Carrying while wearing a backpack

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What WAID said. Did it in Kali during my bicycle commuting days when any carry was illegal and no carry was suicidal.

Also, I've cut vertical slits and added semi-hidden pockets in the sides of some of my frameless day-packs to hold a pistol or revolver when I'm in places (like Texas) where open carry is frowned upon. A little velcro to hold it shut and you're ready to go.
 
I carried my Witness 10mm in an OWB holster under my backpack belt with no discomfort issues. The grip rode above the backpack belt which made things quite comfortable. A simple release of the belt buckle and I have fast access to the firearm. Plenty of time for any predator I might encounter besides a cat who drops on my back, which will have me releasing the pack anyhow.

Try it, you might be surprised, but I suspect it's highly dependent on your holster and personal build.
 
I wear a separate belt with my camp knife on the left and my handgun on the right. You can adjust your rig accordingly to fit under your pack belt without your pants falling down. I have even found that the knife and the handgun provide a bit more support for the pack. I usually wear BDU's on long treks. My main camp knife is a Randall 14 usually riding opposite my 686+. This has worked just fine for me for the last decade or so.
 
Ok, I figure we’ve had enough conjecture from non-hikers and speculative advise from people who haven’t tried their own suggestions, so I decided to get some fishing in up at Echo Lake in the Norse Peak Wilderness Area yesterday and try the drop-leg holster option for myself. It’s about seven miles in; so 14 miles round trip. The holster is the standard military Bianchi with the drop leg accessory. I wore a military style spare mag holder on the off side.

Before you ask TallPine, my hiking shorts were ‘up’ and worn in their proper position on my butt. These are lightweight quick drying nylon shorts that have belt loops. My pack was just a small day-pack (professionally fitted to me at the REI Flagship Store in Seattle) and not heavy at all.

What worked – what didn’t:

The holster was comfortable enough at the beginning but the pack belt kept pushing down on the gun belt, and consequently, my shorts. This made it necessary to tighten up the gun belt a notch. The gun belt made several hot-spots that became very uncomfortable as the day went on.

After about 7½ miles the mag holder had to come off; the small hot-spot it was making on my hip had become unbearable. I attribute this to the interference between the gun belt and the pack belt. I moved it over to the attachment point on the drop-leg but that put all the weight on one side; really just moving the hot-spot to a less irritated place.

I liked where it put the gun, it wasn’t in the way, and I didn’t have to do any presto-change-o once I took the pack off. I wore the gun/belt combo for the entire nine hours I was hiking and fishing but when I got back to the trailhead the damn thing had to come off, it was that uncomfortable.

For this hike, I wore a light day-pack, but I can extrapolate what would happen with a heavy overnight pack. When you’re wearing a heavy pack you make adjustments to the shoulder straps and the belt as you hike, tightening and loosening them to distribute the weight between your hips and shoulders. For example, if your shoulders begin to get sore, you can loosen the shoulder straps a bit and tighten the hip belt to transfer more of the pack’s weight to your hips. Wearing a gun belt underneath would likely become unbearable, and if it pinches some skin between the two belts your howls will scare away any wildlife you might have hoped to see.

So there you go. I tried the drop leg holster/gun belt combo firsthand and found it to be uncomfortable, and almost unbearable, after 14 miles.
 
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I've experimented with all sorts of solutions to this issue for the last 25 years or so. Several years ago, I discovered the Safepacker. That was my final choice. I normally carry the Safepacker on the padded hipbelt on my pack, sorta permanently attached with a strap I added so it won't slip around, and then switch to a belt holster when I get to camp and lose the pack. Best of both worlds.

Depending on where I'm hiking, I may forego all of that and use a J-frame .38 in a front pocket holster from Mika. Another excellent choice when I just want a .38. The 637 is a nice revolver to hike with.

These days, though, I'm using a thigh holster with the backpack, since I have to take my backpack off when I get into the aircraft. Beats walking, especially in the desert :) Thinking about a blackhawk SERPA that would attach to my IBA, though.

