Showcase #349: E-Commerce Consultant from Missoula, Montana

Welcome to the Urban EDC Showcase! Each week, we feature a member of the EDC community and the gear they rely on every day. Want to be featured? Submit your gear photo.

Originally from Seattle, Peter (@hellgatesupply) made the switch from the Emerald City to the Big Sky Country when he moved to Missoula, Montana. As a result, Peter’s daily carry evolved considerably to meet the new challenges that the mountains hurl his way. Read on to learn all about Peter’s intriguing story and find out how what has changed most about his everyday carry. 

Featured Tools:

• Knife: CRK Inkosi (Prometheus Design Werx Special Project Division edition)
  I actually just picked this up a few weeks ago and so far I'm loving it. The size and shape are perfect for my needs around the house and office. I use it for opening boxes, cutting cord, camping and fire-making.
  
  One of the things I like the most about it is the SPD Kraken logo. Growing up in Seattle, I was always around water. We would take the ferry over Puget Sound all the time. Puget Sound is home to some of the largest octopus in the world so having this knife (in a land-locked state) is a nice reminder of home.
  
  
• Flashlight: Maratac AAA Brass Rev 4
  I use all my EDC tools and so I need to know they're going to work. I have a lot of flashlights from other brands but one of the reasons I continuously go back to the Maratac is the people at Maratac. They stand behind their products 100% so that feels good. I know it will work and if it does fail they'll help me resolve the problem.
  
  
• Multi-tool: Leatherman Micra
  I have a couple of kids so I find myself constantly using this tool to cut paper and other random craft projects plus the tweezers have been really helpful with splinters and other items that need to be removed.
  
  
• Lighter: Prometheus Design Werx 
  Living in the mountains means we can have campfires just about anytime we want. Always having a lighter on me is helpful. Plus, it's good for when we're hiking. I always want to be able to make a fire in case we got lost or the weather changed and we needed to warm up.
  
  
• Coin: Steel Flame Victory Kaos Koi Dragon 
  Over the years, my EDC has evolved. When I lived in Seattle, I carried a lot of "get home" tools to help with my commute on the bus and light rail. Being in a mountain town I'm usually never far from my truck so the items on my person have become less tactical.
  
  This coin was a gift to me. Legend says the Koi turns into a dragon after overcoming its challenges. Everyone goes through challenges in life and I've had my fair share. This coin is a reminder of the struggle and what I've overcome. It's a tool to help get through those other kinds of challenges that a knife or pocket tool can't really help with.

What's your story:

Currently, I'm in Missoula, Montana by way of Seattle. I've always been a "city person" so being in the mountains full time is great but I'm still adjusting. I worked for Amazon for about four years but in 2015 we decided to relocate from Seattle to Missoula to raise our kids in a mountain town.

Since leaving Amazon I have been helping brands with their Amazon strategy and management so I travel for quite a bit which gets me to places like New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, LA and back home to Seattle so I still get my "city fix" every year.

Because of the move from the city to the mountains, my EDC has evolved quite a bit. A lot of my tools that I used to carry every day have migrated from my person to my truck and I have added a lot more tools for being outdoors like an axe, shovel, various field guides, firearms, etc.

Spending more time outdoors, I have incorporated more copper and brass into my EDC as kind of a tribute to Montana being the "Treasure State" with copper, silver and gold mining being a part of the state's history.

I first got into EDC in about ten years ago when I purchased a Kershaw Leek. I was immediately hooked and quickly added a Surefire flashlight and a Leatherman. I carried most of my gear in my backpack.

Living in Montana, I spend as much time as possible in the outdoors doing things like hiking, camping and birding. Living near Yellowstone National Park has been a real benefit so I've been trying my hand at wildlife photography.

Since I've been in e-commerce for the past 8 years helping brands I decided to launch @hellgatesupply as a side project, so I guess you could say my EDC is a bit of a hobby. I have ideas for products to launch under the Hellgate brand so that's something I'm always working on in my free time.

Favorite EDC Tool:

My favorite EDC item is my Steel Flame Kaos Koi Dragon Coin. I carry it every day. Life has dealt me some pretty big challenges over the years and this was a gift to me from Steel Flame after the death of someone very close to me.

Having a tool like a knife to help through the daily challenges is great but having a tool to remind you of your loved ones lost and the importance of perseverance, especially during the trying times, and living a life filled with honor, gratitude and respect is much more valuable to me.

What's On Your Gear Radar:

The list is long and ranges from knives to flashlights to moral patches. I have a couple of knives I want like a Spyderco Dragonfly and Techno 2 but I recently started following GiantMouse knives and I see they have a new one coming out soon so that's on the list. I think a Fox Suru would be great also. I'm always on the hunt for more Steel Flame items as well.