Concealed carry chest pack/rig for hiking?

Inazone

Inazone

Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
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My wife and I will be embarking on a hiking trip soon, consisting mainly of day hikes on a few different trails to "scout" for future camping. As it will be before Memorial Day, the tourist herds won't yet be out in force (based on past experience) and there may still be snow on the ground in some, so we'll probably have the trails mostly to ourselves. That being the case, it seems like a perfect opportunity to experiment with different gear each day, whether boots or clothes or knives . . . or guns! In the past, I've always carried in a leather or nylon IWB holster, but I've been considering some sort of chest rig. I am not looking to wear a tactical vest with a MOLLE holster hanging on my chest and was considering some sort of nondescript chest pack that would allow for concealed carry while still being easily accessible, but most I've seen look like absolute overkill, with compartments for radios, flashlights, AR mags and so on. I will already be carrying a small backpack with sternum and waist straps, so I don't really need much in the way of capacity beyond a compact or full-sized semi-auto and a spare mag or two. I'm trying to avoid anything especially bulky, as climbing and/or crawling is highly likely.

No set budget, but I'd prefer not to spend much over $50. I've looked at various Condor and Maxpedition options online, but most are either too big and bulky, or so tactical in nature that they are like solutions in search of a problem. I'm fine with brands I'm not familiar with. Suggestions?
 
the Hill People Gear Snubby Kit Bag, kinda fits what your looking for. But its $85, I don't know if your willing to pay that.
 
The Dana Designs... er... Mystery Ranch Dry Rib, perhaps.

I'm a gun guy. But, other than women hiking alone needing a gun for personal protection or unless it's an area of known brown/grizzly or cougar terrain, I prefer not encounter hand guns on the trail. IME, if I'm on or near maintained trails, I don't have any plinking opportunities really. This means that if I'm seeing it, somebody's making a statement that I don't really want to be dealing with on the trail.

By all means, carry a gun. I dig guns too. I just really don't want to see it.

Anyway, getting back to the Dry Rib, it's a general purpose accessory pocket. It will give you easy access to your handgun and won't set off tactical alarm bells with people like me.
 
Interesting. That's exactly the type of thing I'm looking for, although I think I might be inclined to go with either the Recon or Runner's size instead. My main concern would be comfort when combined with a backpack, namely with the straps. Too bad concealed carry requires so many compromises compared to open carry!

Unfortunately, after $12 for shipping gets added on, I'm well over my budget regardless, but I appreciate the suggestions. It gives me hope that there are packs out there specifically for what I have in mind.
 
I'm not sure about the internal setup, but a ribz pack might be up your ally, very civilian looking and looks more like a fishing vest than anything else really. Oops, just looked at them again and they are listed above your budget. Although you might find a retailer or used for less.
 
If you can get by carrying a compact, I'll suggest an Osprey Grab Bag.

Very non-tactical looking, attaches to your pack straps, easy on and off, and converts to a fanny pack while you're poking around in camp. Works great for me. Price is $25 at REI. If you search around a bit you might be able to save a couple more bucks.

Below are some pics with my G26 for size reverence:





 
Well, I'm going with the HPG Runner, courtesy of a BFCer who is upgrading. The overall capacity and how well it fits me will determine which gun I bring. Ideally, I'll have room for a small digital camera too.
 
Check out the offerings of The Wilderness Store. They have many sizes of holsters that don't look like holsters.
 
I cringe when I see those chest rigs demo pics: 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never point a gun at anyone or anything you do not intend to destroy INCLUDING yourself.

Now after stating the obvious most of those demo pics show as an example a person obtaining a master grip with their strong hand, manipulating a loaded firearm while deploying it from the chest rig while their support hand is still holding onto the zipper tab placing their body part near or directly in line of the muzzle.

Then people with no training or they've never been properly coached on how to safely deploy a handgun from a chest rig or shoulder holster will mimic what they see in these photos and without thought sweep their own body with a loaded gun - this is called being unconsciously incompetent. Just an observation worth mentioning. Great rigs if used correctly!
 
Quirt said:
I cringe when I see those chest rigs demo pics: 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never point a gun at anyone or anything you do not intend to destroy INCLUDING yourself.

Now after stating the obvious most of those demo pics show as an example a person obtaining a master grip with their strong hand, manipulating a loaded firearm while deploying it from the chest rig while their support hand is still holding onto the zipper tab placing their body part near or directly in line of the muzzle.

Then people with no training or they've never been properly coached on how to safely deploy a handgun from a chest rig or shoulder holster will mimic what they see in these photos and without thought sweep their own body with a loaded gun - this is called being unconsciously incompetent. Just an observation worth mentioning. Great rigs if used correctly!
Click to expand...