RBH
 
Well, I have done it my way (OWB holster, with pack belt below the gun belt and underneath the holster) and found that it works fine. This was using an large older style external frame backpack.

The only problem I had was with putting on a taking off the pack, as it tends to get hung up on the handgun grip if one is not careful.

I also routinely use a backpack weed sprayer in the same manner.
 
Well, the old style external frame packs are fine if it's what you have. You'll find modern designs to be very different in material and construction- and won't work out the same as the old design you use.


The important thing is whether or not it works for you.

My pack was just a small day-pack (professionally fitted to me at the REI Flagship Store in Seattle) and not heavy at all.
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How do you fit a daypack with a static torso length and permanently mounted belts and straps? Sounds like you picked out a pack. This is not the same as having one fitted.

For this hike, I wore a light day-pack, but I can extrapolate what would happen with a heavy overnight pack.
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Not likely. The weight, size, and mental difference of a larger pack make a difference. The differences in belt styles differ greatly. Not the same at all and likely can't be extrapolated, rather than experienced.

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.
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I saw your post. 20 miles round trip isn't a dayhike to sneeze at, but it's my average daily mileage on the AT.
This is why I asked about intended usage. Dayhiking is not backpacking is not naturewalking.

What it comes down to is pack design, gun design/type, and your body type.
What works for you may not work for me. But, conjecture is no replacement for experience. So, the best thing to do is try what you think will work, and go from there.
 
wheelgunslinger said:
How do you fit a daypack with a static torso length and permanently mounted belts and straps? Sounds like you picked out a pack. This is not the same as having one fitted.
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The straps are not fixed and are fully adjustable. So, yes, it was fitted by the backpack specialists at REI. I'd post a picture if anyone can help me figure out how to get my USB ports back after I sent a voltage spike down one of them...
 
TallPine said:
Well, I have done it my way (OWB holster, with pack belt below the gun belt and underneath the holster) and found that it works fine.
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Oh, sorry. I wasn't talking about you with that comment.
 
Ok, what works for me - your mileage may vary - I use a paddle holster on the padded belt that comes with the back pack. Just slip it in between my underwear and pants but over belt -
Down side pain to remove when you take the pack off for a rest break - good news it works for old fat men.

Bottom line you have to try different things - it's like an ankle holster works well in a few situations. So try what you've seen hear and report back, Oh and for what it's worth dropped thigh holster chaffe old fat men.
 
When I hiked from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail I wore a hip-pack in the front, below my backpack's waist strap. I never carried in it, but easily could have. I would definitely recommend this as a setup, especially if you want to carry concealed / protected from the elements.
 
Drop-leg all the way.
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I've read all of this thread.
As a packer, I've been looking for
a solution to carrying with a pack.

I own revolvers, not semi-autos.

I wear backpacks ranging from full expedition packs
- a Gregory Atlas (carries 70 lb) - down to an Arcteryx Bora 50.
All have substantial waist belts that prevent easy OWB.
(I've yet to find a holster that fits securely on the waistbelt of my packs.)

I'm not interested in chest carry. I want to find a drop holster for my 65
that rides low for camp use as well as when I'm wearing a pack.

I walk far fewer miles than Mainsail on a given day.
(I'm more about quality than quantity.)
 
Did you try taking the webbing out of the buckle end? That's the way mine is set up. Both sides of the waste belt adjust so I unthreaded the right hand one and put a regular belt holster on it and re threaded it.

The only thing to watch out for with this is if it's an open end holster you have to be careful sitting or putting the pack down so you don't get a muzzle full of dirt.
 
This thread makes me wonder something.. What's the legality of open carrying when backpacking, anyway? I mean, if you're in an open carry state, it's obviously fine...but anywhere else, wouldn't you be at risk if rangers caught you OCing on a trail?

The times i've carried while backpacking, I used the wildnerness safepacker. Good solution, but i'd love to do a chest setup if that's not against some sort of rules.
 
