My 2025 Everyday Carry (EDC)

The start of the new year got me thinking about the ubiquitous Everyday Carry subject. As with most others, my EDC changes and morphs with times, trends, and the introduction of new products. And the personal aspect that always plays the main character in anyone's EDC. How capable of a firearm do you want? How important is your comfort? What type of environment do you live in? ...The list goes on. As my EDC has changed over the time, I feel I am at a place right now that I am very comfortable with. I don't feel the need to change anything that I currently carry at this time. Overall, I'm very happy with all of the items currently in my general EDC. So, let's go over it.

I take a somewhat minimalist approach to my EDC. Now that's definitely relative, but that is to say that I don't carry everything I could possibly ever need on my person. There's definitely much more that I could carry, but I also want to be at some level of comfort throughout my day. And if I'm going out of town or plan to be out for most of the day, I usually take a certain backpack with me that has extra things like medical supplies, tourniquet, food, etc. But that's a whole other topic for another day.

We'll start right off with everyone's favorite, the concealed carry firearm. My main Go-To carry firearm for EDC right now is the Glock 43x Gen5 MOS. This is the gun that I carry the overwhelming majority of the time, and I am extremely happy with it. It is quite slim which makes it very comfortable to carry and I often don't even notice I'm carrying it. But with the longer grip over the standard Glock 43, it is easier to draw from concealment and gives me a full grip making it easier to shoot. The factory 10 round magazines that come with the gun leave something to be desired in the always important capacity department, especially compared to firearms of similar size. However, the aftermarket Shield Arms 15-round S15 magazines fix this issue. I swapped out the plastic mag release for a metal one as recommended to run with the metal S15 magazines. I also replaced the horrible factory plastic Glock sights as I do with all of my Glocks. For this gun, I ended up going with some Ameriglo sights with a tritium from sight and blacked out rear. With those couple of changes, this firearm is exactly what I'm looking for in an EDC. Lightweight, slim, and comfortable, and with a 15-round mag in the gun and a spare in my pocket it is plenty capable for my liking.

I carry the 43x in a G Code holster from tacticalholsters.com. It is their Eclipse model and I have a bunch of these for different guns. They come with a felt like outer lining that I think they call "tactical fuzz" if I'm not mistaken. There are many good holsters out there, but these G Code holsters are my default holster option. I'm a big fan of them and when you find something you like and that works for you, you tend to just stick with it. I have two of these holsters for my 43x, one for just the gun and another that will fit the gun with a Streamlight TLR-7 sub if I decide I want to throw that on. However, lately I've been mostly carrying without the weapon light attached and would rely on my handheld light if needed, which I will talk about later. This keeps the overall footprint a little smaller and more comfortable.

Overall, I'm very pleased with my current EDC firearm in the Glock 43x. Carry guns, at least for me, have always been a bit of a balancing act between capability and shootability with comfort and concealment. The 43x is a great blend for me of all of these. It checks a lot of boxes for me, and I don't feel like I'm sacrificing one for the other but rather have found a perfect middle ground where I'm pleased with all of it. I enjoy carrying and shooting this gun and am confident that it will continue to be the centerpiece of my EDC for long time.

I almost always carry a spare magazine with me as well. I've been using the Tulster NeoMag to do this for quite a while now and it's been working very well for me. I keep it in my front left pocket and the NeoMag keeps it in one spot and oriented the way that I like it. It is essentially a pocket clip that uses a magnet to hold the magazine in place and keep it upright and oriented in the position that I choose. I find this to be comfortable and simple while being easy to conceal. And the best part is, it's quite cheap.

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The light that I am currently carrying is the Nitecore MT2C Pro which I pretty recently switched over to. I've carried a handful of different lights over the years and while I liked them all, each one just seemed to be missing something that left me searching for something better. Whether the controls were not intuitive enough, the clip was in a position that didn't fit the way I carried the light, etc., I just had a difficult time finding a light that checked all the boxes that I was looking for. That is until I checked out the Nitecores and came across the MT2C Pro. This light has all the features that I was looking for and a few extras that I didn't know I wanted. The light is USB rechargeable, which is a must for me in an EDC light. It boasts an IP68 waterproof rating, meaning it can be completely submerged without an issue (wouldn't be the first time I accidentally took a light for a swim). The controls are simple and intuitive with one press of the tail cap for high mode and a double click for the low mode which is what I prefer. If I ever have to pull my light out in a hurry, I want all the lumens available quickly. If I need the light for something more administrative like looking for dropped car keys or helping my fiancé dig through her purse, it's no problem to take the extra half a second and double click the light into low mode. The high mode is a whopping 1,800 lumens with a very impressive throw, while the low mode is a pleasant 50 lumens which is great for using up close without being uncomfortable on your eyes. These features along with the recessed tail cap and high mounted clip allowing for the light to ride low in my pocket make this light exactly what I've been looking for in an EDC flashlight.

The Spyderco Tenacious is the knife that I've been carrying for longer than I can remember at this point. Probably about a decade or more. I've got a few of these knives and I almost always carry the all black version. I like knives, but I'm not a huge "knife guy" an I couldn't tell you about all the different types of steels and knife types. What I do know is that this knife has served the purpose I need it for. It's slim, looks cool, and the drop point style 3.39" blade is just the size I like. On top of that, it's not terribly expensive either. Simple, clean, and looks good. I've had this knife in my pocket for a long time and I'm sure it will stay there for a long time still.

The watch I wear is the Casio G-SHOCK. I believe they are the GBD-800 series. My fiancé got it for me one Christmas in a couple of different colors to replace the old G-SHOCK that I was wearing at the time. The one I wear the most is the FDE/tan colored model, but when I'm going to work or doing anything with the Sheriff's Office it's the OD Green version that I usually wear. I really do enjoy the G-SHOCK. I know that everyone these days has the smart watches that count your steps, ring when someone calls your phone, and tells you to chill out if your heart rate gets too high. I could be wrong, I don't really know what these smart watches do. But I just like the simplicity of this watch. It's durable and waterproof so I don't have to worry too much about it breaking. It's got the date, day of the week, digital time readout, and a stopwatch for when I want to time my jogs. I know it has more than that, but that is what I use it for and all that I really need in a watch. It's rare that you'll find me out without one of these on.

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The wallet I've been using lately is the Mountain Voyage Company Wallet. I decided to switch to a more minimalist wallet and when comparing with some more popular brands, The Mountain Voyage Wallet was cheaper and held more cards. I was really drawn to the RFID blocking capabilities of these types of wallets with the ever-growing identity and financial theft these days. It came with a pocket clip that I've since removed to make it a bit slimmer and more comfortable. Not sure yet if I'll keep the clip off, but for now that's how I have it. I put a ranger band around the outside of the wallet which allows me to put a card on the outside to more easily access while I'm using it, whether it be a building keycard or what have you.

The foundation of your EDC carry system is the belt. The Blue Alpha Hybrid EDC belt is the one that I've been using for some time now and I've been quite happy with it. I have multiples of this belt and it works well for me. It uses a slim version of the cobra buckle which keeps the whole thing very slim and easy to take off and on. The belt itself in very strong and durable and holds up my firearm just fine.

Like most people, my EDC is always morphing and changing with my wants and needs. And it can change for the day depending on what I'm planning on doing for the day. If I'm taking the dog to the lake for the day, my EDC is going to be different for that day. However, the overwhelming majority of the time, these are the things that I carry on a daily basis. And I'm at a point right now where I'm comfortable with all these items. But I am eager to revisit this topic next year and see what, if any, has changed.