As a concealed carry instructor, I am often asked what items should be carried for personal defense. As civilians with lives to lead, we can’t go around in full battle-rattle at all times. There are, however, certain pieces of gear that could mean the difference between life and death and should be included in your daily kit.
The most obvious item to have with you for most people is their handgun. While important, I would rank this as your second most valuable self-defense tool. So, what’s number one? It’s something that you already carry, you just have to activate it for use…it’s your mind. This means going about your day in a state of mental awareness, what the famed Jeff Cooper called “Condition Yellow”. It means being ready to avoid situations that could get you in trouble or having the willingness to suck up some of that pride and deescalate a situation before it devolves into a serious problem. Your mind is your number one asset and you should train it to recognize potential threats, develop alternate plans, and be prepared to defend yourself at all costs. Unfortunately, too many people allow a concealed carry license and a handgun to give them a false sense of security and forget about the importance of actually thinking.
Now that we have your mind in gear, let’s talk about what you should carry. In order to defend yourself with the best tools allowed by law, you must actual have those tools with you. This means having your handgun with you and on your person at all times. A .44 Magnum tucked into the glove box is not going to help you if accosted in the parking lot. That custom 1911 does you no good sitting at home in the safe when you and your family are facing violence at the park. You must have your handgun with you. We will cover handgun selection in a future article but know that the choice you make in the selection process will have a direct bearing on your willingness to always go armed.
With your mind working and your handgun at your side, you are already far above the average person in your ability to defend yourself and your loved ones. In part two of this article, we will cover other items that every civilian will find useful or even critical if ever confronted with that event we all pray will never happen. In part one of this article, we talked about the importance of activating your mind and having your handgun with you at all times. There are, however, other items that you should consider making part of your daily carry kit. These items could mean the difference between life and death or simply be a real convenience in many situations. I consider a tactical flashlight to be a critical addition to what you have on your person at all times. Most attacks occur in a dark environment and if you can’t see the attacker, it’s going to be hard to defend yourself. Even during the daylight hours, a power outage at the mall or super-market can plunge you into darkness and provide opportunities for those less than savory characters to take advantage of an unforeseen circumstance. As humans, we rely on sight more than any other sense so it is up to you to be sure you can see. You also can use the flashlight for identifying trouble before it gets too close or to avoid misidentifying an innocent as a threat. The bright beam of a tactical flashlight can disorient an attacker, buying you valuable time for escape or defense. Your flashlight makes a great striking weapon and can be carried in your hand if you sense trouble or start feeling uneasy…unlike a handgun which must be kept concealed until the threat is imminent. Your flashlight can be used as a rescue beacon or even be a life-saver when you have to change that tire on a dark night. I find I use my flashlight on a daily basis to assist in the little aggravations of life, and anything that can help make my life a little smoother is a valuable tool. Your cell phone is essential for summoning the police, whether that is before or after an encounter. Most cell phones have cameras built in and can be used judicially for collecting pictures of anything you deem necessary. Use the voice recorder to take down license plate numbers or descriptions of people or events while they are fresh in your mind. Take advantage of the memory in your cell and store any numbers that you think are valuable. Program not only police, sheriff, and fire numbers but emergency numbers of industrial plants or rail road intersections that are in your area of operations, the number for poison control hotline and maybe even your attorney’s phone number. Don’t be caught wishing you could call someone…have that number ready. Other items to consider would be, in no particular order, a spare (loaded) magazine, a fighting knife, a utility tool like a Leatherman, and even some means of less-than-lethal defense such as pepper spray. Your I.D. and weapons license is an obvious must-have. If you’re not careful, you can end up going out with what appears to be the bat-belt around your waist so look at your situation and make gear decisions based on your needs and your training. Tom Smith is the owner of Stillwater Armory in Stillwater, OK. He teaches self-defense and firearms classes as well as providing valuable insight into gear selection in his retail store. Each state has different concealed carry laws. Be sure to know and understand your state’s laws and never violate those laws.