What and how do you carry your sidearm in the highcountry?

[JMundy84]

I've been running a blacks creek bino harness for a couple years now and it works good for me.

Raptor “Original” Bino/Pistol Chest Pack – BLACKS CREEK GUIDE GEAR

blackscreekguidegear.com

If I'm not carrying binos I have a hosking holsters chest rig.

Hosking Holsters

store22476567.ecwid.com

G20 in either one

 

[repins05]

Nobody has watched deliverance?

 

[TheGDog]

Under bino-harness is the way to go! When you're out there, ya keep the bino-harness on the whole time anyway. Might as well use it to hang your pistol off of it!

When ya got another holster that has it's own shoulder straps as well, Ugh... it's too much, it just freaking sucks and wears on ya after awhile. Especially in the heat. SoCal on this side, so I dunno, might be a non-issue in colder climates?

I like the idea and setup of the kydex holsters under the bino harness, but, the one I'd first picked up it came with an additional retention strap to go around your body, to further ensure a clean pull from the tension of the kydex. But two things... fussing with that extra strap.. and ya know, the more stuff ya have criss-crossing making contact with your skin/body, is more chance for irritation too. AND.. this other unit... it had these snaps that where so difficult to snap shut, (most likely on-purpose??) that you needed to gently using like a set of channel-lock pliers and cover them with some bicycle inner tube rubber before you carefully squeeze-em down so as to not mar/scratch the surface of the snap closure? Adn to remove them REQIRED a big flathead screwdriver or a small chisel, to pry up under the snap to pry it open? It was the kinda thing where you can tell they never thought anyone would want to put it on AND also take it off again. So thew newer style MArsupial is putting out now, just made sense to me.

Thing of it is... to practice glassing?... since I live sorta by the coast, in a city location, I also like to use my bino-harness at some nearby wildlife viewing places here local on the coast, where I've been keeping in practice by glassing up the Yotes and Bunnies and Birds and Fish living in there. Having that holster, even though empty, can just... bring ya the wrong kind of attention and looks and judgemental BS nobody should have to deal with. Let's just say... It freaks out "the normies" to see kydex holsters.

So, after I'd bought a second bino-harness to outfit my son last year. for his setup, we tried instead the newer Marsupial "enclosed" one. As my prior one of theirs would always end up having some amount of leaf matter finds its way to the bottom of the bino compartment, and enclosed style also helps keep dust off the lenses for longer. That's helpful out here in the SouthWest some times, as you can imagine.

Though slightly less rapid than the kydex, since ya gotta clear that velcro tab first... it's a total non-issue, it's very quick to draw your weapon from it. Easy-peasy. And this newer version of the simpler under-harness holster that Marsupial is now putting out? It fits my G29 10mm, and everything else lesser (9mm, .357 snubby) that I might also elect to carry, weighs less, doesn't have the annoying strap, and is fairly quick and easy to remove the pistol harness if ya want. And, it doesn't even look all that intimidating to "the normies" if ya leave it on, (empty) either.

Liked it soo much, Daddy replaced his older one with the newer style. Very happy with the minor design tweaks.

Only minor thing to note, is when placing your binos back in to the bino-harness, for the "enclosed style" be careful, for maximum stealth, to make sure to pull the bino-rentenion straps carefully out from underneath the neodymium magnet'd enclosure lid, so next time you grab for your binos you won't inadvertantly cause those retention straps to pull THROUGH the magnet-closed lid and potentially causing an unintended bit of snap-closed noise to happen when you didn't intend it too. Very minor training issue.

 

[z987k]

The Kenai holster is pretty great if you have a backpack on or are fishing in waders.

If I'm unencumbered, I prefer it on my hip.

I've stopped carrying a sidearm hunting. I don't really see a purpose in it except a ton of unnecessary weight. The rifle is plenty.

 

[Winternews]

I put a .44 mag in a Gunfighters Inc holster on my pack hip belt if I’m with my toddler and the salmon are in, but bring bear spray as plan A. I don’t take a pistol when I’m hunting; it’s too heavy when I’m already carrying a rifle. I always bring bear spray in a Mystery Ranch holster on my hip belt, and take it out and carry it with me everywhere when my pack isn’t on. I have only been bluff charged by a coastal brown bear once, from about 10 yds out of the alders, and probably would not have gotten a good shot off. I’m trying to think of how many folks I know firsthand or friend-of-a-friend who have been bitten fairly bad or mauled by bears; I think it’s 5 now. Only 2 had time to shoot and only one did. I know (from shooting at a moving bear shaped target on a zip line) I can draw and spray a little faster than I can draw and shoot a pistol accurately, and that realistically I might not have time to do either one, so it works for me to carry the bear spray.

 

[SBTX]

Thanks for this thread and y'all's posts. Really does help

 

[trophyhill]

If I carried I would use a holster that attached to the hip belt of my pack. Slide it off and attach to a belt or pants when not wearing a pack. I’ve never carried once while hunting though. I don’t hunt where there are grizz either and people don’t worry me. The last thing I want to do is shoot and kill someone at elk camp. That would open a whole can of worms.

I hunt solo mostly. This is how I carry when hunting. My holster slides down over the pack belt and tucks nicely behind the large pocket and still easy to get to.