Excellent point. I thought about this alot when I first got my HPG Kit Bag. My eventual solution was to leave the entire strong side of the kit bag unzipped, so I could just reach in and draw the pistol. Now, before some of you get concerned that in this situation the weapon could just slide out onto the ground... well, I use a kydex holster which I glued a velcro strip to, and it mates nicely with the female velcro strip inside the pistol compartment. When I'm at camp, I don't usually wear the kit bag, so I just extract the kydex IWB holster, and wear that instead. Here's a pic:
[URL=http://s437.photobucket.com/user/raindog101/media/010_zpse7df0926.jpg.html][/URL]
 
Got my Snubby HPG rig. The S&W 442 is perfect in it. Kind of close quarters for phone,keys and wallet but for a low profile running set up it's good to go. My original kit bag will be used for hiking and adventures that require more gear.
 
What about a fanny pack? The right one could work as a tradition fanny pack or hook on to the shoulder straps of your backpack.
 
That Ribz looks kind of big for me. I was a hpg critic until I tried my first. Expensive but worth it. By the time you try all the other options you could have got the good one.
 
Just curious if this chest rig is just for "hiking" which I'm surmising this is a day hike scenario and not a full blown backpacking trip then why not just wear your handgun in a typical strong side belt holster like you do everyday? That is what a lot of folks I see do on the trails. Or some wear theirs in a drop leg holster if it interferes with the waist belt. Now if you need it concealed then I can see a chest rig.

While a Chest Rig really seems appealing...I'm not a big fan of handguns being loose in a pouch/bag without being secured/locked down in a holster. I've seen too many people open their fanny pack and while moving or in an awkward position the gun falls to the ground. Ideally you need a system so if you open your pack/bag and then have to run or go "hands-on" your handgun will remain secure inside. Because who says all self-defense situations are going to be with the defender standing upright on both feet stationary? When under attack from two or four legged predators most people are moving or in the case of a bear potentially rolling around on the ground. If a person is pinned face first in the ground then accessibility becomes an issue with a chest rig or fanny pack. Just say'n.

Also I'm not a huge fan of mixing my defensive handgun in along with a lot of other gear/stuff (secured or otherwise) for a number of different reasons...safety being one of them, ease of deployment, simplicity under stress et al.
I just know when people have an adrenalin dump and come under duress in situations they're not familiar with then they tend to do really goofy things...and having a more complex system (with lots of other 'stuff' included in the pouch) only makes matters worse. Heck' I've seen people do some really goofy stuff with just "buck fever" and they're not even under attack...they just see Bambi with horns and have a melt down with their gear. For example I've seen people completely unload their day pack looking for spare ammo which was conveniently placed in a dedicated pouch along with their power bars, TP, flashlight, gloves et al.

For defensive purposes simple and streamline is always better...multipurpose generally tends to make things worse...but what the heck do I know?
 
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Quirt said:
Just curious if this chest rig is just for "hiking" which I'm surmising this is a day hike scenario and not a full blown backpacking trip then why not just wear your handgun in a typical strong side belt holster like you do everyday? That is what a lot of folks I see do on the trails. Or some wear theirs in a drop leg holster if it interferes with the waist belt. Now if you need it concealed then I can see a chest rig.
Click to expand...

Seems the OP was specifically asking about concealed options. I'm just assuming he has his reasons for stipulating that.

Personally, I don't like wearing a belt holster in conjunction with a pack waisbelt. They interfere too much with each other in my experience. A drop-holster can work better, but it's obviously not a concealed solution.

Something like the HPG Kit Bag works well in conjunction with just about any size pack, in my experience - day hike or multi-day trip.

Quirt said:
While a Chest Rig really appeals to me personally...I'm not a big fan of handguns being loose in a pouch/bag without being secured/locked down in a holster or similar made-to-fit device nor am I a huge fan of mixing my defensive handgun in with a lot of other gear/stuff (secured or otherwise) for a number of different reasons...safety being one of them, ease of deployment et al.
Click to expand...

In my experience with a Kit Bag, the firearm really isn't loose - depending on the size of firearm. You can also (as I have) velcro a holster inside it for very secure carry with a variety of sizes. Here's mine with a full-size SR9:

fo4iu.jpg


Having to open the Kit Bag, and then deploy, is obviously a little more involved than simply drawing from your hip, though with practice and keeping the zippers properly set up for "grab and go," you can do it quite quickly. But concealed carry with a backpack/waistbelt involves trade-offs one might not have to make in the frontcountry, unburdened by a pack. If you need it to be concealed, and you're wearing a backpack with a waistbelt, I still think the Kit Bag is the best option I've tried. And it doesn't look 'tacticool.'
 
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