Views On Fanny Pack Concealment?

[Mr.XD9mm]

What do ya'll think of the fanny pack as a means of carrying your pistol?
I haven't even thought of this until a guy at a gun store told me he uses one all the time. You don't see many people out in town with a fanny pack strapped to their hip.:o Just curious to see what everyone thinks of them and what people have said to you with one on?:confused:

[News Shooter]

I would rather be shot to death than humiliated to death by wearing such an absurd product....but that's just me:) :)

[osirus101]

My dad used his for years to conceal carry...with some of the packs out there they are actually pretty quick when you get used to them another nice thing is you dont have to dress for it...he makes fun of it more than anybody else i think...if somebody asks about it he says its his "man purse"...nobody ever suspected there to be a gun in there which is the whole idea right? Also comes in handy for carrying things on leatherman, flashlight etc...and carrying wallet keys....hope that helps...

Osirus101

[Bobshouse]

As a cop, first thing you think when you see a fannypack is GUN. I wouldn't want to wear one for any other than that reason.

[Dust_Devil]

A guy wearing a fanny pack is saying either of two things.
1. That he is a tourist. (Wants a place to store his camera, wallet, etc)
2. That he is carrying a gun.

okay, I'll add a third reason.
3. That he isn't in much of a hurry to draw his weapon in the case of being attacked.

[rdebert]

I am one of the few that probably thinks they that serve a purpose. I have one in a very nice looking brown leather that is surprisingly comfortable and quite convenient. However....in this region everyone would assume you were carrying. So I don't use it as a primary means for carrying. I use it as sort of a situational carry system. Almost like a ultra-light-mini-BOB (bug out bag). Can put a firearm, mags, ammo, wallet, cell phone, etc...,..into..and have a nice little system if I had to get out of the house NOW, I was simply in a hurry, I am traveling to include checking into a hotel, etc. Since it would be obvious (to firearm's people) in this region I don't use it as a primary system but still like it because I can use it in other ways that are very practicle for me as an individual.

Edited for bad grammar.

[xXStarScreamXx]

Why not just open carry it, most people know fanny pack = gun.

[Res O. Lushin]

fanny pack = nancy boy

[Doug.38PR]

I use a fanny pack to conceal my Colt Official Police and a bottle of water whenever I ride my bike.
But I never wear a fanny pack in normal clothes. Looks kinda sissy.
I'll never forget when I used to wear one all the time back in Jr High (when they were REAL popular among children in the late 80s and early 90s) and a security guard at the school called me over and bluntly ask, "why are you wearing a purse?" "Oh it's a fanny pack." I'd reply. "But that's a purse." he would insist. :D

[pax]

Not as a regular thing, because it looks too darn silly with real clothes.

But if you ride a bicycle, go to the gym, hike, or walk in excercise clothes, a fanny pack won't draw a second glance because it will fit in with what you are doing.

Just don't do as one ... person ... in this community did awhile back. Showed up in public (WalMart) wearing faded, holey denim overalls, no shirt underneath it, and an obvious gun-carrying fanny pack. Stoopud looking for sure. Wish I'd gotten a picture, because I still don't believe it.

Oh, re the fanny pack = gun thing. There are good designs and bad ones. If the fanny pack is three times bigger than it ought to be, black, made out of leather, and has a six-inch string hanging down ... well, you get the picture.

pax

[azredhawk44]

Fanny pack is the modern holster, that's all. In Arizona, Fanny Pack = Gun. There is limited clothing to conceal a weapon in.

And they're a bit sissy, unless you're over 60. Then you're excused...:D

[chrisandclauida2]

dust devil said

okay, I'll add a third reason.
3. That he isn't in much of a hurry to draw his weapon in the case of being attacked.

i am not trying to say your ignorant overtly so let me say this as nicely as i can. your ignorant about this subject on this point.lol
just kidding. a fanny pack designed to carry a weapon are extreemly fats draw. take galcos. they have a rip cord of sorts. pull the cord with the left draw with the right. it is quicker than many concealed draws. this is what we are talking about here is concealed draw.think about throwing back a shirt then drawing . reachinf behind you. fiddiling with an iwb holster. no a good design is a qui8ck draw. go to a gun store and put one on. practice a few times then try to see if that is faster than other concealed methods. i think you will find it is just as quick. i am not talking about dumping your weapon in a fanny pack. i am talking a fanny pack designed for concealed carry.

