Carrying tactical EDC gear means more than just having an array of sharp looking blacked out gear. It means that the tools you carry to help you through your day are durable enough to stay ready for action through years of use and versatile enough to accomplish a wide variety of tasks. Being tactical means carefully planning out your EDC loadout so that you can be as efficient and effective as possible.
But with so many manufacturers creating “tactical” gear these days, it can be difficult to distinguish the gear that’s legit from the gear that’s just pretending to be tactical. That’s why we wanted to help you out by creating a list of 7 tactical EDC essentials for men. These EDC gear items are the real deal and will help you upgrade your own EDC kit in a matter of no time. Let’s get started.
Why Carry Tactical EDC Gear?
Carrying tactical EDC gear is all about efficiency. When a problem comes up, you should strive to take care of it in the most direct and expeditious manner so that it doesn’t evolve into a bigger problem. Having tactical gear on hand that serves multiple purposes helps to solve issues expeditiously as you can leverage one piece of gear to solve a myriad of problems.
For example, carrying a tactical pen is more than having something on hand to write with. A tactical pen is also capable of breaking open windows in an emergency situation where you need to egress out of a building or vehicle quickly. It’s also capable of using for self-defense if you have nothing else on hand.
Tactical gear also must be lightweight and durable. Keeping your gear lightweight prevents it from becoming a liability in slowing you down. Being able to move quickly, especially in an emergency situation, can be the difference between life and death in some cases. Additionally, your gear must be durable enough so that you can readily rely on it at a moment’s notice.
Each piece of tactical EDC gear in our list meets or exceeds these standards so you can have the confidence that they are worthy of the title of being tactical EDC ready.
Top Tactical EDC Essentials
1) Tactical Flashlight
Fenix - Tk16 V2.0 Tactical Flashlight
Carrying a flashlight with you is essential for dealing with one of the most tactical environments you’ll encounter: the dark. Being able to see when the power goes out is paramount to being able to deal with any potential danger that may be hidden from view.
The Fenix TK16 V2.0 is one of the best tactical flashlights on the market today. With a rechargeable battery that lasts ups to 43 hours and 20 minutes, you’ll be able to depend on your light to work no matter what.
With 5 brightness levels, you can easily select the level of brightness you need in order to illuminate as much space as you need with the adjustment of the easy-to-use dial at the end of the light. And with a maximum range of 1247’, you can illuminate a significant amount of area in an instant.
In addition to the brightness levels, the Fenix TK16 V2.0 is also equipped with a strobe feature. This can be used to help alert others to your position or can be used to disorient a would-be attacker to give you the upper hand in a self-defense situation.
And if worse comes to worse in a self-defense situation, the head of the flashlight is designed with 3 breaking tips that can be used to help you defend yourself. These tips are also capable of quickly breaking open a window in the event you need to escape a car or building quickly.
2) Tactical Pen
Gerber - Impromptu Tactical Pen
Another hallmark of carrying tactical gear is to build redundancy into your kit. If one tool fails or gets lost, you’ll have another waiting in the wings ready to get the job done. The Impromptu Tactical Pen from Gerber fits this tactical requirement with its glass breaking tip at the end of the pen. Should your flashlight fail or get lost, you’ll have a way to quickly egress from an enclosed windowed space.
Aside from being capable of breaking open windows, Gerber’s Impromptu Tactical Pen helps you create immaculate notes in any weather condition. With its write in the rain ink cartridge, you can craft crystal clear messages regardless of what the weather is doing outside.
And with its stainless-steel pocket clip, you can easily carry your pen in your pocket and be able to deploy it quickly as the clip will keep your pen secure so you’ll know where it is at no matter what.
3) Tactical Knife
The Spyderco Civilian G-10 was designed to model the styles of knives that undercover police officers used during the 1990s. Officers found that in situations where carrying a firearm was not possible, the curved “S” style blade was plenty capable for using in self-defense situations.
The knife fits perfectly in your hand and functions almost like a large claw. It is unmatched in its slicing capabilities, which is critical in self-defense situations.
