"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
Count me as another unapologetic lover of the fanny pack... especially since I'm married and don't care if I look dorky
Even if you're not toting a pistol, another huge benefit of fanny packs is air travel. I no longer board a flight without one. It makes security the easiest thing in the world: unbuckle, drop in bucket for x-ray, put back on. Boom: done. No fishing in pockets. No taking off belts. No worrying that your wallet gets "lost" in the x-ray bucket. Everything you need is right up front in one easy-to-access spot. No more patting yourself down to remember which pocket holds your boarding pass. Even once you get on the flight you don't have to wriggle around in the child-sized seats to get something out of a pocket. It makes everything so damn convenient.
I have both a large and small Tommy pack. I like them a fair bit, but they're also pretty damn bulky. I recently picked up a Quicksilver fanny pack. It's obviously not designed for a pistol, but far less bulky than the Tommy pack and lower profile. I think I'll keep looking around on the market for a happy in-between (i.e. a more gun-friendly pack that still looks outdoorsy).
I also have a HPG Runner's Kit Bag. I like some things about it, but find it a pain in the ass to put on and take off: the opposite of a regular fanny pack. My wife also says that I look like a "suicide bomber" while wearing it.
Some people will say that a fanny pack screams "GUN!" Maybe that's true in some areas of the country, but not around me. Where I live it screams "tourist," "dork," or "dad to young kids." I'm fine with any of those labels.
"If you run into an a**hole in the morning, you ran into an a**hole. If you run into a**holes all day, you're the a**hole." - Raylan Givens
I have an old Eagle fanny pack that has seen better days but has always been useful in very warm environments (always contained a G19 and reload).
I also use a Coronado Leather waistpack every so often that, as far as I'm concerned, doesn't scream gun at all (also for a G19).
Awesome, I love it!
Heh, my wife basically lacks that gene that causes people to unreasonably interfere with their spouses...but two things my wife hates a LOT: fanny packs and Matthew McConaughey. I don't think I would get away with it. You have no idea how happy she was when I switched to AIWB and changed the clothes I wore to look a lot less tactical. I don't think I could inflict a fanny pack on her now. Actually, maybe this would make a good prank to pull on her...
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I'd love to see the Galco Escort in Blue or Green again.
It is one of the only fanny packs that I can get a decently quick draw from.
Paul Gomez has a good video on drawing from a fanny pack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yku7c0GO58g
The one he is using is from http://www.kgproducts.com/index.html
I too have been on the lookout for a decent fanny pack for those occasions when I'm not wearing a belt or other means of holster attachment. Generally when I'm biking, hiking or at the gym. To date I have used a camelback jobber that has a CCW pocket along with bladder and a small snivel gear pocket. I think it was called the goblin. It works well for outdoor activity but at the gym it's pretty useless. I've tried a couple of commercial units from REI and Mountain Smith, but ended up returning them. They either offered very difficult access to the gun (g42) or the unit and gun flopped around like crazy. Thought about trying a HawkePack, but haven't really pulled the trigger. Ideally something along the lines of the Amphipod concept would be cool. Small discrete pack for the gun, wallet, keys and iPhone/music player and then you can slap a couple water bottles on if you want and you blend in.
Anyone know what brand pack this is in the photo?
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Anyone use the 5.11?
Comments about draw from this one?
Are you able to wear it offset from center line or does the muzzle poke you in the hip?
This looks like a G17 sized gun.... big space.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
Wow - I had completely forgotten that I own a HawkePaks Micro GunPak until you posted that picture.
Not the exact same thing, but pretty damn close.
Pro: it only looks like it could fit a j-frame inside, when in fact it can indeed tote a full sized pistol like a G17.
Con: it absolutely sucks for carrying anything in addition to the pistol + mags. Can't even fit my phone in the non-gun pockets.
If you just want to carry a pistol in a deceptively small package, these setups are great. If you actually want to carry some other stuff (wallet, keys, phone, flashlight, or whatever), they suck. That's why mine is sitting around collecting dust and I forgot I even owned it.
You can indeed wear it offset without problem: the muzzle won't poke you.
"If you run into an a**hole in the morning, you ran into an a**hole. If you run into a**holes all day, you're the a**hole." - Raylan Givens