Why I Curate Coffee the Same Way I Curate Gear
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By Josh, Founder of H6 Outfitters
"Why does an EDC company sell coffee?"
It's probably the question I get asked most.
The answer has nothing to do with coffee — and everything to do with how I choose what belongs at H6 Outfitters.
I don't sell everyday carry gear because it's trendy. I sell it because I'd carry it myself, every single day, and trust it to do its job without excuses.
It turns out that same standard applies whether I'm choosing a pocket knife or a bag of coffee.
Curation Isn't About the Category. It's About the Standard.
When I started H6, the plan was never "sell everything an EDC guy might want." It was "sell what actually earns its place in someone's day."
A knife earns its place by being dependable when you reach for it. A notebook earns its place by keeping your life organized instead of adding clutter. A flashlight earns its place by working the one time you actually need it.
Coffee earns its place the same way — by being good enough, consistently enough, that it becomes part of your routine without you thinking twice about it.
That's the whole test. Not "is this exciting" or "is this trendy." Just: does this deserve to be part of somebody's Monday?
Why I Don't Roast My Own Coffee (And Why That's the Right Call)
I'll be straight with you, because that's how I run this whole business: I'm not a coffee roaster. I'm a veteran, a teacher, a coach, and a guy who curates gear for a living.
Pretending I roast my own beans in a garage somewhere would be dishonest, and it also wouldn't get you a better cup of coffee.
So I did what I do with everything else at H6 — I found a specialty coffee partner who's actually great at the one thing I needed, and I set the standard for what they'd deliver.
H6 Outfitters coffee is custom, small-batch roasted for me by Temecula Coffee Roasters and packaged under the H6 name at their Oceanside, CA facility.
I chose each blend and the flavor profile I wanted. They handle the roasting and packaging so every bag that ships is one I'd be proud to have sitting on my own counter.
That's not a workaround. That's the same playbook I use for every knife, light, and notebook in this shop — find the people who do it right, hold them to my standard, and put my name on the result.
Three Blends, Three Jobs
I didn't want to just slap a label on "coffee" and call it a day. Each blend in the lineup has a specific job to do:
Monday Ready
Medium roast. Full caffeine. Built for the grind. It's the mug that's waiting while the house is still quiet and the week hasn't caught up with you yet.
Second Wind
Medium-dark roast. Full caffeine. Built for the afternoons when the to-do list isn't getting any shorter and you need another gear.
Day's End
Medium roast. Decaf. Built for winding down without giving up flavor.
All three are drip ground, 12 oz bags, and built to hold up whether you're brewing at home, in a break room, or out of a truck.
Small-Batch Doesn't Mean Small Effort
I get why small-batch roasted coffee or white-label products can sound like a red flag to some people. There's a lot of noise out there from stores that slap a logo on a generic product and call it their own without ever tasting it, checking it, or standing behind it.
That's not what happens here.
Every blend went through the same filter I use for a knife or a flashlight: would I actually use this every day? Would I be comfortable with my name on it? If the answer's no, it doesn't make it into the shop — coffee included.
I'm not trying to build the biggest coffee brand in America. I'm trying to make sure every bag with the H6 name on it is one I'd happily pour for my own family.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, H6 Outfitters isn't defined by what we sell. It's defined by how we choose what deserves to carry our name.
That philosophy applies to knives.
Flashlights.
Notebooks.
Coffee.
If it earns its place in a normal week, it earns its place at H6 Outfitters.
If that sounds like your kind of coffee, take a look at the lineup. And if you want the full story behind why I run things this way, it's all on the About Us page.
Because being Monday Ready isn't just about what's in your pocket.
It's about what starts your day.
Built for Monday. Not the apocalypse.
About the Author
Josh is the founder of H6 Outfitters, a USMC veteran, eighth-grade U.S. history teacher, coach, husband, dad, and lifelong gear enthusiast. He believes everyday carry — and everyday coffee — should help people handle real life, not prepare them for the end of the world.