12 January 2010
My son and I recently began planning a few spring camping trips and one of the things he asked me (as only a 12 yr old can) was how I was planning to carry a pistol and, of course, which pistol was I going to take with me? That question, and my follow on attempts to answer it, led me into considering the "best" carry method for a pistol or revolver that you carry into the field during recreational forays. Access is a concern. Security is a concern. Protecting it from the elements is a concern. Comfort is a concern. Working efficiently with other carry systems is a concern. So, here are the options I looked at and, ultimately, which I would choose.
The two holsters shown above, both made by Wellsmade Holsters out of exotic leathers, provide relatively good coverage and security for the weapons. However, that doesn't make them ideally suited for carrying your pistol the next time you go out hiking or backpacking.
As identified in the opening paragraph, there are three main considerations when you are selecting a field holster. Bear in mind that we aren't talking about DUTY holsters, but holsters you'd wear while hunting, camping, backpacking, etc. The three considerations are:
- It must, first and foremost, secure your weapon. Open-top rigs such as the Deputy Marshall shown here may be really "cool" looking, but during vigorous activity can you depend on the holster to hold the weapon securely?
- It must work cooperatively or at least efficiently with your other gear. Depending on what your activity is you need a holster that won't impede your use of other gear or become uncomfortable because of other gear. For instance, lots of pancake holsters might be uncomfortable if you're carrying a backpack because of overlapping support straps.
- It should protect your weapon from the elements. Back "in the old days" when many holsters were made of leather and had a full fold-over flap that covered the entire grip of the weapon, the contained weapon got a bit better protection from the elements. The trade off was that it would take you longer to get the weapon out when you needed it. Many of today's holsters are quicker to draw from, but have sacrificed some of that coverage to do so.
Addressing consideration number one, we know that the large majority of quality holsters produced today adequately secure the weapon. Through the use of molded synthetics, trigger guard hooks, thumb straps and/or other retention devices the pistol is typically secured by at least two devices. When selecting a holster for rigorous outdoor use my recommendation would be this: make sure that the passive retention device, if at all possible, is not tension. In other words, make sure there is a hook or strap or something; preferably a "something" that will keep the weapon from falling out if the holster is inverted.
Addressing consideration number two, you must identify where you DON'T want to carry your weapon due to your other gear. If you are backpacking, since most of today's backpacks have waist belts to help support the load's weight on your hips, any holster you wear on your belt may not be a good choice. If you're out for a day hike and wearing a light pack, you may still want to put the weapon in a crossdraw holster because the pack may inhibit your ability to reach your arm back on your strong side (sometimes the pack can get in the way of your elbow). The photo of the SkyCop holster, designed primarily for Air Marshals, represents a good choice in crossdraw holster with the downside of not having a secondary retention device. Tension and gravity are the only things holding the pistol into this holster. That's not critcism. That's how the holster was designed. It is also what you must think about when you pick a holster to suit your outdoor activity.
Addressing consideration number three is somewhat easier. You can simply look at a holster and see how much coverage it provides to your weapon. In most cases, coverage = protection. Realizing that most of today's weapons aren't immediately ruined by a few rain drops and understanding that we should all be cleaning our weapons if they get wet or dirty during any outing anyway, the holster's primary protective responsibility is to protect from impact damage. In other words, the holster body should protect your pistol from scratches or dings caused when you fall or run into things along your way. Such is inevitable unless you're limiting your activity to walking along looking at the scenery. The BLACKHAWK! Level III Tactical SERPA holster shown obviously wasn't primarily designed for recreational use. However, it provides excellent coverage, three levels of security and having your pistol on a thigh platform certainly keeps it out of the way of your other gear. Additionally, it provides you added space to carry additional items if need be. All that taken into consideration, thigh holsters, for whatever reason, tend to make some people nervous. If you're out hunting and someone sees you with a revolver in a belt holster as a backup to your rifle, they may take that in stride. However, take the same situation and change the backup weapon to a pistol in a thigh holster and suddenly - thanks to television, movies and the mainstream media - you might be perceived as a "SWAT wanna be". Again, something you have to think about as you make your choice.
For most day hikes my choice is the crossdraw holster. I have a Level II holster (tension and a trigger guard hook) that holds my weapon securely and is comfortable to wear. Coverage isn't great but the weapon is usually covered by a garment anyway so i consider that an acceptable trade off. Backpacking isn't something I do much anymore and if I did it would present my biggest challenge in weapon placement. I don't want to wear it on my thigh and, due to the pack's waistbelt, any holster on my pants belt would be uncomfortable. I don't want to put the pistol IN the pack because getting to it would simply take too long. So what's the solution? Probably a shoulder holster... but I don't have one so now I have an excuse to buy something new.
Happy Trails!