The Handiest "Tactical" tools

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earlthegoat2

earlthegoat2

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I know this is the Non-Firearm Weapons forum but I also see folks posting pictures of some nice tools also.

I am familiar with CountyComm and am intrested to see and hear about others favorite tools to have as EDC gear.
 
I believe in what I call the "keychain (or pocket) survival kit". The idea is to keep the most essential tools with you everywhere. Those tools include a light source, flame source, means to open containers, and a cutting instrument. If you can have a firearm as well, you are as prepared as you can reasonably be on a daily basis.

So: keep a lighter. Keep a small pocket knife. Keep at least one flashlight. You can never go wrong with a Photon 2. Any good folder is fine. If you don't have an appropriate knife, or want a backup, a little Spyderco Grasshopper doesn't take up a lot of room. I also have a Gerber Shard on my keys. This gives me a pry tool, bottle opener, and screwdrivers on a tool light enough to keep with me daily. And I've carried it through several airports.
 
Read Post 3 again and again, and again and...

John is correct!

Now John and I agree to disagree. We may use use, suggest, or actually use different "tools" but the mindset, skill set, "then" tool set aspect is the same.
Hence the strategy and tactic part of which this sub-forum is named.

I was raised one was not dressed without a pocketknife, a means to make fire and have light. "Light" could be made from the matches, or lighter one carried to make fire.

Today I carried a two AA cell Mag-Lite, Victorinox, Bantam, Victorinox Classic SD and Imco lighter.
Some folks at work have been discussing and speaking of the tornadoes that have again ravaged the South.

Re:Tornadoes. I have been there, done that and lost the T Shirt. (more than once...)

Re:Weapon. What are you/might have you to "defend" against?

So today I shared with some single gals, the FACT I have used a AA cell Mag-Lite, Victorinox Bantam, Victorinox Classic SD and Zippo lighter to defend against tornado events.

Here is the deal as I was raised with S &T : WE don't go where trouble is, we leave when trouble shows up and have the mindset, skill sets to use whatever tool sets to deal with trouble.

The reality is, Life is Life and sometimes trouble does show up unexpectedly despite the fact we have "hardened our selves" against trouble.

i.e tornadoes.

I have used a two AA Mag-Lite in all sorts of ways, including getting a Coleman lantern and oil lamp fired up. This of course required fire, which a lighter/matches came into play. A knife such as the Bantam, has done duty to assist in peeling a windshield (with the aid of a pair of small Channel Lock pliers) to opening a can of soup, and spreading peanut butter on bread/crackers. The Classic SD was used to cut gauze in first aid duties.

The reality is, is one may very well have to use what "tools" they have on person in a situation. I cite the "tools" above to prove a couple of points:

-Some persons are in NPE's (non permissive to [weapons] environments. Be they in another Country where "locking" knives are denied, or places in the USA, where there does exist a restriction on locking knives and blade lengths.

-One cannot buy skill and targets. Meaning it IS the person needing to have mind set, skill sets, "then" tool sets.
One never has, nor will one EVER be able to buy something, and automatically be able to do tasks. No tool is ever any better than the user of said tool.


Not everything defaults to gun - Jeff White
 
Thank you JShirely and sm.

It took a bit to get this thread rolling but this is the kind of information I am after.

I want to "arm" myself with something more than a traditional weapon. That is why I put this in the Non Firearm Weapons section. Too much of this section is dedicated to the latest commando knife for EDC. As handy as a good knife is, no matter the blade length and design, it is not the end all be all of handy everyday use tools.
 
earlthegoat2,

It is I that thanks you!

The reality is, we need more threads that deal with the reality, and not those we tend to have more of, where folks want to buy something and magically evil stays away, or if matters dictate, the equipment magically deals with evil on its on, with little input of the owner of said equipment.

While I have never met John in person, we have communicated. John is one of the persons I darn sure want around, if evil shows up. All he needs is whatever is handy. Be this a broom, mop, or plastic bottle of water.

Me, I am nowhere in the league of John, hso, or others. Still I have stopped what needed stopping with a rolled up magazine, antenna off a vehicle, plastic bottle of Dr.Pepper, briefcase, trash can lid, etc, in NPE's.

Steve
 
A humble Swiss Army Knife is tremendously useful if you are creative and keep an open mind.
 
