So. How do YOU guys manage to keep your pants on???

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

OK. So I'm having some issues with how I'm carrying my CCW. I have a CZ-85 Compact ( all steel ) loaded up with .40s&w. Let's just say that she's easily tipping the scale in the high thirties. I have it tucked into a KD Holsters IWB Belt Defender ( Awesome holster, BTW. I know it isn't the problem. ) clipped to an El-Cheapo Wal-Mart black dress belt ( flimsy ). My problem is that the weight of the pistol/holster wants to pull my pants down ( or at least sag excessively )!

Now I am not skinny, but I ain't big & fat either. Admittedly, I’ve got a slight spare tire around the waist. The problem is that whenever I tighten the belt to try and keep the firearm in place, well - it's too tight and uncomfortable. And in some cases, I can feel the safety of the CZ sorta poking me.

Now I recognize that the belt is an issue - That's why I have a very nice Milt Sparks belt ( 1.5" ) on order. But is that really gonna solve the problem? Or am I just a sniveling whiner who's just gotta learn to deal with it?

Am I alone in this? What are your solutions? ( don't worry - I'm ready to take it! )

 

[carebear]

Belt will help a lot. it will spread the "cutting" feeling out more.

Another question is do you wear your pants up at your waist or down on your hips? A lot of pants ride low enough that they aren't above the curve of the hip bone and thus have no physical impediment to sliding off.

Our forefathers knew that, which is why Grandpa's pants are tactically worn up in his armpits.

 

[R.H. Lee]

heh. Ya need some carbon fiber suspenders.
Seriously, a good solid belt is a priority. I don't have much holster experience (I'm more a of mexican carry practitioner), so hopefully others will be along with their suggestions.

 

[Old Fuff]

Your belt is a large part of the issue, and when you get the new one the problem may go away. It is also not unusual to find that those who carry heavier guns also wear suspenders. It's not a bad idea.

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

curve of the hip bone

Keep in mind, my curvature area has ample 'table muscle'!

 

[Sam Adams]

A proper gun belt will help. It'll be stiffer, and the extra width will spread the weight of the gun better, helping the belt do its job. Cinching any belt tighter will help.

I've found that my wider gun belt doesn't need to be as tight, but if it simply doesn't go with the clothes I'm wearing, or if it is too wide for the belt loops, I'll just use another belt and make it tighter. Yeah, it is uncomfortable (I have a "donut" spare, myself), but you get used to it quickly. This also offers an incentive to lose weight.

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

It is also not unusual to find that those who carry heavier guns also wear suspenders.

Hey Fuff (or others) . . . . . any gun specific suspenders out there. Or will any good one's do fine?

 

[joebogey]

Your main problems are the belt, and the fact that like most males, you have no butt. LOL
I carry some extra weight as well, but my biggest hang up is the fact that I have no hips and no butt. Therefore I have to cinch up to the point of turning blue in the face.
I suppose bearing a child might remedy the problem. But then I'm afraid I'd have even bigger things to worry about other than the size of my butt.

Uh, by the way...does this gun make me look fat?

 

[goon]

So. How do YOU guys manage to keep your pants on???

Well, I mostly try to avoid young, visibly intoxicated women.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

Stop wearin' those slippery silk shirts and boxers and switch to some low-speed-high-drag flannel.

Seriously, the friction between your pants, tucked-in shirt and undies is a significant factor in tactical pants retention.

(hey -- there's a new gun product idea -- an inside-the-pants strip of grippy material, like that webbing you put under rugs... Hmmmm......)

 

[spacemanspiff]

duct tape.

wrap your flimsy weak belt in two layers of duct tape and you'll be good to go.

and get a new holster, one that covers any part of the gun that could be in contact with your lovehandles.

you could also try not overloading your pockets with that flashlight, spare mags, knife, change, keys, etc. you should carry all that in a stylish man-purse.

ask carebear for help with that, he's a whiz when it comes to accessorizing.

 

[Double Maduro]

I carry a Ruger P90 in a DA3 from Ted Blocker Leather. It and the spare mag weigh in at about 3 pounds. A good belt is a MUST. One of the nice things about the DA3 is that it comes with 2 sets of clips, one regular and one tuckable. The regular clips hold the gun a little higher and it would bump my ribs once in a while. The Tuckable clips hold it just enough lower that it misses my ribs. This is a really comfortable rig and I sometimes forget that I have it on. You can take a look at

http://www.tedblocker.com/iwb.html

Get a holster that spreads the load out on the belt as far as possible, this will help.

A good belt is a MUST.

I am 6'1 and weigh about 220, if I can carry IWB anyone can.

Did I metion, get a good belt?

DM

 

[White Horseradish]

(hey -- there's a new gun product idea -- an inside-the-pants strip of grippy material, like that webbing you put under rugs... Hmmmm......)

You mean like this ?

