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When I go to the gym, I put my gun in its own separate locker. And a 10-round magazine.ย And my Kimber Pepperblaster II. And my Zero Tolerance knife. And my wallet and keys. And that’s it. Except for the days when I carry a back-up revolver and/or a flashlight. What’s your everyday carry kit?

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92 COMMENTS

  1. Zero Tolerance knife (since I’m a Marylander) and situational awareness.

    Guess my wallet could distract a bad guy and the keys could be backup to the ZT.

  2. typically just my 1911 w/ 8+1.
    sometimes a spare mag(no mag holder yet).
    sometimes my Surefire G2X tactical
    Normally my S&W M&P assisted opener, but the belt clip snapped off recently and i hate it hanging out in the bottom of my pocket so no knife currently.

  3. Three pocket knives, a neck knife, and sometimes a sword cane, which has a 8-ball for a grip, so it’s useful as a clubber also.

    For, y’know…. baby seals.

    • Is sword cane legal where you live, or are you going by the old ‘judged by twelve is better than carried by 6’ phrase. I have a Cold Steel heavy duty sword cane, though its classified as a ‘dangerous weapon’ in my neck of the woods.

  4. XDm9 sitting comfortably in my shoulder holster, magazine in the XDm with 18 Hornady Critical Defense rounds, 2 extra mags loaded with same….

  5. We all like to talk about this stuff, don’t we? Fine. G19, S&W 640 or P3AT depending on dress, situation, &c.; spare ammo; CRKT Drifter; Streamlight Microstream; telescoping Zebra ballpoint; and a tiny Swiss Army knife with “screwdriver,” scissors and tweezers that is by far my most-used item (aside from my phone). I also just added a 2 oz. can of Mace and now my pockets are done.

  6. Taurus TCP + extra mag in pocket
    Glock 26 in the car/under desk + 17rnd G17 mag
    Kershaw Leek
    Fenix PD20 flashlight
    Thomas Jefferson dollar coin in plastic case, a reminder of a great man, how great this country once was, and the greatness I hope it will return to

  7. My HK USP Compact tactical two spare mags, Surefire fury light, Then since I often want to take my jacket off when at the office, I also carry my S&W scandium .357 in an ankle holster one speed loader and a Gerber knife. ๐Ÿ™‚

    • same here, my wonderful golden state persecutes and prosecuted CITIZENS who act in self defense. key word citizens. if your are not a citizen you can get some leeway.

  8. LC9 loaded with Critical Defense in a Galco pocket holster, Kershaw Brawler, tactical pen, keys, and wallet. CZ 82 with Silver Bear HP is usually “available” in my truck. If I’m feelin’ old school, I rock the S&W 642 in a Desantis Insider. If I ever score a good holster for it, I have an S&W 457 I shoot as well as my Buckmark. I would have 7+1 just like the Ruger, but it would be 230 grain Winchester Ranger .45!

  9. Meh – I can’t have my gun with me at the office or in my car while I’m on company premises. So – in general – just a pocket knife.

  10. Seeing as how Chicago is a gun free zone, we don’t have to worry about violent crimes and can spend the day skipping down the street like little children sprinkling gold coins and fairy dust all around.

    All kidding aside, this jackass carries pepper spray and a knife. Both of which I’m sure are illegal on some level since only criminals and gang bangers are allowed the right of self defense.

    Illustrating Chicagoland Idiocy, Mayhem and Stupidity at heyjackass.com

  11. SR9, 1 spare 17 round magazine, phone, wallet with razor blade and monies in it (I’ve used it for everything from shaving to lancing an abscess on a goat), zippo lighter, BIC lighter, and pocket knife.

    I keep a baseball bat, machete, road flares, shovel, 50 pounds of sand, 10 pounds of kitty litter, 100 feet of rope, rubber boots, hiking boots, spare socks, tool bag with assorted tools for mostly carpentry, first aid kit, and 1 50 pound, 1 25 pound, 2 10 pound, and 1 5 pound barbell in my car. All have been used in some fashion before. I’m thinking of adding a shotgun to my trunk but I’m still iffy about leaving anything valuable in there. Oh and like 5 semesters worth of assorted papers and books.

