What’s in your pocket?

So, GUNS Editor Brent reached out to me — as the editor of AmericanCop.com, the newest editor in the FMG world — and asked I go over my own kit of everyday gear. While I’m a retired cop, I’m not interested in doing cop stuff anymore but paying attention to the realities of the world today, there are times when I’ll scale it up.

Stop The Bleed

After the military and before becoming a cop, I was an emergency medical technician working on a search and rescue team and an ambulance so carrying medical supplies is the norm in my life. For this, Live The Creed has an easy-to-carry pocket trauma kit. It’s a wallet-sized pocket kit holding QuikClot gauze, a SWAT-T tourniquet, adhesive dressings, gloves and a couple other handy things.

Light It Up

You can’t identify things if you can’t see them — and you can’t see them if they aren’t illuminated. How do you illuminate? With a flashlight of course. Ever been in a building when the power went out? What about trying to find something in the dark?

I’ve bought and used a bunch of lights over the years. Sadly, I’ve lost many but my day-in, day-out light is a TerraLux TT-1. It runs off a single CR123 cell. I can attest it’s water-resistant, given the number of times I’ve washed it by mistake. This model has worked for me for several years.
Unfortunately, the TT-1 is no longer made, so as an alternative I’d recommend Streamlight’s Pro-Tac 1L-1AA for a general-purpose light.

Pocket Tools

Multi-tools are the epitome of the Jack of All Trades concept. Besides being easy to carry, they do a bunch of things though not any one thing well. I’ve used various models over the years — Leatherman, Gerber, Swiss Army, Schrade, etc. At the advice of a friend in the aviation world, I picked up a Leatherman Skeletool. It’s a minimal design so it’s light and doesn’t have a doohickey to do everything but it’s lean and easier to carry. The roster includes pliers, a single knife blade, flat and cross-tip screwdriver, with both a pocket clip and a spring-loaded gate for attaching.

The Skeletool has proven to be a godsend for the road trip I’m taking while writing this column. The sway bars for the trailer I’m towing have spring-loaded locks. The only thing with me that releases them every time? The Skeletool’s flat tip screwdriver blade!

I like this design so much, I’ve bought more.

Several months ago, I also started carrying a notebook. I use one from Eagles & Angels which holds a notebook and business cards so I don’t forget suggestions or ideas.

But what about guns and knives? We’ll get there.

The contemporary environment has changed radically over the last few years. As a result, I like the idea of having OC spray available. A POM OC canister is attached to my keys. To steal a line from Chuck Haggard of Agile Tactical Training, it’s nice to have something between a harsh word and a gun.

What about guns and knives?

Yes, I carry a knife. A smaller design of the Colonel Blade is my regular fixed blade. Sadly, they too seem to have gone out of business.

I also carry a handgun and a spare magazine as a matter of course. Most of the time, it’ll be a Smith & Wesson Performance Center 4″ Shield 9mm with a pistol-mounted optic. The extra magazine has a +2 extension for a total of 10 rounds. The holster is from JM Custom Kydex and I’ve bought more than a few holsters from them. The mag pouch comes from Tucker Gunleather.

If you’ve been following AmericanCop.com, you’ve seen a series about evaluating your situation to make an informed decision on your gear choices. In my reality, this setup handles over 90% of the difficulties in my life. Base your gear choices on a realistic assessment of your world.

EaglesAndAngelsLtd.com
Leatherman.com
LTCreed.com
Streamlight.com
POMPepperSpray.com
Smith-Wesson.com

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