[stratus]

i am talking a fanny pack designed for concealed carry.

And that would fool... who? That would be concealed carry... how? :D

[chrisandclauida2]

i was talking draw not the ranking of how good an idea it is.i used to throw a small 45 in the very back compartment of a pack not designed to be a weapon pack. so if you opend up the main one it looke like it only had handcuffs etc in there. the draw time was slow. this reminds me of a story. i had a guy fill his back pack up with sudifed.so he went out the door and i chased him. the idiot had a gun in the front compartment of a fanny pack. he came in with only a fanny back went and took a back pack off the shelf removed the tags then filled it with sudifed. i am chasing him as he has this back pack on. i knew as soon as he went for the fanny pack he had a gun but it was a normal fanny pack so i tried to catch him before he got the gun out. this took almost 10 seconds and 75 yards for him to get the damn weapon out.i laugh at it now but at the time i said have a nice day and come back any time..so a normal pack is slow but a properly designed one is fast. as far as fanny pack = gun goes to us who have a clue yes. to police yes but to the majority of people i dont think they put them together. especially in phoenix. it is 115 out and al;most everyone has a pack of some kind so itis easier to blend them in.what about day planners. i think it is stupid t6o carry a gun in something like that but i do think gun when i see the right sized day runner.hell fanny pack and photog vest's should just say gun on board on them.

[Mr.XD9mm]

Would look funny walking around in plain clothes with one.
Wanted to see what others thought of this idea cause someone mentioned it to me at the gun shop thanks.

What are some other alternatives concealing the XD9 Service model with the 4inch barrel?
Not going to use the fanny pack and look like a sissy.

[Derius_T]

IWB is the way to go in hot weather, IMHO. A good IWB holster will even serve you in gym shorts and a t-shirt.

As for cold weather, situation dictates. Its either IWB or horizontal shoulder rig if the outer layer doesn't have to come off....

[stardate]

I find the fanny pack useful when. Hunting, biking, walking/running, hiking, fishing, etc. Not cool, shopping, dining out, etc. A friend once said, what you got in the Man bag, that did it for me.

[dawg23]

QUOTE: Derius_T said "A good IWB holster will even serve you in gym shorts and a t-shirt."

Maybe you could elaborate a bit on that one.:confused:

[xXStarScreamXx]

close fitting pancake belt or IWB from bianchi.


One of the guys at work carries like that with his XD, you cant tell its there. Hes a smaller guy too.

[blackmind]

As a cop, first thing you think when you see a fannypack is GUN. I wouldn't want to wear one for any other than that reason.

You may think that, and I may think that, and cops in general may think that, but I really believe that the ordinary person in public doesn't even consider it. And even if they do, what can they do about it, come up and ask you if you have a gun in there?

I typically carry in a shoulder satchel, which is sort of like fanny-pack carry but it's not worn around the waist (that hurts my lower back). Lots of people I know see me with that, but the only ones who indicate that they think there is a gun in there are the ones I've informed on my own.


-blackmind

[Denny Hansen]

Gernally speaking, I don't care for them, but as pax pointed out they are useful when biking, running, etc

For my students who like them, I suggest going to a dept. store and buying a patch to sew to the outside; Nascar, Sponge Bob, anything generic that will add a sense of innocence to the pack. Kinda like holding out your left hand and snapping your fingers while you set up for a right cross.;)

Denny

[USP45usp]

Actually, I don't care what anyone thinks of carry in this form. If it's good for the moment that I use it, then so be it.

I guess we could be holster snobs as well, like there isn't a shortage of other gun related snobs.

Who cares what other peoples views are, they are not you, you are you, and you do what you want to do, carry the way you wish to carry.

