Carrying in summer...

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Pond James Pond

New member
My carry gun is a 6-shot .38Spl snub in a IWB holster carried at 1 o'clock or 04.30... The former is my preferred position.

In the Estonian winter, outdoors, you could conceal an RPG thanks to the layers, but this little northern nation manages some very respectful summer weather too.

When that happens and I'm in shorts I tend to wear a T-short tucked in for comfort with the holster and then a light cotton shirt, buttoned, loose.

This is probably perfectly adequate, but I feel paranoid and exposed. The slightest breeze and I imagine an imminent Marilyn Monroe air-vent moment when carrying appendix just waiting to reveal my preparedness.
If I decide to carry in 04.30 then anytime I bend over I can feel the butt of the snub standing proud like a beacon under my shirt....

Carrying at 03.00 is just not comfortable.

So how can one carry without boiling and without flashing "yer steel"...
 
Smaller gun for pocket carry is one solution. I wear jeans a lot even in 90+ degree weather and pocket carry an LCR357, but it would probably be too heavy for shorts.
 
As long as your carrying legally and your state / country doesn't have some stupid law against printing or accidentally showing a pistol - who cares.

Most people are oblivious and could be staring right at you and not even notice you're carrying a firearm.
 
I live in FL where it is usually hot and carry the same guns year around, either a 1911 government or full size CZ. I almost always wear a t shirt and never have an issue concealing.
 
I started out pocket carrying a snub. Then I tried a cheap 1 clip Don Hume IWB holster - it was non-adjustable and it placed the cylinder right at the belt line where most tension is. That holster is in a box.

Then I got into IWB at 4:30 with semi-autos with a Theiss holster which I still do with thicker shirts/sweaters, and pocket carry for more formal situations.

Now I mostly pocket carry a small semi-auto, using the same cheap Desantis Nemesis I had for my snub. It's a durable holster - may not have been the most gentle on the annodization of my snub, but the holster looks about the same as years ago. It works just fine with either pistol, just carries an inch or so higher in the holster. Blue jeans and their narrow pocket mouths are not as smooth in/out, but everything else works well. Nothing beats the convenience in my mind. My cell phone has been moved to the back pocket.
 
I usually carry a Glock 17 AIWB at around 1:00. Summers here are pretty warm, and humid. These days, depending on what Im doing, Ive been wearing a wife beater, under a tee shirt or polo shirt, or a tee shirt, under an untucked oxford type shirt. They all work. The appendix position just makes IWB even more concealable and comfortable. It also brings all of your stuff to a central "dashboard", and makes protecting things even easier and less conspicuous, and printing basically a non existent problem.

Ive also been trying larger guns in my Smart Carry, and its been working very well too. They really are a very versatile holster, and have become one of my must haves. If youre really paranoid, and require the deepest concealment, but still have good access and speed, its the one you want.
 
Summer weight hiking shirts, preferrable button front with a print. These are typically very light weight, ripstop and vented in the back. They are fitted loose for extra ventilation. They excell as a cover garment. Also, they are light enough to allow a moisture wicking undershirt.

Tru-Spec shorts with mag pockets inside the cargo pockets.

Today I carried a 9mm Sig P320 Compact, 2 spare 15 round magazines and a Kahr P380 in a pocket holster, as back-up. The Sig rode in an IWB at 4 o'clock. Concealment and comfort aplenty. This is way in excess of what I normally carry, but I wanted to try it out.
 
Marilyn Monroe air-vent moment
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People weren't looking for a pistol then, and they aren't looking for a pistol on you either.

I live in Florida, and carry at 4:00 or 4:30 under tail-out shirts almost all year. Not to worry - between good cover and your neighbors' oblivion you are fine.
 
I carry a J frame Airweight. It's easy to pocket carry in the summer but when i get sweaty, it's hard to draw smoothly. It's much easier to draw from an inside the waistband holster at the 1:00 position. As a mechanic, I must get into and out of a variety of cars and trucks each day. I also must squat down to the floor to set lifts, bend over fenders and occasionally crawl under dashes. The J frame at 1:00 IWB stays well concealed, is easier to draw than when in a sweat soaked pocket and is almost as comfortable to carry.
 
Summer carry is a definite challenge for me. Outside of the office, I am in shorts and a T.

In the winter, I carry a full sized 40 and a 380 as backup. Under a jacket or coat, one can conceal most frame sizes. In summer I am relegated to a 380 in a Sneaky Pete holster and a 32 ACP in a back pocket holster.

Sometimes it's just the 32 in the back pocket. I shudder at that because my wife and I once ran into a situation where that little thing might not have gotten us out.
 
Pond, James Pond
Senior Member

Join Date: July 12, 2011
Location: Top of the Baltic stack
Posts: 4,056
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See above,
As long as your carrying legally and your state / country doesn't have some stupid law against printing or accidentally showing a pistol - who cares.
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Just got back from a night out in a series of very upscale establishments where carrying a gun, or wearing a hawaiin shirt, or fanny pack would get me kicked out due to jumpy Fairfield county and NYC folks would freak out. Being caught, or printing would not be illegal, but would likely cause a commotion and detainment.


It was 88-90 degrees and humid.


Carried a S&W 3913 OWB in a leather holster hung on a reinforced leather carry belt, worn under a slim fit polo shirt and slim fit casual slacks.


Nobody noticed. I barely noticed. It was comfortable and concealed. The gun was kept very close to body, but I could draw quickly. Wasn't concerned at all about my motions either.


Honestly, I don't get what the problem is unless you guys are living in gym wear.
 
Clip a few split shot sinkers to the bottoms of your un-tucked shirts, take them off before washing or handwash and line dry. Seems I remember some of the detectives doing this many years ago.
 
Over the 20-odd years I have carried, I have tried just about every method, and have settled for pocket carry here in Alabama, with a J-frame .38 (or a small 9mm auto, if I can practice frequently).
 
Clip a few split shot sinkers to the bottoms of your un-tucked shirts, take them off before washing or handwash and line dry. Seems I remember some of the detectives doing this many years ago.
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That and shirt buttons replaced with magnetic snaps.
 
On those hot days where it is not tolerable to wear any more clothing than absolutely necessary, I put my G36 in a belly bag.
 
I carry the same way, no matter the weather, i.e. OWB at 3:30-4:00. Usually a t-shirt or polo covering in summer, sometimes in winter the shirt or sweatshirt is tucked in using the outer garment for cover, especially if not intending to remove coat, such as going to store. Always a BUG in back pocket. Similar weather here.
 
Carry a fullsize Glock 31C AIWB all summer.

If I did not have access to information, or lived with my head in the sand I may have opted for a smaller EDC. The attacks on LE lately and the Attacks on the Marine recruiters is the tip of the iceberg.
 
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