Look in any survival kit (well, perhaps not the "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" kit) and you'll get a good idea of the essentials.

Shelter, fire, water, tools to make those work.

You may carry a cell phone, mass transit pass, lighter, pocket raincoat, credit card with a lot of credit on it, 5 twenties and a couple of hundreds, filter mask, SAK, a couple of bandaids and a whistle and be prepared for most situations in the city. Country folks may carry some of that and more to make a different mix. Toss in a passport, some gold coins and a few diamonds and you may have an international refugee kit. It all depends upon the environment.

BTW, "tactical" is such a distorted term it has any real value anymore since it can mean many things to many different people. You have to define the environment and situation to get any idea of what's useful.

I try to carry a way to have a light, a fire, basic multipurpose tool and communication all the time. My keychain has a PryBaby, flashlight, tweezers, small flint, and a can opener. I
 
I guess I did not intend this to be a survival or SHTF scenario tool kit.

I am simply wondering what people carry with them and what is very useful. My dad has a P-38 on his keys. He uses it every so often. He says he probably does not need it but it does not take up much space so why remove it.
 
Earl,

I echo all that is said above.

As for a direct answer to your question.
I carry a cell, lighter, Spyderco native and Endura, a SAK tinker, a streamlight scorpion flashlight, a small multi tool, and the handgun of the day.
Between keychain, and belt pouch carry I dont look any different than some of the less prepared old codgers I hang out with.
 
I don't like to carry a lot of stuff in my pockets. My "EDC" is rather simple..

Flashlight (mag-lite XL50), lighter, keys, SAK, and a bandana..

100_1589.jpg

If I am at work or doing chores at home a Leatherman Blast is on my belt. If I am outdoors playing a Fallkniven F1 with firesteel is on my belt.

100_1563.jpg
 
Not an "EDC" sort of thing as John/hso/bikerdoc/sm have covered that pretty well.

I keep water, trauma kit, saw, shovel, 5 lb hammer, fix-a-flat, fire extinguisher and a come-along in the truck at all times. Amazes me that folks will pay 500 bucks for a dedicated vehicle firearm and not spend a fifth of that on things to keep that vehicle mobile and the passengers alive.

FWIW, IMO, the old solid handle GI folding shovel is one of the most versatile tools going. Very little you can't do with one, to include chopping down smaller trees or bad guys.
 
I have a p-38 also on my keychain and it works great for opening packages and turn little screws. I've yet to open a can with it (except for practice).

I almost always carry a bandana. Remarkably useful thing (without a runny nose). Bind things together, carry small items too "unruly" to carry in the hands, compress for some small wound or other, clean glasses, wipe sweat, etc. Great thing to carry.

I used to carry tweezers, but just didn't have enough uses.

Flashlight(s), from keychain to small pocket lights big enough to fit in your fist.

I carry a pack of steristrips, a couple of bandaids, and a pack of bioclusive in my wallet (heck, it was the only steristrips I could find in the house one day).

A Mini Bic lighter is a usually pocket clutter item.

Knife/knives. Usually a SAK Farmer on the left and a larger single blade fixed blade on the right or midline.


Al,

I keep a long tow strap, my Finnish brush hook, FixAFlat large can, poncho, large aid kit, space blanket, gloves, a couple of contractor garbage bags and 100ft. paracord in the vehicle as well. The little brush hook serves a lot of different purposes from hacking brush and cutting to digging shallow holes to dragging or lifting pots from a fire, etc. (Ethan Becker and I were having a friendly debate over small brush hooks at his house one weekend and I handed it to him and pointed out all the different uses. He agreed that it worked for me, but that they just didn't do anything for him.).
 
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I wear a dress shirt and slacks for work, so the storage space is a little limited on the job. I put together this wallet-thing for my front pants pockets:
PocketToolsfolded.gif
Has a Olight T15, Benchmite II (dedicated locking folder), Leatherman Micra, County Comm Peanut lighter (on black paracord), mini pry bar (green paracord), and swiss tech mini plier/screwdriver...thing (forgot the model). This in particular was designed so I can withdraw any single tool from my pants pocket without removing the wallet itself. I made it that way because it's quicker and draws less attention from my less-prepared coworkers.
 
That's a neat pocket organizer :D.

