by that I don’t use a flashlight from my pocket for something. But I don’t have to pull out my pistol to do it. The immediate answer from the WML crowd is “carry both”. Cool… except I’m not trying to carry more equipment. I already have plenty of gear. One light on my person is enough for me. If you use proper techniques for shooting with a handheld light, things can work just fine. I do have WMLs, just not on my EDC guns.

The other controversy here is the fact that I’m carrying a small one from Olight. Olight is a company people either love or hate. Out of the millions of them sold, a couple had issues and the internet rage took over.  The pictured light is i5T EOS. It uses a single AA battery and has a 300-lumen output. It’s simple. Click the button on the back once, you get a 15-lumen light. Click it again, you get 300. Yes, I own cool guy lights from Streamlight and they have their purposes. But for my EDC, having a light that uses the good old AA battery and still gives me 300 lumens is what I choose.

Medical

I also carry an ankle medical kit. The pictured one is from Warrior Poet Society and is pretty comfortable. It can hold more than I carry in it. I just chose to slim it down a bit. My kit holds a SOFTT-Wide tourniquet (click here to see why I picked it), small trauma shears, a pair of HyFin chest seals, a package of compressed gauze, nitrile gloves, and regular gauze.

To be totally honest, I don’t always carry the full ankle kit. Sometimes, I opt to carry just a SAM-XT tourniquet in an ankle holder I got from Rescue Essentials for about $16.

We can debate different guns, ammo, flashlights, or even tourniquets for a long time. These are what I picked, and I have reasons for my choices. Those reasons may not be the same as yours and that’s cool. Just pick safe, quality gear. Train with it and have it with you when you need it. The amazing zombie exploding ammo you bought or the $400 automatic Microtech knife you have won’t do you any good back in your safe or in the glove compartment when life goes sideways on you. Stay safe!