Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about the various important factors of carrying a concealed handgun. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to look at a struggle many of us face when enjoying the warm summer months but also enjoy being active. Carrying when wearing athletic shorts is tricky and requires some preplanning before just giving it a shot and leaving the house. There are a few different solutions but it’s important to think of it before just trying to carry for the first time with loose-fit clothing. Let’s take a closer look at how to carry no matter what.

Concealed Carry Corner @ TFB:

• Concealed Carry Corner: Different Levels of Firearm Maintenance
• Concealed Carry Corner: Best Caliber For Small Carry Guns
• Concealed Carry Corner: The Hassle Of Gun-Free Zones

Athletic Shorts

One of the hardest things to do well is carry a firearm with athletic shorts or sweatpants. The idea is simple but having enough support to hold your gun in a consistent location is the hardest part. Since sweatpants and shorts don’t often have elastic belts for extra support. Certain shorts with a wide elastic band typically offer more support than shorts that just have a simple drawstring. There are options out there with a thicker drawstring like the Viktos Sweat Shorts that can be tied really tight to give more support which is a big win as well.

Another tip that helped me out immensely is the ability to have multiple points of contact on looser-fitting shorts. If you have a holster with either a claw to grab material or something like a wing holster that has two clips to attach to your waistband. There are other products out there that can also attach to your pants and act as a sturdy platform to mount your gun on. Whether it’s adding on another attachment or buying specific workout gear designed for carrying concealed, there are plenty of options to get around this but it’s important to keep in mind that carrying with existing workout clothes is certainly possible with the right holsters and preplanning.

The Wisdom Of A Fanny Pack

The one thing that almost everyone writes off immediately even though they shouldn’t is carrying a fanny pack. Yes, it makes you look dorky, but as a result of that perception in society, no one really thinks you are carrying a handgun. Fanny packs have become associated with weak nerdy members of society that have a quarter collection at home. Having a concealed handgun in a fanny pack will not only be a great option to wear in addition to your workout shorts, but no one will suspect you of having a firearm if you have a run-of-the-mill fanny pack.

I am a huge fan of hiding in plain sight and using a fanny pack as a daily carry is honestly one of the best ways to fly under the radar. Certainly, various companies make tactical fanny packs with various pockets for spare magazines and a designed space for a carry gun. In my experience though, having the funny patterned fanny packs is often times cheaper, and with a holster integrated into the fanny pack, it’s just as effective for a fraction of the price. You can have several cheaper fanny packs to keep things interesting without looking suspicious. If you tear one up or it becomes unusable over time, then simply throw it away and start with a different design. People will oftentimes sleep on fanny packs when they are a great resource to use if your clothing choices make it tough to carry.

Beach Time

One of the most common places people ask me how to carry is at the beaches. This can be incredibly tricky since most wear minimal layers of clothing and oftentimes it’s some kind of swim trunks with just a single pocket. Carrying a micro-style pistol or even something like an air weight 5 shot revolver is a great option to throw in the pocket of your swim trunks and go on with your day but even that can be incredibly heavy. Again this is a great opportunity to carry in a fanny pack since it offers great concealment without creating an inconvenience.

While it’s certainly possible to carry a concealed firearm at the beach, it’s not the best choice to do in the grand scheme of things. For most, going to the beach means being around salt water that will corrode a firearm faster than anything. Combine that with the possibility of getting sand into your gun and it’s really a no-win situation carrying when you’re at the beach. Of course, it’s more than possible to carry at the beach, but I strongly advise against it just to keep your carry gun clean and away from that amount of sand that can possibly get into the moving parts of the handgun.

Overall Thoughts

When it comes to carrying during the summer months, there are plenty of situations that are incredibly difficult to carry in. With just a tad of pre-planning and experimenting, you can easily carry even if you don’t have a traditional belt and pants set up. I always encourage people to use fanny packs or close-body carry methods. There are also a number of situations in which carrying just isn’t the best idea. For one way or another, it’s difficult to carry in various situations and you will need to decide what’s best for you to do.

Personally, I don’t take a concealed handgun to places like the beach because of debris and salt getting onto my carry gun. What are your thoughts when it comes to carrying no matter what the situation is? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you have questions on carrying a concealed handgun or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeopertator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.

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