How do you carry while hiking?

Fanny

I fanny pack it myself, they go great with my Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts and slip on loafers. LOL.

I do fanny pack it though, wallet, knife, pistol, phone, ammo and water. compass and Map too.
 
I have carried in a fanny pack, small of the back behind my backpack, iwb at 4:30 and pocket depending on the situation.
 
I either hike with a Ruger GP100 3" inch barrel in a Bianchi Cyclone 111 holster or a Ruger 44 mag Alaskan in a Galco DAO holster. I open carry while hiking.
 
When I did hike (have trouble with the hips in my old age) I carried a 4 1/2" barreled single action in a buscadero. It carried well.
 
When out with "backpacking" amount of pack and gear, I am in the same "camp" with Sam06. I have an Uncle Mike's with thumb snap on the pack waist belt. I also pack in an OWB Bianchi with thumb snap for arrival at destination when the big pack comes off.

Open carry is not much of an issue where I backpack in. This is usually after miles of boat ride, or snowmobile in, before backpacking begins. Don't think that the moose and bears really care between OC and CC.

For lighter trips, just the same Bianchi OWB with thumb snap, with a fanny pack for other essentials. My favorite hiking fanny pack also has shoulder straps, which tends to take the "bind" off of the holster.

Can't say enough about thumb snaps on hiking holsters. I have known several folks who have carried out in the bush without good retention, and had to backtrack to find just where their handgun fell out, and one guy who never did find his .44 mag.
 
When I hike, I pack my SP101 in a cheap paddle holster. Fobus, I think. It clips comfortably on the pack's waist strap or on my hip. This works, though it means that it gets covered by my jacket when I'm wearing raingear without the pack. The draw is no different than with a concealed OWB holster that way, though.

If I want to use it as a CCW when hiking, the only way I've tried so far is pocket carry with a really supportive belt. I think a fanny pack would be much more practical (out of the way, can be worn over gear), but those things give me too many noogie flashbacks from my nerdy days. :D
 
When I hike, I have a couple of options:

#1 - I've got a holster and belt combo from Hunter Leather that has cartridge loops for .44/.45 caliber. The holster fits my Redhawks just dandy. The quasi-western design of it fits in well with outdoors activities and doesn't spook the treehuggers since it looks vaguely "cowboy-ish." The gun sits just below my pack's waistbelt.

#2 - I have a small cheap nylon holster that fits my 3" SP-101. I strap this holster to one of the shoulder straps of my backpack. While technically open carry, it blends in to the rest of my gear in such a way that no one has ever noticed me carrying it. The gun essentially ends up riding cross-draw style, just above the waistbelt of the pack, where the shoulder strap comes down to re-join the pack. The only drawback to this method is if I take my pack off... the gun is on the pack rather than on my body.

#3 - A "wilderness" style belt and inexpensive nylon holster. Worn similar to the Hunter cowboy-style setup, but the belt ends up being worn at a slant so that the gun is low slung on the strong side. The waistbelt of the pack is fine, and the gun is accessible. I can carry any auto I want this way, and this is how I carry if I'm hiking in an area that tends to have more methcooks than 500 pound bears. This has become my preferred method of carry on just about any hike.
 
I got a Quest holster, ambidextrous with a clip that can be put on either side and can carry an extra mag. I just clip it to my front strap. I put it on backwards in the pictures just so you can see how easy it is. Obviously the gun would be on the outside of the waistband while hiking.
4810_670438389023_9200898_38169619_5247034_n.jpg


40 S&W XDSC

Holsters can be bought here:

http://www.hornhunters.com/holsters.htm
 
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It's simple...

just make the GF carry the pack. and the cameras. it's much easier to grab the camera off someone else's shoulder anyway, and it'll keep your gun accessible and your hands free. Also it's a great opportunity to bring those extra water bottles and a couple snacks, since she's carrying it all.

Otherwise, since it's just a day hike, don't use the waist belt on the backpack; buckle it to itself but behind you. unless you're jogging you won't notice, and it'll let you access your holster more easily.
 
Unfortunately, I live in a pretty liberal area, and when I go hiking the people you run into arn't usually the gun friendly type. So I usually take one along with an IWB, just a glock 17, I know it's not going to stop an angry bear or anything but i'm more worried about foxes and such. I don't have anything to bring that is going to save me from a bear attack and my main concern is really only smaller "rabid" animals, so the 9mm suits the purpose. If I ever run into a bear i'm screwed but I usually only hike in a state park where bear run-ins are very rare. If I had the money you bet I would buy a big backpacking handgun but until then I ahve to make due with what I already have.
 
Nick - doesn't matter if people are "gun friendly". In most wilderness areas/national forests (I can't think of any that don't) open carry is allowed. Simple as that - doesn't even matter on state. Its federal land and they can't do anything about it.
 
+1 for the safepacker!

If you're doing serious backpacking with a frame pack and waist belt, you absolutely can't beat the safepacker. You want something that is modular for your pack, not another thing to strap on.

The maxpedition pack the other person recommended is cool-looking and does its job when you don't have to worry about throwing one more thing over your shoulder (if it's the one I think it is that kinda rides across your body). Maybe get that for a short dayhike. They carrry a lot of cr@p better than the safepacker.
 
In NC if hikeing on park land like the appalachian tr.you must have a CCW and then carry conceled unless hunting season is open and the firearm is legal for that area. It's not really different from normal carry. Besure of each states changes if any too.
 
I got a Quest holster, ambidextrous with a clip that can be put on either side and can carry an extra mag. I just clip it to my front strap. I put it on backwards in the pictures just so you can see how easy it is. Obviously the gun would be on the outside of the waistband while hiking.
Click to expand...

That looks like a good idea. I thought about using my holster on the strap but would have to take the strap apart to go through the belt loop holes. A clip on would a good idea.

Now back to my stinking punch out list.
 
I pocket pocket carry if I have a pack o. If not it is the old GP100 in the cheapo uncle mikes sidekick.
there are fanny packs that attach to a packs hip belt, although not any holster fanny packs as far as I know.
There is a holster designed to attach to the sternum strap, I do not know where you can get it, but I have seen it.
Clipping one on is probably the easiest.
 
Well, since I may be wrong, let me ask since we're going to Colorado next month:

If I'm going into a wilderness area/national forest/state park/national park in Colorado, can I OC? I know they just passed a low about national parks, but when does it go into effect?
 
What I carry on hikes

My wife & I are deep woods, mountain hikers in Far North Idaho (Grizzly Country). We both carry, she has a Model 14 S&W 6" on a Tactical belt with a jacket loop holster drop. It lowers the holster nearly 3 inches so it is easier for her to draw up. I carry a 45 in a Serpa holster with a jacket loop drop as well. Concealed carry out here is really frowned upon, so we both carry low ride holsters, so as not to conceal them by our jackets flipping over the handguns. She will be completing a concealed carry course to get her permit in the next week or so.
We never hike up here without carrying. Too many bears, cougars and the occasional wolf (I haven't seen any yet, but you can hear them at night every now & then).
I have friends that have their hunts disrupted by both bears and cougars on numerous occasions.

We will be spending 5 days next week out in the wild up on the Canadian border. There is no way I won't be carrying.

Better to carry and never use it than to leave it at home and regret it!
 
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