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Mike Lamb is a former Marine who has served as a Force Recon Marine as well as in some of the government’s top intelligence agencies around the world.

After 13 years of service, he was medically retired and joined Magpul Dynamics as its director of military operations.

Lamb currently heads Stoic Ventures, a training and consultation company that combines his experiences in the government and private sectors to help the “good guys” become better prepared for the worst. Learn more about Stoic Ventures at stoicventures.com.

What items you choose to carry can help make your day a bit easier or, in extreme cases, even save your life. Because everyone’s situation is different, it’s important to choose which tools are right for you.

In this installment of “Essential Gear,” we take a look at the EDC setup of Mike Lamb.

Sunglasses:

Ray-Ban Aviators are classic and are not “shoot me first” sunglasses. These are shades that keep a low profile. (Ray-ban.com)

Hydration:

I carry a MSM Nalgene bottle. I’m active, humans are over 70 percent water and I hydrate over the course of a day. (Milspecmonkey.com)

Smartphone:

I carry an iPhone because coms are king stateside as well as overseas. I can do more with this device on a daily basis than with any other cool-guy gear.

Earphones w/ Microphone:

I can multitask while I go about my day, listen to tunes, eavesdrop on people who think I am tuned out, etc.

Knife:

The Emerson CQC8 folder with wave feature. I use my knife every day as a tool. I carry it in my strong-side rear pocket. If asked for my wallet by the nefarious sort, I can have the blade deployed and be at the threat’s neckline in an instant. Sometimes a knife is faster than a gun. (Emersonknives.com)

Belt:

The Ares Gear Aegis Belt is very stiff but comfortable, without the tactical look. Stoic Ventures’ logo is laser-etched on the buckle, just in case I have to beat someone with it and leave a lasting impression. (Aresgear.com)

Firearm:

Robar Glock 17 with Glock 19 magwell. The pistol has NP3 internals, which are self-lubricating and will not leak oil inside my pants when I am carrying. The G17 platform adds sight radius and a bit more muzzle velocity, while the G19 magwell is less pronounced and easier to conceal in a variety of wardrobe configurations. (US.glock.com)

Magazine:

A Glock 17 magazine with factory +2 extension carries 19 rounds of PolyCase ARX 74-grain 9mm that travels at 1,550 fps and has great terminal performance on soft tissue. The pistol already has a 15+1 capacity.

Holster:

The Raven Concealment Systems Eidolon holster (pre-production model shown) is the most comfortable concealment rig, and it doesn’t smell after a week of wearing it. (Rcsgear.com)

Watch:

Titanium Panerai Luminor manual watch. Why? Because I like nice watches and it’s subtle enough to not look like I bought it from the Liberace estate. It also matches my titanium wedding ring, which I never remove because I never know when I have to open a beer bottle with it. (Panerai.com)

Wallet:

It has my ID, credentials and hopefully a few bucks if I want a burrito. If I don’t have burrito money, I have chew to keep my mind off eating, or to keep me awake, etc. Just like overseas.

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