    But I live in a rural area, one day I might just be going to the library and the next I could be knee deep in cow shit and mud trying to get a cow unstuck, and the next I could be fixing something for my grandmother.

    • Lancing a goat abscess, one of the more common uses of a small blade. Of course, on many common pocketknives like the stockman, they have a spey blade, which was designed and used for…….gulp….your goat (if male) would not like that.

  12. One of the following in a Milt Sparks VMII(or pocket holster for the P238): HK P7, HK45, Sig P220 SAO, Sig 1911 TacOps 5″, Sig P238, or less frequently a Glock 26 (I shoot SAO pistols more than Glocks)

    At least one spare mag, usually two in a Milt Sparks carrier.

    I’ll carry a Pepper Blaster if I can’t carry a firearm.

    Everything else can be used for self defense, but has utility use as well:
    Surefire light, either E2d or E1b.
    Custom Ernest Emerson folding knife, usually CQC-8, but if I’m restricted by blade limits (Detroit of all places is <3"), I'll go with the CQC-5 or 14.
    Sturdy pen, Benchmade or Surefire.
    Cell phone

    And as, if not more important than anything above, situational awareness, good manners, and good de-escalation/conflict avoidance skills.

  13. One gun, a reload or two and a cell phone. When it comes to a gunfight, the first shot usually wins. When it comes to the po-po, the one who makes the first call usually wins. I want to win both.

  14. Glock 23, an EDC knife (varies), and a Spyderco P’Kal for self defense. Depending on the situation, I might also carry an extra 15 round magazine and a tactical flashlight.

  15. I was flamed on another long ago famous gun website because I didn’t carry 2,000 rounds of ammo for at least two long guns, plus enough kit to support 6 people for a month in my car every day. I since have given up attempts at rational discussions of such on the web.

      • I think it would be the best thing ever if someone would make an LBE harness with pouches big enough to hold 1080-round spam cans of 5.45×39 ammo. Four cans (two front, two back) would be 50+ pounds.

        There’s your 2160 rounds of rifle ammo. ๐Ÿ™‚

        • The thought of doing tomorrow’s Crossfit workout wearing 50lbs of ammo just caused my stomach to churn. Not to mention my already sore shoulders twinging in anticipation.

          With my luck we would be doing some insane number of pull-ups or something. Ugh.

    • Everyone knows unless you’re carrying at least 50 MREs, 20 tins of freeze-dried fetuccini alfredo and a drone-cloaking hoodie you’re a commie!

      • Liar! You Ride, that means you have a Leatherman, and since you (Like me) ride crap that runs as reliably as French mail, you probably (righteously so) have contingencies lined up. Yes, I love a push-rod activated sport bike, as well as a Sporty (same motor, different heart).

  16. I carry a 5″ 1911 and a spare 8 round magazine. I also carry a Leatherman Wave, a CRKT folding knife, and a Streamlight ProTac 2AA. I’ve only recently asdded the flashlight to my pile but after only a few months I cannot imagine not having it. I know that at first glace my EDC kit will seem a bit heavy but with a sterdy belt and properly fitting jeans all of it is easily carried.

  17. sigma 16+1 with extra loaded mag on the car. keltec pf9 loaded with extra mag on wife’s car. and both of them have machetes, combat knives, and a tomahawk. i live on a not-so-good area

  18. My EDC is a Glock 23, spare mag, 5.11 Tactical ATAC PLx pen light, cell phone, pen and a note pad. While at work all of the above minus the gun. In my car I have a well stocked trauma bag and a mag light (they make good clubs).

  19. Alternate between a SA 1911 and a FNH FNS 9mm.
    Two knives, one larger single blade (a buck 110 folder
    in a quick draw sheath), one multi tool or swiss army
    knife. Either an extendable baton or yawara. Two pair
    nitrile gloves and pen light. Usually have EMS shears,
    cpr mask, mini trauma kit, and window punch in
    jacket.

  20. Ed Brown Kobra, ambi, night sights 8+1, 230 gr Hydra-shok
    Two 8 round magazines with 230 gr FMJ, sometimes an additional 8 rd magazine with 8 rds 230 FMJ. I only use Wilson magazines with the aluminum base plates.
    Surefire E2 Defender
    Surefire C2 Centurion
    Cell phone.
    Almost never a knife to easy to get jamed up with city ordinances.

