My daughter has been working remotely but may soon have to move back to the LA area for a new job.
This would mean more trips (for me) to Los Angeles to visit.
My EDC has served me well in the past, but I’m considering improvements such as a small, powerful flashlight since we often go out at night for supper (Her last tiny LA apartment didn’t have much of a kitchen.)
So I thought I’d ask here for suggestions and maybe other items it might be prudent to consider adding to my “kit.”.
Comfort and concealability are paramount—it’s rarely cool enough to warrant a jacket or sweater but I’ve been able to pull off carrying concealed while wearing cargo shorts or pleated dress slacks.
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Can you carry a gun in LA?
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There are Hawaiin shirts that are plain and simple that are baggie and casual as well as comfortable.
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Not unless you are a criminal and/or gang member or one of the lucky few rich and or famous folks who live there who can bribe the local sheriff into giving them a license.
Out of State residents cannot carry in CA. Residents from other CA counties that do issue licenses should be able to though.
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Yes. Either a Centennial or a 1911, depending on dress. The Centennial in a Bianchi pocket holster, the 1911 in a WIlson Lo-profle
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Hawaiian shirts have worked well for me, also guayaberas and fishing shirts
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My CCW is from Fresno County. I really don’t know how amicable LEO’s in LA are to CCW holders.
I’ve heard that the San Francisco PD can be hostile.
Maybe that’s changed. Or not.
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From what I have read the LA LEOs are not very friendly to people who carry self defense tools. Think LA has its own knife rules that differ from the rest of the State as well. You should be OK if you go by the book though.
My wife has family that live on the coast near LA. I’m not a big fan of visiting there since I have to drive unarmed through LA to get there. I’m a country boy so all the traffic and crowds are a bit much for me.
I picked up the flashlight below not too long ago to live by my front door. It is a little bit bigger than a usually carry day to day but it is still a pretty small package and can be set to run incredibly bright for a few minutes before it drops down to just painfully bright for the next several hours.
Warrior Mini 2 Compact EDC Tactical Flashlight - Olight Store
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I’ll check it out. Thanks!
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It’s probably prudent if you never find out the climate of the Poe-Poe’s thinking towards Carrying concealed is. What they don’t know (and all the rest…)
Secondly there are a bunch of new ‘Fanny packs’ out there that would aid in your efforts to go out
self-protected. And with them you can carry more ‘toy’s!’
My EDC load out is not just a gun and an extra mag. It’s Poe-Poe approved OC Spray (GEL, not mist to blow back in your face) a flashlight (pay a little more for a good one).A good knife you can open with one finger. I’m kind of Old School I carry brass knuckles around my neck on a break away cord. I like to offer my ‘fans’ a choice in Attitude Adjustment. But there is more Kool stuff out there than there is room to print it all. Palm knives (very sweet) Collapsible batons (keeps the BG’s @ a distance too! A Walking stick/cane/sword probably illegal in Cali… Everything cool is Nyet in CA.
But most of all Brother, for me only, If I carry (and I always do) I carry a pk. of Quik Clot, (2)Israeli bandages, a ‘TQ’ (that I know how to use) a Blood type velcro patch just in case I can’t speak for myself. all this kool s— fits in a decent size fanny pack. Be safe and Stay Frosty!
