Holiday season is coming up and we all know you are going to get some stuff you probably do not want. I posted a guide for $25 and $50 things earlier, and I wanted to add some stuff that was not on that list (and something that were). Specifically things you should have on you, around your vehicle (and your loved ones vehicles). EDC is sometimes disregarded as a joke but we know that when shit hits the fan, only what you have on you actually matters.
Ryker Nylon Gear makes an AFAK (Ankle First Aid Kit) which you can attach around your ankle and carry various life saving medical things inside. I carry one on duty and have used it successfully to save peoples lives on numerous occasions. Once you get one of these, what do you fill it with?
I carry a HALO Chest Seal
in mine, but I also carry FOX Chest seal
s as well. Both are good, both will fit inside (after you fold them) into the inner pocket of the AFAK:
in mine, but I also carry FOX Chest seals as well. Both are good, both will fit inside (after you fold them) into the inner pocket of the AFAK:A good flat folded bandage is also needed, I carry this H&H thin flat folded bandage
, but any trauma bandage will work:
it is my "go to" TQ:
Then all you really need is a good pair of disposable gloves. You should always have them with you, as you never know when you may need to put disposable gloves on, you can tuck them into a pocket as well.
Speaking of things you should have, a flashlight. One that works well, has a good amount of lumens to #1 let you see what you cannot in the dark, #2 allow you use it in various other methods (impact weapon, blinding people, CQB). I have grown fond of my current EDC Streamlight Protac USB
, as it never needs batteries and if it does you can use standard batteries you should already have backups of. You can check out some of the reviews I did of various flashlights if you want other options:
While I know you probably a CCW everyday, do you carry a blade? Not just an EDC Blade for utility but both a utility blade and a blade only used for a specific purpose. There are a lot of different offerings and so many that finding the right one may be very subjective. Here are a few I'd recommend carrying as an EDC Utility blade, ranging from small/cheap to large/mid-range:
If you are in the market for a good EDC non-utility blade, which is not going to break the bank, I would highly recommend looking at the Ka-Bar TDI LE blade
, specifically because there is a lot of aftermarket support for it (just google it) and it is a very nice little blade that may conceal well. I carried one of these on duty for a while until I switched over to the newer Hinderer version
:
If you like a more minimalist approach to things, especially an EDC setup, then I would suggest looking in to the RATS TQ
, specifically because you can loop it through your pant loops or loop one end into a belt loop on your pants and run it IWB:
If you have an EDC backpack
like I do, then you are going to carry a bunch of stuff in it. I carry a large Magpul Daka Pouch
in my backpack which contains all the EDC medical stuff I'd need in case of a gun shot wound, Celox hemostatic gauze
, larger Israeli Bandages
, more TQ's and never forget an extra magazine for your pistol.
USB memory drives have advanced extremely well from where they were a few years ago. I would highly recommend getting a Kingston Traveler
. I beat it up all the time and have zero issues with it. Sandisk
also makes a really good one to consider:
Finally, as with any ending of the year and beginning of the new year, we should always want to better ourselves, make ourselves stronger, more dangerous and always learn new skill sets. If you have not gotten yourself any training, or have been meaning to but have not pulled the trigger, you should really consider doing so with quality instructors.
Bill Rapier (AMTAC) puts on some seriously awesome classes. Not just pistol and rifle, but combatives as well as an Responsible Armed Citizen class which helps people go from average Joe CCW citizen to someone who has the knowledge and base skill set to grow into a formidable person.
Kyle Defoor puts on some excellent skill / performance based pistol and rifle classes for the general public. If you are looking to up your pistol and/or rifle skill, he is one of the few people in the industry who you should be looking to take a class with.
Depending your locale, I would also recommend checking out GreenOps in VA, HiTS in TX, Protective Shooting Concepts in Western PA, as well as any Sayoc Kali blade-related training locations near you.
Speaking of things you should have, a flashlight. One that works well, has a good amount of lumens to #1 let you see what you cannot in the dark, #2 allow you use it in various other methods (impact weapon, blinding people, CQB). I have grown fond of my current EDC Streamlight Protac USB
, as it never needs batteries and if it does you can use standard batteries you should already have backups of. You can check out some of the reviews I did of various flashlights if you want other options:While I know you probably a CCW everyday, do you carry a blade? Not just an EDC Blade for utility but both a utility blade and a blade only used for a specific purpose. There are a lot of different offerings and so many that finding the right one may be very subjective. Here are a few I'd recommend carrying as an EDC Utility blade, ranging from small/cheap to large/mid-range:
If you are in the market for a good EDC non-utility blade, which is not going to break the bank, I would highly recommend looking at the Ka-Bar TDI LE blade
, specifically because there is a lot of aftermarket support for it (just google it) and it is a very nice little blade that may conceal well. I carried one of these on duty for a while until I switched over to the newer Hinderer version:If you like a more minimalist approach to things, especially an EDC setup, then I would suggest looking in to the RATS TQ
, specifically because you can loop it through your pant loops or loop one end into a belt loop on your pants and run it IWB:If you have an EDC backpack
like I do, then you are going to carry a bunch of stuff in it. I carry a large Magpul Daka Pouch in my backpack which contains all the EDC medical stuff I'd need in case of a gun shot wound, Celox hemostatic gauze, larger Israeli Bandages, more TQ's and never forget an extra magazine for your pistol.USB memory drives have advanced extremely well from where they were a few years ago. I would highly recommend getting a Kingston Traveler
. I beat it up all the time and have zero issues with it. Sandisk also makes a really good one to consider:Finally, as with any ending of the year and beginning of the new year, we should always want to better ourselves, make ourselves stronger, more dangerous and always learn new skill sets. If you have not gotten yourself any training, or have been meaning to but have not pulled the trigger, you should really consider doing so with quality instructors.
Bill Rapier (AMTAC) puts on some seriously awesome classes. Not just pistol and rifle, but combatives as well as an Responsible Armed Citizen class which helps people go from average Joe CCW citizen to someone who has the knowledge and base skill set to grow into a formidable person.
Kyle Defoor puts on some excellent skill / performance based pistol and rifle classes for the general public. If you are looking to up your pistol and/or rifle skill, he is one of the few people in the industry who you should be looking to take a class with.
Depending your locale, I would also recommend checking out GreenOps in VA, HiTS in TX, Protective Shooting Concepts in Western PA, as well as any Sayoc Kali blade-related training locations near you.