One essential piece of gear

Pomsbz said:
Sure, makes sense, I just didn't get the idea that the somehow everyone else who doesn't carry one but who will take an umbrella is wrong.
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Weeelll, I wasn't saying anyone was wrong....

Merely musing over folks who would carry an umbrella if it might rain, but not a light when it was guaranteed to get dark.

Especially when lights are so small as to be undetectable. Those Eagletac models of yours are very nice, and super easy to carry. So is a Photon MicroLight.

No need to take umbrage with my musings.
 
FSCJedi said:
MAGNIFYING GLASS! I was wondering if anyone else carried one. My carry SAK (an Explorer) has a mag glass that I use multiple times a week, if not daily. Good call.
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I've carried one (on and off) since grade school. It's a great little scientific instrument as well as an aid to reading small print. I carry a B&L 4x folding model every day and keep the 4x-5x-9x folding model handy at home.

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6 inch channel locks and a 6 way driver are usually in my pocket or close by.
 
It would be a toss up between my flashlight (Steamlight ProTac 2L-X) or my mini multi tool (SOG Powerpint).

If I were to pick one, it would probably be the flashlight.
 
Velitrius said:
Weeelll, I wasn't saying anyone was wrong....

Merely musing over folks who would carry an umbrella if it might rain, but not a light when it was guaranteed to get dark.

Especially when lights are so small as to be undetectable. Those Eagletac models of yours are very nice, and super easy to carry. So is a Photon MicroLight.

No need to take umbrage with my musings.
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Not umbrage, just another perspective. :) My wife has the Eagletac D25AAA on her keychain and all my kids have keychain lights. I remember growing up in the dark North of England, coming home from school always in the dark during the winter months, a flashlight was the best and coolest gadget any of us 10 years old's could have. Maglites were the tool of trade for my teenage years and army service but other than an LED upgrade to my trusty old Maglite Mini that was it for many years till I discovered the Prometheus Beta and from then it was down the rabbit hole into modern light. I'd get the mkII version of my Eagletac but I can't persuade myself that I really need more lumens than the 130 or so on tap. If I need more I've plenty of 18650 light's around.
 
Pomsbz said:
Not umbrage, just another perspective. :) My wife has the Eagletac D25AAA on her keychain and all my kids have keychain lights. I remember growing up in the dark North of England, coming home from school always in the dark during the winter months, a flashlight was the best and coolest gadget any of us 10 years old's could have. Maglites were the tool of trade for my teenage years and army service but other than an LED upgrade to my trusty old Maglite Mini that was it for many years till I discovered the Prometheus Beta and from then it was down the rabbit hole into modern light. I'd get the mkII version of my Eagletac but I can't persuade myself that I really need more lumens than the 130 or so on tap. If I need more I've plenty of 18650 light's around.
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I appreciate your perspective.

I also thought I had the coolest light I would ever own once I upgraded the Mini Maglite to a LED head and clicky tailcap. Ahh, those simpler days.

I have a 3/4 zip sweatshirt for clam digging that has a Photon Micro as a zipper pull. I'm shocked at how much light it shoots.

So I guess instead of calling a light "that one essential piece of gear", perhaps I'll call it "the one that's too easy not to have around".

And now I'm changing my answer to "a good hat".
 
Velitrius said:
And now I'm changing my answer to "a good hat".
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That subject is as deep and long as bags, you never have enough, no one is perfect, there is always the optimism that the next one will finally solve all the problems and there is always going to be a wishlist for when Great Aunt Mary leaves you some spending money in her will. :D
 
Flashlight, Prometheus Beta QRv2 Magnetic on my keys, and an Olight i3T EOS Ti or M1T Raider Plus in my back pocket.
 
