How do you EDC your light?

So I am curious as to what everyone uses for EDC methods: holsters, pocket clips, off-body carry in a bag...etc.

I find myself lately carrying a Streamlight Microstream or Pelican 1910 as they are small, light, and easily pocket-able. I'd like to sometimes carry my Convoy S2+ tube light.. but I find a single 18650 light sometimes doesn't quite fit in my pockets well unless I'm wearing loose jeans or cargo pants/shorts. The light tends to pop up when I sit, or it sticks out away from my body like I have a half-stick of dynamite in my pocket. So that light has been relegated to my EDC bag.

It's even worse when I have to wear khaki's at work...

So I'm interested in hearing (pictures are better!) of how everyone carries their EDC light, particularly pocket carry of said light.

I have a xeno s3a in a nylon holster in my right pocket, mostly tucked at the side or sits at the bottom of the bigger pockets. Sometimes it nestles in the "front" of the pocket, what you call the half stick of dynamite, or what I call the are you happy to see me moment. It is one of the more compact 18650 lights. Occasionally I put the holster on my belt if I wear one. This comes after years of carrying 2xAA lights. The s3a even is good with shorts although would like a clip for the holster. The light has a clip but I have keys in the right pocket too so the holster takes the damage

I everyday-carry an HDS EDC clicky clipped to the inside of my front left pants pocket. I also usually have a Fenix LD01 in my shirt pocket.

I carry a FourSevens Mini123 in my front right pocket which is also where I keep my car keys. I've always wanted to keep a low profile, and even having a deep carry clip has given me away before. I only carry a bigger light (usually a Surefire E1B) if I KNOW I'll need one.

I like to carry a Nitecore Tube clipped to a belt carabiner. I slide the carabiner through the front right belt loop to keep it locked in place. Reach down and grab, quickdraw. I clip a Zebralight SC52D inside the belt, right hand side. The switch is towards the body, preventing accidental on. I've practiced popping the light up from the inside of the belt with an index finger, dropping the light neatly into my hand with thumb falling naturally on the switch.

My other EDC changes almost daily. These two lights are "must have" for me. My single complaint is PWM on low modes on the Tube, otherwise it's near perfect... I can live with the somewhat cold tint on the Tube.

I know this method isn't for everyone, but this is how I mainly carry mine, with backups in the truck on my bag

During the winter they go in the chest pockets of my Duluth overalls. The titanium 4Sevens is my "dress light" that I carry clip out/light in pocket, but that's not that often (much to my wife's dismay)

Pictures are worth a thousand words right? PD22UE is in the right front pocket with no clip. E2D is in my left front pocket, tail up, using the clip.



For those curious about the lanyard, it is big enough to fit my hand through the loop, just enough where I can grab the cobra stitch with my full hand, and compact enough where everything folds into the length of the flashlight for ease of carrying. I don't worry about losing my single cell lights anymore since the lanyard adds bulk and visual location and also provides a tethering mechanism when I do think the likelihood is high of dropping into a unreachable location. The small lanyard also has a loop for a larger neck lanyard if that is your thing.

Here is the lanyard construction prototype itself. I have been toying with the idea of selling these things, but I don't know if the demand is there or if I should just post the plans for the lanyard and let people do it themselves.

Father Azmodius said:

During the winter they go in the chest pockets of my Duluth overalls.

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Ahh Duluth! I have some of their canvas cargo/carpenter's pants. They have dual hammer loops which are perfect for a larger head 18650x1 light. I like to slip an Armytek Predator Warm White in those.

In the winter, I have a leather shirt that accomodates full size 18650x1 on an inside pocket (intended for a compact pistol, I think.) I clip a Streamlight Microstream AAAx1 (hotloaded with 10440 lion for burst only) on one front shirt pocket and a Nighthawk Bantam AAAx1 with eneloop for the longer runtimes on the other pocket. I find myself preferring the Nitecore Chameleon in the "pistol pocket." It makes me feel armed!

Been toying with the idea of Scott eVest cargo pants and jacket for fall/winter. They have 43 billion pockets.

The Duluths are great work pants with loads of useful pockets. Last winter i got some Filson double tin pants and although they lack a lot of the work creature comforts they more than make up for it in durability, but they still allow the exposed light carry quite nicely

nimdabew said:

Pictures are worth a thousand words right? PD22UE is in the right front pocket with no clip. E2D is in my left front pocket, tail up, using the clip.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...8SJQWX9Gxtg/w1165-h655-no/20150727_104331.jpg

For those curious about the lanyard, it is big enough to fit my hand through the loop, just enough where I can grab the cobra stitch with my full hand, and compact enough where everything folds into the length of the flashlight for ease of carrying. I don't worry about losing my single cell lights anymore since the lanyard adds bulk and visual location and also provides a tethering mechanism when I do think the likelihood is high of dropping into a unreachable location. The small lanyard also has a loop for a larger neck lanyard if that is your thing.

Here is the lanyard construction prototype itself. I have been toying with the idea of selling these things, but I don't know if the demand is there or if I should just post the plans for the lanyard and let people do it themselves.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-...Lv6nyE8RC0E/w1165-h655-no/20150727_104355.jpg

Click to expand...

