How one approaches their everyday-carry setup can be as varied as the individual themself. Their job, place of employment and even personality and known skills can have a huge effect on their EDC. And when you also take environmental factors such as location and weather into account, you get a mixed bag of EDC setups.
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Some may subscribe to the “right tool for the right job” mindset and choose to carry as much as they reasonably can to help them out of any imaginable jam. Need to stop the bleeding? They have a HALO seal for that. Need to open up a beer, stat? Out comes the belt-buckle bottle opener. Others might be more of the MacGyver type and can wing it with a simple pocketknife and a packet of ketchup. In any case, it’s always best to fashion your EDC setup to your particular needs and situation.
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We’ve showcased a couple of EDC setups that feature a varied selection of gear on the following pages, but first, we asked Frank Proctor, noted trainer, competitor, inventor and all-around badass, what he carries. Here’s Frank Proctor’s EDC in his own words:
As you can tell by looking at my gear, I use it all as tools. I don’t baby anything, and I don’t carry anything that’s not functional and minimalist in design. Here’s how I roll and why.
Pistol
For a pistol, I carry a Glock 19 Gen4. I choose a Glock 19 because it is small enough to conceal well but big enough to be a very shootable pistol. (glock.com)
Ammo
My carry ammo is Hornady 135-grain Critical Duty +P. I’m very confident in the capability of this ammo. With the Hornady ammo in the Glock 19 and my Proctor Y Notch sights, I’m comfortable and confident in the ability to quickly deliver accurate hits out to 50 yards on realistic-size targets. (hornady.com)
Holster
I carry the pistol in a Way Of The Gun design IWB holster manufactured by Off The Grid Concepts, I use this holster to carry appendix and behind the hip with very good comfort and function. (otghex.com)
Belt
I worked on the design for my Covert B.E.L.T. for a few years to end up with a very minimalist and super-functional all-purpose belt. I use this one for everything from EDC to USPSA and CQB. The B.E.L.T. gives me the option to carry extra magazines covertly and comfortably, plus several other features. (wayofthegun.us)
Flashlight
I also carry my Streamlight ProTac 1L in one of the front mag pouches on the B.E.L.T. I’ve been using a Streetlight ProTac 1L as a carry light as well as on my carbine since early 2012. I love the size of this 180-lumen light, and it’s super-economical. (streamlight.com)
Knife
My knife is an older Benchmade 9100SBK Auto Stryker. I got the knife in 2006 on a deployment to Afghanistan and initially didn’t like the style of it. I started carrying the knife and using it for just about everything from pry bar to field-dressing deer, and it has been a great tool. (benchmade.com)
More About Frank Proctor
Proctor is founder and head instructor at Way Of The Gun. He has served over 18 years in the military, 11 of those in U.S. Army Special Forces, and has been shooting competitively since 2007. He has earned the rank of Grand Master in the Limited division and holds a Master ranking in IDPA Stock Service Pistol. He brings his experiences as a Special Forces operator, competitive shooter and instructor to his WOTG training courses and line of specialty gear. Visit wayofthegun.us for more on Proctor, his training courses and his line of innovative products.
Ballistic Premium Selection
- Samsung MUF-64BA USB 3.0 Drive 1; samsung.com; $27.99
- Torpedo Titanium Lighter; survivaldepot.co.uk; $38.48
- Kershaw LINK (Model 1776GRYBW); kershawknives.com; $69.99
- Fisher Space Pen Chrome Bullet Space Pen; spacepen.com; $25
- Glock 19; us.glock.com; $59
- SureFire TITAN; surefire.com; $69.99
- Apple iPhone 6s Plus; apple.com; $749
- Porsche Design P8552; porsche-design.com; $257.95
- Rainier Arms Carbon Fiber Wallet; rainierarms.com; $98.95
- Techlink Recharge 2600 USB Charger; apple.com; $24.95
Ballistic Practical Selection
- Vargo Titanium Watter Bottle; vargooutdoors.com; $84.95
- Bastion Carbon Fiber Blade; magplates.com; $79.99
- Urban Operators Titanium EDC Tool; fenixoutfitters.com; $39.95
- MecArmy SGN3 Multifunction Flashlight; goinggear.com; $42.90
- Fossil Evan Key Fob; fossil.com; $24
- Boker Plus Tactical Pen; bokerusa.com; $33.95
- Zippo 205 U.S. Flag; amazon.com; $19.95
- Casio AE1000W-1BV; casio.com; $24.95
- Field Notes Pitch Black Dot-Graph; fieldnotesbrand.com; $9.95
- CarbonFiberz Premium Carbon Fiber Money Clip; carbonfiberz.com; $25.99
- Lewis N. Clark RFID Passport Wallet; lewisnclark.com; $25.99
- Kel-Tec P-11 with optional Belt Clip $250 (Belt Clip $14); keltecweapons.com