If I may be blunt, screw what other people think, because most of the time they don't and it's all just opinion and you know what they say about those.

Heck, to me if you're wearing clothes, it screams GUN because Oregon is a Shall Issue State and for it to be concealed, you have to be wearing something. If not I guess that we would have to become an open carry state, for both weapons :eek: .

Wayne

*and we are an open carry state with one weapon at least and the libs are working on the other.

[AAshooter]

Two thoughts come to mind:

1) I always thought if I was doing an armed robbery and I wanted eliminate potentional threats, I would shoot everyone with a fanny pack and wearing a photographer's vest.

2) Other than tourist areas, I think a fanny pack screams gun to those knowledgeable (sheeple probably don't notice). Especially the ones that have the large pull tabs for quick easy access, they really call my attention to them.

As an aside, I generally don't suspect a gun in fanny packs that people carry in their hands (not worn around the waste).

[USP45usp]

In a way, it seems that we are either:

1. Ashamed that we carry guns, no matter what form, and will talk bad about how others do it.

2. Afraid that we will be made doing something legal (even if you have to have that dang piece of paper/plastic)

3. Or think that BG's read these posts and have a game plan on killing everyone with a fanny pack or a vest.

I'm not understanding the problem here. Could someone enlighten me.

Wayne

[News Shooter]

My aversion to FP's is simply due to my interaction with one of the biggest nerd/morons in my life who wore one and wasn't carrying. I've never been able to look at them again without thinking the person wearing them had to be the same personality. He also wore a little cell phone on his belt. You can imagine what else makes me want to :barf:

[Bullrock]

You may think that, and I may think that, and cops in general may think that, but I really believe that the ordinary person in public doesn't even consider it. And even if they do, what can they do about it, come up and ask you if you have a gun in there?
This is right on. I wear one 3 months out of the year and I don't much give a S what anyone thinks. It is concealed and chrisandclauida2, don't bet your life I can't fast draw with it! ;) I sometimes wear my little cell phone on my belt as do allot of folks. Is there a large cell phone I should be carrying News???:confused:

[USP45usp]

News Shooter,

:D, I guess we won't be able to be friends then.

I'm actually quite surprised that none of our names on the board had come up for the SCOTUS position, we all seem to be judges here and that gives us a +1 over Miers doesn't it, at least we've sat in judgement of others.

Wayne

Sorry, sarcasism alert.

[detructo4130]

You guys know your talking fanny packs right?

[gfen]

(heh)

[Res O. Lushin]

Here is a good deal on a fanny pack for you heat packers out there :cool:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gay-Pride-Leather-Fanny-Pack_W0QQitemZ8224547089QQcategoryZ52360QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[bedula32]

I used to wear a fanny pack all the time, as in 365 days a year, but not to conceal a gun. I had a lot of stuff to carry and I don't like having my pockets bulging out at the seems. As for it screaming gun as some like to claim - I walked right past two secret service agents, being totally unknown to them at that point, and into a small room with the then 'first daughter' Chelsea Clinton at Stanford in Palo Alto back in '99. They did not know me or why I was there nor did I know who these guys were outside this room I needed to check in to see if someone I was looking for was in there. It was not even the right room. Was not until I spotted her and her entourage that I put together who the two geeks outside the door who stared me down on the way in were. I had no ID badge or anything like that. I was not a student there either. I was somewhat out of place. So I guess my huge bulging fanny pack full of essentials, even with the severely annoyed look on my face as I tried to track someone down, did not set off any bells with them. Sure, I might have had a gun in there but I also might have, and in fact did have, a cell phone, smokes, keys, wallet, 2-way radio etc...

