Not so concealed carry--the fanny pak (Rant)

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PJ11B3VF7

New member
Here in Ga, the weather is getting warmer and I started to break down and think about getting a fanny pack for CCW. You know, Uncle Mike's, Bianchi etc. Well in the past 3 days I've seen 3 people using them. each time the same thing happened. I'm walking by these people and my eye was drawn to the LARGE "TACTICAL BLACK" fanny pack they were wearing around their waists. What do I see? Velcro on top, not even properly closed to minimize the giveaway. Oh yeah let's not forget the tactical knife clip sticking out, not even all the way in.

Today was the funniest though. I'm in a bookstore after work and I see this guy and his little daughter walking around, girl in one hand, cup of coffee in the other when his daughter reached up to get his attention and tugged on his fanny pack. You know it, she tugged it open and his Glock was there for all to see. Luckily I was the only one that saw it. I don't know what one of the moms or kids running around the store would have done
I walked away shaking my head in amazement. How do you allow yourself fo become so unaware of your surroundings and distracted that your daughter "flashes" you?

I just don't get what some people think when they start carrying ? Don't they realize they have a resposibility to themselves and others.

CARRY RESPONSIBLY!!!
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Walk softly and carry a big stick (Yeah I know I stole it)

[This message has been edited by PJ11B3VF7 (edited March 10, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by PJ11B3VF7 (edited March 10, 2000).]
 
Not sure if your rant is against fanny packs or careless carry. I've got no trouble with fanny packs. I think the only people that think they scream gun are gun enthusiasts and LEOs. Some packs, the square black ones, do seem out of place. Once in a theme park I saw a guy I thought for sure was carrying a gun in his pack. It turns out it was a camera bag. Appearances can deceive.

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So many pistols, so little money.

[This message has been edited by Tecolote (edited March 10, 2000).]
 
I use a fanny too.
I haven't felt like anyone looks at me funny.
That is a terribly careless for that guy.
Interestingly though, I have a canon camera
bag that is contoured in the shape of the camera and the zoom lens and that makes it an excellent concealed bag- even my wife thought I was carrying my camera.
 
Living in Florida I've used a fannypack for almost six years. They allow me to carry a Glock 21 with extra mag in a concealed and comfortable manner. I avoid square, black ones. My current one is bright blue nylon. It opens along the top only (I once had the zipper separate along the side on an old one as I was walking into a mall. Fortunately, I noticed it before anyone else) and has an internal holster and elastic mag holder sewn in courtesy of my wife.

I've had police tell me before that they can spot them instantly. If true, that's fine. It may (barely) constitute probable cause and if they ask, I've always got a friendly word and my license. As long as the LEO doesn't over-react (and none have yet) neither of us has a problem.

I know that criminals can spot them. Very good! I personally know of one incident where a woman caused three punks to reconsider following her around the mall simply by placing her hand deliberately on the outside of her pouch.

In short, 99% of the population is oblivious to my big, blue bag around my waist. There are three types that might notice. Police, criminals, and other gun enthusiasts. I have yet to encounter a Florida police officer who isn't reconciled to the 13 year-old fact that about a quarter MILLION citizens carry weapons legally in Florida. Most criminals will see the pack and decide that there are easier sheep in the pasture. And the fellow gun enthusiast will probably be happy that there is a weapon in the crowd to defend against the actions of the archetype of the Beast.

Let's also not forget that by simply unblousing your shirt and allowing it to hang over the pouch (I recommend buying "Tall" sizes for the extra two inches of length) you hide the pouch almost entirely from view.

It's normal for the new CCW licensee to feel exposed when they start to carry. It's sort of like the emperor having no clothes on. You feel like EVERYBODY is looking at you. There's even a little voice inside urging you to let them know by "accident." Resist the urge, it will pass. After a few weeks the gun will be a normal part of your routine and you will be more comfortable with it. Try not to become SO comfortable that you forget about the gun and walk into the post office or courthouse.

Also, don't fondle the pack or holster or keep adjusting it. Ask some of our fellow police officers what they think when they see someone messing with his waistband all the time. They think, "he's about to draw a gun!" Avoid the temptation. If the holster fits that badly, buy a better one.

Carrying a gun is a tremendous responsibility tantamount to climbing behind the wheel and getting on the freeway. You are in control of a device with the potential to maim, kill, or at the very least scare the beejeebers out of anyone around you. There are rules of courtesy and etiquette that need to be followed so that all of us commuters on the road of life enjoy a safe and pleasant ride.
 
I have an outdoor sports fanny pack with multiple compartments I keep sunglasses and a small olympus camera in the zippered compartment and use both. Its made out of green water proof cordura.