I LOVE that E2DL! It has certainly been "well loved".

Here's my issue, and it's made worse with small pocket denim jeans... in the right front pocket there is a "defensive item" that must remain in it's own pocket at all times with nothing else placed in there along with it... in the left front pocket, typically some sort of folding knife and my wallet. Nerve and back issues prevent my from placing my wallet in the back pockets. I sometimes can place my Microstream into a back pocket, however.

So to put a single 18650 sized tube light into my left front pocket, i start getting metal objects hitting each other, clanging, scraping, overall not a good time to be made of anodized aluminum. As the pictures here show, there just isn't enough pocket room. So I wonder about a holster that is professional looking, perhaps leather, without looking like I may be carrying pepper spray, or gearing up like Batman.

How my Microstream gets carried when I have a pocket shirt on:


View from the outside for size reference:


Here you generally see how my front left pocket becomes cluttered.. and frankly uncomfortable when seated:




Any solutions? I like the 1xAAA Streamlight.. but sometimes I really need more than 35lm, and when carrying the Pelican 1910 I can get up to 70some... but sometimes, not always, but sometimes that isn't enough either.

JasonJ said:

Any solutions? I like the 1xAAA Streamlight.. but sometimes I really need more than 35lm, and when carrying the Pelican 1910 I can get up to 70some... but sometimes, not always, but sometimes that isn't enough either.

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I love that Streamlight as well. I mitigated the marginal output by throwing a 10440 lion in there. Mine powers up, older ones won't. Now you're limited to bursts and you don't care about the runtime. I carry a spare aaax1 light that is more reasonably driven.

That SL MS really reaches out there, surprisingly tight throw from such a tiny little light. It's kind of abnormal compared to the rest of the AAAx1 world.

Pocket organizer: Make your own holsters and carriers at home with kydex. You get it in sheets, heat it in the oven and press it around the object you're sheathing. It can be made to look fairly pro.

For big lumens, I have the ~1000 lumen burst of a Zebralight 18650x1 light. It feels and carries a lot more compact than the measurements say. A Surefire 6p in the front pocket is less comfortable than the ZL. I just clip it to the side of the front pocket, inside. I've nearly lost the clip twice, so it isn't an optimal carry (yet.) Work in progress.

Edit: I prefer to carry my SL MS 10440x1 in an ankle holster, next to a "defensive item" and a Gerber Ridge knife (tiny, flat, guy used one in a Resident Evil movie ) SL MS 10440x1 is the smallest, tightest throwing, tail clicky lion light I know of at this time. Definitely a mini-tac light.

Here in Md. most of us don't have to worry about the other item, unless dealing with large sums of money. Id like to carry this as a deterrent, but it might get a bit cumbersome

cland72 said:

I LOVE that E2DL! It has certainly been "well loved".

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It has taken 6 years to get to this point. I dont want to start over so it is never getting sold. I hope that surefires last forever because I think they might just replace the light if something breaks instead of replacing broken items. Or it would end up on someone's desk as their "new" light and I would get stuck with a new, crappy light.

Good input here everyone! I appreciate seeing how others try to solve the "don't wanna gear up like batman" predicament.

I think I will try my hand at some kydex sheeths. If I go with some 0.60 it should be light and thin enough to just act as a belt sleeve for lights and spare mags.

I find cargo shorts and pants have enough pockets for gear, but man, you practically need suspenders to hold them up!

I'll definitely try out a hotrodded microstream on a 10440 as well!

I just don't want to think about pocket carrying a chainsaw. Lol.

I just stick my Streamlight ProTac 2L in my weak side pocket bezel to the rear so when I draw it the tail cap is at my thumb and the bezel is at my pinky.

Over the years I have moved away from rings,lanyards and pocket clipping I have found they just snag on stuff,cause difficulty when drawing and increase the chances of losing a good light.

JasonJ said:

Good input here everyone! I appreciate seeing how others try to solve the "don't wanna gear up like batman" predicament.

I think I will try my hand at some kydex sheeths. If I go with some 0.60 it should be light and thin enough to just act as a belt sleeve for lights and spare mags.

I find cargo shorts and pants have enough pockets for gear, but man, you practically need suspenders to hold them up!

I'll definitely try out a hotrodded microstream on a 10440 as well!

I just don't want to think about pocket carrying a chainsaw. Lol.

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Perry suspenders work wonders. These ones:

http://www.perrysuspenders.com/persus.html

I originally thought the plastic buckles would be weak. They are built very well. Get the 1.5" webbing and you could nearly suspend a duty gear belt with these things.

Mostly my light goes in my right front pocket of my pants irrespective of the size of the light. Only if its a 5.11 taclite pro pants, it goes in the Knife/light pocket...

My nicer light (LF2XT) goes in my shirt breast pocket

I don't like exposed clips so it goes in one of the 3 pockets of the pocket organizer I made. Separate pocket for my light, Leatherman Juice, and knife of choice. If I wear Carhartts it goes folded up into the cell phone pocket. If I wear jeans it goes into the right front pocket.