EDC - What's In Your Pocket(s)??? Part 2

[amue]

Mine today (although the Delica Wave is of course in rotation with some other knives):

 

[panch0]

Today I traveled light.

 

[Roger999]

 

[Bierkameel]

 

[Charlie Mike]

[youtube]yahxnu0ruqu[/youtube]

 

[Last Visible Canary]

How do you like the Lunada, if you don't mind me asking? I've got a Jumbo Versipack, and it's pretty great, but not quite big enough… and when the water bottle holder is full, the balance is off. Looking for a possible replacement.

Thanks!

You know, before I found out that the lunada existed, I looked into all of the other packs from maxpedition and found that none of them were something I'd be likely to actually carry. I loved the remora, it was just a tad bit to small. I don't like 2 things about the jumbo - the manta style back plate and that it's horizontal storage making it take up a bigger foot print than the lunada.

I got the lunada in the hopes that I'd be able to carry it off the d-rings with a 1.5" strap, but that turned out to be pretty impractical. Personally I don't like the center strap or the gearslinger concept, for me if I'm going to carry something smaller than a back pack i want it on a side to side strap, and if it's back pack sized I'd rather just carry a back pack. That said, I've gotten used to the lunada's center mounted shoulder strap.

The manta style back plate makes a few things difficult or impossible. While impractical, I can technically rig up my lunada to be a drop down leg carry (for when I have a back pack on and I don't want a stap over strap set up or when i want my chest free from backage/extra weight (when it's hot)) and I simply can't do that comfortably with a manta backplate. With the lunada I can actually strap it to the side of my falcon 2. It's pretty rediculous, but it works with very little modification. This would also be much more difficult with the manta style back plate.

The lunada fixed a few of the issues I had with the remora, namely that I don't carry anything taller than 6" in the main compartment, and that top area is wasted. The lunada puts a top pouch on the outside, a zippered pocket on the inside of the front flap, and a velcro strap for the bottom slip pocket on the back of the inside compartment. I'd rather have a loose slip pocket instead of that extra long velcro strap, but as it is I can use it to strap a calculator to the back. I can use the rolly poly pouch on the side for water bottles without adding the permanent horizontal foot print, or I can insert shorter bottles sideways into the main compartment at the top.

In short, I love it for what I carry and how I like to carry bags of that size. All of the larger maxpedition bags have that manta style back plate that I don't want. I'm not actually sure which would hold more stuff, the lunada, colossus or jumbo... If your considering the lunada (which from what I can tell is more of a different carry set up than a significant capacity upgrade from the jumbo), also look into the larger malaga pack.

http://milspecmonkey.com/weargear/packsbags/267-maxpedition-malaga-gearslinger

 

[hhw400]

benchmade 520 and 556

 

[holygoat]

Thanks, LVC! That's really helpful! :thumbup:

 

[ICSK]

Click for a larger photo.




A) Buxton coin sorting wallet
To be honest, I can't remember where I got the wallet from. I know Buxton make a very similar version but I can't speak to the quality of theirs vs mine. Other than that, great wallet for getting rid of all your change. However, it's not for everyone. The downfall of having so many coins in your wallet is that it weighs it down significantly (mine measures 6-7 oz usually). In addition to that, credit card space is very limited (You could probably fit 6 credit cards comfortably. More if you really shove the cards down and cause the leather to expand). In addition to that there really isn't a place to put your paper money. I just leave them folded as shown in my photo. The thing I love about the wallet is that it has a zipper (albeit, a weak one) that goes all the way around it. This way, I can really shrink the size of the wallet. This can make it uncomfortable if the wallet is in the wrong position in your pocket while you're sitting. Otherwise, it's very comfortable.

B) iTP A1 EOS
$10-15 bucks cheaper than the 4Sevens Quark Mini 123!!! There's a post on CPF indicating it's practically the same light statwise (Go dig it up! I'm not enough of a flashaholic to explain the details.). The major differences between these two lights are the modes that are offered. With the 4Sevens offering, you get moonlight, SOS, strobe, and beacon modes. I don't think the last 3 modes are necessary FOR ME in an EDC role. SOS probably isn't necessary as I planned on using this as an EDC light. Help is just a phone call away! Or when that's too slow, my first aid kits are in the car and backpack. Strobe can't be accessed quickly enough to be used defensively. I'll admit that I overlooked beacon mode too quickly. I can definitely see this being used to mark an important location at night. However, my worries are mitigated as I've never had a situation where I thought I'd need a beacon. Moonlight mode is one that I have definitely found myself wanting a moonlight mode as the 1.5 lumen low mode on the iTP is just a tiny bit too bright. I've found it to kill some of my night vision if I'm using it against a white background. The next differences between the two would be physical. The 4Sevens offering has aggressive knurling. As you can see, I fixed the lack of knurling by adding some skateboard tape. Easy and cheap fix! One thing that the 4Sevens offering lacks is a pocket clip! I use the pocket clip on my iTP every day! I don't know why 4Sevens hasn't decided to put one on their light yet. One of the major downfalls I've found is that the iTP A1 EOS fails to function correctly if enough pocket lint, dirt, etc gets into the area under the O-ring. Sometimes it'll immediately switch modes or flicker if this is allowed to happen. I can't speak as to whether or not this holds true for the 4Sevens Quark Mini 123 but I imagine this is also true. Thus, this last argument is mute. Was it worth the extra $10-15? You decide.

