My Everyday Carry

Introduction:

Today I'm going to do a breakdown of the stuff that I carry on a day-to-day basis. Because I already went into detail on the gun that I carry, I'm going to focus on thing like the holster and ammo that I utilize. I am also going to talk about the knife I carry, my wallet, and the grips I put on my pistol. I really don't carry too much stuff, especially compared to some other people online, who look like they're preparing for war every time the go get gas. There are also some things that I'm probably missing, such as some basic medical supplies like a tourniquet. There's more than one way to protect your life, and some basic medical knowledge is a place I have room for improvement on. Anyway, first I'm going to look into the biggest, most obvious part of my EDC, the gun/holster.

The Holster/Grips

The holster I chose for my EDC is an ANR Design, kydex holster. It is built to be worn appendix, and has an added claw to aid in concealment. 

The holster is custom made-to-order to fit my model of gun, and ANR Design's website includes options for the holster to be made to accommodate lights and other accessories. The holster conceals very well, and I'm not a small guy. I was able to effectively conceal it, even in the summer, just under a t-shirt. I tried a Tier One Concealed holster with a similar sized pistol, a Glock 23, and I did not feel like it concealed as well as the ANR. 

My grips come from a small Michigan company called Lok Grips. They were a massive upgrade for me over the factory rubbery grips that were included on my pistol. These grips are made of G10, with is a strong polymer. What I like about them is the fact that they allow for much better concealment over the factory grips. The old grips had almost a sticky feel to them, and they would catch and snag on my clothes. These grips have good texture and provide a good grip on the gun, but the don't stick or snag on my shirt. 

My Carry Ammo

So when I first starting carrying my pistol, I started off carrying 124 grain +P Federal HSTs. I had watched a ton of videos on YouTube about it and did my research on it, so I figured that'd be the one. However there was a downside, the price. I could not economically shoot enough of it to be 100% comfortable trusting my life to it. So I switched to Winchester Ranger 147 grain +P rounds.

I switched to the Winchester for a few reasons. First, I wanted a heavier weight bullet in a +P load. I figured that, although this would have increased recoil, it would recycle more reliably than lighter-weight loads. This could be totally false, but it makes sense in my head. Second, I wanted a bonded jacketed hollow point. From what I've seen, BJHPs tend to have the best weight retention, especially compared to normal JHPs. Third, it was MUCH cheaper to me than Federal HST's, so I can actually shoot it and practice with it.

My Knife and my Wallet

The knife I carry is a CRKT 2-Stage. It is a non-spring-assisted folding knife with a tanto-style blade. It is apparently from CRKT's limited Ruger line, so it has a small Ruger emblem on the left side of the blade. 

The knife comes with a glass breaker at the base of the handle, which has come in handy more for opening beer without a bottle opener rather than breaking glass. One issue with this knife though, it is HEAVY. Sometimes I like the weight since it makes it feel more substantial, but the downside is that it sometimes feels like a brick in your pocket

My wallet is a Ridge Wallet in "burnt titanium" coloring. This has honestly been the best wallet I've ever had. It is a solid, minimalist wallet that feels like high quality. The wallet doesn't hold a ton of cards, so it makes me keep the amount of stuff I carry in it to a minimum. I love that the wallet is real titanium with aluminum plates under it, it just feels like a high quality thing that I can see myself hanging onto for a long time.

Conclusion:

As you can tell, I don't really lug around too much stuff on a day-to-day basis. I like to hold onto my essentials and make sure my stuff works for me. I like to get high-quality stuff so that my stuff doesn't fail on me. I pretty much subscribe to the "buy once, cry once" philosophy, wherein I spend a little more, and don't have to buy things again when my stuff breaks. 

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the things I've gone over. I'd be happy to tell you all about some of the stuff I find works for me.