Seems like I go through this every damn Spring.
“I feel like one of those idjits on the prepper forums who won’t shut up about his ‘EDC gear.’ And it’s kinda heavy. Couldn’t I pare this down a bit? Do I really need…” And I’m off.
Dammit! Forgot the phone holster!
I mean, I’ve got neighbors here in the boonies who don’t walk around with all this shit on their belts, and none of them have died lately.
And that’s true, but you know…I don’t know how they get through their days.
Going from left to right – There will be a time, on average maybe twice a day, when something around the gulch will need a little tweak with pliers or a screwdriver. Sometimes I have to go to the tool chest in the powershed for some specialized tool, but more often than not I can just deal with it with this multitool right here. So the Leatherman stays.
Battery Day got bumped to today, because by the time it came up on the list yesterday it was cold and windy and I didn’t feel like it. Plus Landlady is here so I only have to deal with the one dog. So I loaded LB into the Jeep, got my filler bottle out of the powershed, started to drive away…and had to come back to get my flashlight because it wasn’t on my belt where it belongs. So that’s back on the belt.
Clasp knife – what are the chances I’m going to get through the day without needing to cut or poke something somewhere? May as well forget my boots. I’m just glad I could downgrade from a fixed-blade without regret*.
How often do you really need a gun? Honestly, hardly ever. But try leaving home without it and see how quickly that time will come. Granted that in that case LB took care of it quite handily, he knew damn well I was backing him up. LB only listens to me because he’s convinced I’m the mean one.
Okay, so you’re walking around with a frickin’ .44 Magnum now. Do you really need extra ammo? Because that’s just silly. Well, yeah, except for that jackrabbit in the yard driving LB crazy, who in turn was driving me crazy. I decided it would be good constructive pistol practice to blow that rabbit’s head clean off. I sneered, I squinted, I thought up a good one-liner…
I…decided I didn’t want to waste any of this expensive Corbon ammo on such a frivolous target. So I reached for the speedloader with the cheap handloads I keep for exactly that purpose – which wasn’t there because I’d tried to lighten the load.
And of course I don’t go into the boonies without a phone, because that would be self-evidently stupid.
And before a week is over, I’m back to the whole load** again. I seem to go through this every year. But that’s the truth – after years of fiddling, this is what it has settled down to.
At least I keep resisting the temptation to add binoculars.
—
*Plus the old-school LB7 has the best blade of any knife I own, as long as I never try to pry anything with it.
**Plus all the stuff in my pockets.
One of these doesn’t take up much room… 8^)
http://www.amazon.com/Brunton-Echo-7×18-Pocket-Scope/dp/B000FKMTBS?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
🙂 Naw, I keep’em in the Jeep.
Just in case you are curious, here’s my EDC. http://www.thepriceofliberty.org/?p=8686
Again, I don’t use some of that stuff often, but I’ve been in situations where I did need it and didn’t have it. It’s not that heavy anyway. 🙂
Well, if you think about it, the rabbit people in cities survive with nothing but a smart phone and a few keys on them. But would you really want to live their lifestyle?
I see nothing but the basics on your belt. In fact, I do hope you have a back up light and a couple different methods of making fire stashed in your pockets… 😉
The large size French Douk-Douk knife only weights 2.32 oz., is as large as a Buck 110, but because the handle is made of folded steel, is barely thicker than a credit card. Even with a sheath it would probably be far lighter than the knife you’re carrying now. Great cutting knife – – not a prybar, but you acknowledge already that your current EDC knife isn’t, either.
As for the flashlight, could you get by with a Maglite LED Solitaire on your key ring? Although I have a larger flashlight, my own LED Solitaire is the one that gets most of the use.
A man-purse. That’s what you need. 😀
My Leatherman has two — count ’em, two — 3-1/2″ blades, one serrated, one not, along with a SERIOUS saw blade. No need for another belt knife. Actually, I find that 99% of my knife needs are met by the tiny 2-3/4″ Mini Buck that fits nicely in the “watch pocket” of my jeans.
