My first "review" of the Aegis I have been wearing almost every day since July of 2013....
EDC
What does it mean to you? For many that question centers around guns. But what does it take to use those effectively?
First and foremost is training. If your training consists of attending a state mandated CCW class or bi-annual qualifications through your agency, you are woefully behind the curve. But that is a topic for another day.
How do you go about carrying those life saving tools? Most people don't bat an eyelash at dropping $500 or more on the latest and greatest blaster that graces the cover of the gun rags.
Thankfully many folks are aware that it will probably cost around $100 for a quality holster to carry that weapon in. Fewer will be committed enough to carry a spare magazine and spend the money on a decent carrier for it as well.
By the time we tally up the cost of a pistol, holster, two mags worth of quality defensive ammo, a spare mag holder, decent flashlight and a folding knife, we are probably talking about $800-$1000. Not exactly chump change.
Then why is it that people will insist on hanging all of that gear off of a flimsy belt they picked up 10 years ago at Walmart?
Your belt is the platform that all of that other gear depends on. A weak belt will cause your gear to shift. It will make draws sloppy due to movement. It will also create pressure points and make carrying less comfortable.
There are a handful of quality belt makers out there. My go to option for the last 5 years or so has been Ares Gear, LLC. I have several of their Ranger belts and I have worn one almost every day.
Everything from quick trips to the store with a pistol to playing Army where I would routinely have a M9, spare pistol mag, and two M4 mags hanging off of it.
In my eye, they are the standard that all other belts are judged.
For the last few months I have had a T&E belt from them that has changed my opinion. Today, Ares announced their new Aegis belt.
It has the same stiffness due to the double scuba webbing design but they dropped the 1" webbing and Cobra buckle in place for a plain (but high quality) beadblasted stainless buckle.
This buckle doesn't stand out as much as the Cobra buckle design. It fits in wearing business casual when required by work or a pair of jeans walking around town.
Take an honest look at your EDC. Don't think of it as a pistol(s) with it's support gear. Instead, look at it as a complete system. A system that is only as strong as it's weakest link.
You wouldn't skimp on a defensive firearm, so don't skimp on the rest of the package.
