I Carry: CZ-75 Compact in an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5 Holster

Welcome to another episode of "I Carry," Shooting Illustrated's weekly video series covering the guns and gear needed to put together a potential everyday-carry kit. Today, we have a CZ-USA CZ-75 Compact carried in an Alien Gear holster. We also have a KeySmart Urban Slim wallet, an LEDLenser flashlight and a gun belt from Bigfoot Gun Belts.

CZ-USA CZ-75 Compact ($632)

Actually, to be more specific, we’re looking at the CZ-75 D PCR Compact, one of the variants of the original, all-steel CZ-75s. While steel-framed handguns have their place, one of those places is generally not inside your waistband, unless you’re really prepared to tote a big, heavy chunk of metal around with you all day. Which, if you are, more power to you. Most people like something a little lighter, though, and the D PCR Compact is the only compact CZ built on an aluminum frame instead of a steel frame. That makes this gun a full quarter-pound lighter than its steel-framed equivalent.

One of the other elements found on the PCR is the decocking lever. PCR actually stands for “Police Czech Republic,” and that’s the agency that requested this setup initially, so the PCR model does not have a manual safety. Instead, once the gun is loaded and the slide is racked to the rear, simply activate the decocking lever, and the hammer moves forward to allow for a heavier, double-action trigger pull for the first shot.

Another element you’ll notice is the lack of a forward frame rail, which means there’s less material to carry and less bulk to conceal. If you’re looking to attach accessories, though, just go with the CZ P-01. That’s the same gun as this, only it features a milled accessory rail on the frame.

Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5 ($59.99)

Since the CZ 75 D PCR is designed to carry easier than its solid-steel cousins, we’re going with an Alien Gear inside-the-waistband holster for a full CCW setup. Alien Gear is one of the most-popular holster designs on the market, and there’s a concerted effort by the company to continually improve this traditional, strong-side offering, now called the Cloak Tuck 3.5. Alien Gear has, admittedly, developed some interesting and unorthodox holsters, like its ShapeShifter line, but the classic Cloak Tuck remains a viable, comfortable option for those on a budget.

The latest enhancements to the Cloak Tuck design are aimed at improving comfort and rigidity, featuring a breathable, neoprene backplate that provides some cushion against the contours of a holstered gun. The gun-side of the backplate is covered with a textured, rubber-like material that aids in retention, along with the molded, Kydex half-shell that sandwiches the gun against the holster backing. Between the neoprene and the textured rubber, there’s actually a steel-reinforced base that prevents the holster backplate from flexing or flopping around too much while also allowing the backer to match the contour of a wearer’s body.

KeySmart Urban Slim Wallet ($32.99)

Thanks to the low-profile, tuckable design of the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck holster, we can go slim and discreet with this carry kit, and the Urban Slim Wallet from KeySmart is a great option for this EDC setup. Listen, we’ve all been there with those overstuffed, bulky, bi-fold wallets, and it’s just really not necessary. How many cards do you use in a day? Five or six, max? Then the Urban Slim Wallet is built for you. This skinny, compact wallet provides slots for six credit cards and features a slim pocket in the middle for loose bills. The trademarked Tectuff leather construction provides RFID protection, and there’s even a small pocket inside for a Tile square to track it.

LEDLenser TT Flashlight ($139.95)

If you’re out and about, either early in the morning or late at night, having a EDC light can do wonders for your situational awareness. However, many lights on the market only have a fixed beam, leaving consumers to adapt to whatever lighting is offered, whether it’s a wide, scattered beam or a narrow, focused cone of light. What if you could fine-tune your flashlight’s beam width? LEDLenser offers this option in its TT model, which produces 280 lumens on its highest setting and is built with the company’s Advanced Focus system, which provides a rotating bezel to adjust the light beam. The light also runs on standard AAA batteries, so you’ll always be able to find spares. One of the other highlights of the TT is this ring at the rear of the light body, which allows users to run a light using the Rogers technique.

Bigfoot Leather Gun Belt ($63.88)

All right, so we’ve got a collection of gear here that, while easily carried, does have some weight to it, so we want to be sure we have a solid foundation in the form of a good gun belt. Bigfoot Gun Belts makes a number of sturdy belt options, including ones with steel cores that are incredibly rigid. However, for a lower price, you can get a sturdy belt with a doubled-up layer of strong bridle leather that’ll work just as well as a steel-core belt, and that’s what we have in the form of the company’s flagship Leather Gun Belt. Black- and brown-leather options are available, and for just a $2 premium, you can get a flat-black buckle like this one.

All of this gear represents just one of an incredible number of combinations on the market today, and it’s important for everyone to find the EDC kit that works best for them. Looking for something different than what you see here? Stay tuned to “I Carry” to see more concealed-carry setups.