C) Spyderco Native
Everyone here knows their knives. I don't think I need to explain much . The lack of jimping, their newer volcano grip, jimping on the choil and a FFG blade make it somewhat of an oddity amongst Spyderco's lineup. The Native 4 prototype looks pretty nice though. It seems to fix most of the problems that this version of the Native had.


D) HTC Vogue
Just some Verizon humor. I doubt many will understand it. Normally I have Windows Mobile 6.5 on the phone. Fun fact: This was one of the last few Verizon smartphones without a data plan you could get before all the companies decided to charge ridiculous amounts of money for internet access. You can no longer get this phone, however, so no mini-review is required.

E) Leatherman Squirt PS4
There are already great reviews all over the place so I won't go too in-depth with this. One of the things I like about this new model is how they've reduced the size of the phillips screwdriver (compared to the Micra). I felt this was an appropriate change as you can't really build a house with one of these. For some reason, all my Leatherman multi-tools seem to come with lots of wiggle in the scissors and pliers. I sent it back in for warranty and they gave me back my tool in rivets! I called up Leatherman customer service and they told me the rivets were a rolling change and being applied to all new models. So the moral of the story is: Keep your PS4s if they still use those torx screws! Those versions are discontinued!

Edit: According to Leatherman (called them up on two separate occasions), the design of the handles did not work as well as it did with torx screws. Therefore, they switched back to rivets. While this is vague, I'd like to believe that Leatherman wouldn't lie to one of their customers. I didn't press the Customer Service reps any further so this is all the information I have on the change.

F) Zebra F301 Compact
The reason I have this pen open is that I modded it to take a medium Fisher Space Pen refill. I did this by grinding down the cap. Love the low riding pocket clip as well as how the cap can attach to the end to form a full sized pen.

G) Asp Key Defender
Can't say I recommend this item at all. It was the first EDC item I bought (before I found out about all the forums and youtubers that focus on this subject) so it has some sentimental value. The reason I don't like this kubaton/pepper spray is that it's FAR too expensive for what it is. $30 bucks for the unit itself and $7 for refills! This thing only gets me 1-2 half second shots (3 according to the manual. That's highly unlikely though). The knurling was VERY grippy initially. Not so true after about 1 year of EDC. It's completely worn out and practically useless now. I will admit that the safety system is very good. I've never had it come close to getting loose or wiggling open. It's activated by flipping that switch towards the top, which I happened to put skateboard tape on as well. It simply was too hard to deploy quickly without that addition. Ah, how misinformed I was before I found the forums and youtubers. It's a nice reminder as to what the common person thinks is suitable to get the job done.

H) Fauxton coin cell light
Great backup light. Conveniently, it uses the same battery as my car remote . That way if I need a backup battery on my remote, I can use the one on the Fauxton and vice versa.

I) Fox 40 Micro
Just another item I consider a self defense item. I'm sure it's more than loud enough to scare away a criminal (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Recently, I've been using it to scare away animals I don't want near me.

J) 16gb PNY Pico Mini
Decent flash drive. 30 MB/s read speed (blazing fast for a flash drive of this size) but only 8 MB/s write (average speed for flash drives). I've found that sometimes it doesn't detect in random USB slots when you first plug it in. After it's recognized by the computer, it works perfectly. To be honest, I'm surprised at how well it's worn. I thought for sure the connectors would strip out or the thing would break. However, through normal EDC use it's held remarkably well.

K) Keys
Already explained how it uses the same batteries as my flashlights

Not shown:
hand written literature on state and county knife laws. Because we have draconian laws here! I'd like to make sure that I know my rights and laws if I should ever need to! It's usually in my wallet


END OF RIDICULOUSLY LONG EDC POST! Once I started, I just couldn't stop! The words naturally flow out.

