Catch All EDC Thread

By the way, for the past few days I've been looking at some of the various key organizers. I have a ton of keys and my keychain just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Mostly been looking at the Key-Bar simply because it's made out of metal and because it seems to have the most positive feedback. Did I mention that it's made out of metal.

I'm not sure about paying $45 for a frigging keychain though. Anyone have one?

B35, is this 'work' EDC, or an off-duty EDC? I think I remember you saying you were going back to work on a bambulance. My FD EDC is way different than my off-duty EDC, yours may be as well.

Both. Just depends on if you want to list both.

And yeah, my work and regular EDC's are quite a bit different too. When I'm at work I usually have all kinds of stuff in my backpack I typically wouldn't bother carrying.

Edit * I did go back (best job in the world).

My work EDC is a G29 in an appendix carry RTF SQUARED holster, leatherman surge in RTF kydex, Ka-Bar TDI in RTF kydex, and a fenix flashlight (forget model, but it has adjustable brightness settings). I also use a Maxpedition nylon wallet (freebie from an LAPG order) that keeps my wallet litter to a minimum (I use to use one of those big-ass spec-ops wallets, waaaay too much). I have thought about a fancy combat pen, but I lose shit like that all the time. I'm a mechanical pencil guy. I almost always have a rite-n-rain field journal on me. Let me tell y'all, rite-n-rain stuff is legit. Mine get soaked and covered in mud on the regular and always hold up. I record all of my research data in the field on rite-n-rain products. I even use their printer paper for maps.

Out with the family EDC? S&W Shield in a Blue Line Concealment appendix holster (I love this holster! I can carry all day and not notice...nor does anybody else!). My blade is a Spyderco Captain (I think they are discontinued. Too bad, great knife, and if I need to get all stabby it will fuck shit up). That's it, I keep it fairly streamline out with the family. Mostly because my 2-yr old moves at warp speed and I need to keep up.

Man, I wish photobucket wasn't all jacked up right now, I wanna post some pics!

Here's mine. Like Dannus was talking about it depends on whether I'm at work or not for some of these. At this current point at time I don't/can't carry a pistol at work (that may change shortly). There are also some items that I don't feel the need for. For instance when I'm not on the ambulance I typically don't feel the need for an auto center punch in my bag (hell, I typically don't even have a bag with me if I'm not at work) and I don't carry trauma shears on me. I do have shears in my first aid kit in my truck, but if I needed to bust out a window I'd likely go to my truck and get something out of my tool kit. That would be a pretty unusual situation for me though.

--Work E.D.C. that's actually on me--
• Benchmade Presidio (Auto) Knife. It's in my right front pants pocket.
• Pepper spray (First Defense). Right front pocket.
• Leatherman Wave Multi-tool. Belt, right side.
• Cree flashlight (got it from my work, they're only about $12-$15 to buy. Not bad, but no Surefire. At least it has both a rechargeable battery pack and a AA adapter option). Belt, right side.
• Pen (Paper-mate). Left uniform shirt pocket
• Work keys (ID fob to tag in and all the keys for the various model ambulances). Left shirt pocket.
• My keys (with a whistle and a Swiss Army Knife, the SAK has a blade, a file, tweezers and a toothpick). Front left pants pocket
• Nicotine gum. Right uniform shirt pocket.
• Wallet (it's a Maxpedition, it was free but I don't really like it. It's not one of the thin ones, it's one of the early ones with the Velcro. That's why I bought that new larger leather wallet). Rear left pants pocket
• Trauma shears. Right thigh slot in pants.
• Other : Leather Bullhide belt, wedding ring, necklace and sometimes a G-Shok watch.

Note : One thing I intend on doing is to replace the Benchmade knife and the Leatherman Wave multi-tool with a Boker Kalashnikov auto knife and that Hoffman Richter Multi-tool when I'm at work. That's the reason why the Surefire, Streamlight and even the Fenix flashlights got left at home when I received that Cree flashlight from my company. My particular line of work is hard on tools and they're more susceptible to getting broken or lost. In shitty, high stress circumstances if you lay something down momentarily it's common to forget to pick it up again when moving the patient. Nice things can often grow legs. While it sucks to break, lose or have any knife or tool stolen, it's worse when that knife/tool has sentimental value or much a higher replacement cost. So while I'm looking for stuff that's reliable and that works every time, having tools that are affordable to replace is the second most important item I'm looking at.



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--Work Bag Contents List--
• Spare folding knife (Walmart special Winchester lock blade with a combo edge that someone gave me for a stocking stuffer one Christmas).
• Automatic center punch for breaking windows. I've only ever used one once (on a window to get a boy who was left in the car during summer at the Walmart parking lot). For the past 20 years the Engine used to respond with us on every call and they have all kinds of cool shit to break into cars with without damaging them and even better tools to bust in there when damage doesn't matter, but last year because of the call volume they no longer respond with us on each and every call. We'll have to request them if needed. So we were on our own for the amount of time that it took them to get there while already responding and so now we'll be on our own for even longer. As a result I'm thinking of adding a few more tools in that direction.
• Gloves (Stanley)
• 1 inch medical tape
• 1 Pen (paper mate ink joy gel 0.7)
• 2 - Red Bull energy drinks
• 1 - bottle of juice
• iPhone charging cord with an outlet and a cigarette lighter adapter
• Cell phone battery charging bank and cable capable of charging a cell phone twice
• Tums
• Ibuprofen
• 3 cigarette lighters
• Tide pen for clothing stains (I'm pretty good at eating in the truck and not spilling it all over the place, but accidents happen).
• Bag 'o Condiments
• 2 inhalers (I have bronchitis right now).
• Prescription of antibiotics (the aforementioned bronchitis).
• Nicotine lozenges and gum (I quit dipping...again. About a month this time).
* Lunch - Already ate it in the pic.



