My Carry Routine

[Kleanbore]

Some folks vary what they carry to suit clothing. I do not.

Some like the idea of a "carry rotation". I do not.

But my "EDC" is not really "every day".

Every morning, I drop a bolstered pepper sprayer into my shirt pocket.

Every morning, I put a reinforced pen into my shirt pocket.

Every morning, my smart phone goes into a pants pocket. It has a metal body, it is easy to grip, and in a pinch, it can deliver quite a number of pounds per square inch of percussive force through its rounded corners.

Use of the second or third would constitute the us of deadly force.

Every morning when it is permissible, my pistol goes into an OWB holster. That's every morning except when I am going to a medical center. We do that a lot these days.

An exception: the eye doctor doesn't care. The ENT guy doesn't either, but he just moved into a floor in the Post Office building.

Yesterday, I took the pepper spray out of its holster and noticed that the expiration date had long passed. A new one is on the way.

 

[Eutycus]

Mine is not a daily routine and more casual. If I'm going to town my suspenders go on, usually under the shirt.A small revolver in the right pocket of my shorts (usually).A pocket knife and a cell phone.Thats about it as far as defense goes.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Some folks vary what they carry to suit clothing. I do not.

Some like the idea of a "carry rotation". I do not.

But my "EDC" is not really "every day".

Every morning, I drop a bolstered pepper sprayer into my shirt pocket.

Every morning, I put a reinforced pen into my shirt pocket.

Every morning, my smart phone goes into a pants pocket. It has a metal body, it is easy to grip, and in a pinch, it can deliver quite a number of pounds per square inch of percussive force through its rounded corners.

Use of the second or third would constitute the us of deadly force.

Every morning when it is permissible, my pistol goes into an OWB holster. That's every morning except when I am going to a medical center. We do that a lot these days.

An exception: the eye doctor doesn't care. The ENT guy doesn't either, but he just moved into a floor in the Post Office building.

Yesterday, I took the pepper spray out of its holster and noticed that the expiration date had long passed. A new one is on the way.

Thanks for posting one of the most PC and irrelevant things I’ve read here in a while (and that says a lot). In addition to your tactical writing instrument and reinforced phone, does a rape whistle get a spot as well? How’s your fitness level, training, and exposure to pepper spray?

“Permissible” be damned. Carry on.

 

[Kleanbore]

Thanks for posting one of the most PC and irrelevant things I’ve read here in a while (and that says a lot).

I'm sorry you do not find it "relevant". I do not know what you mean by saying that it is "PC".

"...reinforced phone,..."

It is a standard iPhone.

“Permissible” be damned.

Are you suggesting carrying a firearm where it is prohibited, particularly where one can be expected to be examined by medical personnel?

 

[GEM]

I confess to a similar load out. Yes, I have a specific pen.
I also have a small Surefire which I have gotten much use out of. An OC. A Spyderco - which I get much use out of with attacking Amazon packges. A semi OWB and an extra mag. Guess what in a back pocket a SWAT-T tourniquet.

Sometimes though the semi becomes a pocket gun based on dress and circumstance. Committing a felony is an easy thing to bluster about on the Internet.

 

[Kleanbore]

I'm not convinced of the effectiveness of pepper spray in all situations, but having a less-lethal option can go a long way in maintaining one's clean record, freedom, and fortune in the legal aftermath.

The pen , of course is for last ditch use at contact distance.

So is the phone, which is most likely to be wilded if I already have it in hand.

 

[Old Dog]

Thanks for posting one of the most PC and irrelevant things I’ve read here in a while (and that says a lot).

How was the OP "PC" and irrelevant? Inquiring minds want to know...

All he was stating was his own practices, such as

Some folks vary what they carry to suit clothing.

... which actually, I agree with 100%.

I also carry everything, same items (excepting I do have a "carry rotation" of sorts with regard to the exact handgun I'm wearing) on my person in the same pockets, same position, same type of holster, every single.

And his post was about an everyday carry routine, not about maintaining a level of fitness, obtaining training or having been exposed to OC, all of which, while highly important for all of us, is really another topic.

 

[Styx]

My carry firearm changes. Sometimes based on how I'm dressed, more much concealment I need for the venue I'm going to, what activities I will be doing for the day, or simplely because I like a gun and want to carry it a particular day.

