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Every Day Carry – My Take

Part of my Every Day Carry (EDC)

So, here we are.  A pretty vast topic with a bazillion opinions on what is right and what isn’t.

For the uninitiated, Every Day Carry, or EDC for short, is a collection of items which you carry on your person at all times (every day) to expand your level of preparedness and resilience in your daily activities and also to provide an edge in unforeseen situations.  This doesn’t always have to be a life-or-death catastrophe.  It can be something as simple as needing emergency cash, or cut packaging, but if you don’t have simple, quality, accessible tools for such things, you’d be at a disadvantage.  In a graver scenario, if catastrophe strikes and you’re unprepared, you’ll be less-likely to weather the storm.  Either way, you should always have an escape plan.

In a larger sense, your EDC is only a small part of a larger personal resilience plan, however, I’ll write separate posts for vehicle, office, home and emergency kits later on.  Right now, lets start at the most basic.

At the end of the day, I believe in three principles to follow when developing and gearing-up your Every Day Carry (EDC).

  1. FLEXIBILE: Is your kit adaptable to changing conditions?  Can it be scaled-up/down as needed?
  2. EFFECTIVE:  Are these items useful for multiple scenarios?  
  3. APPROPRIATE:  Will this be too much to carry, too attention-grabbing, or are the pieces of low quality and will fail you in your time of need?  Is it appropriate for your environment (Toronto, ON versus Manatoulin Island, versus Dallas, TX)?  Carrying a gun in Toronto is far different than Dallas, or in the woods of Manatoulin versus a courthouse in Toronto.  

A publication I recently read listed the appropriate EDC of a security-conscious individual as this:

  • Cell or Smartphone
  • Concealed carry handgun (WTF?!)
  • Extra magazine (again, WTF?!)
  • Flashlight
  • Folding knife
  • Lighter
  • Pen & Paper
  • Multi-tool
  • Money
  • Watch

That said, you’ll notice that concealed carry handgun(!) is on the list, as well as an extra magazine.  Now, that may fly in the US, but anywhere in Canada, you’ll be looking at jail time with that load-out.  Most of the rest on the list is pretty good, but again, assessing your daily EDC with the 3 Principles mentioned above should allow you to ensure your one step ahead of a problem.  Learn unarmed self-defence, use a steel-barrelled pen and a low-profile impact weapon of you need, but for the love of all that is imagined holy, don’t carry a gun around in Canada unless you want the cops after you.

Here is a picture of some of what I carry on me on a daily basis in Toronto, Canada.

My partial EDC load-out.

The above include:

  • Fisher Space Pen (writes consistently, small size)
  • Mini Bic lighter
  • Tiny USB key
  • Subway tokens (never know when you might need to abandon your car).
  • RAT-1 foldint knife (not “tactical” looking, just a simple, sharp, disposable blade).
  • Band-Aids (because you never know if you or someone else would need one.
  • Lock picks (several sets, because you just never know).
  • Diamond wire rod (again, because you never know).
  • Cash (because cash is king, and you might need a slice of pizza sometime).
  • Low-pro clip wallet

I also carry a few more things not in the picture, such as:

  • 1-2 steel-barrelled pens (Like Zebra or Parker) *not tactical-looking.
  • Tiny Inconspicuous Handcuff Key (because unlawful restraint wouldn’t customarily be conveniently timed).
  • 2-3 6′ lengths of Kevlar/Technora cordage
  • B.A.T. Coin (by Covert Products Group – read my review here.)
  • Key chain with my keys (No JI, I won’t post a picture of them
  • Anything else the day may call for based on my quick intel-dump before I leave – such as weather, traffic, events/protests in the city, etc…
  • Tiny LED flashlight (review soon…)
  • The Lolly (from Delta2Alpha.com )
Inside-the-fly of my Triple Aught Design Recon shorts. As if the Lolly isn’t even there.
About the size of a house key. Weighs next to nothing.

 

I do also ALWAYS wear a watch and will have my phone with me 99% of the time.  (in a dire emergency, I can always barter or pawn my watch for some cash and still have my phone for comms).

I love my watch. Titanium, lightweight, atomic and solar, compass and barometer and more.

For my daily purposes, there won’t be a gun involved in any way and multi-tools are too bulky for my activities.  Canadian laws would make me a SWAT-team call-out for a pistol, so that’s kinda off the table.

