How do you carry with a backpack on

[zacha79]

Just wondering and getting ideas for carrying while backpacking.

I have tried carrying on my waist with my backpack on. My hip belt goes over the top of my pistol and it isn't very comfortable. And that was just for a short mile hike. I couldn't imagine trying that for a full day hike.

Any ideas/pictures would be great

-Zach

 

[colonel00]

Do a search for holsters on hip belts. What kind of pack do you have and can you attach stuff to it?

 

[kodiakfly]

As Brad said, try a search and you'll find quite a bit of reading, as this gets asked often.

First thing to decide is if you want to carry it on your pack or on your person. Thought being, if you drop your pack now you're without a gun, or maybe that's fine to not have your gun literally with you at all times. Or you never leave your pack behind, so attach it to your pack belt and roll with it. Once you decide on that, you can look at carry options.

 

[DudeFromOhio]

My Tenzing has a slot on the hip belt, works excellent.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I have kind of a modified shoulder holster for my pistol so it's right across my chest/belly. Here' a selfie from a hike earlier today. You can kind of see it sitting just below the chest strap of my pack. I had a SG pack on.

 

[pyroducksx3]

Depends on what kind of handgun you have. If you want to always have it on your person the hill people kit bags are hard to beat.
https://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Products/tabid/762/CategoryID/1/Default.aspx
when I carried a glock 29 I used a serpa holster that I could slip on the waistbelt and if I dropped my pack I could slide it off the waist belt and put it on my pants. Now though I carry a ultralight ruger lcr in 357 and it fits into a pocket I have mounted on my hip belt. This is really convenient because when I want to carry my pistol it goes in the pocket and when I don't I have a pocket to put a camera or rangefinder in.

 

[Take-a-knee]

You use a Hill People Gear Kit Bag. I sleep with mine on.

 

[Jackelope]

You use a Hill People Gear Kit Bag. I sleep with mine on.

What about your bino's??

 

[pyroducksx3]

You can put a set of binos in the kit bag as well, it has two separate zippered pockets. Not as slick as the fhf Bino harness, which I prefer. Which is also why I use the lcr in a pocket on the waistbelt. It is just an option though.

 

[Take-a-knee]

What about your bino's??

Hill People makes a GI canteen belt pouch that I carry my binos in. It gets slung over one shoulder and rides on my left side. HPG's newest Kit Bag has a PALS panel on the front that you could add a pouch to if you so desired.

 

[charvey9]

Get a bladetech and put it on the waistbelt for your pack. Of course, this is open carry.

 

[Clinch]

Another for the HPG Kitbag. When I have a rifle, my binos go in the pistol pocket. When I have a pistol in it I use the lifter straps that came with the Kitbag meant to attach the bag to your pack, to sling my binos to the front.

 

[MuleyFever]

Anyone use a thigh holster?

 

[DishBogget]

Anyone use a thigh holster?

I've tried with one that I have, just wasn't comfortable for me while hiking

 

[SDHNTR]

Been going all thru this for my new Ruger Alaskan. I can't find what I want. I want a hip holster with a secure and fast clip attachment, ideally synthetic or some other non leather material. I want to be able to clip it on my pack belt and then easily detach and clip on my pants when I drop the pack. Something like the attached (or course this one won't fit my gun). I will gladly purchase a Pope and Young or NRA membership for anyone who finds me one for a Ruger AK 454.

 

[pyroducksx3]

I'm pretty sure blade tech will make custom holsters.

 

[husky390]

HPG Kit Bag and I'll either stow the bino's in it or sling them over my head and under my left arm.

 

[2ski]

You can put a set of binos in the kit bag as well, it has two separate zippered pockets. Not as slick as the fhf Bino harness, which I prefer. Which is also why I use the lcr in a pocket on the waistbelt. It is just an option though.

I think it would be sweet if FHF could make a kit bag/bino pouch hybrid. That and a fly fishing pouch/kit bag hybrid. I'd love to be able to carry like that when I'm flyfishing.

 

[actionshooter]

Bladetech holster attached to my waist belt on my pack. Best way I have found.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I use the exact holster shown in the post above by SDHNTR. It's a Bianchi UM84R and it fits my 329PD (S&W N frame) like a glove. Bianchi says it won't fit but they lie. I think it's about the perfect holster for how I like to hunt, pack and carry a sidearm. The clip attachment allows it to mount to a hip-belt or other web. I can have it off my pack and on my pants belt in 15 seconds or less. I do that when I drop the pack for a stalk or other reasons. The flap keeps the weather off and gun is secure. At night I place the gun on top of the holster and keep it near my left shoulder. I can grab it instinctively in the night if needed.

And by the way: I prefer to attach a paracord tether between my gun and holster. I used neon orange 540 and it's just long enough to provide unencumbered shooting with full arm extension. I tuck/coil the tether into the holster ahead of the gun. When the gun comes out the tether follows easily. I figure there is far too much chance of a gun getting dropped or knocked loose in a bear encounter, and a tether means it can be retrieved.