Hiking and Conceal Carry?

Hello, I will apologize ahead of time if there is already a thread about this.

How is everyone carrying while hiking? I carry a Sig P365. I’ve carried appendix once and in a pack around my waist another time. I’m not a fan of either. If someone could point me in the right direction for maybe a chest mounted carry option or any other ideas that would be great. I’m smaller built so it would need to work on someone with an overall smaller build.

Thanks.

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If you’re looking to stay concealed, I carry OWB and use an untucked shirt to cover it. It doesn’t interfere with a pack and still gives me access. I live in the south however and the less gear I can put on my body the better it is in the humidity. Also a fanny pack would g
Be a good option the 365 is small enough that finding one shouldn’t be a problem

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Hey, let me ask you, where do you naturally carry everyday, not while hiking?

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I appendix carry daily.

Well I definitely like the chest rig but OWB AT 3 or 4 o’clock will suit me fine. You just need quick access to your firearm.

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I know in your OP you asked about options, but I’m really thinking CDW that if you appendix carry everyday and have your muscle memory trained for this position, that’s where you should keep your primary firearm.

I hike a bunch as well, many times with a pack for training, and my EDC is readily available for use if needed.

Does your pack that you have interfere with your carry position? I carry almost appendix myself.

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If you feel comfortable carrying the way you normally carry what ever the position continue to do so. Ultimately you have to feel right with it

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Reminds me of a funny story…

Once, I was hiking and fly fishing in the Gila Wilderness for several days alone. You can go for days without even hearing another human being, but you will hear and often see wolves, mountain lions, bears, and what not. It’s not a good place to wander around alone and unarmed. NM is an open carry state.

On day 3, I run across an older man with a couple teenagers who were backpacking in the opposite direction I was heading. As we passed on the trail, he asked, “Why do you need to carry that gun?” I answered, “Predators.” He stopped…now he had to turn around to continue the conversation…and said, “That thing’s useless against bears!” I stopped, turned around to face him, smiled and said, “Yessir. I know that. But I’m not carrying it just for bears; and if I shoot you in the leg I don’t have to outrun the bear – just you.” His kids laughed. I laughed. He didn’t laugh. And we all went on our merry way. Several people like that dude die in the Gila every year. What he didn’t know was that what he thought was a 45 pistol was a 10mm. A 10mm loaded with FMJ is a good choice for the black bears, gray wolves, and mountain lions of the Gila Wilderness if you don’t want to carry a long gun. I was there to fish and my Rem 870 SPS gets in the way.

If it’s legal, I usually open carry while hiking, fishing, camping, etc. That’s the only person who has ever acted funny, much less said anything, because of it. But it has DETERRED a few encounters that I did not want to have. There are a few other good stories about those adventures.

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Thanks for the input. The pack I use doesn’t interfere with appendix carry as long as I don’t buckle the waist strap. I’d like to look into an even smaller pack for day hikes.

I was looking for an alternative because I don’t usually take the easiest hikes and appendix carry can get kind of u comfortable on those hikes.

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Good Story. That mind set is what gets people hurt or killed.

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Do you mean the “guns are icky” mindset, the “I can kill a bear with my bare hands” mindset, the “no mountain lion would dare attack ME because I’m wearing a bear bell and pay my dues to Sierra Club” mindset, or the “mind your own damned business” mindset?

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If you are humping a ruck of any kind, adding more shoulder and back harness is going to get very uncomfortable. This is why legal open carry is such an important option. I don’t know what kind of pistol you are toting or where you are hiking, but a pocket carried sub-compact (concealed) might work well. If you are carrying a larger pistol, then a drop leg open carry rig might be just the ticket. For sports, I often conceal using a GOOD belly band holster with a retention strap and carry a sub-compact. I put the pistol at 3 o’clock when I do this. Hope you figure out what works for you without spending a fortune and taking 2 years to get there, but that’s not uncommon either.

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I carry a Sig p365. A sub-compact pistol. I’ll figure out something. Thanks for the help.

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Great question @CDW15. We went on a little family trip to the smokies a couple weeks ago and did a bunch of hiking. I concealed carried on the first hike which was only about 5mi round trip. After taking off my rig (Crossbeed IWB, holster and extra mag) when I got back to the cabin I decided that would be the last time I did that with set up as both the holster and extra mag holder where soaked with sweat and needed a full day to dry out.

I’ll be looking for something I can carry across my chest, maybe in some sort of fanny pak type set up that I can rig up high. But I’m currently on the look out for a solution as well.

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@JamesR After doing something research, this is what I’ve found. I need to look up more reviews to see if this is worth the money. Not a huge chunk of change but money is money. Maybe it’s something you’d be interested in as well.

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These chest rigs are only $14.99 each. I have beat mine to death for months. No issues at all. Read the reviews and there is also a YouTube review. I liked it so much I bought an additional color recently.

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Just spitballing…

Edited to provide moderator name and related thread: @Zee posted her hiking setup, which IIRC was a G30 mounted to her shoulder strap (open carry).

Depending on how small you plan on making your day hike backpack, you could also try a sling pack. I used to carry a sling pack on the motorcycle because I could rotate it around my body quickly and get to what’s inside (helped for toll change or a quick sip from a water bottle when stopped). Some sling packs have an extra “quick access” compartment seperate from the main compartment which might be good for your CCW. Personally, I used the slingpacks with a chest strap to stabilize it while leaning off the bike in turns (might be helpful with active hikes).

I’ll add, that I use small sling packs, as the bigger and heavier they are, the less handy they are to rotate around. It might not work well if you have bulky or heavy gear.

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I do not know about ya’all but, I carry a .357 Mag out hiking or horseback riding. I personally would be worried about a Mountain Lion versus a 9 m.m. but, that’s just where I am at. I forgot to mention the bears too. I have not worried much about Sasquatch but it is on the endangered species list. These are the things I have be vigilante about. I carry at 3:00 but that is again just me. My every day carry is a Sig P365XL at 4:00.

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Yes this is very nice also @TexasEskimo. I like the open carry chest rig holsters that are on the market now also. They are good for hiking and hunting.

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Depends on where I’m hiking. In the Midwest, I carry an EDC (which is either a .45 shield or a Sig 938). When I’m out west, I carry a 10mm if I’m fishing. If I’m hunting, I have the 10 mm and a rifle with me. Why both? It is a lot cheaper to deliver a coup de gras with a pistol than a rifle.

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