A common question you might ask yourself is what are some everyday carry (EDC) items you should be carrying? The quick answer is it depends on the situation.
Say for instance you go out for a walk around your neighborhood. If you live in the suburbs it wouldn’t be that busy. However, if you went out into the city for a date night with your girlfriend or wife, you can definitely expect more people around.
Different situations call for different load-outs, and you’ll want to have an idea of what you should carry to defend yourself.
In this post, retired Navy SEAL, Mark Cochiolo, covers what he carries each day depending on what he's doing.
Common Everyday Situations
For those common everyday situations such as going to the grocery store or taking your dog out for a walk, Coch carries a Smith & Wesson Model 642, Revolver, .38 Special+P. It has a small frame for personal defense and five rounds. You could even add a light and laser for low light situations, which Coch has both on his revolver.
He keeps his Smith & Wesson stored in a simple holster that he can just slip into his pocket and step out the door. With his revolver, he carries a five-round stripper clip in the same pocket. You’ll never know if you need to reload (odds are you won’t), but it’s nice to have just in case.
Busy Everyday Situations
There are those special times you want to go out of your neighborhood and enjoy the sights in the city. Maybe you’re doing a date night or it’s a friend’s birthday. For these situations, Coch carries something with a little bit more firepower such as a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. It’s nice and flat with a high-capacity magazine and quicker reloads.
Coch adds a light and a laser for the same purposes as mentioned before. For his reload, he carries a holder with a magnet and clip. It drops right into his pocket, and if he has to reload, he can just pull it and there it is. The clip stays in his pocket and the magnet holds it down.
Higher Threat Situations
These types of situations vary, but you’ll be able to recognize them based on your routine. Say you work in a populated area where there can be threats hanging right around the corner. For those type of situations, Coch recommends a Glock 19 for good reason. It is the most popular handgun in the U.S. because it is a very reliable handgun that allows for fast follow-up shots.
As with the other guns, Coch adds a light and a laser to it. For the Glock 19, Coch finds that sometimes just the additional light is fine. For his reload, he uses a holder with a clip and magnet.
Additional Lights
With a Glock 19, Coch recommends carrying an additional light. Let's say you end up working late and you're coming home when it’s dark. You’ll find having that extra light is helpful not only for seeing but for potentially scaring away a threat and improving your overall situational awareness.
Coch likes to carry a small, bright flashlight he can easily tuck away in his pocket. He uses various lights manufactured by Olight or Streamlight.
If you're looking for a great everyday tactical flashlight, check out our review on Streamlight's ProTac 1L-1AA Everyday Carry Tactical Flashlight.
Everyday Carry Knife
Along with his firearm, Coch doesn't leave his house without his everyday carry knife. It’s a valuable tool that can serve many different purposes and more importantly can be life-saving if he's being attacked.
The type of knife you’ll want will vary on your routine and the situations you commonly find yourself in on a daily basis. Much like any everyday carry item, you’ll want to be aware of your local and state laws. There are many local and state laws that place a limit on the size of the blade and the type of knife may be illegal, so you’ll want to ensure your knife is legal.
Conclusion
Through years of experience and research, these are the everyday carry items Coch carries. Don't forget, even if you have the right everyday carry items, you still need to know how to properly use them.
Make sure to follow proper training guidelines and practice different drills with your self-defense weapon so you can be prepared if danger comes.
Great article, but maybe a bit much for my particular situation. About 3 1/2 years ago I had the pleasure of going through a 6 way open heart surgery. However, a week later I was sent home on a Friday and by Sunday evening I had become septic. Because of this I was the recipient of a SECOND 6 way bypass, this time not getting sent home until 5 months later. (this time they left my chest open 1 1/2 “s wide and changed out my bandages and serviced my wound vac twice daily.) So, my question is, I may have just lowered down my CCW choice to the new Taurus G2c 9mm, It is plenty light with its 12 round capacity (1 in the pipe) however, I am having a heck of a time finding a comfortable and quick holster? That second surgery forced them dig into my left leg for even more veins, leaving me with an awkward limp, and even my left foot is turned in, requiring the use of a cane.
Making matters worse, I am also a long time diabetic. I get peripheral edeama often. Most recently it was so bad, (I am still fighting it) that this time I had cellulitis (inner skin infection) due to the skin swelling and developing open, seeping sores. In both legs, this gets real painful to the point I end up wearing only sweat pants or track pants as everything else just feels like 80 grit sandpaper. Oh sure, I have pain meds, but if I have to drive farther than my driveway, I don’t dare take them until I am back home. Regardless of how late. I realise that it is not a good mix with handguns either, but after all these years, it does help the pain and make me sleepy. Any “high” effects just don’t happen with me anymore. That lasted only about the first 3 months. But driving, I don’t want to even get sleepy. So they stay at home.
My question is, do you have any suggestions on the type of holster I can carry that allows me to conceal carry without it being so obvious, a company that specializes in custom holsters or just one that won’t pull my pants down after walking 4 steps?
With (unfortunately) there being so many wounded warriors, I cannot be the only one having issues that are not typical of the average CCW citizen. Any advice from anyone is greatly appreciated. I am down a few thousand dollars trying to find the right combination and I am at a loss. Feel few to email me, but I think this question just might interest others as well. Thanks much for advice from anyone.
Hey Todd, glad you liked the article!
To answer your question, are you using a good gun belt? You mentioned that your pants are being pulled down by the weight of the gun, which usually is resolved by buying a good, sturdy gun belt.
Regarding holsters, one reality about holsters is that there is no one size fits all. I just got two new holsters sent to me, which quite frankly, I really don’t like because they print really bad with my body. However, my brother tried them and his gun disappears. He is bigger around the mid-section that I am 😉
This being said, you might not need to go custom, but the challenge is finding the holster that works for you from different brands out there. Check this post out for some of our recommendations: https://tacticalhyve.com/concealed-carry-holsters/
Just keep in mind that what works for one person, may not work for another. Which brings me to custom made holsters.
There are a ton of custom made holster companies out there that you can find with a Google search. However, the same thing applies–they might make the holster to your unique specifications, but you won’t know if it really is the right fit until you try it.
In my experience, everyone has a box of holsters because it takes some trial and error to find the one that works best for you.
Hope this helps!
Have you considered a small, lightweight 9mm pocket pistol? You wouldn’t even need a Holster.
I too carry a G2C on occasion and it’s almost the same weight as a G1
I always carry a Glock 19, Sabre Red Pepper Gel, CRKT Necklace Knife, Stinger Tactical Whip, & a Streamlite Penlight. I like to have options.