Anything I cannot handle with these, requires an axe/hatchet/machete anyway.
No, I do not “wear” an axe/hatchet/machete.
🙂
If I were you I’d not worry about it. I hate nothing more than to need something and not have it. Sure, I can get by with only a knife (and can generally make my own with stuff I find laying around), but it sure is easier to carry some stuff with me. And if I ever get weak and decide it’s too heavy, I’ll pare it down.
As it is, people know to come to me when they need something in an emergency, and it feels nice to be able to help.
Here’s my EDC: http://blog.kentforliberty.com/2015/01/edc-my-every-day-carry-post.html
T, I only keep one Bic lighter in my pocket but I’ve got a bunch of stuff in the Jeep. Maglight, storm matches, ropes, poncho liner, binoculars, TP, water, tire patches, compressor, tow strap, more ropes…
I have an LB7. It’s part of the collection; I’m not sure I’ve ever used it.
I carry only 2 things on my belt; my keyring, and a Swiss Army knife. Most of the rest is in a Maxpedition bag, except for the phone, which rides in a pants pocket. I don’t know what a carpenter would keep in the leg pocket of the carpenter pants I usually wear, and I’ve certainly done enough of that sort of stuff. But it fits the phone very well, and I won’t sit on it. In general, I don’t like having a lot of stuff on my belt or in pockets.
I started carrying a bag when I ended up with 2 pairs of prescription glasses. Now I keep all sorts of junk in there – 2 flashlights, CRKT Guppy tool, ear buds, nose tissue, paper towels, spare e-cig stuff, a Bic lighter, notepad, and I’m not sure I know all of what else is in there. Maybe I ought to look one day. On occasion, I tell myself I should organize a bare-minimum med kit, but I keep not getting around to it.
I like that Z-Plus insert. I think I’ll buy one. I have a Zippo (possibly more than one), but yeah, it gets used so infrequently, there’s no point in keeping it filled.
Since I’m writing, I’ll just drop this here. An Honest Review Of 8 Canned Meat Products
Oh, and in re. knives not being prybars, I’m pondering getting a Kershaw Barge. No, I don’t really need another knife, and I have a Gerber Shard already. But hey, shiny!
It’s always better to have and not need then need and not have especially as far out inn the boonies as you are.
Well, not to pry, but there’s this:
http://www.amazon.com/Boker-150023-Minibar-Blade-Silver/dp/B00E8DU3PW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459735137&sr=8-2&keywords=boker+pry+bar
Stout as a rock.
(We’ll have that batbelt to 25# in no time)
Pax, brother!
Bianchi speed strips in .44 are available. Might cut down those two speed loader pouches.
And I think NiteEzes has a pouch that might be able to combine some of those items. At least the multi-tool / flashlight, with pockets for more.
Those Schrade Old Timers / Uncle Henrys are bulletproof, at least the USA manufactured. Not sure about the newer Taylor because I don’t own them for comparison.
Hope this helps.
I used speed strips all the time I carried the 431, decided they were poorly named, and right now I’m trying speedloaders. May go back to the speed strips, because the speedloaders are certainly faster but the pouch is really bulky – which is why I first started using speed strips, so go figure.
That Boker pry tool? A friend of the blog sent me something similar specific for getting people unstuck from cars back in autumn. I recently sent it to my daughter who has a small child and plans to keep in her car. I just couldn’t find a use for it in my own life since I rarely touch a seatbelt.
Those Night Ize pouches are a good idea! I’m looking at upgrading the belt now, since all my pouches are recycled from other tools/uses.
Also, I’m almost embarrassed to say how old that LB7 is. I bought it off a Mac truck in my first dealership job, damn near 40 years ago. It kind of went in and out of style with me, so spent a lot of its life in its pouch in a desk drawer and I rediscovered it in a storage tub a few years ago when I was falling out of love with my Gerber Freeman. I resewed the pouch and have been carrying it for a couple of years.