Concealed Carry Corner: Best Items For Easy Carry
Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about everything to do with inside the waistband holsters. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to look at some items that drastically made my life better when it comes to carrying concealed. The majority of you will know about most on this list, but it’s always good to go over small tips to give you a helpful tip to make life easier. Let’s look at some of the best items for easy carry.
A Solid Carry Belt
The number one item that made a difference when carrying a concealed handgun was switching from a regular belt to a specific belt for carrying a gun. Companies like 5.11 and Blue Alpha make belts that are designed to carry a handgun with minimal flexing keeping the pistol in place. In last week’s article, I talked about how your carry gun can sometimes move and shift depending on your movement throughout the day. Having a sturdy properly fitting belt can completely change how the gun acts on your body.
Being able to carry your gun all day without having it shift or cant oddly will make everyday life easier and the need to readjust your gun throughout the day will considerably lessen. Having confidence in public knowing your gun is secure not only makes life easier but is one less thing on your mind as you go throughout your day. Making sure your gun is secure and in the same place takes any doubt off of your mind and just makes carrying a simpler process overall.
Claw Attachments
So a good carry belt is an absolute must when looking at how to easily carry a concealed handgun, but having a claw attachment is equally important for anyone with stocky frames. Having a larger framed handgun can be the hardest to comfortably conceal if you don’t have multiple layers to cover up the outline. If you’re someone who carries a mid-size or full-size handgun, a claw attachment will make life easier to keep your gun concealed.
For those of you who haven’t used a claw attachment, it essentially pushes your waistband out slightly and extends the coverage for larger pistol frames. It may not seem like a small claw on the end of your holster will do much, but that tiny extension off your holster can be the difference between confidently carrying a handgun or slightly printing or even worse readjusting constantly which just draws attention to yourself. The claw seems like a small accessory but over the last few years, I have realized just how much of a difference it makes with larger firearms.
A Dedicated Single-Strap Bag
One of the best items that allowed me to organize my carrying style is having a small single-strap bag that can keep your daily items without having them jammed into your pockets. Having a single-strap bag will allow you to carry extra items like spare magazines, medical supplies or everyday items like your laptop and water bottle. It just makes life easier having a small single-strap bag. Having one designed by a gun-friendly company will allow you to have various compartments to keep your everyday items and gun-related items separate from each other.
I’m a firm believer that people should always carry their firearm on their body instead of in a bag, but there are occasionally rare situations where you may need to carry in a bag rather than on your body. The best thing you can do is easily insert options into your life for various situations where you need to be flexible. Do you always need a small bag? Absolutely not but it’s never a bad idea to leave your house with options and even if you don’t carry the bag around, it’s good to at least have it with you as you go on with your day. If a given situation doesn’t apply, then you can always leave the bag in your vehicle and it’ll be there as an option.
Having The Right Gun For Your Needs
The last major point when making life easier when it comes to carrying concealed is having the right tool for the right job. If you’re heading to the grocery store or running errands around town, you probably don’t need a completely kitted-out full-size pistol with multiple spare magazines. Oftentimes, people will fall into the trap of getting more than they need. There’s been a trend of carrying smaller framed pistols holding a standard capacity of 15+1 like the Glock 43X or Glock 48 with Shield Arms magazines.
These offer the same capacity as larger handguns without the extra bulk or weight. SIG offers a few different options as well with their P365 XL and Macro line of carry guns or Springfield with their Hellcat or Hellcat Pro line of pistols. There are plenty of options that offer full-size capacity while being half the size. Some individuals prefer a larger pistol and if that’s the case, it’s perfectly fine to carry one but they can be rather heavy and some people struggle to carry them comfortably. Over time, this can lead to fatigue which ends up resulting in you just leaving your gun at home completely and not carrying at all. Having a smaller option that you can comfortably carry all day is key to feeling like carrying concealed can be easy.
Overall Thoughts
No matter how long you’ve been carrying, there will always be new products out there that not only make life easier but can help develop a better system of organization as well. Whether it’s picking up a sturdy belt, reorganizing with a small backpack, or finding the perfect size carry gun that you can carry all day long, finding the perfect combination of gear and tricks will allow you to carry comfortably all day long. Being able to carry with confidence allows you to not stress about printing or readjusting your gun all the time. Trying out simple changes can make a huge difference.
What do you guys think are some other items that make carrying easier? Let me know what your thoughts are down in the comments below. If you have questions about carrying or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.