As a matter of course, I carry lock picks.  I’ve received several shocked and troubled looks from people should they find out about this, thinking I’m a burglar or something nefarious, but the simple fact is that I strictly adhere to lock picking ethics (read more about it here) and have used them to either help others (with permission, opened a car door for a guy who locked himself out in a blizzard with the car running – I saw it happen) or myself (lost the key to my bike lock) and only would use them to save a life in a dire circumstance.  Otherwise, they’re just tools used for the sport of Locksport.  I feel that, in an emergency, sometimes salvation is behind a locked door.  Better to make amends later when you’re safe, than not have the chance.

If you want an opportunity to learn how to pick locks, check out this amazing opportunity in Toronto in July 2017.    Details HERE!!!

I feel that this load out works for me, for my lifestyle, in Toronto, most of the time.  Thankfully it is scalable, can be augmented with things from my car.  (As mentioned above, I’ll be doing a piece on other EDC/kits at a later time) I also like that it is near-zero visibility thanks to the clip wallet and my spread placement across my person.

The great thing about EDC is that it’s a wide-open topic with huge on-going debates.  I prefer to focus on adjusting mine to my needs and environment (Toronto, Canada) while adhering to the 3 principles I mentioned and looking for new ways to make it more concealed and admissible into non-permissive environments.

The bottom line is this:

Keep some things on you wherever you go that will help you out of a jam if things get tough.  

By following those 3 principles and investing in decent equipment, you’ll be miles ahead of the masses who only have their phone when things go sideways.

In the meantime, keep modifying, keep testing, keep improving.

Till next time, stay crafty.

 

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Product Review – TheLolly by Delta 2 Alpha Design

I recently received a pair of tools – TheLolly – from our good friends over at Delta 2 Alpha and have gone about the process of playing with it and seeing what it can do.

***Note, I have both the Lollys – one “Predator Clear” and the other “Phantom Grey” coloured – however, I used only the “Phantom Grey” coloured one for better contrast in the photos.***

Here is what it looks like:

The Lolly – polymer last-ditch tool.

On their website, Delta 2 Alpha describes it thus:

"TheLolly is one of the most low profile, last ditch tools of its type on the market today. Due to its design it boasts a variety of carry options.

TheLolly was developed as a “Fingernail Saver” pocket pry-bar (light duty), and scraper (light duty) that will be less likely to leave scratch marks on glass, metal, and wood, it also features a 1/4″ bit driver. It has been laser cut from Cast Acrylic, a material that is only a few steps down from the canopy of a Tomcat.

The slot combined with our unique Ratchet-Teeth allows for an easy on off, but when twisted 90° (as it would be when held flat against the body) it acts as a cloth grabber for the elastic in undergarments and trousers.
*we haven’t seen the Ratchet Teeth done before, if you have please let us know so we can credit that person".

TheLolly is about the size of a standard house key.  It had a lanyard hole, a driver/hex bit hole, the attachment “ratchet tooth” slot, and of course, the chisel tip.  It makes for an interesting little tool as it is made from acrylic.

What I like about this design is first and foremost, it’s small.  It’s small and non-metallic, making it an ideal EDC (Every-Day Carry) item, even in various non-permissive environments.

About the size of a house key. Weighs next to nothing.

The edges are smooth, except for the points on the chisel tip, which are surprisingly sharp.  The lanyard hole will easily accept standard kevlar or 550-paracord to create a lanyard.  The ratchet tooth area grabs clothing well and is easy to manipulate into concealable places.  The inside of my TAD (Triple Aught Design Recon Shorts – in Deception) allowed easy and un-noticed concealment.

Inside-the-fly of my Triple Aught Design Recon shorts. As if TheLolly isn’t even there.

I suppose the sharp points on the Lolly are effective enough to puncture or cut certain materials (like packaging, for instance) and to be used for light scraping duties.

An additional use for TheLolly is as a last-ditch impact weapon.  Like a key, it can be held in the hand in multiple ways and used to strike an aggressor.  Here are some examples:

Through the first knuckle.
In the bottom of the fist, like the tiniest ice pick in the world.

To be clear, I didn’t test its durability in a strike, so I am not sure what kind of punishment the acrylic can take in the even you were to strike someone, nor do I know if TheLolly would shatter in your hand and cut you in the even you would use it.  That said, it does feel solid, and even so much so that I drove a screw into a window casement to try out the bit/hex function:

Using a standard driver bit with a standard screw, the acrylic Lolly did not bend nor break in the process.

Like the caption above states, the Lolly did not bend nor break nor seem to strain in any way during this process.  I was pleasantly surprised by this.  It gave great leverage and got the job done.  The bit fit perfectly.

