3 Things I Change For Summer Carry

*Originally published on the NEOMAG blog

Temperatures are starting to finally level out here in Ohio.  And by “level out” I mean the temperature swings are staying between 60˚ to 90˚ instead of 10˚ to 40˚ like this past winter.  With the warmer temperatures my clothing changes from jeans, shirt and a long sleeve shirt with a coat; to shorts and a t-shirt.  With my clothing changing my every day carry tends to change. Concealing things becomes harder, real estate on my body is at a premium, and lastly I’m really hot and just don’t want a bunch of kit on me.  Keep reading to see what I change, I’ll offer a few things to consider and then I would love to hear from you!

The first thing I tend to carry less in the summer is a flashlight.  There are two reasons I carry a flashlight.  The first reason is for typical daily tasks and the second is for defensive purposes.  Now that the sun is rising when I wake up and it’s dusk well after I’m home, I find I don’t need my flashlight as much.  If I’m going to be out late I’ll bring a light with me but I find I just naturally don’t put it in my pocket once summer comes. This also opens some pocket real estate.

The second thing I carry less is medical. I really like my ankle medical kit when I’m wearing jeans that can hide it.  I have yet to find a really slick way to carry a tourniquet, two chest seals, sheers, and clotting gauze in the summer months as comfortably and concealed as the ankle kit does.  I have purchased a few pocket med kits to try but it’s still just too bulky.  So, instead I depend on the medical kits I keep nearby and hope for the best if I’m not around them.  I would love to hear what you do for medical in the summer as I think it’s important to have.

The last thing I change is my carry gun.  I have two guns that I like to carry, Sig P365XL or a Staccato C2.  In the winter I will carry the Staccato frequently with another mag in a NeoMag. The C2 is easier to shoot and carries more ammo than the Sig.  But at the end of the day summer comfort and concealability ends up winning out.  The slim and lighter weight P365XL is more comfortable and a little easier to conceal in a t-shirt.  With 12+1 in the gun and 15 rounds in a NeoMag it’s still no slouch.

Every now and again if I’m wearing gym shorts and running a quick errand I’ll throw a Smith & Wesson J-Frame in one pocket with a speed strip in a RASC in the other pocket.  After taking a Shivworks ECQC class with Craig Douglas, I’m a big believer in a revolver for close quarters.  A 5-shot J-frame is such a lightweight (comfortable) and small (concealable) carry in the summer.

The things that stay the same are my wallet and pocket knife in the front right pocket, phone in one of my back pockets and reload in my front left pocket.  I love being able to put my keys in my coat pocket all winter.  Now I’m back to putting my keys in my front left pocket with the reload.  I don’t love sharing the reload with my key fob but it’s something I have learned to make work.

In more than 15 years of my daily carry involving a gun I have yet to find the perfect way to carry everything I would like to carry.  At the end of the day we all have to choose our daily necessities and what we are willing to carry or not carry.  With warm weather dress comes new challenges.  Does your carry change as your dress changes?  What have you found works best for you?  Share in the comments below any tips or pieces of gear you have found to help your daily carry in the summer.