I love the stories that always come up about how, "I was carrying in a fannypack and a cop came up to me and demanded to see my carry permit." Give me a break. First off, I still often carry a fanny pack even if I don't 'carry' my gun in it and have never even had any such incidence and I had the misfortune of living in California for several years as a teenager and early twenties where you get harassed all the time by the cops just for walking down the street. In other words, the cops are not shy about harassing folks and I never had a cop take any interest in my fanny pack there or anywhere else. Even having a carry permit now and if I had a gun in a fanny pack and a cop came up to me demanding my permit because of a fanny pack I would tell him to stop harassing me and to leave me alone. I will happily be the test case to see if simply having a fanny pack qualifies as reasonable suspicion to search without consent. If so, I guess the cops can search any woman's purse as well because she could just maybe possibly have a gun in there. Why not search the trunk of anyone's car at anytime as well - never know, they might have guns or even drugs in there. A fanny pack is not reasonable suspicion for a cop, and frankly not for a civilian either, to suspect someone is carrying a gun. If you really think it is please see a psychiatrist ASAP.

I hope it does scream gun to a lot of the paranoid and half-crazy folks so maybe they will leave me alone when all I have in there is my wallet and cell phone and keys. But honestly I think the only folks to whom it screams gun are gun folks who first ever even saw a fanny pack in the form of a concealment getup. I can maybe see that but in reality fannypacks actually are VERY common and popular in many parts of the country and probably about 99% of the people wearing them in those places are not packing a gun. You can see me wearing one every now and again but the gun is on my hip, not in the fanny pack. It just floors me these folks who seem to think "everyone with a fanny pack is carrying a gun." That is as irrational as to think, "every woman with a purse has a gun in it."

Next some of you folks will conclude that anyone who has a greenhouse in their back yard is growing marijuana in it, matter of fact, simple as that. Well maybe, but certainly not a 'given' by any stretch of the imagination.

[USP45usp]

^- I can't agrue with the above post, he's got a point.

I only put my gun into the funny pack if it gets annoying. Most to all of the time it's at 4:32 on my right side.

Why do I wear a fanny pack, because of my back. You all know of some of my maladies and the back is one of them. Can't have wallet in rear pocket, can't have anything in rear pocket. Hate the cell phone clip to the belt, gets in the way and I've no need to show it to everyone. Check book, smokes, and extra mag don't need to be in places that compromise my back either.

Sometimes our preception and thoughts are just that, preceptions and thoughts without any meaning.

My fanny pack may, or may not, hold a gun. At school right now it does, because I transfer it from IWB to Fanny before I get to class, doesn't hit the edge of the computer chair that I am forced to use.

Every method is justified in it's own right, and every carry method has a place, don't short sight one or the other, because you are afraid of what others may think of you.

Wayne

[bedula32]

If you like the fanny pack idea but for whatever reason do not like the look/feel there may be one other 'hide in plain site' option to think about. If you have a smaller gun, probably slightly smaller than the 5"height - 7"length standard, try carrying a holster inside an EMT pouch from Hawke Paks (or similar). They actually make a real EMT pouch and also make a concealment setup with the same pouch complete with internal holster. So if you see some EMT dude with the pouch on his hip imagine like that only you have a gun in yours. Looks a lot like a camera case if you do not know what an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) pouch is and goes on YOUR belt, not some nylon strap. I used to wear a real EMT pouch, complete with some various essential first-aid materials, when I was the only certified person in CPR on a job I worked on briefly. Anyway, that's where I got the idea to convert an EMT pouch but apparently at least one company, Hawke Paks, already had the same idea and converted one of their EMT pouches (yes, they are a real, established, and widely used EMT kit manufacturer) specifically for concealed carry. I even slapped a Star of Life patch onto the pouch I got (the medical cross with snake thing) to make it 'jump out' as not a gun hider. Not my usual carry style but there certainly are times it is the best way to go. Thing looks so totally benign it makes me laugh sometimes. I even have the top of a pair of EMT scissors sticking out the side in a pocket they actually designed for that. Hey, scissors are as handy to carry as a knife sometimes. I should probably also say you don't want to slap a patch on that actually says "Emergency Medical Technician" as that may be illegal in some places if you actually are not a licensed EMT (just being safe). Displaying the Star of Life symbol in and of itself does not really legally mean anything though to my knowledge. That's the symbol folks with serious medical conditions wear on those chains and necklaces.

