How do you guys carry while hiking? I carry concealed but I am having a hard time finding a way to quickly access my pistol and still be comfortable while carrying a pack.
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Sidearms & Scatterguns Hiking With A Pistol
- Thread starter Nosler243Shooter
- Start date
Are you using a pack with a belt or just shoulder straps? I use a day pack when hiking and am able to put a holster on my belt. The shoulder strap does contact the grip of the pistol but it isn't a problem.
3 oclock Galco carrylok 1911. Open or covered by an untucked shirt. Pack belt rides above it without issue. Hard to carry concealed with more than a day pack. My big pack almost requires me to open carry.
If you carry often (I do daily) I suggest you carry in the same position and condition that you usually do. Muscle memory is what it is and if you have it (muscle memory) and need the pistol it could be a bitch.
Adjust your pack set up around the gun, not the other way around.
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If you carry often (I do daily) I suggest you carry in the same position and condition that you usually do. Muscle memory is what it is and if you have it (muscle memory) and need the pistol it could be a bitch.
Adjust your pack set up around the gun, not the other way around.
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Open carry is fine in Alabama but my pack has a belt and would make things uncomfortable. I am going to try my Kahr PM9 in a Desantis superfly in my front pocket. I will see how it feels after carrying it all day plus all my other stuff.
A drop leg holster is by far the most comfortable with any serious hiking, as always...............opinions vary.
I carry my s&w 44 airlite in a holster on the belt of my pack. I have to remove the buckle to thread it through and then put the buckle back on, but it works. I can even pull my tshirt over the gun when I want it concealed. i don't usually wear pants that use a belt when I am hiking, so that eliminates most options.
This why? It makes me feel safe and shoots 100 yards no prob. Just incase its danger not so close.
Sir, from my experience on foot patrols on deployment, may I suggest that you keep the pistol out of pockets and waistline? Stuff that bounces and rubs eventually means chaffing and once you are out there sometimes you just gotta suck it up indefinitely. I would suggest a good shoulder rig or a drop leg system.
I have had great luck with the hill people gear kit bags
Has a mesh backer that fits under packs well. Can get a thin one for just pistol or a thicker version that can do pistol plus essentials.
Has a mesh backer that fits under packs well. Can get a thin one for just pistol or a thicker version that can do pistol plus essentials.
I use a cross chest pistol holster, thats made for scoped revolvers. It fits great and I wear my pack with no impeadance
I use a Safariland 6285. Good retention and it has enough drop to allow the pack belt to clear it. I'm going to try a leg rig one of these days.
I use a paddle holster, usually a serpa. I clip the paddle on the padded waist belt of my pack. It is really comfortable and right in the same location on my body as it always is.
I use a drop leg rig in the open when backpacking. Owb concealed with my 1911 when just out for a day hike though.
--Wintermute
--Wintermute
When hiking you find every ounce gets multiplied. If you are wearing a pack, why not mount the holster of your choice to the straps of your pack? Make sure the holster has a good retention device. +1 on the pocket holster causing a chaff
This little guy uses MOLLE webbing and attaches to a similarly equipped pack waist-belt. It holds a G27 perfectly.
Stash-It ? Kifaru Intl. Online Store
Stash-It ? Kifaru Intl. Online Store
I live in very active grizzly country, pack my Ruger Toklat 454 casull in this...
Wyoming Combination Holster
it is the most comfortable/practical rig I have ever owned for outdoor hiking with a heavy revolver
Wyoming Combination Holster
it is the most comfortable/practical rig I have ever owned for outdoor hiking with a heavy revolver
I went on a good hike yesterday. I didn't turn my GPS on to use my odometer but I have been there before. It seems like it is 8 or 9 miles. I walked and fished for about 9 hours. I wore a pair of 5:11 taclite pro pants and the pocket holster didn't bother me a bit. I like OWB better but it doesn't work well with my Eberlestock x2. I will be ordering a new pack soon so maybe I can find someway to carry OWB.