When it comes to non firearm related things, I keep a Cold Steel bat in my car 24/7, and I carry pepper spray and sometimes a small fixed blade life.

 

[TarDevil]

I've been lax about my spray. Ours (wife and me) have a loud whistle as well. I'll be more diligent about carrying it after this post.
Gun is almost always the same, only differs when I must pocket carry, then I revert to my LC9s. Otherwise, the S&W Shield Plus goes in a DeSantis or Crossbreen IWB holster, when "permissible" a Zlogonje OWB holster ("permissible" is now from the PC lexicon??).

 

[Kleanbore]

I've been lax about my spray.

I had been, also. I saw it as a far less effective alternative to a firearm, for use whan a firearm could not be carried.

The real benefit, I think, is its use as a less lethal option. We are told that 80% of criminal attacks do not rise to the threshold of justifying deadly force.

 

[TarDevil]

The real benefit, I think, is its use as a less lethal option

Which I'll take any time! I'd just run if I weren't so old and had real knees!

 

[Styx]

I had been, also. I saw it as a far less effective alternative to a firearm, for use whan a firearm could not be carried.

The real benefit, I think, is its use as a less lethal option. We are told that 80% of criminal attacks do not rise to the threshold of justifying deadly force.

I had, on a couple of occasions in my lifetime, irrare young men attempt to solicit a fight over non issues. I was told that a to-go order sitting on the counter was mine, and a young punk wanted to fight because he was upset that I "touched his food" aka the paper bag the food was in. Why he was upset at me and instead of the restaurant staff is your guess as good as mine, but this younger and taller guy wanted to square up. I haven't been in a fight since I was a teenager, and I'm trying to keep it that way.

The other time had to do with a middle aged male road rager who decided to follow my mother home looking for a confrontation. I just happened to be outside at her home when they pulled up (my mother didn't realize she was being followed by the guy until she got home).

In both cases if the men were unarmed and looking to initiate a physical attack, using deadly force before they threw a punch isn't going to be legal. If they are verbalizing intent to assault me while closing the difference and squaring off to do so, paper spray can be a deterrent or buy time. Other than that, I carry pepper spray for 4 legged animals I may encounter.

 

[GEM]

I just remembered this. A relative of mine (yes, he was a young substantial man) was walking with his phone. Two guys stopped him and said to give them his phone. He gave the phone with vigor into the nose of of one of them. They fled.

 

[The Night Rider]

I frequently carry a Sword.

Some folks vary what they carry to suit clothing. I do not.

Sometimes you don't have a choice. Most often when I'm leaving my home I'm going to the gym. It's hard to hide a Glock 19 with that so most of the time I'm carrying a Glock 26.

I most frequently carry a Swiss Army Knife Climber as my pocket knife.

Some like the idea of a "carry rotation". I do not.

I think it depends on how you define a "Carry Rotation". As I mentioned I can carry two different guns on the same day depending on what I'm doing.

This is the flashlight I carry most often. Phoenix RC05. It's just a little bit bigger than a Bic lighter.

UDAP Jogger Fogger.

I keep my gym lock in my fanny pack unless it's on my gym locker. I found it in my desk drawer at work one day. I picked it up and I locked it and I realized I didn't know the combination to it. And I looked at it and it was dialed to 6646. I didn't think I could be that lucky but that's the combination. If I ever find it missing from my gym locker I'll know one of you took it off. If I ever had no other option taking that pack off and swing it with that lock in it would make a hell of a bludgeon.

I don't do tactical pens.

Elvis, the Tactical Toad.

 

[The Night Rider]

I've been lax about my spray. Ours (wife and me) have a loud whistle as well. I'll be more diligent about carrying it after this post.
Gun is almost always the same, only differs when I must pocket carry, then I revert to my LC9s. Otherwise, the S&W Shield Plus goes in a DeSantis or Crossbreen IWB holster, when "permissible" a Zlogonje OWB holster ("permissible" is now from the PC lexicon??).

When I was working it seemed like every crackhead I ran into damn near dared me to shoot them. But when I pulled that OC out of my pocket and started shaking it up They seemed to calm right down and became the nicest guys you ever met.