All in all, TheLolly seems like a great little addition to your EDC kit, car kit, or travel load-out.  It’s acrylic, looks like a key and is non-threatening in appearance.  For the $15 bucks, it’s a great deal.

And Delta 2 Alpha is a Canadian company run by some really great bros doing some really great stuff, so check them out at http://delta2alpha.com

And if you’re really interested, the great guys at Delta 2 Alpha have graciously donated a few Lollys to be door prizes during our Covert Entry Concepts Course being offered in Toronto in July!  Check it out here!

Till next time, stay safe, stay crafty.

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Training Opportunity – Covert Entry Concepts – Toronto, July 2017

For the FIRST time in Canada….

The CORE Group

Covert Entry Concepts – 1st Canadian Offering
This course will teach Law Enforcement Personnel, Special Operations Forces, and Government employees and security professionals the principles of lock bypassing and making covert entries into buildings or properties.

This class is entirely hands on. From the moment you enter the course you will have tools in your hand and are working to exploit various locking mechanisms. Students will learn to recognize the vulnerabilities in existing hardware, how they are attacked, or sometimes even bypassed entirely. You’ll walk away with the skills needed to compromise most of the locks used in North America today. Students will be much better positioned to provide service in a variety of tactical areas: check welfare calls, search and arrest warrant service, establishing sniper positions, sneak and peak operations, surveillance operations, fire safe opening, and breaking and entering investigations.

Since the techniques taught in this class are largely nondestructive, agencies will also benefit by having a decrease in civil actions due to property damage.

The cost of the course is $675 USD or $895 CAD with a $200 deposit required to hold your place.

E-mail us at:

[email protected]

for more information and payment instructions.

(***See link to flyer at bottom***)

 

Schedule is:

Fri July 28: 1800hrs – late

Sat July 29: 0800hrs -1700hrs

Sun July 30: 0800hrs – 1700hrs

Included Equipment:

Included in the cost of the course is a comprehensive set of high quality tools that you can use on the job or practice at home to maintain the skills you’ll build in class.
• High Quality 12 Piece Pick Set
• Set of covert jigglers
• Set of warded picks
• Bump Hammer
• Bump keys
• An ez decoder
• Underdoor tool

***Friday dinner, Sat & Sun breakfasts, coffee and snacks included. Team dinner scheduled for Saturday night.

This course is being offered by The CORE Group      (www.enterthecore.net) , supported and sponsored by True North Tradecraft (www.truenorthtradecraft.ca) and Tactical Beaver Ltd.( www.tacticalbeaver.co ) .

“TB Classic” Logo Design

Tactical Beaver will have a selection of its Premier Apparel line available for sale during the duration of the course at a discount for attendees.

COVERT ENTRY CONCEPTS_July 2017 flyer

 

DISCLAIMER:  *Nothing in the course offering is intended to be used for unlawful purposes.  Consult with your local laws prior to employing these techniques in the field.  This is intended for lawful use ONLY.  True North Tradecraft and its partners do not condone or advocate illegal activities.*

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Training Review – Covert Entry Concepts by The CORE Group

How often have you thought “hey, I wish I could learn that…but the training is only available in the US.  So much for that.”?  I have.  Many times.  So, in my quest to build my own skills, I saved up some money and travelled to the United States to attend training I had my eye for months.

In November 2016, I had the privilege of attending the Covert Entry Concepts (CEC) training course in Maryland.  It was put on by The CORE Group in their Maryland facilities and wow, what a good time it was.

The CORE Group

(*I lucked-out by taking two courses back-to-back at The CORE Groups’ Maryland facilities, the Covert Entry Concepts and Physical Security Analyst.  This is a review for Covert Entry Concepts.  I will post a review of the Physical Security Analyst soon.)

The purpose of the course, in broad strokes, is to be given an education in physical security, how to identify and exploit any weaknesses with the ultimate goal to test those weaknesses and close any found loopholes for a client to protect them from attack.  As a security professional myself, I feel that expanding my skill sets is a responsibility to make me more effective in my job.

About The CORE Group (from their website):

The CORE Group was initially formed by a trio of security auditors and researchers who had collaborated on numerous projects and conference events over the years. At present, their combined experience in the physical security sector represents decades of hard knowledge and applied work.  The CORE Group finds innovative ways to augment typical security auditing and assessment. Most companies incorporate digital penetration testing and web application testing into their standard procedure of self-assessment. The CORE Group offers a variety of packages that can greatly assist in a company’s understanding of their security posture at a fraction of the cost of larger, more “conventional” testing.