In addition to self-defense, the Spyderco Civilian G-10 is also great to use for cutting seat belts in the event of a motor vehicle accident. So whether you’re needing to extricate yourself or someone else, you’ll be able to do so quickly with this knife.
When not in use, the blade folds neatly into the handle and is capable of being carried with the tip of the knife up or down in your pocket, as the retention clip is able to be adjusted based on your carrying preferences.
4) Wallet w/ Multi-Tool Card
Axwell - Axwell Wallet w/ Mission Multi-Tool Card
If you ask anyone who carries EDC gear with them on a daily basis, you’ll get a wide variety of answers as to the contents of their kit. Some people carry more gear while others like to carry a limited amount of gear. The thing that everyone has in common is that they carry a wallet. Your wallet contains all of the most essential documents you need in order to function in modern society. From IDs to credit cards, it is an essential piece of EDC gear that everyone has on them.
To that end, the most tactical wallet on the market today is the Axwell Wallet. It’s capable of carrying 1-12 cards inside of its RFID blocking mag-lock plates. The 6061-T6 aerospace grade aluminum keeps your cards safe and secure so you’ll be able to rest assured that your wallet won’t break down like traditional leather wallets tend to do.
The Axwell Wallet is capable of also carrying a variety of accessories. One of the best ones to keep inside of it is the Axwell Multi-Tool Card. This little credit card sized tool packs an impressive 23 different tools, so you can use it in a wide variety of situations. And when you’re done using it, simply slip it right back inside of your wallet.
5) Tactical Watch
Garmin - tactix® Delta - Solar Edition
Keeping track of the time allows you to communicate effectively with your team. While many today use their phones to find the time, the fact that your battery can die or your phone can get easily broken or lost makes it an unreliable source for keeping time, especially in an emergency situation.
The Garmin tactix Delta Solar Edition watch is capable of staying charged by just using the energy from the sun. Its solar powered interface gives you a dependable time keeping piece that will give you up to 21 days of power if it’s never exposed to the sun.
Additionally, its steel bezel is practically indestructible so you can depend on your watch working no matter what.
And it’s paired with the GPS capabilities of Garmin so you’ll be able to use it for navigation as well as determining the altitude you’re currently at so you can get to where you’re going reliably wherever you are.
6) Tactical Gloves
Mechanix - M-Pact® Covert Tactical Impact Resistant Gloves
One of the most important parts of your EDC that a lot of people neglect to carry are gloves. Each tool that you use depends on being able to use your hands. If your hands get injured, your ability to respond to emergency situations significantly decreases.
To that end, we highly recommend carrying a pair of Mechanix M-Pact Covert Tactical Impact Resistant Gloves. The padding on the top of the gloves keep your hands save from getting smashed by falling debris, allowing you to continue to use your tools when working in an unstable environment.
Additionally, the palms of the gloves are outfitted with the legendary Mechanix fabric that improves your grip. And the touch screen enabled finger tips allows you to use your phone or other touch screen device without having to take the gloves off.
7) Tactical Sunglasses
Gatorz - Magnum Ballistics MAGZBLK01AMIL
Something that’s even more important than keeping your hands safe is keeping your eyes safe. Sunglasses protect your eyes while working outside from the harmful UV rays emitted from the sun. But not all sunglasses are created equal. Non-tactical glasses are subject to breaking easily, so carrying a set of tactical sunglasses will ensure your eyes will be protected from the sun no matter what.
The Gatorz Magnum Ballistics sunglasses are practically bomb proof. The frames are forged from CNC machined aluminum so that your glasses can stand up to practically anything. The oversized lenses give you plenty of protection from the sun and are also coated with fog-proof coating so that you can clearly see in any environment.
Final Thoughts
Remember that just carrying tactical gear doesn’t ensure that you’ll be able to deal with every problem you face. You have to train with your gear to get efficient with it. Take the time to learn the uses for each of your items in your EDC kit and practice with them consistently so that when the time comes to use them in a tactical situation, you’ll be ready.
And when you’re ready to upgrade your wallet to the most tactical wallet on the market today, the Axwell Wallet, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Sign up for the Axwell Army Newsletter by clicking here and get a special discount on your first Axwell Wallet purchase.