Another vote for the hill people kit bag. Very well made and keeps the handgun from scaring the granolas when hiking with a pack with hip support. With just a day pack I run a regular OWB holster.
I carry cross-chest as well. It's all large-frame revolvers up here for the most part, and I find a belt carry to be impractical for me.
I use a Kangaroo Carry combo holster that puts my M&P in pretty much the same position as the holster that DetroitRearView uses. The Kangaroo is made of cloth rather than leather it has a belly belt and sits against my body just outside of my packs shoulder straps. This makes it easy and quick to get to but does not interfere with getting the pack on and off quickly.
Kangaroo Carry
They are inexpensive and washable.
I mount one of these on the belt of my Dakine pack for mountain biking:
MA35- Map Pouch
Unobtrusive looks but the main compartment gives quick access to a Glock 29. You can use the front flap pocket for keys, wallet, phone, etc.
MA35- Map Pouch
Unobtrusive looks but the main compartment gives quick access to a Glock 29. You can use the front flap pocket for keys, wallet, phone, etc.
Glock G20 10mm IWB uncovered, kifaru koala lite or Alaskan Guide holster. Depends on where I am at, what I am doing, if the handgun is primary or secondary and if it is hippies or bears that may need shot.
Drop leg is the epitome of chaffing. Why anyone would think straping a couple pounds to the side of your leg while moving long distances would be a good idea, I will never understand. You can remove the drop protion of most drop legs and run it more like a drop hip holster, but running it mid thigh sucks.
My Mystery Ranch has a Molle belt that I usually had a smoke on one side and spare frag on the other. I'm sure you could sow something to your pack hip straps that would be sturdy enough for a holster to go. Here is a pic of the molle belt I'm talking about.
For concealed carry while wearing a pack with a waist belt, I think you basically have two choices:
1. A pocket attached to the waist belt. Kifaru makes this easy with lots of different sized modular pockets.
2. A chest pack. I use a modified fishing chest pack, but the Hill People stuff is good as well.
I switch back and forth depending on which pack I'm using, but both allow me to have gun in hand in 3-5 seconds. The choice of zipper pulls is important so that you can both find it without looking and get a good grasp on it. My chest pack is sized so that I can keep a few other items in it that need quick/frequent access.
1. A pocket attached to the waist belt. Kifaru makes this easy with lots of different sized modular pockets.
2. A chest pack. I use a modified fishing chest pack, but the Hill People stuff is good as well.
I switch back and forth depending on which pack I'm using, but both allow me to have gun in hand in 3-5 seconds. The choice of zipper pulls is important so that you can both find it without looking and get a good grasp on it. My chest pack is sized so that I can keep a few other items in it that need quick/frequent access.
I live in California. Only LEOs, criminals, and the politically connected carry guns here.
For animal / bad guy protection protection, I would love to carry a G20SF.
For animal / bad guy protection protection, I would love to carry a G20SF.
I get what you're saying, but thats is misinformation. There are a few counties that are shall issue up here in norcal, only requirement is no felonies.
For ccw while hiking and fishing the hillpeople gear kit bag is the best that I have found so far.
90%+ of the population lives in a "may issue" area which is effectively a "no issue zone" unless you are politically connected.
Yes--if you live in a rural county it is "may issue" and they actually do issue, but not around the major cities.
I hike with a derringer up my ass all the time, just dont fart, you may kill something you dont mean to.
...Here is a pic of the molle belt I'm talking about.
Hi Sir:
What are the vertical wings on your MR 6500 for? They look like foam or rubber spacers. Something for comfort related to using a plate carrier I'm guessing?
I run HPG and love it to death. Nice feature is the rip away zipper and if I have to ditch the pack fast, I can do so while retaining my handgun. I also carry bare essintials in mine, so if I do ditch, I have enough to get by and anybody else I encounter in the back country does not recognize it for what it is. Other pluses are you can shoot prone with it and not get dirt in the gun, try that with a cross draw and easy to use. I use mine with an Eberle, with a day pack, without a pack at all and while driving in the back country. Good luck and hopefully all this helps.
