KNIVES AND FLASHLIGHTS

By Patrik Hill

     An EDC (Every Day Carry) kit is like a cookbook recipe and situational awareness to your EDC will dictate how you alter it, but for a standard set up there are two items that you absolutely need to have with you; a knife and flashlight.  When I was a younger man, my father once told me that “if you run out of places to put a knife or a flashlight, you aren’t looking hard enough.”  These words still ring true to this day.

     Your concealed carry, your pistol of choice and spare magazine, is and always should be fielder’s choice.  The same thing holds true for your knife and flashlight.  These are tools in a toolbox, each with a specific and designated purpose.

     In the back country, the notion of concealed carry is a moot point.  My holster and gear reflect that and each is mounted accordingly, same with my knife.  For the wilds I have a nice full sized Gerber or GLOCK field knife.  These serve multiple uses for cutting, digging small trenches or even sawing off small branches for kindling.  However, these are not necessarily practical for EDC.

     For EDC I rely on an ESSE Izula Knife.  With a blade length of only two and a half inches and a miniscule two ounce  weight, it allows easy concealed carry and still be a legitimately functioning tool.  The knife has a skeleton handle with optional panels that can be purchased either in a kit or after the fact and attached, presumably for better grip, however gloved or bare handed, I have never had issues with the knife slipping, or loss of control.

     The sheath is a simple affair utilizing tension to hold the blade in place.  What makes the sheath stand out is a unique design along its side to allow for attachment in various ways.  I immediately wove some cordage through the loops allowing it to hang from my neck, tough it can just as easily be belt mounted or MOLLE mounted.  As a fighting knife I wouldn’t count on it, though if you get to the point where you need to bring a knife in a gun fight, you are already in a world of hurt.

     However, as a proper tool it has been extremely efficient as having used it as a screwdriver, and even a can opener for canned stew.  The latter part was more just to see what the knife could and couldn’t do.  Even after punching through a tin can it still held its point and edge.

     Flashlights are as wide as varied as they come and I have carried a fair number of them.  Maglite Minimag was one of the first lights I ever carried and to this day there is one in my hunting pack and camping pack.  Recently I have updated my carry light to the SureFire E2E Executive Elite from the SureFire G2 Nitrolon. 

     I made the official switch from Maglite to SureFire after taking a late night delivery job and realizing that people don’t keep their porch lights on.  The Minimag just wasn’t cutting it and after a recommendation from a friend I switched up.  I had no idea that this decision would actually save me from getting beaten up, or worse.  One particular situation I can recall had me shining a blast from the SureFire into the eyes of a would-be thief.  He quickly thought twice about unburdening me of my cash as he lay on the ground, writhing in pain.

     The G2 was affordable as far as higher end flashlights go, but has a tendency to heat up with the incandescent bulb in it and literally burn through batteries.  Where the E2E shines (pun intended) is the ON/OFF switch mechanism.  The E2E has the same momentary ON/OFF tail cap that the G2 has, but instead of having to turn it to the constant ON position the tail cap just needs to be clicked on or off.  Utilizing the same incandescent bulb, the E2E seems to remain cooler under longer usage periods.  This could also be due to the differences of the Nitrolon shell on the G2 versus the aluminum body of the E2E.

     At a scant four and a half inches tall, and three ounces, the E2E delivers a bright 60 lumens in a compact package.

     If I have one complaint with SureFire flashlights over Maglites it is the usage of the 123A batteries over traditional AA batteries.  The AA batteries are very easy to find and most importantly, cheap.  The 123A are more common than they used to be, but not always as inexpensive as AA batteries.

     Both of these items are absolutely essential to an effective EDC and will allow you the ability to more effectively negotiate hostile situations you might find yourself in.  Whatever you choose to carry for an EDC, make sure you include a knife and flashlight as part of this kit.  And like all good tools, know how to use them.