It’s a knife, it’s a light, no, it’s an extra mag!
It’s no secret I am a fan of concealed carry. In one of my past articles, The Daily Arsenal of the Armed Citizen, I wrote about how critical I believe it is to carry a backup magazine for your concealed firearm. My current EDC holster is the remarkable Werkz BisectV2 appendix holster, which comfortably carries and conceals my Glock 17 and an extra magazine. In our ever-changing and burning world, carrying a duty-size firearm with an extra magazine is not only a tactically-sound decision, it makes sense because we tend to train with them.
But if the age-old saying that, "Two is one and one is none" is true, does that mean my one backup magazine is technically none? The police department I work for requires two extra magazines for my duty gun, no exceptions. That’s three total mags, and if I was to face a situation like San Bernardino, that’s barely enough ammunition when it comes to a firefight. Still, like the Taylor Swift song, two is better than one. So how does an armed citizen upgrade his daily carry arsenal to include a second backup magazine, without losing the element of surprise that conceal carry provides?
Enter the ExtraCarry™. It’s a concealed carry magazine pouch, that, simply put, disguises itself to the onlooker as a pocket knife of sorts.
Before getting too far into the design and use of the ExtraCarry™, let’s take a step back and talk about clothing. There are several different types of concealed carriers:
1. The Tactical Peacock
We all know this guy, and most of us younger individuals have probably been here at one point. 5.11 Tactical pants or better yet, BDU pants, a shirt with 2nd Amendment patriotic insignias emblazoned on the front with a quote about dying in a pile of brass on the back, and some military-style boots to go with it. Guys… you’re printing and everyone can see it. Even if you’ve concealed your gun with good placement, shirt sizing, and a decent holster, anyone with a tiny bit of situational awareness can tell you’re carrying- which sort of defeats the purpose of concealed carry.
2. The Fisherman
I’ve run into this guy at shooting competitions, on the range, and around town. He’s generally a bit older, sporting some salt and pepper in his beard. You can almost always tell he’s carrying due to the fact that he wears an OWB holster, underneath his plaid button-down t-shirt, with chest pockets. Sort of like something I wore on my last fishing trip with my brother. This guy can conceal an unbelievable amount of gear on his person- one dude I know walks around with a full-size CZ, two backup mags, handcuffs, an ASP baton, a med kit, light, and multiple knives… and he’s just a regular dude. Not LE, just… tactical fisherman.
3. The Gray Man
The gray man concept is the idea of blending in and not drawing attention to oneself. Essentially, this is the sheepdog who lives on the opposite spectrum of the Peacock mentioned above. They’re best described as someone you’d never expect to be carrying a gun. Jeans, sneakers, a regular shirt that doesn’t scream, "I’m carrying a gun!!", women who guard thier children without anyone being wiser to the fact that they have had training and carry a firearm. Thankfully, people like this are getting more and more prevalent in the conceal-carry community. I strive to be this person when I go out and about, and by not standing out, we give ourselves the advantage if things ever went wrong.
"It’s a remarkably simple design, but it works"
The hardest part about concealing your EDC arsenal effectively is carrying adequate gear, and still being covert about it. Clothing selection has a lot to do with how much gear you can carry. I generally wear jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt, which blends well but presents it’s own unique challenges. I can carry a light, gun, backup mag, and knife, and sometimes a tourniquet depending on whether the jeans have cargo pockets or not. How do I hide another mag on my person without looking obnoxious? I’ve tried carrying an extra mag loose in my pocket, but not only is it hard to reload efficiently, but the mag gets filled with lint, and the hollow point cartridges seem to age faster (yes, ammunition can age, and your conceal-carry ammo should be fired and rotated out every 6-8 months or so).
From the outside, the ExtraCarry™ looks a lot like a pocketknife- that is, if someone even notices it. It is made from a lightweight yet fairly durable polymer, and is a deep, dark blue color and doesn’t stand out. A gray metal clip holds it to the pocket, and a rectangular pouch at the bottom of the carrier holds the mag in place. It works for either left or right pockets, bullets-forward or bullets-backward mag orientation, and doesn’t print unnecessarily. It’s a remarkably simple design, but it works.
Whether I carry my ExtraCarry™ or not depends on whether I’m wearing my skinny jeans that day or… just kidding. I can’t fit my booty into skinny jeans no matter how many times I try. But all kidding aside, there are times when I add the ExtraCarry™ to my arsenal for the day, and times when I don’t, often depending on how much space my jeans have, or if I’m going to be sitting a lot. Lately, I’ve been out and about more and the ExtraCarry™ accompanies me almost everywhere.
"ExtraCarry designed a simple product, and in my opinion, simple products that work are great products"
Using the ExtraCarry™ to perform a speed or admin reload is similar to drawing from a mag pouch, except it’s a bit deeper into the pocket. While a little slower, it is still a smooth draw into a natural indexed position. And because of the ExtraCarry™, it’s possible to reload from kneeling, prone, and other unusual positions. Where a mag placed by itself in the pocket will catch on everything and be tough to access from unconventional shooting positions, the ExtraCarry™ makes it a bit easier to access. And for carrying a full size magazine in a pocket, it is barely noticeable throughout the day. It carries easily, comfortably, and works well. I never once had a problem with it falling out, although one time after running through a course of fire, the metal clip had rotated sideways, but the carrier remained in place.
ExtraCarry designed a simple product, and in my opinion, simple products that work are great products. There is a reason I carry what I carry, and I can happily give the ExtraCarry™ mag carrier my stamp of approval. I’ve used the ExtraCarry™ with all kinds of clothing, left it in a hot car for several days, dropped it more than once, and shot a few local action shooting competitions using it in conjunction with my appendix holster.
I was emailing Rick from ExtraCarry, and he wanted to give you, the readers of Guns & Tactics magazine, a discount code for purchasing one. So if you decide you want to add another mag to your every day carry arsenal, head over to ExtraCarry.com, and use the code 10OFFG&T for a discount on your order.
You won’t be disappointed in the ExtraCarry™. It’s simple in it’s concept and design, yet works well. And now, when people come up to me and ask, "Is that an extra mag in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" I can respond, "I’m happy that there’s an extra mag in my pocket."
Check out ExtraCarry at ExtraCarry.com and on Facebook.
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