[tel0004]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/clipse/CZUB/MMMwwwfriendly.jpg

As long as you have the right fanny pack, its OK.

[WhyteP38]

I've been wearing a fanny pack (small, burgundy leather) for the past 4 years because of a herniated L5 disc in my back. Doctor said carrying my wallet in my back pocket would only aggravate my disc problem. No go for the wallet in the front pants pockets, where it jams keys into your thighs. Also no go for the wallet in a shirt pocket; makes you look too much like a male state employee. :)

If wearing it makes me look like a sissy ... oh well. I have more important concerns in my life than the uninformed opinions of total strangers who have no impact on my life.

Anyway, no one has ever given me a second glance about the pack. Now that I'll be getting my carry permit, I figure I might as well use a fanny pack for carry. I have to wear the thing anyway, and with the carry strap around my waist, I'm concerned that the strap might get hung up on the gun if I were to draw from an IWB holsters. The key is not to have some monstrous FP in dark leather. You don't want your belt to look like that python in Florida that tried to swallow an alligator.

[R1145]

I haven't carried that way yet, but it's a viable technique, I think. Lots of cops carry off duty that way.

I've used a "Safe-packer" before. A purpose-built pack should be as quick or quicker than about any other concealed carry, I think.

When it's hot, and you're in shorts, sandals and t-shirt, what are the options?

I usually slip a j-frame into my pocket, but that's pretty weak.

If a fanny pack looks gay and says "gun", what about guys who wear safari vests?

I hate having a pistol rubbing directly against the skin of my sweaty fat belly (for both of their sakes).

I think a well-designed buttpack offers advantages. You can include other force options and accessories (pepper, badge, cuffs) without having to load up every time you walk out the door (grab it and go).

Who cares if you're "made"? You should be carrying legally, and proudly doing so. Anyone who spots you is probably hip to you anyway...

And if anyone calls me a "fag", I'll hit them with my purse...

[HighValleyRanch]

Insecure about our male image, are we!:D

Lets see, it's OK to wear a camo fanny pack while hunting in the woods, but not OK to wear the same pack around town? Did you really care about what everyone thinks that much?

I wear one once in a while. NO one has ever come up to me, and asked what's in the bag, and no one has ever called me queer or weird for wearing in. In fact, no one even noticed. I wore it with enough stuff to simulate my glock 19. I even wore it with the glock 19 when I had a yard sale. No one ever even looked twice at it.
If its the only way I can carry my glock on a hot summer day with a tank top, I rather do that than wear a hot shirt and have to worry about it blowing open all the time. A glock in a IWB on a lean guy looks like a hip tumor.
Now with fall weather, it carrys fine with IWb. But I might still use the fanny pack for hot summer if I want to carry a bigger weapon than a pocket gun.

Nothing probably shouts gun more than a guy wearing an untucked shirt in the middle of summer or an outer coat on a warm day.

[CabinJohn]

This seems to be a repeat discussion of an earlier thread, except that the previous one had more of a "gay appearence?" focus.

My reply remains the same, and will save space here, but for those who wish to read it click here (http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1679820&postcount=25).

[blackmind]

Why not just open carry it, most people know fanny pack = gun.


You speak for most people?


If "most people" know that such a bag = gun, then apparently "most people" are completely comfortable seeing a barefoot hippie-lookin' gun with an earring and long hair carrying a gun in the supermarket, the library, in the park, etc. :rolleyes:

Do you really think it's more likely that they know and don't care, rather than simply that they don't know?


-blackmind

[leadcounsel]

Socially and professionally they are accepted in some circles and not in others. This is easy to determine and common sense.

I think it's the equivalently bad idea as a woman carrying a gun in her purse. If you're ever robbed a purse or "fag bag" is the first thing taken. Now you've just given the BG your gun!

I also agree that the sheep won't know, but police, CCWs and BGs will see through the concealment immediately.

[us.armysniper]

My step mom has a fanny pack with a .44 bulldog, but she looks like a man!:D :confused: :barf: :eek: :p