Exclusive: What’s Your Everyday Carry?

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The idea of having well-designed, easily portable, reliable everyday carry gear is nothing new. But it’s never been more popular. Here’s a quick look at what I’m carrying these days and their best features. Check ‘em out and let me know what you carry…

Even through this Gerber Multi-Plier 600 (retail $110) shows up in Gerber’s “Tactical” category (note the built-in AR sight tool), this tool gets used in plenty of non-tactical situations as well. It’s large enough (5” closed) to get a good grip on it for serious plier or wire-cutting work but the plier tips and other small tools — especially the micro screwdrivers — handle more intricate maneuvers with ease. Best feature: Every tool locks in place when deployed, adding safety and confidence.

Admittedly the Gerber Multi-Plier spends its time in my shoulder bag. But not this CRKT Tactical Pen (retail $69.99). It clips in my shirt pocket or front pants pocket, looking and serving, for all intents and purposes, like a regular pen. And it is. Pop the cap off and jot down a note, sign a letter, or whatever. But, on the off chance you have to defend yourself and you don’t or can’t have immediate access to a knife or gun, take out the CRKT and use its pointed end on an attacker. It. Will. Hurt. Best feature: I can hold this pen in my hand, out in the open, ready to use, and no one will think anything of it. After all, it’s a pen.

The other item virtually always on my person is a knife, the oldest and most ubiquitous tool in the history of mankind. Generally, any knife is better than no knife, but a really good knife is a thing of functional beauty. Spyderco’s Positron (retail $279.95) is a flipper-folder measuring just over 7” when open. So it’s on the smaller side. But it is eminently functional, light weight, and its CPM S30V steel blade and carbon fiber handle are stellar. The wire pocket clip can go on either side. Best feature: Outrageous portability and strength while weighing only 2.6 oz.

American Handgunner is more than a magazine about guns, but it is not less than that. And was it not Col. Cooper who said, “If you can’t put your hand on your gun right now, all this training is wasted.” So here’s the gun I can put my hand on right now: a Smith & Wesson 638 (retail $469). Five rounds of .38 Special +P in a 15.1 oz. Airweight frame. Best feature is this combination of adjectives: light weight, reliable, accurate, proven.