kaltblitz
04-04-09, 14:13
Okay, so no I’m not a “murse” type of guy. I’m also not very “metro-sexual.” Most of my clothing is North Face, Alpinestars or has some kind of SF Giants logo on it (yeah, I’m a die hard Giants fan). I also don’t sport a police-issue mustache and a flat top so I don’t consider fanny packs as mode of carry. I don’t like Mil-Spec monkey patches and I never wear anything that screams “Gun!” “Tactical” or “I’m a cop” unless I’m at the range. So when I first saw the Maxpedition Versipack I chalked it up as another trendy new tacti-item that I wasn’t interested in.
I used to carry my Sigs, either a 226 or 228, as my off-duty guns. Because my summer mode of dress is usually a t-shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops I couldn’t always get away with hiding one of these so I would just forgo carrying a gun and throw an Emerson knife in my pocket (yeah, I was that dumb).
Then I discovered the S&W J-frame and 24/7 carry became a reality for me. Now I was always armed no matter what. As my career continued I discovered some folks really didn’t’ like me...I mean downright hated me. I had an off-duty encounter with a guy I had previously arrested that was now armed with another cop’s stolen Glock 22 last June that put a lot of things in perspective for me. I made the decision then that I would never be without a fullsize handgun close at hand….and I mean never!
The Clint Smith quote that “Guns are not supposed to be comfortable they are supposed to be comforting” is great. Unfortunately the reality for many of us is that we are only willing to go so far to fulfill this. I own and have owned lots of great holsters including rigs made by Alessi, Milt Sparks, Tauris, Haugen and many others. I also own lots of different guns, but sometimes I just find it hard to carry the amount of crap that I want to have with me. Add to that a back that’s been in several car and motorcycle crashes and a sciatic nerve that wears a duty belt over 40 hours a week and you soon start to realize that 24/7 carry of a fullsize gun can literally be a pain.
So how do I carry a M&P or Glock, an extra mag, a badge, a folding knife and a Surefire flashlight around with me? How do I do this and still dress the way I would like and be comfortable? How do I do this without sporting the “I’m a cop” funky looking fanny pack? I recently found the answer.
This last Christmas I got an OD green Maxpedition Versipack as a gift. What? Carry a man-purse? NEVER. It sat for the last couple months with my other rarely used gun stuff in the closet.
Well a few weeks ago when I was tired and my back was killing me I decided to give it a try. What the hell? NOW I FREAKING LOVE THIS THING! Why didn’t I try this sooner! It doesn’t offend my manliness too much to wear it and it is very comfortable. I can carry all my crap and it doesn’t hurt my back and make it hard to sit for long periods of time.
I apologize for the pics being low res, but they were taken with my iPhone. I’ll let the pictures tell the story:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag1.jpg
I see a lot of guys carrying messenger bags in my area lately. For whatever reason this rig really doesn’t scream “gun” to me the way a fanny pack does. Add to the fact that I’m in California where most folks don’t CCW any way and I think I just look like another guy carrying a bag around. I can carry it all day and I honestly don’t feel like a “girly-man.”
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag4.jpg
Here is the bag full of stuff with it removed from my shoulder. This is not the “Jumbo” version and I’m glad. This is just the right size.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag3.jpg
The back of the bag and shoulder strap have this nice mesh webbing that lets your skin breath. A nice touch in my opinion that only adds to the comfort.
Also, notice the belt loop. You can anchor the bag to your belt if you feel you need more security. It does work just fine though looped over your shoulder.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag2.jpg
Here’s what I got inside:
My issue M&P 40 in the main compartment in my Looper IWB rig. The rig doesn’t come with a holster and you have to buy it separately for around $12. I’ll probably get one soon, but this works fine for right now. The compartment is lined with Velcro which is how a holster would attach. With some practice I’ve actually gotten to be fairly fast at drawing the gun and reholstering it. Yes, a 5” Government can fit in the pouch, but it will be slow drawing it. I think a M&P/G17 size gun is the biggest you can go for this rig that is practical and I think a G19/228 size gun would be perfect.
I have a spare M&P mag in the little side pocket. Just unbuckle and an extra 15 rounds of 40 S&W Federal Hydra-Shok await me.
My old trusty Surefire Z2 I carried for years on duty, recently replaced by a Fenix TK11, rides in another exterior pocket.
Yes, I carry a flat-badge in my wallet, but having a fullsize badge I can clip to my belt or my neck is very comforting should I actually get in a shooting off-duty. The last thing in the world I want to have happen is for me to shoot a guy and then to get shot by my fellow officers responding to the scene. My uniform badge rides in an exterior zipper pouch.
Remember that Emerson CQC I talked about? It’s clipped right inside.
The bottom line is this bag can hold a lot of stuff. I only carry a few things that I feel I need. I don’t want it to be a boat anchor full of stuff so I limit what I put in it. The bag is very comfy to carry all day. I wear my gun on my 3 o’clock just like I would a regular holster, so the same retention techniques still apply.
