Carrying while wearing a backpack

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wyosasquatch

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How do people carry a pistol/revolver while backpacking?

I tried to attach a holster to the waist belt but it seemed to not be the ideal situation seeing as the belts on most of my packs will not let me thread a holster on to them in a convenient location.

I have carried a gun in my pack but that seems rather pointless from a defensive standpoint seeing as I would have to remove pack and retrieve gun for use.

I am thinking of trying to make something similar to a shoulder holster/tanker holster that would attach from my shoulder harness to the waist belt of a pack and allow me to attach multiple holsters (at different times).

Some local people have suggested that I change the type of pack that I carry but that is not an option I want to entertain right now. I am comfortable with my selection of back packs and would like a system where I can carry a gun with any of my current packs.

I have an idea but am open to others suggestions that would make my life simpler rather than trying to re-invent the idea.
 
Is OC mandatory, or can you CC?

Something in a pocket holster or IWB appendix carry maybe?

Kinda Mall-Ninja-esque, but a thigh rig?

Blackhawk makes a chest rig.

There's always the fanny pack.
 
I was thinking pocket holster or shoulder holster at fist then I thought of either a tactical thigh holster or even an ankle holster would also work.
 
Just carry in an OWB belt holster as usual.

The load bearing belt on your pack needs to go around your hips below your pants belt, and between the holster and your pants. It is a little bit of effort to get saddled up, but then you are fine.
 
I'm curious if you mean backpacking or dayhiking or nature walking.

It seems none of the solutions offered here (except for safepacker) reflect any experience with finding a solution to the problem.
 
Wheelgun, that's a good point. When I said drop-leg, I was considering *my* pack, which is, well... big, and heavy, and has all kinds of padding and straps and stuff around the waistline. It'd be impossible to draw quickly from an IWB or OWB waist-area holster.

So, with a big pack like that, you really have three options. A slow, terribly uncomfortable holster on the waist, the chest rig, or drop leg. I prefer drop-leg.
 
wheelgunslinger said:
It seems none of the solutions offered here (except for safepacker) reflect any experience with finding a solution to the problem.
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Seriously? Did you miss my post? I do hike and backpack in beautiful Washington State. My day hikes range anywhere from four to 20 miles roundtrip. Backpacking excursions can go even farther. I carry in the chest holster pictured above and find it comfortable and easy to wear. It attaches at three points but only adds one extra QD to manipulate to take the pack off or put it back on.

As for some of the other suggestions:

Hiking with a firearm presents some problems that are very different from normal ‘urban’ carry. Because you will get a lot of different advice from people who ‘hike’ for all of one mile or have never actually done a substantial hike with a heavy pack, we should define a few terms.
Camping is driving your car (or camper) somewhere and spending the night. (Open trunk, plunk down tent)
Backpacking is where you hike with all the gear you’ll need to a remote location to spend the night. (Heavy pack)
Hiking is walking somewhere remote (on trail or off), carrying the gear you’ll need for the day. (The ten essentials)
Taking a stroll is where you walk through a park or similar setting and carry a few items to make it more pleasant. (Camera and a bottle of water)

For camping you can take anything that fits in your vehicle so your holster choice isn’t too important. If you’re going to stroll through a park, your normal carry rig is going to be sufficient.

Now, if you’ll be hiking or backpacking there are problems with ‘normal’ types of carry. For example, if you wear a belt holster you’ll need a belt to put it on, likewise with the thigh holster, because it’s impossible to feed the pack’s QD buckle through a standard belt holster’s loop*. It can get very uncomfortable and even painful to hike for any real distance with a pack belt over a normal belt and buckle. My hiking pants don’t even have belt loops; instead they incorporate a built in web belt that’s very thin and will barely support even a small knife. If you intend to put the holster on the pack’s belt, you’ll find it impossible to get the quick-release buckle through the holster’s belt loop or over the padding. A paddle holster works reasonably well; I’ve used one on shorter hikes, but the ears on the paddle can dig into your hip. A holster that attaches to the pack itself, as mentioned above, also works well and is more comfortable, but you have to consider that when you take the pack off you are unarmed.

I would not even consider trying any of the concealed methods. You will simply not have enough time to draw from concealment if you are attacked. View the video on the upper right side of this page while wearing your pack and holster with the weapon unloaded. Can you draw and (dry) fire two or three rounds before the bear hits the camera? Don’t concern yourself with what other hikers might think or feel, most of them are aware of firearms and have seen hikers, fishermen, and hunters with them. Your first priorities are comfort and speed; if it becomes uncomfortable you’ll just end up placing the gun inside your pack where it will do you no good.