 

[P95Carry]

Dang it WH ... that thing looks more like it shoulda come from a sex toys shop!!

Gary - as almost all have said, a good belt will get you at least halfways there. Even if you have some ''handles'' ... still good if you can to have pants with a high belt line to allow for a good belt location ... after that - well, breath in and try to cope with a tighter cinch!

 

[jamz]

Only problme I ever have is pulling my pants up after taking a number two. With cell phone, flashlight, pager, multitool on one side, and gun and knife of the other, I feel like I need an extra hand to get everything in place, and I feel bad for my poor pants button as it tries to take all that weight before I can do my belt up!


-James

I carry a small gun too and no reloads!

 

[Kobun]

You beat me to it WH.

As for gun "friendly" suspenders you have these from Perry ($12)
You can clip them off your belt when you need to go.

And yes, your belt is the problem.
Oh, and try to balance it out. Get a dual mag carrier for your off side.

 

[sm]

I have flubbed my reply twice...that...that "thing" White Horseradish posted is hideous and hilarious...

Okay -good belt and holster is the key.

Of course I type this wearing my well worn jeans I wear around the house to be comfy in - no belt and a 1911 C&L in my waistband strongside . I even ran to the corner "Get Shot - Buy Smokes" store with no problem.

I'm just too damn old to do a tactical ninja roll and John Woo entrance...I open the damn door to enter and exit. Hey it works.

6' 180# Southern Gentleman. Ya know I don't own a set of bathroom scales, I have been 172# for so long....I betcha them scales I tried the other day were wrong.

 

[mmike87]

I was getting a little bit of an issue with my IWB holster as well, mainly with lots of lateral movement. I bought a new belt (a little thin, narrow at 1 1/4 I think, but thick and strong) to replace my leather strand woven dressy belt that was really narrow (1", and thin, flimsy too) and it made a WORLD of difference. With the slightly wider belt I was also able to tighten it a bit more comfortably as it spread the pressure out. The 1/4" made a difference as well as the stiffness of the belt.

I'd wait for the new belt and see what that does.

 

[huaco]

One of the first things I noticed when I started wearing a Wilderness Belt was the fact that it does not stretch at all. I had been using a wide, fairly thick leather belt that I bought at a gunshop and thought it was quite substantial but compared to the Wilderness product it did stretch a bit. It took me a few days to get used to the lack of stretch with the Wilderness Belt but I did and I'd have a hard time going to anything else. Between the lack of stretch and the fact that it is infinitely adjustable it makes keeping the pants up with a heavy load and that dread noassatall condition much easier.

 

[White Horseradish]

Dang it WH ... that thing looks more like it shoulda come from a sex toys shop!!

P95, you're being a very bad boy!

Kobun, I have a pair like that. I wear them when I pull wire because of the tool pouches. They are quite nice.

Between the lack of stretch and the fact that it is infinitely adjustable it makes keeping the pants up with a heavy load and that dread noassatall condition much easier.

"keeping the pants up with a heavy load"? That just sounds so very wrong...

 

[stevelyn]

I also recommend the Wilderness Instructor belt. I've been extremely happy with mine. I've wear it while running by itself with a BHP, and I wear it regularly with my Glock stuffed in a DeSantis Cozy Partner. Never had any support or pants issues.
If you wish to remain a bit less tactical looking, get the 1.5" khaki belt. It's less noticeable with a smaller buckle and a little more dressier/casual looking.

 

[USP45usp]

I have been losing weight like crazy. I'm down to 152lbs, from 165+. I don't know what it is but I had to rechange my dressing habits.

First of all, going to a size 36 didn't work, I lost too much weight too fast.

But I did get a good strong belt, a 2" off the shelf at my local Bi-Mart. It worked and took alot of pressure off a 38 oz pistol.

The belt should help, and I hate suspenders so that is up to you. Good luck.

Wayne

 

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

WO!

Thanks to you all! That very same Perry suspenders was recommended by folks over at SigForum too.

 

[LiquidTension]

"tactical pants retention" <-- LMAO!

I've shifted the rest of my loadout around to compensate for the 1911 on my hip. My wallet (pretty big b/c has federal sized ID in it), cell phone, money (no, I don't keep it in the wallet) and spare mag when I have one all go on my left side. My knife and keys go on the right. Anyway, that helps keep my pants level...I found that I was wearing out the bottom of my right pants leg but not the left because one side was dragging the ground and the other was not! I also use a cheap WalMart belt, but I haven't had any problems with it. My holster has offset loops which seems to help a lot.

 

[Lone Star]

Methinks that if you can feel the safety of a CZ-85 through a good holster, you may be akin to that fairy tale princess who could feel a pea beneath several mattresses.

But a good belt will help, immensely.

By the way, I quite liked the quip from the lad (Goon) who said that he keeps his trousers on by trying to avoid nubile, intoxicated women.

Lone Star