Total weight of this EDC comes out to a little over a pound. The heaviest thing I carry is the wallet, which weights 6-7 oz depending on how many coins are in there.

 

[xtestifyx]

B) iTP A1 EOS
$10-15 bucks cheaper than the 4Sevens Quark Mini 123!!! There's a post on CPF indicating it's practically the same light statwise (Go dig it up! I'm not enough of a flashaholic to explain the details.). The major differences between these two lights are the modes that are offered. With the 4Sevens offering, you get moonlight, SOS, strobe, and beacon modes. I don't think the last 3 modes are necessary FOR ME in an EDC role. SOS probably isn't necessary as I planned on using this as an EDC light. Help is just a phone call away! Or when that's too slow, my first aid kits are in the car and backpack. Strobe can't be accessed quickly enough to be used defensively. I'll admit that I overlooked beacon mode too quickly. I can definitely see this being used to mark an important location at night. However, my worries are mitigated as I've never had a situation where I thought I'd need a beacon. Moonlight mode is one that I have definitely found myself wanting a moonlight mode as the 1.5 lumen low mode on the iTP is just a tiny bit too bright. I've found it to kill some of my night vision if I'm using it against a white background. The next differences between the two would be physical. The 4Sevens offering has aggressive knurling. As you can see, I fixed the lack of knurling by adding some skateboard tape. Easy and cheap fix! One thing that the 4Sevens offering lacks is a pocket clip! I use the pocket clip on my iTP every day! I don't know why 4Sevens hasn't decided to put one on their light yet. One of the major downfalls I've found is that the iTP A1 EOS fails to function correctly if enough pocket lint, dirt, etc gets into the area under the O-ring. Sometimes it'll immediately switch modes or flicker if this is allowed to happen. I can't speak as to whether or not this holds true for the 4Sevens Quark Mini 123 but I imagine this is also true. Thus, this last argument is mute. Was it worth the extra $10-15? You decide.

Wow, that's a lot of talking!

Unless you do LowMedHigh switches very quickly for two cycles, you will not tread into the Strobe, SOS and beacon modes. That alone makes it worth it for me, as my Nitecore D11 cannot access Low or High Mode right away.

Low->Medium->High->Low->Medium->High->Strobe->SOS->Beacon Hi->Beacon Low

"The 4Sevens offering has aggressive knurling. As you can see, I fixed the lack of knurling by adding some skateboard tape."

If it doesn't come perfect from the manufacturer, sure, anyone can fix it. But ask yourself, would you rather that it came perfect right from the start?

There are basically 4 choices to 4Seven's Mini line. There's a Preon I for a single AAA Battery, Mini AA, Mini 123 and a Mini CR2. That is variety and dedication, as every person prefer a special dimension/design. They also carry a Titanium version for each and every Mini Model.

10 year warranty. This speak volumes, I'm sure most would agree.

American based Customer Service with representatives on the phone.

A forum member recently had a problem with his Mini AA, he spoke to 4Sevens and returned the light and paid the difference for another of their lights.

I also had a little issue to pick on 4Seven's Preon 2. The anodizing had a different color on the head compared to the body. I spoke to them and returned it, had my full refund back.

What would you do when your iTp light goes out? Would you still be preaching how good it is when it worked?

 

[Tubig]

 

[ICSK]

Wow, that's a lot of talking!

I probably could have talked more, sadly enough. I had to pull myself from the computer last night so I could go to bed!

Unless you do LowMedHigh switches very quickly for two cycles, you will not tread into the Strobe, SOS and beacon modes. That alone makes it worth it for me, as my Nitecore D11 cannot access Low or High Mode right away.

Low->Medium->High->Low->Medium->High->Strobe->SOS->Beacon Hi->Beacon Low

I can see why people would like it that way. It certainly makes sense in an EDC role. However, in a defensive situation, I don't think that Strobe can be accessed quickly enough. I believe I stated this in my post? Other than that, I can't think of other uses for strobe. I covered the rest of the modes and their potential uses

If it doesn't come perfect from the manufacturer, sure, anyone can fix it. But ask yourself, would you rather that it came perfect right from the start?

To be honest, I'd rather fix it myself IF it saves me a lot of money and is a relatively easy fix (like the knurling issue).

There are basically 4 choices to 4Seven's Mini line. There's a Preon I for a single AAA Battery, Mini AA, Mini 123 and a Mini CR2. That is variety and dedication, as every person prefer a special dimension/design. They also carry a Titanium version for each and every Mini Model.

This holds true for iTP as well. They don't have CR2 or titanium versions but I believe iTP has always been a high value alternative. If you so desire those versions, I can't hold you against it. Even I've drooled over many of the 4Sevens offerings . However, in the end, my wallet decides what I can buy.