    Wife carries a Glock 27 40 S&w, 9+1 180 gr JHP
    Extra 9 rd mag with 180 gr JHP
    Surefire E2 Defender
    Surefire E2 executive
    Cell phone.

    She has chosen not to carry the new “Rape Defense Kit” with whistle and ball point pen. As recommended by Rep Joe Salazar, D (CO) and Sen. Jessie Ulibarri, D (CO).

  21. 9mm Boberg or .40 SIG 229, depending on attire.
    Keys and small keychain flashlight.
    2.5″ basic pocketknife.
    Safety pin.

      • I like. Just over 500 rounds, no malfunctions. It disappears compared to the SIG (comfort and printing). My only hardship was with such a short profile in front of the pistol grip I was having a hard time keeping it secure while still exposing enough grip. After rejecting a few generic budget holsters I handmade a strong-side hip “belly band” with 3″ wide elastic webbing from Jo-Ann’s (I might be the only guy that buys his tactical gear from an old ladies’ craft store). Carries great now.

        • I should have mentioned that they make a longer framed pistol now XR9-L (longer barrel, too). After trying pocket carry and going back to IWB hip I think the XR9-L would serve me better for EDC, but such is life.

    • Yep. CM9 IWB appendix or pocket holster, only occasionally with a spare mag. Short pushknife, keys, cellphone, wallet. CM9 is the largest pistol I can get away with not printing. I don’t know how people conceal a G26, much less a G19. Even my CW9 would print. I don’t know how anyone wears fashionable clothing and thinks they get away with their 3 o clock barnacle.

      • Your CW9 prints in appendix carry? Mine is invisible. I’m left handed, carry it right at 10-11 oclock, and I’m 99% sure no one has ever seen it. I also carry a leatherman Skeletool, cell phone, and wallet. Planning on getting a small tactical light soon.

        • Yeah, the cw9 has just enough length in the grip that no matter how I adjust the clip, it always seems to give the impression I’ve got something poking out. When I wear untucked collared shirts or a suit jacket, I could conceal a full size service weapon pretty much anywhere, but with normal fitting t shirts, not so much. This has been my experience for the past seven years, however, I’ve got a really fit frame. Regardless, even for the meatier guys I work with, I’ve never seen anyone 3 o clock IWB/OWB anything larger than a LCP and not be able to tell it’s there. I think a lot of people are kidding themselves. It might escape the majority of glances, but If you are looking for it, it’s pretty obvious where the gun is at.

  22. Well, we have 2 tactical shotguns and guns listed below in the house and we have bumper sticker that says…
    “I’ll Keep MY, Money, Guns and Freedom. YOU Can Keep the Change!
    That was enough to get a cop that pulled me over to ask me repeatedly if I had a gun in car?, if had a gun on my person?, did I have a carry permit? did I mind if he searched my car? (I declined his offer). Guess the concept of a political statement was beyond his comprehension. It also got my van keyed a week later.
    Those two incidents ‘persuaded’ me to git ‘er done.
    Anyway, next week we are going for our carry permit (TN).
    Wife: Beretta 25 cf or she might switch to her Mosquito
    Me: Glock 21 SF

  23. LC9 in Desantis Nemisis pocket holster, 1 extra mag on belt in kytexgear.com holder loaded with Gold Dot. If going into Houston I’ll also carry a Sig P220 and two spare mags all in Galco and w/ Gold Dot. At night also a Streamlight Protac 1l. And of course, the Iphone, Ralph is right.

  24. CZP01, small folding knife, cellphone, and a small pocket sized first aid kit with gloves and a CPR barrier. My keyring has a small flashlight. Its rare that I carry a spare mag.

  25. One iPhone and one Android phone for work reasons — but if I get held up for my phone, surprise, I have a second one. Anyone who thinks a charged mobile phone isn’t a top-3 personal safety priority needs their head examined.

    Leatherman Skeletool CX, frequently used and regularly sharpened to a 20-degree edge. I’ve carried a Leatherman every day for the last 20 years, excepting only international travel.

