EDC (Every Day Carry) aficionados include everyone from the pragmatic gun carrier with a cynical eye to the gearcurious skinny jean fellow whose beard is as carefully sculpted as the decorations on a fancy cake. You know, not that there's anything wrong with that. The fact is, there's a legitimate interest by folks from all walks of life in good gear. Whether professional curiosity or social media narcissism, EDC pictures and discussions are now a part of everyday firearm/tactical life. Today we're going to show you 3 possible loadouts from one of our photographers — the ineluctably talented Quoc Ha of Q Concepts.
Whether it’s a legitimate interest in good gear, a morbid fascination with the overachievers who claim to be carrying three times as much as they actually do or a harmless expression of narcissism, EDC pictures and discussions are now a intrinsic part of the tactical/firearm community.
Having recently moved to a free state, Every Day Carry has a new meaning to me. Until now, it meant a knife was the most potent tool I carried beyond my phone. As a smaller guy, carrying a duty belt’s worth of gear is impractical, so I have to choose what my essentials must be. Subscribing to the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) theory, I've trained with primarily one pistol since the 90s – the Heckler and Koch USP Compact in .40cal. – and that is what I now carry during a typical day. On occasion, I’ll carry the Glock 19. It has has a slightly narrower profile.
My wife enjoys the finer things in life, and as such, we will head out for nice dinner and a show on occasion. Wearing a custom tailored suit means everything I carry needs to be sleek. Carried in a Raven Concealment Vanguard 2 holster, my go to is a Gen 4 Glock 19 with Tango Down Vicker’s Tactical extended slide stop, magazine release, and magazine base plate. A spare magazine is carried in an Off the Grid Egg Roll. My Emerson Knives Super Roadhouse was a personal gift from Ernie Emerson and it goes with me just about everywhere. To ensure our prompt arrival to reservations and showtime, I wear a simple Fossil watch. Of course, the iPhone 6+ is readily available for selfies and Facebook posting while we’re out.
As a working photographer, I regularly carry thousands of dollars of equipment on location which makes for a tempting target. Robberies of photographers and camera crews is not unheard of. While working around the public, discretion and comfort are key. The Vertx Airflow pants are just about the most comfortable cargo pants I’ve worn and I take them on any photo shoot in warm weather. Carried AIWB or strong side, my UPS Compact with GG&G light rail resides in a one-off Off the Grid ADR holster with a spare magazine in an Egg Roll. The great thing about the Egg Roll mag carriers is that they are compatible with both my HK and Glock magazines. Light is provided by a Surefire Centurion, which also comes in handy for temporarily lighting subjects in low light. Call times are tracked using my Diesel watch with 3 time pieces, and as always, my Emerson Super Roadhouse is clipped to my pocket. The iPhone 6+ does double duty as my primary means of communications as well as my e-reader for call sheets.
Days off are a luxury, but to keep our sanity, they’re also a necessity. When dressing down, shorts or a pair of jeans are my uniform of the day. Keeping them up is a stitched belt from Flagrant Beard which has a great look while being a very sturdy gun belt. The USP Compact with Inforce APL light ride in another work of art by Off the Grid: the one-off ‘Jango Fett’ Nocturnal Sidewinder holster. On my wrist is the Holeshot watch by our friends at Oakley and again, the iPhone and Emerson are part of my standard kit.
About the Author: Quoc Ha is the Founder and President of Q Concepts Design and Photography. A former volunteer with his local disaster assistance response team, he went on to donate time and expertise to his local police department. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from UCLA and shoots as well as well with a rifle as he does with a camera — and that's saying something. Breaking from the tradition of entering the Doctor/Lawyer/Engineering professions, Q took a leap of faith and followed his creative passions and taught himself how to push buttons on a camera. He's been responsible for not only the photography in several issues of RECOIL, OFFGRID, and CONCEALMENT, but has also done design and photography work for numerous manufacturers and training organizations in the firearms/tactical industry. Go further back and you'll find his talents have been applied to some extremely interesting other projects, like G.I. Joe action figures with Sideshow Collectibles. Learn more about him here or find Q Concepts online here.
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