Open display of OC was much more of a deterrent than the open display (by which I mean openly carried on my Duty Belt) of the firearm.

 

[Jeff White]

When I was working it seemed like every crackhead I ran into damn near dared me to shoot them. But when I pulled that OC out of my pocket and started shaking it up take home right down and became the nicest guys you ever met.

Open display of OC was much more of a deterrent than the open display (by which I mean openly carried on my Duty Belt) of the firearm.

I found that the threat of getting a dose of OC was pretty effective on people who had been sprayed before. I had a couple regular customers stop verbally resisting and become compliant when I reached for my OC.

 

[The Night Rider]

I found that the threat of getting a dose of OC was pretty effective on people who had been sprayed before. I had a couple regular customers stop verbally resisting and become compliant when I reached for my OC.

I didn't have any way of knowing whether or not they'd ever been sprayed before.

this is a guess but I think they believed that I would spray them and none of them really believed that I would shoot them. Which of course I wouldn't have if I had any other choice.

 

[Jeff White]

I didn't have any way of knowing whether or not they'd ever been sprayed before.

I knew because I sprayed them before or was present when another officer did.

 

[Old Dog]

found that the threat of getting a dose of OC was pretty effective on people who had been sprayed before.

I found this as well, which is good, because where I worked, we often had to go hands-on anyway, and then put the subject in our own vehicle. I'm sure you remember that. The jail inmates used to tell me they'd rather get TASERed than sprayed as the good OC is the gift that keeps on giving. Always appreciated seeing someone who still couldn't fully open their eyes while blowing snot bubbles two hours after they'd been sprayed.

 

[Anchorite]

An old, retired Alabama State Trooper once told me that spray was ineffective against dogs. He was deployed on what became the ABI swat team. He said they found cheap water pistols with a 50/50 mix of ammonia and water to be more effective. I’ve never really thought about that.

 

[The Night Rider]

An old, retired Alabama State Trooper once told me that spray was ineffective against dogs.

IDK it seems to have worked here

Aggressive Dogs - stopped with pepper spray

This is my house - these are my neighbors' dogs - he & his wife send the dogs after me so I can not even get into my own front door. It is upside down becaus...

youtu.be

I sprayed a raccoon one night. I might as well have used a water bottle

 

[starnbar]

An old, retired Alabama State Trooper once told me that spray was ineffective against dogs. He was deployed on what became the ABI swat team. He said they found cheap water pistols with a 50/50 mix of ammonia and water to be more effective. I’ve never really thought about that.

Yes the ammonia works real good just don't break one in the cruiser or you will be driving with the windows down and it's still snowing outside.

 

[The Night Rider]

I knew because I sprayed them before or was present when another officer did.

I wasn't a cop, I was a security guard so I couldn't really take an authoritarian approach. Especially the last year that I was working because I could threaten to call the cops all I wanted but the reality is when I called the cops they either told me they weren't coming or that a trespassing Wino was extremely low priority and they wouldn't be there for a couple of hours, if they came at all.

So I became very good at offering alternatives.

Every place I went I had someplace else where I could tell them to go. I would find people sleeping in their truck in the parking lot of a low-income housing project I was supposed to check and tell them if they stayed here I would have to call the police but there's a big parking lot behind the Loaf and Jug on 30th and Garden of the Gods that nobody ever checks and if they go there they can have a night's sleep without anybody bothering them. Surprisingly it worked more often than not.

 

[Kleanbore]

When I was working it seemed like every crackhead I ran into damn near dared me to shoot them. But when I pulled that OC out of my pocket and started shaking it up They seemed to calm right down and became the nicest guys you ever met.

Open display of OC was much more of a deterrent than the open display (by which I mean openly carried on my Duty Belt) of the firearm.

That's an eye-opener!

 

[Boom Vang]

Interesting, I was just having a conversation with a medical assistant last week about carrying at the doctor's office. As a 9/11 responder, I go for an annual checkup at a site with a lot of other retired LE. So the staff is used to people carrying their guns to the facility.

I carry everywhere, but generally won't bring a firearm into a medical facility, if I'm the patient. Too complicated, in a nutshell.