Is this the ideal mode of carry? Probably not. I still prefer to carry a gun in a holster close to my body, but the bag will work for when my back hurts or I just those times carrying a fullsize gun in an IWB just won’t work or I want to have a bunch of other stuff with me.
So Clint I think you can have it both ways. Comforting and comfortable.
I highly recommend this product if you couldn’t already tell.
I used to carry my Sigs, either a 226 or 228, as my off-duty guns. Because my summer mode of dress is usually a t-shirt, cargo shorts and flip-flops I couldn’t always get away with hiding one of these so I would just forgo carrying a gun and throw an Emerson knife in my pocket (yeah, I was that dumb).
Then I discovered the S&W J-frame and 24/7 carry became a reality for me. Now I was always armed no matter what. As my career continued I discovered some folks really didn’t’ like me...I mean downright hated me. I had an off-duty encounter with a guy I had previously arrested that was now armed with another cop’s stolen Glock 22 last June that put a lot of things in perspective for me. I made the decision then that I would never be without a fullsize handgun close at hand….and I mean never!
The Clint Smith quote that “Guns are not supposed to be comfortable they are supposed to be comforting” is great. Unfortunately the reality for many of us is that we are only willing to go so far to fulfill this. I own and have owned lots of great holsters including rigs made by Alessi, Milt Sparks, Tauris, Haugen and many others. I also own lots of different guns, but sometimes I just find it hard to carry the amount of crap that I want to have with me. Add to that a back that’s been in several car and motorcycle crashes and a sciatic nerve that wears a duty belt over 40 hours a week and you soon start to realize that 24/7 carry of a fullsize gun can literally be a pain.
So how do I carry a M&P or Glock, an extra mag, a badge, a folding knife and a Surefire flashlight around with me? How do I do this and still dress the way I would like and be comfortable? How do I do this without sporting the “I’m a cop” funky looking fanny pack? I recently found the answer.
This last Christmas I got an OD green Maxpedition Versipack as a gift. What? Carry a man-purse? NEVER. It sat for the last couple months with my other rarely used gun stuff in the closet.
Well a few weeks ago when I was tired and my back was killing me I decided to give it a try. What the hell? NOW I FREAKING LOVE THIS THING! Why didn’t I try this sooner! It doesn’t offend my manliness too much to wear it and it is very comfortable. I can carry all my crap and it doesn’t hurt my back and make it hard to sit for long periods of time.
I apologize for the pics being low res, but they were taken with my iPhone. I’ll let the pictures tell the story:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag1.jpg
I see a lot of guys carrying messenger bags in my area lately. For whatever reason this rig really doesn’t scream “gun” to me the way a fanny pack does. Add to the fact that I’m in California where most folks don’t CCW any way and I think I just look like another guy carrying a bag around. I can carry it all day and I honestly don’t feel like a “girly-man.”
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag4.jpg
Here is the bag full of stuff with it removed from my shoulder. This is not the “Jumbo” version and I’m glad. This is just the right size.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag3.jpg
The back of the bag and shoulder strap have this nice mesh webbing that lets your skin breath. A nice touch in my opinion that only adds to the comfort.
Also, notice the belt loop. You can anchor the bag to your belt if you feel you need more security. It does work just fine though looped over your shoulder.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/KevH/maxpeditionbag2.jpg
Here’s what I got inside:
My issue M&P 40 in the main compartment in my Looper IWB rig. The rig doesn’t come with a holster and you have to buy it separately for around $12. I’ll probably get one soon, but this works fine for right now. The compartment is lined with Velcro which is how a holster would attach. With some practice I’ve actually gotten to be fairly fast at drawing the gun and reholstering it. Yes, a 5” Government can fit in the pouch, but it will be slow drawing it. I think a M&P/G17 size gun is the biggest you can go for this rig that is practical and I think a G19/228 size gun would be perfect.
I have a spare M&P mag in the little side pocket. Just unbuckle and an extra 15 rounds of 40 S&W Federal Hydra-Shok await me.
My old trusty Surefire Z2 I carried for years on duty, recently replaced by a Fenix TK11, rides in another exterior pocket.
Yes, I carry a flat-badge in my wallet, but having a fullsize badge I can clip to my belt or my neck is very comforting should I actually get in a shooting off-duty. The last thing in the world I want to have happen is for me to shoot a guy and then to get shot by my fellow officers responding to the scene. My uniform badge rides in an exterior zipper pouch.
Remember that Emerson CQC I talked about? It’s clipped right inside.
The bottom line is this bag can hold a lot of stuff. I only carry a few things that I feel I need. I don’t want it to be a boat anchor full of stuff so I limit what I put in it. The bag is very comfy to carry all day. I wear my gun on my 3 o’clock just like I would a regular holster, so the same retention techniques still apply.
Is this the ideal mode of carry? Probably not. I still prefer to carry a gun in a holster close to my body, but the bag will work for when my back hurts or I just those times carrying a fullsize gun in an IWB just won’t work or I want to have a bunch of other stuff with me.
So Clint I think you can have it both ways. Comforting and comfortable.
I highly recommend this product if you couldn’t already tell.