IWB cary tips and tricks

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hAkron

hAkron

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I usually wear an untucked t-shirt and jeans, occasionally an untucked button up shirt over my t-shirt , but mostly in the summer it's a t-shirt.

When I carry IWB I don't like the gun rubbing against my skin, so I used to wear a tucked in tank-top under my t-shirt, but it was a little uncomfortable on hot days, and the straps under my shirt made it look like I was wearing a lady's sports bra. Since then I've started wearing a folded handkerchief or a folded bandana tucked inbetween my body and the handle of my carry gun. It's worked out very well for me.

Who else has come up with tricks for comfortable IWB carrying?
 
I glued some of the material that lined and old pair of boot to the contact points of the holster . Better than wearing a undershirt if its hot


Sent from my 300 baud modem
 
Wear an undershirt. Immediately after I started carrying I went out and stocked up on A-shirts (aka wife beater) specifically for carry.
 
No holsters wanted

Just in case anyone cares here is my opinion.

I use the clipdraw on the gun, no holster.
T shirt tucked in.
Gun between belt & pants with clipdraw over belt.
This way you dont have to buy pants in larger size.
Light cover shirt open in front or buttoned untucked
covers gun just fine.
Best way I have found after 25 yrs of trial & error & selling the ones that
looked good but didn't work for what ever reason.
Any holster on your hip or in your pants adds a great deal of bulk
to an all ready bulky object.
Dont have stock in the company but I should. I have them on my Glocks,
Colt 1911 officers, S&W M&P 9mm, Sig Mosquito etc. etc.
Best $20 youll ever spend.
 
Consider a "hybrid" type holster. One that has leather backing and a kydex half shell, like a Comp Tac minotaur MTAC.

Or an all leather holster that only has leather touching your skin.

And if your particular holster has a section that is rubbing/bothering you (often plastic/kydex) get some moleskin to stick there.
 
Who else has come up with tricks for comfortable IWB carrying?
Click to expand...
  1. Make sure your holster has a sweat guard (an extention of the leather/kydex that keeps the slide from touching the body). This should help reduce chaffing and irritation (leathe rmay be better than kydex for this, too).
  2. Wear two t-shirts, an inner snug fitting one between you and the gun, and an outer, lose fitting one to cover the gun.*
  3. Wear a t-shirt under the holster, with a large, loose fitting, untucked, button down shirt over (this can actually be cooler than two t-shirts). The classic "hawaiian shirt" is a great choice for this, as they are often heavily patterned which helps hide "printing", but if that's not your style, a bowling shirt or sports jersey might be another alternative.*
  4. Switch to a "belly band" style holster. This is an elastic band around your torso with a stitched in gun holster.
  5. Switch to a "fanny pack" holster. Some argue that such packs are a give away you are carrying, but I don't care about that as long as the gun is legally concealled.
  6. Switch to pocket carry with a small revolver or semiauto on days too hot to wear two shirts.
*Many people find they need to change their dressing habits when they start CC'ing. Larger shirts, dark or print shirts, looser fitting pants, etc. Personally, I don't worry about my personal fashion when deciding what gun I can carry.
 
I pull up my underwear a little bit "boxers" to where the band just covers the spur of the hammer of the pistol, and just wear it. That way I can wear a single t-shirt and not worry about overheating.
 
^LoL

My leather IWB has a sweat-guard but I also wear my undies pulled-up just slightly and only where the holster sits. No wedgie problem though... I do this because under-shirts really annoy me.
I've carried for a few years, but there came a point in my life where I decided from now on I will carry always. Now it's my third summer of always carrying, and this summer I've really fallen in love with the 'Hawaiian' shirt method, with and without the patterns. The patterns really help hide any printing, and the looseness and over-sized style of the shirts make it really comfortable and worry-free when reaching up for something or bending over. The breathe-ability of these shirts is what has me hooked, no reason you have to sweat buckets to carry your sidearm. I have a few in black with subtle patterns (also black), and they also do a fine job of concealing. A few of my friends aren't exactly anti, but not exactly gun-people either, and they are clueless to the fact that I carry always.

here's a shot of my holster, though I took this photo in the winter, the 'shirt' seen in the photo is actually a one-piece union-suit complete with bum-flap :D

6971931181_ebc2db3969_z.jpg

^this set-up is incredibly comfortable and I've got no complaints. Provides a good draw, and keeps the gun firmly where it should be when concealing.


as far as any additional tips and tricks for IWB,
Something I've noticed about myself is at one point I developed a habitual check when I stand up from a sofa or getting out of a car, etc. It's very subtle and if anything it looks like I'm scratching my lower back, but I basically quickly and casually make sure my shirt hasn't ridden up over the butt of my gun. This is done with a single touch, if the shirt has ridden up while I was sitting, 'scooping' the edge of it outward with my pinky finger gets it back where it belongs. This of course isn't necessary when I'm wearing a jacket. I'm always aware of anyone whom I wouldn't want to know that I'm carrying, and so far this has never 'made' me, if anything has prevented that.
 
Buy cargo shorts and pocket carry. I just ordered a pocket holster for my XDm compact, and I'm positive it will fit comfortably in there. For reference, the hip pocket on my cargo shorts goes more than half-way from my wrist to my elbow if I put my middle finger against the bottom corner, and it is easily wide enough to allow a snag-free draw of a 11-round double-stack .40.

In all honesty, I like the idea of IWB carry, but I just couldn't get to where the gun is both A) comfortable to wear and B) comfortable to reach for, especially while sitting in a chair or laying down on the couch.
 
I have an MTAC hybrid that I wear (9mm) without an undershirt. I also have a Pro Carry LT holster ($28.00 Amazon) for my LCP. I have a DeSantis popup holster for my LCP if I need to tuck my shirt in. I also have a pocket holster, but don't care for it.

I seldom tuck a shirt in - even before CC, so my appearance has not changed - except now I do wear a belt.
 
I've pretty much abandoned IWB. Just not comfortable.

I now just do OWB with an untucked shirt. What i've found is that minimal holsters that can be mounted between the belt and pants work best for concealment and comfort. Such a configuration holds it tight and i can carry my P2000 sk this way with just a tshirt.
 
JustinJ said:
I've pretty much abandoned IWB. Just not comfortable.

I now just do OWB with an untucked shirt. What i've found is that minimal holsters that can be mounted between the belt and pants work best for concealment and comfort. Such a configuration holds it tight and i can carry my P2000 sk this way with just a tshirt.
Click to expand...

You and me both. I didn't usually OWB carry as big a gun but I know it can be pulled off.
 
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