Wilderness carry is a different problem. My problem was usually urban carry, living in Huntington Park, California, going to school near downtown Los Angeles (400 West Washington), working at Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, and bicycling between the three locations. That's pretty close to 100 miles, round trip. Luckily, it was rare for me to have classes on a workday.

Quick access and concealment came first, which meant that the weapons had to be carried somewhere within the day-pack, book bag, or framed pack in question.

It was rare for me to carry a pistol in the woods. Yes, I often had an RG stubby .22 in the survival baggie, but that was primarily used for signalling. No, it was pretty much rifles or nothing if I was carrying more than a day pack. And with a day pack, belt carry is no problem.

So I guess that can't relate to the problem.
 
So you can carry rifles or shotguns in the woods? This is national forests, or what..? I know you can do pretty much anything on your own property, but i've always wondered if you could carry a shotgun around if camping in national forests or wilderness areas.
 
I carry a rifle (.45-70 Marlin Guide gun) with me every time I go backpacking. I used to carry a dropleg holster for my Glock 20, up until a few months ago when I swapped to a .44Mag.

I now use a drop holster for a .44Mag (S&W 629). Since I have swapped over from the Glock 20, I have gone on only one backpacking trip. 22.7 miles in, 12 miles boogering around over a few days, and 22.7 miles out.

I used an Eberlestock Gunslinger (great pack, check it out at www.eberlestock.com). Fantastic pack, which allows you to carry a longgun while backpacking. Get the M3 Operator for longer hauls (more space). I was so impressed when I discovered these packs that I became a dealer for them; now I hook up family, friends, and acquantances with great deals on a backpack that changed how I hunt, camp / backpack, and hike.

I have had zero problems with comfort carrying a drog leg holster over a normal leather belt with these backpacks. Although I think comfort is different for each person.

I have backpacked over 300 miles in the last two years with the Eberlestock packs and a drop leg holster. So, my opinion is not conjecture, but most certainly is different than Mainsail.

Try what works for you. For me, I like the safariland drop leg holsters and Eberlestock packs.

Semper Fidelis,

Kent in Utah (with some really steep and beautiful backpacking trails)
 
It is legal for me to open carry here in Wyoming, therefore, I am not worried about the legality of this aspect. I do not want to purchase a new pack for the purpose of carrying while wearing a backpack.

I was asking how people carry while wearing a backpack because I like the selection of backpacks that I currently own. I have several that I use regularly depending on the purpose of the day. Lately this has been family hiking and even if I wanted to get a new pack from the list of suggestions, none of them seem to have much in the child carrying department.

Lately, the pack I have been using has been the child pack. The design of the pack does not allow for me to unthread the buckle and place an OWB on the waist belt of this particular pack. I might use a paddle holster for the time being. I had in mind something like the setup Mainsail uses. The good thing about this is that I can use the same chest rig for the two different guns that I carry. I only have a paddle holster for my XD not my GP100. I carry both of these interchangeably depending on my feeling for the day.
 
Mainsail said:
Well, often the best quality is as far from a road as you can get. :D
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Aw, now, Mainsail, you know I don't disagree there. ;)

I'll get in that far. It might just take me a couple of days to get there.
(Smaller guy, larger packs, slower walking to smell the humus.)

But that just gives me more excuse to take extra days. :D

{Red line marks a rock the size of a 7-ll store.}

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I carry my Ruger SRH .454 Casull cross-draw in a Mernicle full flap holster on a 2 1/4" duty belt when I am working in the bush here in British Colombia. No problems with heavy packs.

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This is how I carried in the Nat'l Forest in CO. I now carry a S&W MountainLite instead of the .45. Never had any discomfort. Both the handgun and extra mags rode forward of where they normally would hang but nothing flopped around because it was held by the pack straps. I don't have much use for shoulder holsters for concealment but it worked great for this kind of carry.
 

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Been thinking about this thread. I have a full size army pack with external frame. I am not going to get into the legality parts but I think the most comfortable and accessible and best concealed option is to attach a holster on a clip on back of the waist strap under the pack. Easy enough to reach back and even if you had a human threat it would look like a natural move to take off the pack.

just 2 cents.
 
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