Self-Defense TRAINING Toddy the service dog alerts Paul Pawela to “everything,” but when the author might need a wee bit more firepower should bad guys come knocking, his everyday carry gear includes the equipment, accoutrements and even special clothing in this image.
WHATS, WHYS AND HOWS OF MY EVERYDAY CARRY EQUIPMENT Self-defense expert shares rationale behind protective gear, accessories he doesn’t leave home without. STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAUL PAWELA
veryday carry equipment is very personal, and I have decided to break my silence on what my EDC consists of for the readers of American Shooting Journal. I am doing so for one very good reason: Violent crime is at a staggering point in the US with a historic rise in homicides in 2020, and
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again in 2021. In preparing for armed self-defense or tactical situations, far too many people simply buy a gun and consider themselves prepared. But this is far from the truth, as hardly anyone trains from the perspective of being in an ambush encounter. As instructor Rob Pincus states in his bestselling book, Counter Ambush: The Science of Training for the Unexpected Defensive Shooting, these kinds of encounters are “surprising, chaotic
and threatening, and thus, this is how you should train and arm yourself accordingly.” In this article I will cover what I believe are the most important components of my EDC, with the what, the why, and the how. AS FAMED INSTRUCTOR Massad Ayoob states, the golden rule in safety rescue equipment is that each piece must fulfill three criteria: 1) availability, 2) reliability, and 3) suitability. americanshootingjournal.com 35
