Your on a regular basis carry says lots about who you might be and what you’re ready for. It’s not about exhibiting off gear on Instagram; it’s about having the instruments to deal with no matter comes your approach, from the day by day grind to that worst-case state of affairs you hope by no means occurs.
My EDC isn’t constructed round developments or gimmicks. It’s been formed by years of real-world use, coaching, and trial by hearth. Some items have been with me for many years as a result of they flat-out work. Others are newer additions that needed to show themselves underneath strain earlier than incomes a spot on my belt or in my pocket.
That is the gear I carry each single day, the knife that’s survived saltwater abuse, the pistol that’s eaten over a thousand rounds and not using a hiccup, and the watch that’s as robust because the Marines who wore it again within the ‘90s.
Why the Spyderco Delica 4 Nonetheless Has a Place in My Pocket
Some gear earns its spot and by no means leaves. The Spyderco Delica 4 is a kind of.
Light-weight, compact, and razor-sharp with its VG-10 chrome steel blade, this knife has been with me by means of the whole lot from day by day utility duties to backcountry journeys. I’ve used it for carving, prepping kindling, hanging a Ferro rod, and even endured per week of day by day saltwater submersion with out situation. A fast cleansing and lightweight coat of oil had been all it took to deliver it again to good situation.
For spring and summer time runs, I clip the Delica 4 to my waistband. Rain or sweat doesn’t section it, and it has by no means failed me in years of use. For underneath $90, it’s onerous to search out one other EDC knife with this a lot versatility and sturdiness.
Flashlights are sometimes ignored in EDC setups, however they shouldn’t be. The Streamlight ProTac 1L-1AA has been my dependable companion for years, and it’s not going anyplace.
Compact sufficient to trip in a pocket, it options dual-fuel functionality—operating on both a CR123 for max brightness or an ordinary AA battery if that’s all I can discover. That versatility alone makes it a useful device for journey, work, or emergencies.
The serrated bezel provides a measure of defensive utility, and its easy tailcap change ensures intuitive operation. Irrespective of the place I’m, I do know I’ll have dependable illumination once I want it most.
Why I Switched to the Citizen Promaster Diver
Some gear you strive for a season and transfer on from. Different gear turns into a part of your story. For me, the Citizen Promaster Diver is within the second class.
Within the early Nineties, I used to be stationed at Camp Lejeune, serving as an Infantry Mortarman (81 mm), and later deployed with the twenty fourth MEU (SOC). On the base PX, I picked up a Citizen Promaster Diver. That watch by no means left my wrist. Jungle humidity, saltwater swims, cold-weather discipline ops, nights sleeping within the rain, it took the identical abuse I did and by no means stop.
No batteries to swap, no babying required. It simply labored. And while you’re a younger Marine bouncing between deployments, that’s precisely what you want: gear you don’t have to consider.
Quick ahead 30 years, and Citizen remains to be making an almost similar watch: the BN0150-28E Promaster Diver. Identical rugged DNA, simply tuned up for right now. You’re nonetheless getting ISO 6425-certified 200-meter water resistance, a chrome steel 44mm case, Eco-Drive solar energy (no batteries required), a screw-down crown, and lume that cuts by means of the darkness.
Yeah, I’ll admit it—a part of why I purchased one once more was nostalgia. That authentic Promaster noticed me by means of among the most childhood of my life. But it surely’s not simply concerning the previous. This watch stays a reputable device watch right now. It’s constructed to take a beating, hold operating, and look good doing it.
The truth that Citizen didn’t really feel the necessity to reinvent it after three many years says the whole lot you might want to know. Some issues simply get it proper the primary time.
Why the Ridge Pockets Nonetheless Suits My Wants
Minimalist carry has its benefits, and the Ridge Pockets nails it. Mine is titanium, slim, and constructed robust. It holds 8–12 playing cards securely, retains a couple of folded payments readily available with the money strap, and blocks RFID scanning.