 

[Turkeytider]

Agree with IS, water is much more important. I’ve hunted Idaho and Wyoming around Yellow Stone and never cut a grizzly track.
If a cracked out sheep herder comes after me, I’ve got 5 nice sharp broadheads to fight with.

Not in any way denigrating the importance of H20 in that setting, mind, but hunting (alone? ) in big bear country with I presume from this post, nothing but a bow and arrow? You`ve got bigger stones than I have either had or currently possess! A tip of the sombrero, amigo!
Night time, deep in the back country, sitting next to the fire with just a bow? No, especially after watching The Revenant!

 

[Jaquomo]

When bowhunting in grizzly country I carry a small S&W M&P titanium .357, hard cast bear loads, in a holster on my pack belt, tucked behind the belt pouch. Weighs 13 Oz loaded, don't know it's there. Otherwise I carry bear spray for moose and on the odd chance I run into that meth-addled, lonely female sheepherder somewhere.

The only thing I worry about in the woods, honestly, is a psycho cow moose. After having one chase, hunt, and try to kill me, I carry spray everywhere (I live in serious moose country, )

 

[NEPkaspot]

That’s funny. I grew up in the northwest corner of Wyoming and the only animal my Dad ever told me never to mess with was a moose!

 

[UpSideDown]

I have yet to find any way to carry a handgun that isn’t:
- going to come on/off of me all the time on a hip belt, meaning it gets left with the pack
- going to get snagged and yanked out of a chest harness
- in an awkward place I’m bumping all the time
- covering more of my chest, making me hotter and more uncomfortable when moving
- inaccessible

I bought a S&W 10mm and regret it. I never take it because I’ve yet to find a good way to carry it. The bino harness style is the closest I’ve seen but without a retention system I’m positive I’d have yanked my handgun out numerous times by now.

Handguns are about a 3lb addition to your kit when you include the gun, mag and holster. They’re hard to justify when I’m carrying a rifle. I can see how hunters being in a different scenario.

 

[Elkhntr08]

Not in any way denigrating the importance of H20 in that setting, mind, but hunting (alone? ) in big bear country with I presume from this post, nothing but a bow and arrow? You`ve got bigger stones than I have either had or currently possess! A tip of the sombrero, amigo!
Night time, deep in the back country, sitting next to the fire with just a bow? No, especially after watching The Revenant!

You assume correctly, 95% of the time archery, 80% solo. It’s not about stone size, it’s about being smart IMO. Always keep a clean camp, always be situationally aware. If you’re sitting around the campfire, your pistol better be in your hand. Most folks never fire a gun in a high stress situation, so they’re just flinging lead in hopes.
I’d be interested to know how many people who pack a gun hunting have ever had to draw and fire in self defense.
TV will rot your brain and give you nightmares.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

It’s about being smart IMO. Always keep a clean camp, always be situationally aware. TV will rot your brain and give you nightmares.

This is the right perspective /\/\/\

 

[oldskool67]

HPG Recon bag

 

[5MilesBack]

I have yet to find any way to carry a handgun that isn’t:
- going to come on/off of me all the time on a hip belt, meaning it gets left with the pack

My hip belt (i.e. pants belt) is lower than my pack waist belt. But even if you keep it on your pack waist belt, just switch it to your hip when you take your pack off.

 

[Roger17]

I carry mine exactly like your pic. I also have a cheap soft holster that only weighs a few ounces. I take it in my pack and throw it on my belt in camp or when I'll have the bino harness off.

 

[TheHammer]

I’ve ran into too many cats not to carry during archery season. Plus there is the chance of crossing one of those 2 legged creatures with bad intentions. I struggle to find something that works for me, last year I had 2 wide zipties on an Alaskan guide holster attached to my k4 waste belt on the rear molle webbing.

 

[Beendare]

I've tried a few different setups, I wear it on my pack belt and hardly know its there. It's intuitive draw- as I practice with that....and if I'm glassing or taking my pack off to take a dump in g Bear country, I set it next to me.


FWIW, I just got some new to me Buff Bore 9mm +P hard cast and had it not feed every time in my Shield. The slide would hold up 1/16" short of going into battery. I cleaned the pistol, same thing.

My G19 ran like a top...and my stock G20 has 700rds of 200g Double tap and Underwood HC rounds through it with zero failures.

Glad I tested that new ammo in the 9mm.

 

[TaperPin]

So, when you’re squatted down to take a dump, does everyone have a backup pistol in an ankle holster? What is the proper way to hold a pistola without hands or holster? Teeth? Maybe a Kong chew toy mounted under the barrel to grip, but not be in the way? Does this cause guys to want to shake their head violently and run around the yard?

Porcupines with machetes are ruining our country - you never know when a flash mob will occur. Clips - everyone needs lots and lots of loaded clips.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

So, when your squatted down to take a dump, does everyone have a backup pistol in an ankle holster? What is the proper way to hold a pistola without hands or holster? Teeth? Maybe a Kong chew toy mounted under the barrel to grip, but not be in the way? Does this cause guys to want to shake their head violently and run around the yard?

Porcupines with machetes are ruining our country - you never know when a flash mob will occur. Clips - everyone needs lots and lots of loaded clips.

Hilarious. Too funny, bro. Thanks