While the Gear Journal is mostly focused on the regular Joe and his EDC needs, we thought it might be interesting to hear from a professional. Rick is a captain on a New York police force. He’s survived an off-duty shoot out with a bad guy as well as 9-11. He’s been there, done that, and is prepared for it all. Lets take a look at his pocket dump, shall we?

Off-Duty
Even when off the clock, cops have to be ready for just about everything and Rick is just that – READY. The bulk of his EDC outfit revolves around his concealed Glock 19 and however many magazines he chooses to carry. The Glock fits snugly inside the waistband while the extra magazine rides on the other side of the belt along with a Surefire torch – either a E1B or a E2D depending on Rick’s mood. Surefire is also called upon for the tactical pen that Rick carries religiously.

And, of course, every man serious about his EDC is obligated to carry a good knife. Rick carries the famous Strider SMF CC. It is complimented by his “tool/key chain” perfectly – a Photon Micro light in red, an Atwood Spanner Prytool, Atwood whistle, a Leatherman Micra, and a spy capsule containing 2-days worth of prescription meds just incase he gets stuck at work on an emergency call.

Rick’s off duty EDC is finished out traditionally with a wallet, titanium money clip, a couple of cell phones, a badge, and a set of hand cuffs. Like I said, ready for anything…

On-Duty
Surprisingly, Captain Rick doesn’t add a whole lot to the mix when he’s at work. Instead, he just formalizes his equipment a bit more. A “cop belt” is implemented that allows him to reveal his firearm while still acting as a solid platform for his other tools. The smaller Surefires are replaced by a Z2 in a V85a polymer speed holster while a baton, radio, pepper spray, and a small med kit (Rick is also a trained EMT) are added to the mix as well.

Obviously, it would be a bit ridiculous for the “regular joe” to walk around as prepared as a hero like Rick – on or off-duty. However, Captain Rick bets his life on his EDC package and it’s a proven winner. If nothing else, the above dump is a good lesson to learn from. If brands like Surefire, Glock, Atwood, Leatherman, etc… are good enough for Rick, they damn sure ought to be good enough for us.