Monday Morning EDC: Metro Trains and Meetings

Though we might wish it otherwise, the fact is not everyone can legally carry a firearm to work every day, or even carry one at all. Some employers won't allow firearms on the premises; strange as that seems to most of us, some people don't want to go heeled — but that's no reason to climb on the train or ride the subway completely unprepared. After all, you're statistically more likely to need an pocket IFAK or AFAK than you are a Pug or subcompact P320. Even the American Medical Association thinks you should know how to use a tourniquet and stop bleeding. Do you carry one?

Got a light? What if you're in a tunnel or the bowels of a parking garage and the power goes out? Do you have anything at all to defend yourself, even a back alley expedient impact weapon? Keep a bottle of water handy in case you're stuck in one place on the 405 for hours? Helps keep you hydrated and certainly beats pissing your pants.

We're not saying you should carry a fully loaded urban ruck with an ankle kit above both shoes a half dozen tools and implements clipped into your pockets. We're just saying you should be prepared for the everyday inconveniences that can at times turn dangerous.

Loadout: Monday Morning EDC – Metro Trains and Meetings

This loadout, with the exception of the multi-tool, the larger flashlight, and the tourniquet (TQ), is all kept in a Grey Ghost Throwback, a waxed canvas day pack that isn't covered in PALS loops on the outside and doesn't proclaim a affiliation with any branch of service. It blends in nicely and holds enough to get by without pulling you over backwards. Its drawbacks will only matter to some people. You'll have to decide if you're one of them; first, there's no exterior expandable bottle style pouch, so you'll have to swing it around and unzip it to access whatever you need. Second, there's no dedicated laptop sleeve inside, which might alienate the David Lightmans and Leonard Hofstadters of the world but isn't a deal-breaker for us.

The light is a SOG Dark Energy DE-05. It pushes 624 lumens using a pair of CR123 batteries, is about 5 1/2 in. long and weighs just under 5 ounces, putting it right at the top end of what most people are willing to carry in a pocket. That size gives you more than enough light to navigate or put someone at a disadvantage, and sufficient weight and girth to use some pain compliance techniques (the beveled end makes this even easier). It uses a single button switch to transition through its five modes, so you'd want to spend a little time familiarizing yourself with it. Those modes are momentary on/off, 100% power, 40% power, reading, and strobe. If you want something smaller, check out the DE-03. It produces just 128 lumens, but it's far more discreet and has the added advantage of running on a single AA battery (which are easier to find and far less expensive than CR123s).

The multi-tool is a SOG Switch Plier. Note that this is not one of those massive, eleventy-five different tool-and-accessory multitools that weigh more than a fat kid at Golden Corral. It doesn't feature everything you'll need to overhaul and add nitrous to the engine in your badass Ford Aerostar, but it can be manipulated one-handed should you require the use of pliers, wire cutters, bolt grip channel, screwdriver, knife blade, etc. Sadly, it's not TSA compliant, but then again what is?

A bit of emergency power is always a good thing, particularly if you rely on your phone for navigation as well as comms. The Lander Cascade serves that purpose here. You can juice your phone back up or give yourself a little longer to play mindless games on your table, whatever you need. The lanyard is reflective, it has LED power indicators and it comes fully pre-charged in a surprisingly durable case you can use to store cables or, if you spend a lot of time outdoors, some redundant necessaries to back up your survival kit.

The little med kit secured with the pack's shock cord is a D.A.R.K. Lite. It has just enough in it to take care of yourself (or one other person) if things go pear-shaped, without carrying so much trauma thingamawhatsits to tempt your inner Dr. Hunt. The TQ is a Combat Application Tourniquet, which rides in a PHLster Flatpack. The little secondary “task light” is a Tuff Writer Bolt Action.

The water bottle you can see tucked down in the pack is a pretty badass (and inexpensive) piece of gear worth adding to any line-up provided you don't need more than 12 ounces of water in reserve. It's the Re-Fuel Bluetooth Speaker Water Bottle; listen to your MP3, WAV, or WMA tunes via Bluetooth or micro SD via this water bottle's IPX4 waterproof speaker.

What are you carrying — and why? What would you add here, replace, or get rid of?

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