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I have the Baton 3 Pro, great little light, firefly mode, auto dim, and extremely bright mode😎
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In theory a CCW from any other county in Kallyfornikadia is also valid in LA. With the Soros backed DA in LA county these days, I wouldn’t bet on not getting prosecuted if you have to use your sidearm. I carry pepper spray. I carry the Kimber pepper spray that looks like a plastic gun. It shoots out the pepper to a distance of 20 feet. A poor substitute for a real gun but it is legal in Kallyfornikadia (as of right now) I also carry my Leatherman but I have a paracord loop through the pocket clip so that the Leatherman can be used as an impact weapon. Again, not much use against a gun but I am too old and my hand too arthritic to be punching anybody with my bare fist. The law on carrying knives is vague and allows prosecution for concealed carry. One can carry a 14" Bowie knife strapped to one’s lower leg as long as it is easily recognizable as a knife but a 3 inch Swiss Army knife might get you on trial for carrying a concealed dagger or dirk. I know, reasonable people don’t consider a Swiss Army knife to be either of those items bit there is actually a CA Supreme Court case dealing with a prosecution for carrying a Swiss Army knife under the concealed dirk or dagger section of the Penal Code. As a matter of fact, there was a news item on the 6:00pm news about a guy wandering around a neighborhood with a machete in his hands. The hoplophobes in the neighborhood are all atwitter about the maniac with the machete. They are bitching the cops won’t do anything about him. He hasn’t threatened anybody according to the report but the hoplophobes want the cops to “do something”. It could be he was threatened by MS13 whose favorite weapon I understand is the machete and he wants to protect himself with what they use. So you could carry a machete but you might have trouble getting served at Rusty’s Bar-B-Que if you go in with a machete in hand — or maybe not. You might get seated and served real quick.
There is a bum who wanders around our town with about a 12 inch Bowie strapped to his lower leg. I am sure he has had several discussions with local leo but as he has never threatened anyone, apparently, and not used it, he is perfectly legal and while they really might like to take it away from him, they can’t and don’t.
I have a wakazashi I would like to walk around with in my belt but I prefer to be more surreptitious. It is hard to carry concealed.
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In this context, for a flashlight I HIGHLY recommend something with a momentary only clicky on the tailcap. That’s it. One singular high output, momentary only, tailcap clicky.
If you’re serious about a flashlight being a ‘force multiplier’ or a ‘defensive tool’ or some such, you will not want to be screwing around trying to rotate the light and find the side mounted button, having it turn on and stay on, scrolling through brightness options, etc.
You want one single can’t-miss button (tailcap) that’s always in the same place, super easy to draw and use with one hand, press-on release-off, with ALL the lumens and ALL the candela
Example:
If you want a separate “I dropped my chapstick where did it go” light, use your cell phone or a keychain size AAA light or similar “admin light”
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Imagine what would happen if California refused to recognize out-of-state drivers licenses. Or if out-of-state residents had no free speech in California because the state wouldn’t recognize their 1st Amendment permits.
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That’s a good price. Do you typically carry this using the attached clip? I have had issues with clips like these that pop off when the light on my belt gets snagged on something.
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last time I checked this… NO some counties do NOT honor other county permits…
not sure how they can get away with that but that was the last thing I read???
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- Make sure you understand the applicable state and local laws.
- Double-check on the laws.
- Know your area of operations (find out what you can about local problem areas, gangs, crime stats, etc.). This not only includes places but routes. You don’t want to have to drive through a high crime neighborhood on your way home.
- Plan your outside ventures to avoid known problem areas.
- It is amazing what you can conceal in a pair of cargo shorts and a Hawaiian print shirt (not suggesting you break the law - could put a damper on the evening events).
- Consider non-controlled/legal alternatives to guns, knives, and so forth. (This falls under #1 and #2 - don’t forget about defensive spray, stun guns, stun canes, etc.). If I can’t carry anything else, I always take my 1" dia. hickory cane. Check out “fashionablecanes.com” - they even sell shillelagh’s!
- Train up your daughter to be your wingman. Two heads and four-eyes and better than one with two.
- Keep your head on a swivel.
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Local laws can be an issue. The last time i checked, JHP ammo, for example, is not alllowed for CCW carry in San Francisco.
I need to look into any current Los Angeles weirdness.
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I usually carry a flashlight that is a little smaller but still has the tail switch like the Warrior Mini 2. I need to make room for all the other stuff in my pockets and like to keep the light in the pocket as well. The clip on the Mini 2 is pretty sturdy but might pop off if it really snagged on something. Thought you could tie a wire or fish line around the clip to keep that from happening.
I also own the Baton 3 Pro that @Karacal linked to. I use it for work and really like it because it is a little smaller and lighter than the Mini 2 and almost as bright. But for defensive situations I prefer the momentary on off tail switch option on the Warrior Mini 2.
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