The CORE Group conducts training all over, training Law Enforcement & Military, Government Agencies, Physical Security specialists, Red Team and PenTesters, IT Security and Locksport enthusiasts.  They attend many of the “cons” (such as Black Hat, DEF CON, SANS, etc.) throughout the US, many times running the “Lockpick Village”  and providing intensive training to professionals all over.

The course was a 2-day, Monday/Tuesday set-up.  A mixed bag of Law Enforcement, Military, physical security professionals and “other, government” types.  A good group of people to get to know and learn with.  Our Instructor, Rob, Chief of the Law Enforcement training division of The CORE Group, was welcoming and professional from the word “go”.  After some quick ice-breakers, we moved right into an introduction to lockpicking.

Learning lock picking concepts.

Discussions, anecdotes, slides and practical demonstrations were all used to great effect in training to underline the principles and applications for what were were learning about in that moment.  Everything was helped by Rob’s sense of humour, positive attitude, patience and obvious expertise in the subject matter.  We worked on a vast array of topics.  Lock-picking; bumping; bypasses; construction; safes; tamper-evident seals; elevators; impressioning; the Mace Face Challenge; casting keys; attack vectors; padlocks; restraint escapes and so much more.  So much information was covered that, even weeks later, I found myself re-reading the detailed notes I had made in an effort to absorb it all.  Not only was it an incredible amount of practical and useful information, but much of it was eye-opening and fascinating as well.  Not all aspects are covered in every session that Rob delivers due to geography or other issues, but my experience was just great.

Here is a look at some of the stuff we got to play with:

Learning to cut keys.
Classroom all set-up.
The challenges ahead…
The tools.  The cookie is of the utmost importance.
Practicing skills.

After enjoying amazing chicken, fantastic bbq, getting to know the other participants and doing an awesome escape exercise preceded by burpees (I hate burpees) it ended up being a really great time.

I felt as if it was a skill-building game-changer.  The depth and breadth of knowledge shared and learned was exceptional.  Though these are all perishable skills requiring regular practice, the base is unmistakably solid.  It certainly opened the door to a world of opportunities.  The people I met and the confidence in my abilities were well worth the cost and effort to travel south of the border.  I highly recommend taking this training if you have the means and opportunity.  It’s a staple of tradecraft and is useful in a myriad of situations (all ethically bounded, of course).  Use your powers for good.  And if you work hard, you can earn one of these…

The prize.  Earned.  BOOM.

 

NOW…

If you’re interested in taking this course IN CANADA, True North Tradecraft, in partnership with Tactical Beaver, will be sponsoring a unique run of this course in downtown Toronto on the weekend of July 28-29-30, 2017, to be taught by Rob of The CORE Group.  This training is not available anywhere else in Canada (to my knowledge – and I’ve searched) and is well worth it’s weight in gold.  It will include top-tier instruction, a kit of equipment for you to practice on and keep when you’re done and breakfast daily with dinner on the Friday night.  For more detailed information, e-mail us at [email protected] .  Spaces are limited and booking up already.  Tactical Beaver will also have a table with great apparel available to purchase at a discount.

Check it out.  It’s a really great opportunity to learn from an expert in the field and do so IN CANADA!

See you at CEC – Toronto!

-Stay Crafty

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The Jody Mitic Podcast # 38 – Tactical Beaver & True North Tradecraft

Last Saturday, May 27th, Tactical Beaver and True North Tradecraft made an appearance in our nation’s capital.  We met with Tactical Beaver fans at a fine pub in the Glebe (Irene’s) and shared some good cheer and made some new friends.  And sold some shirts!

It was a great start to a day which would see us as guests of Jody Mitic and the Jody Mitic Podcast.

We had been invited to be guests on Jody’s podcast to discuss Tactical Beaver and True North Tradecraft, our vision, goals and of course, shoot the shit with him.  It was all that and more.  Jody and Luke were gracious, humble and very fun to spend a few hours with.  They even invited us back!

We couldn’t leave Ottawa without meeting with some new friends for breakfast at the Wellington Diner, namely Marc from Hayabusa Ninjutsu and his lovely family.  Thank you for the recommendation.

We are looking forward to next time.  Till then, check out the great podcast here and follow Jody Mitic, The Jody Mitic Podcast, Tactical Beaver and True North Tradecraft on Facebook and Instagram.  Subscribe to the Podcast to hear more of Jody’s unique take on things and his other amazing guests.

Stay crafty.