Summer Carry Question

I need some guidance and recommendations…

It’s summer and definitely hotter. I’ve switched to just a t-shirt only which means my IWB is right on my skin…G10 grips are great and grippy…and scratch the heck out of me when holstered. :confused:

What do you all use when carrying against skin? Is there a certain holster or a breathable fabric that can be placed between the holster and my skin that exists.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks all,
Scott

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I’m pretty fond of Under Armour as a second skin as it wicks away sweat and such. There are many performance fabric shirts under various names but Under Armour worked well overseas and is the one I know. Just don’t sit too close to the camp fire.

Cheers,

Craig6

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I’m not above hiking my underwear up to fit under my holster. I’m also not above wearing an undershirt in the Summer; there are really cool fabrics that make this comfortable. And I also have a fabric holster that’s relatively comfortable against my skin.

But honestly, I tend to pocket carry in the Summer. I’m trading one pocket and a little bit of draw time for some comfort and extra concealment.

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Thanks @Craig6, do you have a specific under armour shirt style that you’ve found works best?

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@Ouade5 I do have a desantis nemesis pocket holster for my 938. I’ll give it a try. (I forgot I had it)

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I live in summer 11 months out of the year. Very hot /humid. I use aggressive G-10 Grips as well. I never wear my weapon without a t-shirt. I will, in some cases wear t-shirt over another t-shirt or an extremely lightweight polo. There are some great cooling lightweight moisture wicking materials out there

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Living in FL and being partial to kydex holsters, I had the issue with irritated skin with most holsters. Two things helped: 1) With previous holsters, I wore a light sweat wicking undershirt underneath everything; 2) I started using Alien Gear holsters which had the neoprene material which extends to the grip. I now just use that without the undershirt shirt.

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I agree. I always wear a compression shirt with some sort of moisture wicking ability

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I always wear a tank under my t-shirt. I have some longer ones that I really like. They keep the the gun & holster from being more of a burden. But, I have recently ordered one of the AlienGear holsters to see what the hype is all about. The neoprene backing is supposed to be much easier on the skin. :v:t5:

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I recently got a Kimber 1911. The G10 type grips felt like cheese graters after a few mags. I sanded them down so they are not as rough, but still have plenty of ‘traction’. You might try another set of grips sanded down for summer carry.

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I wear UnderTech UnderCover undershirts/holsters. They breathe very nicely in Florida’s heat and humidity under my Columbia PFG shirts.

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I’ve been taking the scrapes (not recommending this) with my M&P 2.0 grip texture . In all seriousness though, it’s not usually a problem for me, but the other day, I was out longer than expected while also moving and it was bad, might start wearing tanks for long trips like suggested by @DLVick38, that’s a pretty affordable, light solution.

Thanks for bringing this up!

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Thanks all for the great suggestions. A lot of good ideas I haven’t considered. It’s great we have this place to share experiences of firearms and gear.

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If you go for the under shirt, thing… I used to spend a lot of time on the motorcycle from MN winter through summers with full leathers. IMO, the SmartWool T-shirts kept me cooler than Underarmour (or other polyester T-shirts). The SmartWool T-shirts I used could be machine washed and dried, but I didn’t wash them hot or dry them on hot. Additionally, at least back-in-the-day, I often found that Champion had inexpensive versions of UnderArmour and Nike sweat-wicking shirts that worked basically the same.

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Hey brother wear those white tank top fruit of the looms underneath your t-shirt that’s what I do.

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I have always been a “tank under the T” guy anyway. Even working out in the heat. No matter what, you’re gonna sweat. So having an under shirt at least puts that “wetness” to work. I know sounds gross but when that breeze picks up just a bit it sure feels good.

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I have Kydex against my skin and never even think about it.

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Scott, great question, I’ve struggled with the same. Even my neoprene backed holsters get slippery and nasty. The thing that has helped me more than anything is to wear a compression shirt under my t-shirts. Basically a tight fitting polyester/spandex shirt that wicks moisture away. So, I’m 54 and definitely cannot pull off the spandex look, however under a t-shirt nobody sees it, it removes moisture, keeps me cooler, and really helps keep my holster & firearm dryer.

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Thanks @Paul1 i’ll definitely look into a lightweight cotton undershirt

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Yes definitely a good suggestion Paul I agree.

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