Tactical clothing has become a fairly large market in the gun community, where companies are making everything from lightweight boots to jeans with extra hidden pockets. With a plethora of companies and options to pick from, there’s definitely some things to look at when you start thinking about picking up tactical clothing. There are multiple options from range gear to concealed carry purposes that need to be looked at before deciding on what style you want. Let’s dive into the crazy world of tactical clothing and take a look at what is best for concealed carry. 

Photo Credit to @boom_stick03

Things To Avoid Wearing While Concealed Carrying

There were a few trends in the gun community that felt like it was written law you had to follow if you started to conceal carrying. Probably the most famous example would be the dreaded fishing IDPA vest. This stylish piece of apparel was often a vibrant shade of beige and if you were really edgy you would be sporting an olive drab colored vest. These worked really well for concealing your 1911 or Smith & Wesson revolver but after a few years of this, people started to catch on fairly quickly. Today, it’s fairly easy to figure out who is carrying a concealed firearm if they are wearing the vest with a gun-related shirt underneath. 

When you decide to carry a concealed firearm, it’s important to keep a low profile and look average. Probably the biggest mistake I see when people start carrying concealed is when they start flaunting the fact they may have a weapon on them. Having the “I don’t dial 911, I dial 357” shirts only bring attention to yourself and don’t help you stay anonymous in your daily activities. The last thing I will say is to try to wear everyday clothes if possible. I personally broke this rule for a number of years when I wore sand-colored boots with my 5.11 Khakis to work and pretty much everywhere else. 

The Great Things About Tactical Clothing

Tactical clothing is a specialty clothing designed for a purpose. It gives people who conceal a firearm an advantage with special pockets and compartments that otherwise might not be there. The beauty of buying specialty clothing for carrying concealed. Viktos and 5.11 have come out with a number of items to help people who conceal carry with carrying their gear easier while remaining discreet. Probably one of the most important aspects to keep in mind is to stay discreet by not bringing attention to yourself. New clothing coming out makes it much easier to stay anonymous without changing your entire wardrobe. 

In my personal experience, I really like wearing the Viktos Gunfighter Jeans for their modularity and the fact they look like ordinary jeans. If you have to dress up for work, I will often wear the Khaktical pants from Viktos or 5.11’s Bravo pants. Both of these options offer some pretty cool features for concealed carriers while looking like everyday pants. At the end of the day, if you can look like an average Joe who is not a threat while carrying your gear discreetly, it will keep you safe while not bringing attention to yourself.

There are plenty of coats and daily bags that offer a number of features that are tailored to concealed carriers in the gun market. Vertx has some great options for low profile style bags that offer a fair bit of modularity. Other companies like Crye Precision and FirstSpear make great modular bags as well without looking tactical. 

Overall Thoughts

Tactical gear makes life easier for people who carry a concealed firearm. It lets people carry more ammo and tools easier without looking out of place and most companies help conceal carriers blend into the public easier. There will always be products out there that make you stick out in public like the dreaded fishing vest and obnoxious shirts. Certain people will always go that route when concealing a firearm, which I still don’t understand but there are a number of companies that make great products to help make concealing a firearm much easier. 

Photo Courtesy of Viktos

If you’re looking to pick up some tactical clothing for the first time, I would shop around a little and look for a company you can see yourself wearing on a daily basis. I personally have enjoyed my Viktos pants for the time I’ve used them. I wear Viktos or the subtle 5.11 pants almost every day for work and it really does help with the discreet pockets and improved durability. There will always be a wide variety of products to choose from but at the end of the day, it all boils down to the image you want to project to the people around you.

Personally, I want to remain as anonymous and low profile as possible while having an array of tools at my disposal but everyone’s different. Let me know what you think about tactical clothing and if it’s a good thing for the gun community. I’m really curious what your thoughts are, so leave them in the comments below. If you have questions, feel free to contact me on my Instagram page @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!

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