    Micro flashlight on keychain, larger CR123A-powered LED light in North Face backpack which accompanies me everywhere. Given adequate shelter and no traumatic injuries, I can easily survive 24-48 hours with just the contents of the backpack I use for work.

    Serious hardware locked in the personal vehicle, including rugged clothing/boots, trauma kit and SAR gear. Not much point being a CERT/SAR volunteer in earthquake territory if you’re separated from your gear when disaster strikes.

  26. nutnfancy style!

    Benchmade Mini Griptilian in O.D. & black
    Steamlight Protac AAA (tucks into corner of jeans pocket nicely)
    Leatherman Juice S2
    cell phone
    paracord bracelet

    considering a rape whistle, incase my bad attitude doesn’t put them off

  27. Being a college student at the tender age of 42, I am somewhat restricted on which items I carry. At school (as well as everywhere else) it is usually just my SOG Flash II and my mind. Of the two, it is my mind that is the most important. Why? Good question. Situational awareness allows me to avoid the terrible little aspects of trouble while conducting my own business. Couple that with the fact that the mind is the single aspect that makes any available tool useful and you have what I am stuck with in the “everyday” scenario.
    The hardware part of the program will greatly depend on a few things:
    1.) Where am I going; If the lady unit and I are planning to head out to an area that has a history of violence and bad carry laws (she has family/friends in Chicago) then I tend to bring a pair of pistols in the overnight bag, my EDC knife and an ASP baton. The pistols will stay in our house there and everything else will come out with us. If the area is is rural, such as the cabin in mid-state Wisconsin, then I bring it all. We have a range there, and the point of a vacation is to have fun, right? If we are just heading out for dinner, the SIG 220 or my SA 1911 usually fit well with the program. If we are going to be including alcohol, then I am down to my fist, foot and whatever else I can scrounge at a moments notice. For some reason, scotch and weapons mix with the same results as scotch and car keys.
    2.) What am I going to be doing; There is a distinct difference in mission statements between going grocery shopping and leaving the house at 3:00 AM because one of my/our friends is in trouble. Carry accordingly.
    Who am I going to see; As terrible as it sounds, when I buy or sell a firearm, I carry. Meeting a fellow (or a fellow and his friends) in a parking lot (FTF transfers are legal here) there is a margin for badness to happen, and I like to think that I am prepared.
    At home, you would be hard pressed to knock on/kick in my door without discovering what brand new invention came off my reloading bench. Best advice, let’s not go there.
    In short, I carry as needs deem fit. I would feel just ducky doing the 24/7/365 thing, but I swim in a variety of waters that do not let that happen legally. The pocketknife is already an infraction both on school and clinical grounds. When I get the job at the mental health center, it will be a liability, thus no more.
    When in doubt, carry. When in doubt and you cannot, keep what I said about the mind fresh and sharp. When I carry, it is to come home with all who came with, and no other reason.

  28. On me whenever I leave the house….
    Glock 23 with extra 13 round mag in Comp-Tac holster
    5.11 Tac light
    CRKT M21 knife for backup
    Kershaw Volt for everyday tasks
    Lighter for whatever I feel needs to be set on fire (non-smoker)

  29. Why, I work in a wonderfully blissful “Gun Free” zone. Why would I need to carry anything for self defense? There are people watching over my shoulder out for my safety.

  30. -G shock
    -iphone
    -kershaw scallion (sometimes large coldsteel voyager or other)
    -chapstick (medicated only)
    -nicorrette ( ๐Ÿ™ can’t quit)
    -usually P-F9 ( or G19, P226, P3AT depending), OWB,shoulder,IWB,pocket
    -spare mag ( +1 baseplate)
    -wallett/keys
    -zebra f-701 (7$ “tactical” pen)+ 3×5 index cards
    -surefire T1A titan
    -bic lighter
    -UTG tactical “shoot me first man purse” (cheapo jumbo versipak- has held up well) with a bunch of other crap

    • My oldest offspring and I both have UTG versi-pak clones like yours. I carried mine throughout a 3-day Disneyland visit and about 8 security screenings without any of them noticing the holster compartment, much less asking me to open it. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  31. S&W 45(4516) loaded with 1000fps,230gr hollowpoints. Before we had concealed carry I had an Emerson Karambit, the 2 3/4″ blade, very deadly. I was pulled over by a tactical drug squad(yes they were out of stock) & the one guy picked up this knife, opened it, shook his head, put it down & walked away. It is quite a weapon, Randy

  32. Sig P239 .40 w/speer gold dot in a grandfather oak iwb, sig paddle or don hume clip on. Two extra mags in a mag holster if I’m going somewhere seedy. Spyderco endura folder. Iphone. Wallet. Sunglasses. Keys. Victorinox watch. Same setup 24/7/365.