I switched from a cumbersome leather-based pockets years in the past, and I’ve by no means regarded again. For round $85, it’s a modern, sturdy choice that simplifies my on a regular basis carry.
Why I Switched from the Glock 17 to the PSA Dagger Compact
For years, my on a regular basis carry pistol was a Glock 17. It’s a traditional for a motive: dependable, confirmed, and backed by many years of service. However carrying a full-size pistol every single day has its trade-offs. I needed one thing slightly extra compact, optics-ready, and simpler to reside with day in and day trip, with out giving up reliability. That search led me to the PSA Dagger Compact.
Dwell Stock Value Checker
I’ll be sincere, at first, I wasn’t positive the Dagger would maintain up. PSA had its share of criticism when these first hit the market. However after placing one by means of its paces, my doubts disappeared shortly.
The ergonomics are strong. The grip angle locks in naturally, the prolonged beavertail retains slide chunk away, and the slight magwell flare offers additional assist the place it counts. The set off has a cleaner break than I anticipated, with much less of that spongy really feel you get from a bladed security. Add in PSA’s stainless information rod as a substitute of a polymer one, and the gun feels extra refined than its value suggests.
However the actual take a look at was on the vary. Over the previous few months, I’ve run greater than 1,200 rounds by means of the Dagger, utilizing the whole lot from 115-grain FMJ to 147-grain poly ammo from HOP Munitions, with Magpul, Glock OEM, and Mec-Gar magazines. It’s eaten the whole lot and not using a single malfunction. For a pistol that prices round $320, that’s spectacular.
The one hiccup I’ve had? The manufacturing facility suppressor-height entrance sight labored unfastened after a variety session. A bit Loctite mounted it, and since I’m operating a purple dot anyway, it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Talking of optics, I mounted a budget-friendly purple dot on mine, which provides me an entire, carry-ready setup for underneath $500.
One of the best half? It suits within the Glock 19/17 holsters I already personal, so the transition from the Glock 17 was seamless. That alone made it straightforward to hold day by day with out having to transform my whole setup.
Backside line: the Glock 17 earned my belief years in the past, however the PSA Dagger Compact has now earned its spot in my EDC. It’s smaller, optics-ready, and—to date—simply as dependable.
Holster: Tier 1 Hid
Magazines: MEC-GAR 18-round Steel Mags
Ammo: HOP Munitions 147-grain HP
Conclusion: The Gear That Earned Its Place
EDC isn’t about carrying the latest gadget or filling your pockets simply to say you’re “ready.” It’s about gear that proves itself, day after day, in the actual world.
My setup isn’t flashy, however it’s reliable. The Spyderco Delica 4 has been with me by means of years of onerous use and nonetheless rides with me on day by day runs. The Streamlight ProTac 1L-1AA is the sunshine I do know will work, whether or not I’ve a CR123 or only a spare AA battery mendacity round. The Citizen Promaster Diver has been on my wrist since my Marine Corps days, and the up to date model hasn’t skipped a beat. And the PSA Dagger Compact—a pistol I used to be skeptical about at first—has now gone over 1,200 rounds and not using a hiccup and absolutely earned its spot in my carry.
On the finish of the day, that’s what issues. Each piece of drugs right here has been examined, confirmed, and trusted, not due to a model identify or a price ticket, however as a result of it really works once I want it most. That’s the one normal that counts.
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About Scott Witner
Scott Witner is a former Marine Corps Infantryman with 2ndBn/eighth Marines. He accomplished coaching in desert warfare on the Marine Air Floor Fight Heart, Mountain Warfare and survival on the Mountain Warfare Coaching Heart, the South Korean Mountain Warfare Faculty in Pohang, and the Jungle Warfare faculty within the jungles of Okinawa, Japan. He now enjoys leisure taking pictures, path operating, mountain climbing, useful health, and dealing on his truck. Scott resides in Northeastern Ohio.
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