My EDC: Why I Wear a Vest

For years, my everyday carry lived in a fanny pack. I changed to a vest, settling on a Rothco Convertible Safari Jacket which I generally wore without the sleeves attached. While I like it, I was looking for something more substantial and I found that in 2008.

In 2008 we took a trip out west to Yellowstone. While there, I found a Coronado Leather vest in a small shop in Cody, WY. It was an investment piece. I bought it and I haven't looked back since (although I have had to buy a couple of replacements)

If you've met me in person since then, you've seen this vest (it can be seen in most of the photos of me). It's become as much a part of my daily uniform as my keys or my phone, and every pocket in it earns its keep.

What's in the Vest

Here's the current loadout:

• CCW
• Spare magazine
• 4" crescent wrench
• OLIGHT Baton4 Pro (paid link)¹
• Fisher Space Pen Military Cap-O-Matic (paid link)
• Bic lighter
• Money clip
• Travel Kleenex (paid link)
• Sharpie Pro
• Secrid Slimwallet
• SOG Twitch II pocket knife (paid link)
• Swiss Army Knife (Classic SD) (paid link)
• Titanium toothpick
• Alfion index card holder/wallet (paid link)

It's a mix of self-defense, tools, and small conveniences — enough to handle most of what a normal day throws at me, without weighing me down or printing through a t-shirt.

When Things Change

Flying complicates things, obviously. Some of the sharper and more explosive items above don't make the trip, so the loadout shifts depending on where I'm headed and how I'm getting there.

For situations that call for more than what the vest holds, I supplement with a knockoff Jumbo Versipack — what I call my [[Public/PrepperNotes/24 Hour Bag|24 Hour Bag]]. The main compartment of which is mission-specific, swapped out depending on what the day (or the trip) requires.