Hope everyone is doing well, have a question for you folks that is both looking for an opinion, and for hands-on experience...
I've been searching for the last 15+ years for a good way to carry my stuff. Stuff in this situation is my vast amount of Diabetes supplies. I have to carry food (usually in bar form) tubes of cake icing, tubes of glucose tabs, glucose meter (with extra batteries, testing strips, alcohol pads), pump supplies (infusion sets, etc) carb counter book, cell phone, and my various other daily items (small NRA pocket knife, magnesium fire starter, foam earplugs, etc).
This amount of stuff has normally resided in a backpack. It looks like I'm an older guy going to college but it was working to just put things in there and go. I'm sick of it. Looking for a better way to carry this stuff.
I was looking at photographer vests, safari vests, travel vests, and of course the 5.11 tactical vest. I do like that the 5.11 has that inside pocket for a CCW, normally I have mine IWB or Pocket (S&W 642) and may very well continue to do that method of carry but having the option to put it inside the vest would be interesting.
My issue is just this, does wearing that 5.11 gear make you stand out as a person who's carrying? I'm sure joe public would just look at it as a photogvest, folks in the know may see it and think there may be a CCW somewhere in there.
My other question is just the quality and fit of these vests. I wear a 44 suit jacket, and normally wear XL t-shirts, but does this vest in a XL size hang off the frame? Is it advised to go a size down?
I'd appreciate any info, no places near me would ever have 5.11 items to try on, although there is a guy in the back office who I swear I've seen wearing a vest like that... hrmn.
I've been searching for the last 15+ years for a good way to carry my stuff. Stuff in this situation is my vast amount of Diabetes supplies. I have to carry food (usually in bar form) tubes of cake icing, tubes of glucose tabs, glucose meter (with extra batteries, testing strips, alcohol pads), pump supplies (infusion sets, etc) carb counter book, cell phone, and my various other daily items (small NRA pocket knife, magnesium fire starter, foam earplugs, etc).
This amount of stuff has normally resided in a backpack. It looks like I'm an older guy going to college but it was working to just put things in there and go. I'm sick of it. Looking for a better way to carry this stuff.
I was looking at photographer vests, safari vests, travel vests, and of course the 5.11 tactical vest. I do like that the 5.11 has that inside pocket for a CCW, normally I have mine IWB or Pocket (S&W 642) and may very well continue to do that method of carry but having the option to put it inside the vest would be interesting.
My issue is just this, does wearing that 5.11 gear make you stand out as a person who's carrying? I'm sure joe public would just look at it as a photogvest, folks in the know may see it and think there may be a CCW somewhere in there.
My other question is just the quality and fit of these vests. I wear a 44 suit jacket, and normally wear XL t-shirts, but does this vest in a XL size hang off the frame? Is it advised to go a size down?
I'd appreciate any info, no places near me would ever have 5.11 items to try on, although there is a guy in the back office who I swear I've seen wearing a vest like that... hrmn.