The gun, sig 230sl rides in the front compartments with a plastic expanding buckle closure and adjustible strap. the front compartment is easy to open and draw from and secure.

The pack cost $35 and is sold at most outdoor stores. The camera glasses and change make it completely innoccuous.

No One gives it a second glance.
 
By the way I travel on business domestically and abroad and I use the same fanny pack(s) (various sizes and shapes and colors to fit different guns) to travel through airports and in major cities (without a gun of course).

I also use them when hiking and camping or when at the beach. In fact last august I spent 1 week in Bermuda where posession of a cartridge can get you 1 year in jail let alone a gun. I used my green fanny pack for my beach book, camera glasses etc.

Never in 15 years of owning and using a fanny pack has anyone questioned its contents or given it a second glance.

When I go for a lunchtime walk in a major city I often wear a fanny pack that contains a walkman and my sig. Lots of police around never a second glance.

I would never buy a black one or one that says GALCO on it.
 
I guess i have to make myself a little bit clearer. I apololgize for the vague way I ranted.

I'm really irked about people that carry carelessly. I really wanted to get a fanny pack at first. I thought it would be a great way to carry here. I just moved to GA a year ago and so far have been carrying IWB. I've lived in the North the majority of my life and IWB alway worked for me. It's since I've arrived in GA that I've begun to think about a fanny pack. I just can't seem to find one that's not BLACK.

So to summarize. I'm against careless carry. I've carried concealed for 7 years and I've never flashed anyone. It's just that when I saw that little girl yank down that fanny pack in the store where other children were running around with their mothers it completely digusted me. If you all can point me in the direction of something that is not "Tactical Black" and doesn't scream out "Look at me, I'm carrying a gun" I'd be thankful because I still want to find another way of carrying besides IWB in the heat.



[This message has been edited by PJ11B3VF7 (edited March 11, 2000).]
 
PJ11B3VF7,

I've had a hard time finding one that isn't "tactical black" that fits what I need. Most of the gun shops (at least the ones I go to) don't have them.

If you're in the metro Atlanta area (or don't mind a drive), the Eastman gun show in Marietta (http://www.eastmangunshows.com/) is a place to start. They just had one last weekend, another is due in a few months. There are ususally a couple of exhibitors there who sell holsters and fanny packs, and they usually have some of the "bright" colored ones.
 
Don't get discouraged, they are out there. Packs that aren't black, I mean. I saw a Galco large auto in blue at a shop recently. It had "rainbow" colored cords, instead of black, and a large embroidered patch on the front corner that said "Patagonia". I think they're some kind of outdoor clothing or equipment company?

I just got a Coronado pack that's a lot less noticeable than the G or B brands. It will not open down along the sides. Completely unzipped, you have to be nose to nose with me to look down inside to see the gun. Its main pocket has room for my wallet and cell phone. The front one can hold a checkbook or spare mag easily.
 
Good Morning All-

VictorLouis brings up an excellent solution that I've heard before. You can simply sew patches onto your fanny pack to "alter the image."

If you're a skier, EVERY ski resort sells patches. You could literally cover a fanny pack with "Mammoth Mountain, Snowbird, Alta, Jackson Hole, Steamboat Springs, Killington, patches to "show where you have skied."

If you have young kids, someone mentioned covering the bag with "Muppets" characters like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, etc., etc. Passers-by would assume you hold tissues, baby bottles, snacks and other children's things. A sidearm would be the last thing they would consider, given the innocuous disguise.

Just don't try the "Muppets solution" and hang around playgrounds if you're 65 years old! ;)

By the way, Patagonia is an excellent manufacturer of high-quality outdoor clothing. If you are ever in the market for fleecewear vests, hiking shorts, or thermal underwear, that's the place to look....

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~

[This message has been edited by Blue Jays (edited March 11, 2000).]
 
I searched and asked a bunch of questions before I bought a pack, The best ones I could find are offered by D&S (www.gungear.com) very reasonable prices, excellent quality, quick delivery and they come in a bunch of different colors.

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So many pistols, so little money.
 
When I am dressed so that a fannypack is useful, I have found that a bellyband is even better. It is more secure, and more comfortable because it carries the gun tightly against the body so that there is no chance of it banging up against you when you walk fast or run. Jagwear makes an excellent one. It has a removeable and adjustable thumbreak. It is ambidexterous and has plenty of pouches for wallet, spare ammo, keys, ect. The two holsters have a neutral cant so that the gun can be carried either strong side or crossdraw. With mine I can carry 2 in. J-Frame S&Ws and up to 4 in. S&W K-Frames with the same band. Its cost is under $25 if I remember correctly.

