Fanny packs, a yay or nah?

I love Merrels and I have a pair of shoes that I wear everyday, but my go to boots is Kenetrek.

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There’s nothing wrong with using a fanny pack. There are many now that include a holster. Your gun is easy to access and there is room for a spare mag, knife, flashlight, and tourniquet, They are especially good when doing something like trail running. I often wear sweatpants on very long drives, so a fanny pack is perfect to carry my EDC and wallet in.

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The very first time I saw a concealed weapon, the guy was using his Fanny pack as a covering for IWB appendix holster.

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Which brings up another point, Do You tell the cop there’s a firearm in there before you reach for your wallet to get your DL out? I sure would.

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At least in my case, there’s enough time to get DL and vehicle registration out, then put my two hands on the wheel, before the cop walks over to my car.

@ScottGaran @Nathan57 I don’t disagree with either of you and I don’t generally schlep around in tacticool gear. In fact, I mostly live my life about half in fear of getting found out. I’ve enjoyed both of your posts and input on this and other topics. I was offering a different and, admittedly, snarky and sarcastic perspective as well as having a little fun with this topic.

I think @Enzo_T is on to something as well.

I’ll offer a personal anecdote for fun. I went to an Apple store years ago. It was at a mall at which someone had been shot just a few weeks before (not a mass shooting, but it made national news). “No guns allowed” signs at the mall entrances (not legally binding in that particular state.). I carried anyway. We waited at the entrance of the Apple store for it to open. They had two big dudes at the door that looked like they were there for security–black polo shirts, cargo/tactical pants and boots that looked the part. They were probably there in light of the recent incident. They looked like they could have been former military (which proves your point, actually-I do notice people dressed this way-even if they are not working security). I had a gun under an untucked button down shirt, tactical pen in my pocket (I don’t normally carry one of those), a flashlight in my back pocket, and a pocket knife clearly clipped to my right front pocket of my cargo shorts. If anyone in the place looked like they might be carrying a gun, it was me. I was with my son who is was not as big as he is now, but has always been tall and big for his age. The point being, I think we should have been noticed-especially to a trained observer. From all I could tell, I didn’t get a second look. They never made eye contact, etc. Maybe they were good enough to give me the once over, make a guess that I was carrying, but assume I was friendly/legal and do it in such a way that I didn’t notice them noticing me. Maybe they were completely oblivious. Who knows?

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I have gone to Apple stores in malls and seem the save very-obvious, to I would hope almost anyone, plain clothes security standing around. Often outside the store entrance up against the barrier to the overlook to the bottom floor, or similar. Sometimes inside. Moving around, Just chilling, watching. Tactical tan/brown pants, light boots, plain black shirt, fit dudes.

I have of course always had a gun when seeing the. And a visible clipped large knife. And the last few times a Cloud Defensive light with the finger grab thing I forget what it’s called clearly visible. One time I had a Glock 17 under a Tshirt.

Also in malls with signs, but still legal.

I can’t imagine they didn’t peg me as a likely carrier, but, who cares and why would they do or act any differently? I got eye contact and gave a nod once or twice. “I see you”, both ways.

But, completely non eventful.

Just because someone notes to themselves that you are more likely than average to be armed…doesn’t mean you’ll ever know.

I’ve seen multiple people’s concealed guns over the years…as far as I know, none of them know anybody ever saw.

Stand up at restaurant and put coat on, I see shirt slip up enough the muzzle of the OWB holster pokes out for 1.5 seconds. Etc. That kind of thing.

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A bit of hyperbole with my sarcasm there.

I haven’t had a lot of experience with mall security. But I have worked on a lot of job sites that hire overnight security to keep an eye on the equipment when the crews aren’t around. The vast majority of them have no military or LEO background and zero training. They are there simply in hopes that their presence will deter criminals. Some of them are observant but most don’t seem to pay all that much attention to what is going on around them.

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No laughing. I’ve got an Italian man bag. Nice leather

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Yep, I did three days of unarmed security at a mall in north Bay Area in my younger days in between jobs.
Observe and report. Nothing more.

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And I have a Coach all leather backpack. Sometimes a little class is called for :sunglasses:

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IMHO best to not have the cop see you fumbling about where he cannot see your hands. Pull over. Turn engine off. Dome light on. Window down half-way. Both hands on wheel with fingers extended. Disclose you have a WEAPON (never, ever say GUN) and say you are waiting for his instructions.

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Yep, I would. I am in Ohio where Constitutional carry is legal, but it is not a duty to inform them unless they ask. I say tell them. Better that they know, even if the cuff me (I would deal with that in court) than some rookie see it and get panicked and shoot me!

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Question: I’ve been dealing with cops where I work. (We had stuff stolen.) No duty to inform. They asked once when I called something in a while back. I explained my situation.

In a situation where you are the one calling in an issue (and it’s not violent), do you broach the subject? I never have with the one exception and have had multiple interactions with no issues.

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I wouldn’t unless they were coming to me face to face. In Ohio this is a new law, and i have been retired since 2011. When i worked you had to have a CCW permit. When someone told me they had one on them I would be like OK. Why am I here again.

When the CCW permit law went into affect, there were some cops that were all upset. I simply said, anyone that goes through the trouble of getting one is a law abiding citizen. I said look at us, we are all sitting here with guns on our hips and no one is afraid of being shot by one of us. i said, someone that goes through the process that is carrying is NOT the problem. Someone who is carrying and doesn’t is the one to worry about. Still whenever I was carrying and i was stopped by police (speed) I was like I have a gun in the bag next to me and am a police officer. How would you like me to proceed, of course with my hands on the wheel!

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I thought I’d already looked into that but they didn’t have one for my Walther.

Apparently, I was mistaken and it looks like it would work just fine.

Thanks!!

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Or they think it is Football ( soccer ). :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

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I used to carry cross chest fanny pack but now I use a satchel, angles better and I can draw pretty quick. Nothing wrong with it. Just awkward to run. But at least I get to carry my chapstick and a knife.

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Last week, I just noticed my two adult kids wear Fanny packs. They don’t CCW, seems to me this season’s fad.

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