Packing a handgun for personal and/or third party defense is not meant to be comfortable but rather comforting. One ought to consider defensive effectiveness, immediate accessibility under stress and from potentially awkward positions and/or movement as a higher decision making consideration over comfort or what I may like. Most defensive situations are not on ones both feet often with the defender fighting from the dirt and often we must use only one hand to deploy this tool and it isn't always our strong hand. How effective is our/my system one handed or from various unusual defensive position?
For me, if I cannot access the handgun immediately and effectively without sweeping myself with just my support hand while my face is planted in the ground then I find a different carry system irrespective of comfort. The system must be capable of one-handed operation using either hand and I must mot take my eyes off of the threat to deploy the handgun. Also if I must run will the system hold the gun secure? What happens if I open the pouch and then must boogie? Will the gun still stay secure when said pouch is open? Also when I open up the pouch under stress am I going to grasp toilet paper and a whistle instead of my life saving tool? Keep your system simple, streamlined, and effective. But this is just me and besides what do I know?
Valid points, but all carry systems suffer from the same issues. The difference is how you train, not how you carry. Im a big proponent of the HPG Kit Bag and have been using them for more than a few years
close to an accumulated 1000 miles of backpacking, several kayaking trips and mountain biking. They are by far the best system for carrying concealed with a pack Ive found and Ive tried several. Is it perfect? Not quite, but pretty close for my outdoors activities. I dont care what your normal carry system is; its also not perfect and most IWB, OWB, SOB, appendix carry, shoulder holster, etc. all suffer the same challenges as your body can be pinned against it and not all are (especially CCW holsters) provide ambidextrous access. Now, training mitigates these issues but Ive trained with several different holster systems and all have their advantages and disadvantages.
Back to the Kit Bag, you bring up a good point about comfort verse comforting and there is some truth to this, but comfort can be important on a 50-100 backpacking trip. The big downside is the trapped heat of the Kit Bag; you will sweat and if temps are in the 90s with very high humidity, comfort becomes more mental than physical. I do carry as a stand-alone (not attached to my pack). There are no issues when worn with a pack and my pack can be dumped or jettisoned without losing my handgun (or a few other essentials).
I dont carry anything in the dedicated pistol pouch except the handgun and possibly a secured magazine that is out of the way. I personally dont recommend carry much else in the pistol compartment as there is the valid concern that something could get in the way. The Kit Bag secures handguns extremely well and serves as a holster in and of its self. Ive taken some serious falls off my mountain bike, fell down the side of a steep slope
never cause any problems with location or security of my pistol. In fact, I would say the Kit Bag becomes a good protector from mud, dirt or getting snagged when falling or taking a spill. Still, I use the Raven Vanguard trigger cover. It covers the trigger with molded Kydex and is tied into the Kit Bag, this really provides extra retention if something did happen and you took a spill with your pistol compartment open.
Training is the key to any carry system; even an open carry combat rig. Are their concerns with sweeping? Are their challenges with one-hand draw or weak-side draw? Is there some difficulty when accessing on your back, lying on your stomach, on your side, upside down? Sure, but all those issues can be addressed and solved with training. Hell, I even practice drawing with my hiking poles, which can be done just as easy without; not something I could do with a holster system on my waist. With all the tactical training aside, they do help techniques under stress, but dont forget that this is for outdoor recreation not combat and the areas we frequent in the lower 48 dont have many threats and are actually safer than most shopping malls. The concerns are relevant, but the probability for those concerns is quite low
use of a handgun is much lower on the list of threats from the outdoors.
Ive done numerous activities with the Kit Bag, including swimming, rock climbing, hunting, fishing, bushwhacking, worn during my traveling via gun truck, helo or fixed wing my last tour to Afghanistan and more recently on a 60 mile section hike followed by a Leave No Trace instructors course with a great group of bush hippies. Sure, there are some challenges with the Kit Bag that need some practice and training to work around, but from my experience, that applies to any carry system.
Just my two-cents for a very capable carry system developed specifically for outdoor activities.
ROCK6