DANGER:HAMMER SPURS MUST BE DE-HORNED!

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"I don't believe in individualism, Peter. I don't believe that any one man is any one thing which everybody else can't be. I believe that we are all equal and interchangeable."--Ellsworth Toohey

[This message has been edited by ellsworthtoohey (edited March 11, 2000).]
 
I have a couple of "fanny packs" that I use when I'm out running. One is "teal" and the other is blue and I'm thinking about putting some "peace sign" and Greatful Dead" patches on them as "pc" cammo. I use these things ONLY when I'm running or riding my bicycle. Otherwise I'm strickly an IWB guy. The packs are just too friggin' obvious and the draw stroke is hideous.
 
Hi nwgunman-

You might want to reconsider using "Grateful Dead" and "peace signs" as politically-correct camouflage.

Before everyone flames me....The type of people typically associated with the Grateful Dead and the generic peace sign tend to be of a pro-drug, anti-establishment, anti-police, anti-authority mindset.

Again, I am speaking in generalities here. If you want some examples, do a search of "Woodstock '99" and see TFL commentary on alleged "peace-loving hippie types" just before they set the Woodstock '99 concert on fire and began looting vendors and raping women!

I've spoken with college buddies who have gone on to become State Troopers, and when they see a Jerry Garcia, Phish, Grateful Dead, or similar bumper sticker, they're already thinking of the marijuana/dope angle.

My advice is to pick something a little less controversial. Stick with patches of state parks, places of interest, ski resorts, etc., etc. It's simply not worth the hassle to associate yourself with other groups that potentially attract unwelcomed attention.

Best regards,

~ Blue Jays ~
 
TBeck hit my points, very well.

I found mine (2) at gun shows - one blue in large, one green in medium size. They look like hiking gear, and as so many said above - gun owners think they're obvious. In truth, almost no one notices. The patch idea is a good one, but frankly, probably unnecessary.

Having said this, my normal attire requires a more professional appearance, so Thunderwear gets the nod. Still want to try a belly band.

Good luck. Regards from AZ
 
I don't use the fanny pack nearly as much as I used to.. I primarily wear a photo vest in the warm months..... I find that device more convenient, although I do sometimes get tired of wearing it every day.

My wife has two fanny packs, one blue, one black and she uses them quite a lot. Important thing here is that she has Galco bags with two compartments, one for the gun and spare mag and one for every other god damn thing she can cram in there.....

Personally, the only fanny pack I used/use, and I have worn out two of them, is the DeSantis vertical style. It has a belt loop and just hangs on your hip approximately where a regular holster would be. To anyone who can put 2 and 2 together it is practically like open carry... but it is legal, doesn't alarm the sheep and it is pretty fast to draw from. There is a little pouch on the outside of the pack, but it is only wide enough for some cash, a badge or maybe a knife.

If it weren't for the alarmist attitutdes I'd encounter, I'd carry open all the time... When I don't mind wearing a badge on the belt I do anyway now. So, I don't look for too much "concealment" out of a my hip-pack. I figure before someone can get alarmed by it they have to get beyond a "reasonable doubt" that it might not be a gun ;). Of course, after a year or two of use, I have found that they really start confroming to the gun and printing rather blatantly....

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-Essayons
 
I have some good words to say about fanny packs for one sort of use, at least: bicycling. I do a lot of it, on road and off. I ride with biker clothes: a race jersey, black pants, sometimes a bright yellow Pearl Izumi jacket. A black fanny pack fits right in to the look, and most people just figure that I'm carrying Clif Bars in there if they notice at all. I think this is true even for people who would otherwise make me if I had the thing on when I was wearing a shirt and jeans, and walking around the mall.

I thought about some kind of belly band, or this one stretchable nylon thing which retains the gun in back. But, the fact is that if you ride you sweat. Say what you want about Glocks but I have no doubt that I'd shorten the life of the gun keeping it next to my skin when I ride.

On the other hand, I obey traffic laws when I ride. That is to say, I ride in the road, not on the sidewalk, stop at stop signs, wait at red lights, hand-signal my turns, etc. People notice this, I can tell, and I think they wonder at first if I'm some kind of cop or something. That might make the black bag stand out a bit more.

Anyway, I think the patch suggestion above's a good one. Bike patches would be perfect, too-- nothing inside here but sunscreen, maps to the trailhead, or anti-SUV-let's-all-vote-for-Gore literature in here, folks! :)
 
I have an Uncle Mike's Gunpack which I like very much. You can get them in a variety of colors. You can open one without exposing your handgun. They are small and hardly noticeable with a baggy untucked shirt. Also you use your own belt.
 
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