--EDC when I'm not at work--
Pretty much the same stuff that's on me when I'm at work just plus a gun and ammo.

However Texas recently passed this law where Fire and EMS can carry concealed pistols, but I'm not sure if private companies that are contracted to do 911 can opt out of it or not. So waiting to see how that works and seeing if private companies can opt out of it or what. I believe that there's also an additional training requirement added onto the law and I imagine that would require a specific training certification and going to a specific class.

• Glock 26 3rd generation most of the time and a Galco summer comfort leather holster. Two 12 round mags (regular ole 10 rd G26 mags with +2 extendo's) and a Galco double mag pouch. Sometimes I'll just carry one Glock 17 mag with an X-Grip adapter and some skateboard tape in my front left pocket instead if I don't feel like strapping that double mag pouch on. Strong side right.

• Sometimes I need a pistol that's more concealable and I carry a Walther PPS O.G. Model 9mm in a DeSantis pocket holster with a 7 rd mag in it and two spare 8 rd mags in my left hand pocket. Whenever I do that there's quite a bit of stuff in my left front pants pocket and it's kind of a jumbled mess though. The Walther in the pocket holster also displaces my knife in my right front pants pocket and the knife goes into my right rear pants pocket.

• For a knife I carry same Benchmade Presidio auto knife that I carry at work. Right front pants pocket.

• Fenix LD-20 flashlight instead of the Cree (I'm not as afraid of losing it when I'm on my own time). Left side on my belt.
* Same keys with that same small Swiss Army knife and a whistle. Left front pants pocket.
• That same pepper spray. Right front pants pocket.
* Same Leatherman Wave. Belt, right side behind the G26.
• Nicotine gum.
• iPhone. Left front pants pocket.
• Other : Leather Bullhide belt, wedding ring, necklace and sometimes a G-Shok watch.



--In my personal truck--
- When I'm not at work my truck sort of substitutes for my work bag. In it I have ...
• an iPhone charger
• A pretty decent first aid kit.
* a Zippo lighter, fuel and an extra flint.
* a couple Bic lighters.
• A few emergency food rations bars (2,400 calories each).
• 3 beanie type wool caps
• 2 baseball caps (one adult and one child).
• one wool sweater
• two Gore-Tex rain jackets
• 10 bottles of water
• 2 gallons of treated gas
• Pre-charged car jump starter that you just plug into your cigarette lighter if your car/truck battery is dead.
• Jumper cables
• Small tool kit with pliers, screwdrivers, a hatchet, saw etc
• A crowbar
• Fuses
* 1 pair of work gloves, 1 pair of cold weather gloves and 2 pairs of mittens for a child.
• 2 jacks and two tire irons (a star and a single lug crowbar type).
• Spare tire under the truck
• A small compressor
• Tire repair kit
• Fluids
• 3 road flares
• Duct tape
• Rope and straps for loads in back
• A padlock and a chain to chain valuables to the bed of the truck that won't fit in the cab.
• A tow chain
• a few zip ties
• a Svord folding knife
• Tire thumper D battery flashlight
• an Ithaca 37 12 gauge pump shotgun with 50 rds of birdshot, 50 rds of buckshot and 10 slugs. 
* 100 rds of 9mm ammo.
• A backpack and a gym bag
• Water treatment tabs
• a compass and a decent selection of maps (3 very detailed maps of east and north Texas and of the DFW and one of the entire US).

I don't know whether my EDC is super-hip minimalist or just jarringly inadequate. I generally walk out the door with my G19, keys, wallet, and cell phone. I have gone through phases where I also carry a small folding knife, but don't currently.

To be fair, my daily travels rarely take me more than about 10 miles from the house, and most of my daily errand running is actually within 5 miles (benefit of living smack in the middle of my city, although that has it's drawbacks as well). Grocery store, big box store, etc. are all within a very short drive or walk. Work is also only about 3 miles away for one job and about 2 miles away for the other. Keep in mind that when I go to work at the FD or ER I'm also stuck there the entire shift - - no need to travel while I'm on the job unless it's in the big red truck (which is a giant rolling toolbox with anything I could possibly need).

Like MisterDark said, though, contents are very individualized. What you guys carry seems to make perfect sense based on the descriptions you've given. If I had a 30 mile commute, or lived/worked in a more rural area, or did a great deal of car travel while on the job I would absolutely feel the need to further kit up. As it is, I throw my GHB in the car if I'm on a longer trip (which I define as more than one day's hard walk away from my house), and that includes much of what you guys with more extensive EDCs are carrying.

Come to think of it, I do have a window punch and folding knife attached with velcro to the driver's side sun-shade in each of our vehicles (for self rescue -- cut yourself or passenger out of their seatbelt, break glass, exit vehicle triumphantly), as well as a flashlight in the glove box.

I live in Delaware but work in Maryland so work day edc is a Swiss army knife or Leatherman squirt ,wallet with duct tape in it,wrist watch , Bic lighter, and cell phone. My work boots have para cord for laces and a leather belt or riggers belt to hold my pants up. I work in a factory building doors so tool i got covered at work. Truck or suv has tools and gear if needed on the 15 mile commute to work or to home.

Weekends i add one of a few pistols G19,G26,S&W Shield 9mm, Kimber micro carry in 380 for pimpness.