  33. Bare minimum “summer carry”:
    G17 or Sig C3 both AIWB carry
    Kershaw Breakout auto

    Formal dress or winter includes above plus:
    Streamlight Protac 2L
    Wilson cop tool
    2x 1911 mags or 1x G17 mag, 10 o’clock belt
    Sometimes 4 o’clock OWB instead of AIWB

    Breakout and keys even in pajamas

  34. I carry a Springfield XD(m) 3.8 9mm, full mag plus an extra, a keychain pepper spray unit, folding knife (cheap, since I am currently unemployed), and will sometimes add a NAA Black Widow .22 mag in the pocket as backup.

  35. When I carry, there are 16 rounds of critical duty in my SD9. Hornaday Critical Duty 147 Grain. I’m in too many secured buildings with my job so it isn’t convenient to carry every day. But then there is an Applegate folder and 15 years of Krav Maga which means elbows, knees…

  36. SAR K2/45 w/14+1, 2 spare 14 round mags, all loaded with TAP FPD 200gr +P, pocket knife, Schrade Multi Tool, and a ATI FX Titan 1911 Compact w/8+1, 2 spare 10 rd mags w/ Hornady 185gr Critical Defense.
    And last but not least a 2007 Ford Five Hundred. If I can’t shoot them I can run them down!!! LOL!!

  37. Smith mod. 60 w/ hornady critical def., when i carry, but i spend most of my time on a college campus. A SOG Twitch II goes everywhere.

  38. Fox pepper, my iPhone, a small two-CR123 SF light, typically. Late at night or in the city, a G36 or two, depending on where I’m going and what I’m doing, in slacks, coat, or jacket pocket arrangements. Occasionally I sub in a G30 for a G36. I sometimes carry a larger item (a G20 or G21) in a holster, mainly to remember how, concealment practice. I keep a fairly complete first aid kit in a backpack in my car, with tourniquet, sucking chest wound patch, pneumothorax syringe, splint, bandages, and a few other items. I don’t experience much crime risk. I’m just preparing for old age, when I won’t be able to run as fast….

  39. Glock 23 with .357 sig gold dots in a Milt Sparks IWB and a ZT 350TS. I run a gun store so in addition to that basic kit there is always a ready to go shotty or scary black rifle just in case someone gets stupid and tries to do something silly. I go with the Glock and ZT when not at work, probably should carry a spare mag but I have yet to find a mag pouch I like. When I can’t or don’t want to tote the Glock I go with a Smith 649 (with an awesomely slicked up trigger job I did) in a Galco Stinger with Winchester silver tips-still to this day the purtiest ammo ever. Oh yeah, always got the I Phone too.

  40. Either a G17 or a Sig P6, both loaded with Cor-Bon +P 115 gr and maybe a spare mag for the Sig. Currently, the Glock is the EDC while the Sig stays in the truck. Also keep a KelTec P32 for backup or super discreet carry. One flashlight on bed side table, on in the truck. At work surveying, a Gerber machete with a saw on the back. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Wifey to be keeps a j frame in the car, and 2 million volts in her purse!

    ETA: I also keep a 33 rounder in the truck, and carry two cell phones, one Verizon, one AT&T.

    • Two million volts?

      Voltage is limited by atmospheric breakdown, which for DC is about 10,000 volts per centimeter.

      Thus, a 2,000,000 volt arc cannot exist in less than two meters or so of cold air; once the area ionizes or the prongs contact a relatively conductive would-be mugger, the voltage drops – unless it’s backed by several thousand amperes to fight voltage drop.