Just for a casual hike through the woods : 3 knives , 3 flashlights , sidearm and reloads , lighter ,keychain , stout walking stick , and dog . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

And some Puffs tissues ...just in case . ;)
 
DocJD said:
Just for a casual hike through the woods : 3 knives , 3 flashlights , sidearm and reloads , lighter ,keychain , stout walking stick , and dog . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

And some Puffs tissues ...just in case . ;)
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One item I carry in the woods is a Garmin inreach mini. And I install gaia gps (free) on my phone so I can always see where I am on a topo map. For walking stick I like the luxurylite bigstik (alloy version) with Texas toothpick, which can be used as a spear in a pinch
 
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FSCJedi said:
Ok, I probably should have been a little more specific. Guns, phones, and knives are not what I’m looking for. I’m looking items you carry that aren’t these.
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Everything I carry under normal circumstances when I leave my property: wristwatch, knife, cellphone, car keys, 2 ink pens, flashlight, wallet, reading glasses. I've tried carrying a multitool but I'm short on pocket space and didn't find that I used it very much. I've never gotten in the habit of using a handkerchief or hat. Fancy prybars and card-like tools would be at the bottom of my list.

As an extension of EDC, in the messenger bag that I carry to work I have things like additional pens, cellphone charger, aspirin, actual magnifying glass, writing pads, business cards, and lots of other junk that never got used.


Pomsbz said:
I don't get this. In the urban environment an on-body flashlight is far from a necessity for many and all smartphones have a flashlight feature
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I wouldn't know how to turn on the flashlight on my phone, and when I've seen other people do it, it is very limited in functionality. And at my house I don't carry around my cellphone, it just sets on the table, but if I have pants on I normally have my light. I have special circumstances- in my profession I frequently end up in dark buildings. If I wasn't a flashlight enthusiast I might only carry a very small light on my keychain.

This pandemic and working from home has disrupted my normal routine- I frequently get up and drag on some pants and find later that I don't have my knife or light on me.
 
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I carry a Streamlight Microstream everyday of the week. If I’m wearing pants, I have it. When it’s really dark it works well enough and helps me look in the back of cupboards, shelves in the garage, under my desk at work, under car seats, etc... The beauty of that light is it disappears in my pocket and I like the momentary on available with one hand. I prefer the aaa vs the usb rechargeable version so I can just swap batteries instead of waiting for it to recharge before use again. Since I use Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable batteries, I just grab a fresh one from my vehicle, work backpack or house. I probably use the light more than I use my pocket knife.
 
Besides a knife, my boots , or my hat, it's an olight I1R2 in my watch pocket.

I have a dedicated flashlight for work, but for the everyday small flashlight tasks it's the little olight I1R2.
It's bright enough, and the 15 min runtime is plenty considering it's rechargeable.

 
Seeing a lot of flashlight variants/makers. That’s good intel.

I would like to carry some hats/beanies as I’m rarely outdoors without one. I’ll have to look for some makers.
 
FSCJedi said:
I would like to carry some hats/beanies as I’m rarely outdoors without one. I’ll have to look for some makers.
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I can't relate to beanies, they aren't comfortable to me. In fact I never wore a hat unless it was so cold that I really needed one. But now I have a little less hair and sometimes spend a lot of time outside in the sun so I need a hat for sun protection. A baseball cap would shield my eyes and the top of my head but I want to protect my ears and neck. I have a lot of baseball caps that I've been given but rarely wear them. I'm thinking of something like a Tilley hat. I don't want to order a hat online because to me a hat needs to fit just right. I managed to find a cheap hat that fit me at an Academy Surplus store and it performs the function just fine, but I would like to have a better hat someday.
 
For pocket carry, definitely a flashlight. Fenix EO1 or Eagtac D25A Ti. I use one practically every day.

The best edc item with me every day is a small backpack. It houses many items. Rain suit, spare underwear, socks and shirt (weather dependent), spare mags, flashlight, multi-tool, first aid kit, 550 cord, gloves, etc.
 
GB940Rookie said:
For pocket carry, definitely a flashlight. Fenix EO1 or Eagtac D25A Ti. I use one practically every day.

The best edc item with me every day is a small backpack. It houses many items. Rain suit, spare underwear, socks and shirt (weather dependent), spare mags, flashlight, multi-tool, first aid kit, 550 cord, gloves, etc.
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Hmm. Carrying bags/packs in my proposed inventory wasn’t something I’d considered. I may have to add satchels, cross-body sling bags, and backpacks to my list. I’m a bag junkie myself, and have several brands in my personal stash that would be great to carry: GoRuck, Maxpedition, Tuff Possum Gear, Hidden Woodsman, etc...
 
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