*Let me qualify this with a caveat. The GI issue holster in a drop configuration would probably work well because the attachment allows you to place the holster on the pack’s belt without having to put the huge QD buckle through a loop. I’ll be trying this on a future hike.
 
I wear a separate belt - that isn't threaded thru the pant loops - to hold my holster. That way, the belt can be adjusted up or down to not get in the way of the pack or it's harness.
 
likewise with the thigh holster. It can get very uncomfortable and even painful to hike for any real distance with a pack belt over a normal belt and buckle.
Click to expand...

I haven't noticed that. I guess to each his own. But I've humped quite a few miles with a pack and a thigh holster, and didn't notice any discomfort other than the weight on my back and shoulders.
 
Thanks to all

Mainsail and Loneviking, you both hit on what I am thinking about. I was trying to think of how I could make this myself but it seems I would just be reinventing the concept.

To answer other questions:
It is not necessary to be open carry but I would prefer open to concealed. Open carry allows quicker access to the gun for me and I can open carry here.

I have tried belt holsters and they always seem to get in the way or dig in when I am carrying my backpack. I don't like to carry stuff on my pants when I am carrying a backpack. This goes for knife, leatherman, flashlight etc.

I thought about a thigh rig but haven't gone much further than thinking about it. I think that it would fall in to the category above by being attached to my belt.

As to the question of am I hiking, strolling, backpacking etc. I am doing some of all of these throughout my days. I stroll around town and don't need a chest rig for this purpose. I go hiking in the mountains around here and ALWAYS carry a backpack with gear for the day. I also go backpacking where I am carrying my quarters and other essentials on my back.

Sometimes when I am hiking, I am carrying a baby backpack with my 7 month old son in it. This is when I really started to think about how I would get to the gun in a reasonable time frame because I can't just drop the pack as I have done in the past, I have to carefully take it off which takes a bit of doing.

Thanks to all and to Mainsail and Loneviking for pointing out specifically what I wanted.
 
TallPine said:
That's why you wear the pack hip belt below your pants belt :rolleye:
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A properly fitted pack belt will ride just above the hip bone along the upper edge of a pants belt, not on it or below it. That’s what makes it painful; the pack belt pinches some skin between itself and the pants belt. Like I said, my hiking pants don’t even have belt loops. Are you hiking in jeans? (Cotton kills!)
 
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Backpacking (per above definition) is when I utilize a thigh rig. I've never had a problem with a belt to hold up the rig, but I wear the belt fully on my waist. And it's not threaded through my pants. the belt and holster are their own rig. Chest rigs work well, I've just never liked them.
 
A properly fitted pack belt will ride just above the hip bone along the upper edge of a pants belt, not on it or below it. That’s what makes it painful; the pack belt pinches some skin between itself and the pants belt. Like I said, my hiking pants don’t even have belt loops. Are you hiking in jeans? (Cotton kills!)
Click to expand...

I still think you need to pull your pants up. ;)

When I used to go backpacking all the time in Alaska, I wore surplus wool army pants with suspenders. These were very "high-waisted." Didn't carry a handgun back then though, just a 12 gauge.

I spray weeds with a hard-tank backpack sprayer, while carrying my sidearm as usual. Hip belt goes on the hips, not above the jeans across the tummy :uhoh:

I can see where a chest holster would be nice for backpacking, in more ways than one. (I use a chest pack for radio when f/f) But it needs to go on first, so you still have it after taking off your pack. And the chest holster straps might be painful under the backpack shoulder straps.
 
wear a molle vest and attach a chest holster to it. Some are pretty lightweight and no straps because it is wide fabric over the shoulders. Might be a little hot in some weather but you can strap all kind of other packs and doo dads to it.
 
There are a lot of issues with bears at night, so I wouldn't dismiss the idea of just having one in the pack. No it isn't readily available for quick draw, but it is with you. It might depend on where you are hiking. I'm often in areas where I want it available and find that my double shoulder holster rig works fine with a pack.
 
I have thought about a MOLLE vest but the problem with that is that there is not a baby attachment for a MOLLE system that I am aware of. Lately I have been hiking with a 7 month old baby on my back.
 
I rigged a IWB holster in between the back pad and the bag where the internal frame forms a hollow area, it works well for my Taurus 605, for my other packs I either put the 605 in my pocket or put one of the others on a belt holster. I really don't like to take anything heavier than the 605 though if I am actually hiking any significant distance.

I have actually started wearing more and more cotton in my hiking, day hikes usually aren't an issue, and most of my backpacking trips are short overnighters with serious brushwacking where breathability and durability are most important. I found out a little later than I don't get blisters with cotton socks, and my feet don't get as sweaty. I always have a cotton t-shirt on.
 
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