      Since presumably she doesn’t carry around a coal fired power plant in her purse, we can presume a few dozen microamperes at most.

      So… Take that Sig and go after whoever sold you a 90,000 volt (about the biggest gap physically posible in a hand-held device) shocker as something else.

      Russ, curmudgeon, Kansas gun owner and electrical engineer

  41. My GF complains about all the junk I carry in my pockets, even when there’s no gun. But when there is, it’s usually an SR9c in an IWB, and a S&W Bodyguard 380 in cargo pants pocket or jacket vest pocket. The bodyguard is the gun that goes to the movies with us. Just us and our little red dot. I always carry some kind of knifey tooly thingy, usually a Victorinox German Army Trekker, or an old-school Leatherman–I know, not tactical. I gave her the Pepperblaster. Now that’s love.

  42. I carry a Springfield Armory XD .45acp in a Blackhawk Serpa CQC, two 13rd mags, and a Mini Maglite LED AA everywhere I go. Sometimes a Remington 870 Express Tactical in the trunk. Looking at the Streamlight TLR-3, or TRL-4 for the XD. In NC we are an open-carry, and shall issue CCP state. As of 2011 we have a “castle law” to include your dwelling(permanent or temporary), vehicle, and place of business. We are no longer obligated to retreat from a threat of serious bodily injury or death(stand your ground).

  43. Glock 17L in Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe stoked with Hornady 115 gr Critical Defense at 3:00

    2 17 rounders with Arredondo +6’s. One with Critical Defense and one with Buffalo Bore 147 gr +P+ in case things get really hairy. Carried in a Crossbreed IWB double mag carrier.

    And/Or my Shield in an ankle holster, depending on the situation.

    Benchmade Onslaught clipped in the back pocket.

    And of course cell phone, keys, wallet.

  44. XDm9 compact with 13+1 Federal Tactical HST (& sometimes an extra 19 rds)
    Leatherman Skeletool
    Streamlight Protac 2L

    also pepper spray sometimes

    Except when I go to work, since they have “No Guns” signs, I switch the XDm9 to the Taurus TCP with an extra mag, in a Smartcarry.

  45. Sword cane with a Chevy valve spring between case and handle.

    Push the release and the flying stick would give pause to William Perry on PCP. That exposes a nice saber ground from a Chevy mono-leaf spring off a Nova.

    I likes to make things, I does.

    Russ

    • Useful things I see. Well done. I’ll bet a fellow of your talents would have no problem at all working up a safe and reliable gun and ammo.

  46. gun plus mandatory spare mag(s), knife *or two*, flashlight, leatherman, wallet, keys, phone

    Right now the gun is an LCP and the knife is a Spyderco Tenacious. I want to swap the gun out for a commander size 1911 when possible, and I’ve got my eye on a ZT 0560 ๐Ÿ™‚

  47. Coldsteel Mini AK47 since I don’t have a ccw permit and won’t have one for a while since my school is a weapons free zone, and when I mean weapons free, that means no knives, but I talked to the campus police and they said that I was fine as long as the blade was 3 inches or less.

  48. Since I live on a gun-free campus, my options are limited, but I keep my Benchmade 530S on me at pretty all times. If I’m out at night, I’ll also keep a Surefire flashlight in my pocket.

    That, and I’ve invested many years in learning how to fight. A fist won’t stop a bullet, but it’s better than being helpless.

  49. Emerson Commander combat folder, Spyderco Cricket as money clip, Fenix mini penlight, Uzi-Tactical flashlight, iPhone 5S (with CCW, Scanner and other related apps), credit card knife/multi-tool in wallet, Survival Straps para cord watchband on Tag Heuer, Uzi tactical pen, Jawbone ERA bluetooth headset, mini-multitool on key ring, Maui Jim impact-resistant polarized sunglasses, and occasionally Ruger pepper spray. In the car I also have an assortment of tools, knives, bug-out bag and a polymer billy club with rib-spreader ball end.

    When in states legal with my CCW, I carry my Sig P250C in a either a Concealment Solutions Black Mamba or Sidewinder holster and spare mag(s) and/or SS S&W 640 .357 in one of various IWB, ankle or shoulder holsters with speed loaders. I feel much better prepared when I can carry my guns legally!

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