I carry a SAK, a small Klein Tools wharncliffe lockback, Rite in the Rain waterproof notebook, glasses cleaning kit, sunglasses, a pen, a mechanical pencil, erasers, a hand lens, watch, and cell phone.

I have a P-38 on my keychain too, but I like the one on my SAK better. The P-38 is so easy to carry it doesn't really matter. I have my Grandfather's 4 way screwdriver in my wallet, but I forget I have it. It's not that useful since it's so thin and the corners are so rounded.

I have a Vic Spirit multitool and a TI-89 in my backpack. I also keep a Gerber Artifact in there, but I forget I have it since it's not useful.

I had a Proton Pro flashlight I'd carry sometimes or keep in my backpack, but I lost it.

I don't smoke and spend no time outdoors, so I don't carry a lighter.
 
My EDC is a Leatherman Wave. It comes in handy all day at work and when not working I carry it so I don't feel so dang naked!
I hate reaching for it and not having it.
 
I carry only a "tactical tweezer." The tweezer is a single piece of steel. It snaps in to a separate piece on my keychain, and the when attached, the whole thing is no larger than a key. Good for picking at things. Though it isn't sharpened, the edges are thin enough to cut box tape, and the point is sharp enough to dig out splinters. I do find myself wishing for a screwdriver and bottle opener now and then...
 
Nice organizer, glistam. I can have a similar problem so I usually just carry a Leatherman Juice S2 and a Preon 2 light for EDC (apart from the obvious things, like wallet and cellphone). I may need to consider a pocket organizer like that so I can bring more stuff without getting it all jumbled.

I do think that everyone should carry a small multitool if at all possible. Even without getting into survival considerations, it just makes sense to have tools with you. You never know when you'll need a screwdriver or scissors. I like the Juice S2 because doesn't waste any space on frivolous things like a corkscrew.
 
Always have the Holy Trinity on me; light source, cutting tool, fire source. If I have anything else, it will be bandage material in the form of two clean bandannas.

My cutting tool is a small one, since I am a city boy I'm not out splitting logs for bonfires. I like the country, but when I go camping or such I make sure I have a sheath knife and folding saw with me. But in my hometown of Washington D.C. I usually have one of my Case peanuts in CV or an Opinel with carbon blade. Good for what ever cutting job comes up. Open/break down cardboard boxes, cut cordage, whatever.

Cities have more use for small flashlights than country. Even out on camping trips in the eastern hardwood forest, there's enough light to half decently see by. I've walked on the A.T. at night, and could see where the trail went. But buildings in the city in a power failure get black. The kind of black that you really can't see your hand in front of your face. Also there's the under ground metro train breakdowns. A small flashlight works wonders in dark under ground places. I always carry two lights. A Princeton Tech Pulsar 2 is on my keyring, with a larger AAA or AA light in a pants pocket. I love my Peak LED solutions Keno Bay. One AA, bright with a good throw.

Fire is important. I smoke a pipe, so I'm paranoid about lights. If I can't lite my pipe when I want, now that's an emergency. I carry one BIC lighter in my pocket for edsc use, and a spare BIC in my tobacco pouch as a spare. When the one in my pocket runs out of fuel, I take out the one in the tobacco pouch and it goes to the pocket and I buy a new spare to go in the pouch.

Two clean bandannas are rolled up in a back pocket. Bandannas can be a make shift bandage, or to tie up something, or make shift scarf around neck, or a zillion other things.

In the zipper part of my wallet is a P-38 can opener, a Sears keychain 4-way screw driver, a few safety pins, and a Eze-lap model L diamond knife hone with most of the plastic handle cut off. If I'm carrying a knife, I carry something to re-sharpen it with.

Carl.
 
My new favorite Swiss Army Knife is the Spartan Lite, which includes a built-in LED flashlight, along with the knife, screwdrivers, and can/bottle openers, so it's got pretty much everything but a fire starter in one package. Victorinox has made a SAK with a built-in butane lighter, but it can't be imported to the USA.
http://www.multi-tool.org/victorinoxspartanlite

Swiss Flame Lite
product_103.jpg
 
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On my person, I carry a simple Swiss Army Knife (Tinkerer), LED flashlight that allows either 10 or 100 lumens, and a simple BIC lighter (I don't smoke). The car has much more including enough food and water to last a week.
 
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