10 year warranty. This speak volumes, I'm sure most would agree.

American based Customer Service with representatives on the phone.

A forum member recently had a problem with his Mini AA, he spoke to 4Sevens and returned the light and paid the difference for another of their lights.

I also had a little issue to pick on 4Seven's Preon 2. The anodizing had a different color on the head compared to the body. I spoke to them and returned it, had my full refund back.

What would you do when your iTp light goes out? Would you still be preaching how good it is when it worked?

Could not agree with this more. I bought a total of 3 and had a problem with one of them. It would sometimes click into the next mode if you hit the casing too hard. Seeing as how I didn't want to send it back to China, I'll just live with it. As for it going out, I can't preach about that yet. Only time will tell. I haven't heard of any reports on CPF indicating it'd completely fail to function so I think I still have time. I'd still preach about it being a great alternative to the Quark Mini 123.

 

[somber]

 

[HikingMano]

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


Might as well give an updated shot of the rest:

 

[ranchero26]

Paramilitary 2. How you liking it?

 

[xtestifyx]

Could not agree with this more. I bought a total of 3 and had a problem with one of them. It would sometimes click into the next mode if you hit the casing too hard. Seeing as how I didn't want to send it back to China, I'll just live with it. As for it going out, I can't preach about that yet. Only time will tell. I haven't heard of any reports on CPF indicating it'd completely fail to function so I think I still have time. I'd still preach about it being a great alternative to the Quark Mini 123.

Respect. :thumbup:

I don't only preach about one brand I really like, and I do really appreciate variety. Thank you :thumbup:


My Knife

 

[HikingMano]

Paramilitary 2. How you liking it?

VERY MUCH! In short: Ergos are best I've had in a folder (Military is great too, but this is just as comfy while being compact), compression lock is nice and lock-up is solid with no play, liquid smooth action, full liners, tip-up is perfect on a folder this size, blade size and shape are perfect for my EDC needs, and the elimination of the protruding tang when closed is great.

The knife just fits my hand like a glove. I handled the first paramilitary a few times and just did not like the ergos. It felt cramped and awkward to me; the para2 feels leaps and bounds better in hand. The ergos are closer to the Military, IMO, than the Para1.

And the price is sweet as well. I'm even thinking about getting a spare... which would definitely be a first for me .



Side-by-side for kicks:

 

[Roger999]

B) iTP A1 EOS
$10-15 bucks cheaper than the 4Sevens Quark Mini 123!!! There's a post on CPF indicating it's practically the same light statwise (Go dig it up! I'm not enough of a flashaholic to explain the details.). The major differences between these two lights are the modes that are offered. With the 4Sevens offering, you get moonlight, SOS, strobe, and beacon modes. I don't think the last 3 modes are necessary FOR ME in an EDC role. SOS probably isn't necessary as I planned on using this as an EDC light. Help is just a phone call away! Or when that's too slow, my first aid kits are in the car and backpack. Strobe can't be accessed quickly enough to be used defensively. I'll admit that I overlooked beacon mode too quickly. I can definitely see this being used to mark an important location at night. However, my worries are mitigated as I've never had a situation where I thought I'd need a beacon. Moonlight mode is one that I have definitely found myself wanting a moonlight mode as the 1.5 lumen low mode on the iTP is just a tiny bit too bright. I've found it to kill some of my night vision if I'm using it against a white background. The next differences between the two would be physical. The 4Sevens offering has aggressive knurling. As you can see, I fixed the lack of knurling by adding some skateboard tape. Easy and cheap fix! One thing that the 4Sevens offering lacks is a pocket clip! I use the pocket clip on my iTP every day! I don't know why 4Sevens hasn't decided to put one on their light yet. One of the major downfalls I've found is that the iTP A1 EOS fails to function correctly if enough pocket lint, dirt, etc gets into the area under the O-ring. Sometimes it'll immediately switch modes or flicker if this is allowed to happen. I can't speak as to whether or not this holds true for the 4Sevens Quark Mini 123 but I imagine this is also true. Thus, this last argument is mute. Was it worth the extra $10-15? You decide.

FWIW the knurling on my quark 123 is visible but not very aggressive or grippy.

 

[ICSK]

FWIW the knurling on my quark 123 is visible but not very aggressive or grippy.

Really? That's quite the surprise. Does it still allow for easy one handed activation? That's all that really matters in the end. The iTP's knurling is practically null. You'd be hard pressed to activate it one handed unless you really focused on it.

 

[HikingMano]

I have no problem activating my Quark Mini 123 one handed.