Conceal methods for women

[RHenriksen]

Somewhat of a thread drift, but I'm curious - how did the 2010 Texas CHL forum day seminar go, the one with a basket of trial holsters for test driving concealed carry options? That sounded like a great idea, I'm hoping it was a success & will be repeated.

[LikesShinyThings]

I have discovered the joy of underarmor type undershirts. Don't know where they have been all my life!

I am very shortwaisted! However I am "blessed" in other areas, I do believe this helps with the concealement somewhat - I carry IWB at about 1-1:30 or 11-ish cross draw. Can carry all day and is very comfortable for me. Felt huge at first, but I can tuck no problem and don't have to have an extra cover garment - I do go untucked often because I am not a "svelt" as I used to be, so it hides a multitude... if you will.

JMPHO

I know DA. She is being hard on herself. She looks great! Her comments and suggestions are spot on.

I would suggest you check the Comp-tac line of holsters. They have several styles.

:-) Not uncommon for women in general - my experience is we tend to be harder on ourselves in expectation for appearance than we need to be. I *know* I'm in pretty good shape, but I also feel I need to lose another 5-10 lbs. And I'm also carrying a little bit of a paunch (it WILL affect IWB carry), though I know nobody else would even notice said paunch/bulge.

Thanks for the suggestion on Comp-tac. I'll definitely look into them.

[SewTexas]

I also carry cross draw, when I first started I carried at about 2.30 (hubby's recommendation) and it dug in my ribs something awful....by switching to cross (a lady here recommend) at about 8.30 or so it's much more comfortable.

[Divided Attention]

Somewhat of a thread drift, but I'm curious - how did the 2010 Texas CHL forum day seminar go, the one with a basket of trial holsters for test driving concealed carry options? That sounded like a great idea, I'm hoping it was a success & will be repeated.

I thought the opportunity was awesome. I tried Ankle, belt, shoulder, thigh, looked at and handled several other holsters. WE had some good "ladies topics" chats too, AND it was so fun to see women from all walks and ages there for this topic. Many at different levels on their "walk". It was great to know you aren't alone on some issues and concerns, and to hear different perspectives - kinda like here,

sorry to perpetuate the drift - now back to your previously scheduled programming...

[gymnst]

Hey ladies,
I found a way to carry in my purse and use ANY purse I want! I got this purse organizer off ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PURSE-ORGANIZER-INS ... 80100fc40b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is really sturdy! I searched and searched for one that would be strong enough to hold a handgun and not collapse in on itself and this one does the trick. My gun isn't light either. I have the Sig P250 subcompact. 25oz.

I got a pocket holster (you know with the rubbery stuff to grip) and I put that in one of the pockets and it holds the gun just right! I carry the purse on my left and can draw with my right and it is positioned just how I want it.

AND....I can change purses anytime I want to match whatever outfit I want. (SCORE)

Anyway, I'm still going to work on finding a IWB holster that will work when my outfit allows, but thought I would pass on what I found if anyone was interested.

[Interblog]

I'm not sure which is the best thread for this entry, but hello to the other ladies, and here below is a pic of one of my hard-won carry solutions.

I do A LOT of exercise, and so I gravitated toward belt or fanny pack style of solutions - something I could wear, more so than carry like a handbag. My non-negotiable requirement was that any concealed carry device MUST also accommodate my iPhone 6 Plus without being overly bulky. That eliminates, oh, about 95% of what's on the market.

This is the Blackhawk fanny pack in size medium. It gets some bad rap in product reviews because many people find that even the medium size is really too large to fit them. But hey, if you've got some female hips going for you, it actually conforms to the body quite well. I am wearing it high in this gruesome mirror selfie, and I would position like this if, for instance, I were jogging. Hiking or biking, I'd set it lower on my hips. The phone is shown poking above the zipper to show how tightly it fits - it slides into this outer pocket very well, but if the pack were any smaller, it would be bye-bye iPhone - it would not fit.

In a perfect world, I might have preferred the similarly-designed Falco Type 520 pack - there's a good one-minute YouTube on that. But it has the disadvantage of needing to ship from the Slovak Republic, which can take up to 6 weeks, reportedly. Nobody seems to already have it in stock domestically.

[The Annoyed Man]

I’m not a good judge of what is “cute”, but I bought a handbag for my wife from 5.11 Tactical, which she seems to like a lot. Here’s their handbag page: http://www.511tactical.com/bags-packs/womens-bags.html. She also has a Coronado Leather Hobo bag.

[Interblog]

For better or for worse, I'm personally not interested in "cute". I realize that everyone is entitled to their own taste, but I think the market has long been passing over women with lifestyles that defy older stereotypes. I went to a local range yesterday afternoon, and as I was sitting there waiting my turn for a lane, I glanced over and noticed a rack of handbags in the sales area of the facility. Lots of sequins, studs, rhinestones, buckles, etc. Well, that's fine for some - but what about the other half of the female market?

[RPBrown]

I’m not a good judge of what is “cute”, but I bought a handbag for my wife from 5.11 Tactical, which she seems to like a lot. Here’s their handbag page: http://www.511tactical.com/bags-packs/womens-bags.html. She also has a Coronado Leather Hobo bag.

My wife has the Leslie cross body purse and loves it. More difficult to snatch and grab and easy to access her gun if needed

[The Annoyed Man]

For better or for worse, I'm personally not interested in "cute". I realize that everyone is entitled to their own taste, but I think the market has long been passing over women with lifestyles that defy older stereotypes. I went to a local range yesterday afternoon, and as I was sitting there waiting my turn for a lane, I glanced over and noticed a rack of handbags in the sales area of the facility. Lots of sequins, studs, rhinestones, buckles, etc. Well, that's fine for some - but what about the other half of the female market?

FWIW, “Lots of sequins, studs, rhinestones, buckles, etc.” doesn’t describe any of my wife’s purses. She’s more of a sporty plain spoken type. But, I gave up a long time ago trying to get her to carry on body. She admits that it is safer and a more secure method of carrying. She doesn’t care, and that’s that. But she does carry faithfully, and she’s very good at situational awareness......and she has zero patience for people who approach and begin to invade her comfort zone. Her favorite move? “Kick ‘em in the tootles”. Pity the fool......

[Grundy1133]

i dont feel like going back and reading all the posts in this topic, but i would highly suggest to NOT conceal carry in your purse... scenario: you just got done at the mall/store/gun store/restaurant/any place of business. you walk out to your car and as you're fumbling in your purse looking for your keys someone runs up, snags your purse and runs off. now he has your purse/wallet/CC/DL AND your gun. i would suggest to always always carry on your immediate person. this might have been covered in earlier posts, if so i apologize and i'll delete this post, if not, I hope this post has been insightful.

[JakeTheSnake]

Yep, not a good idea to purse carry.
Posted this before, but deserves a repeat.
https://youtu.be/AfcvCaDVh4w

[Interblog]

A little bit sideways on the thread topic, but after multiple vicious dog attacks in my neighborhood, I discovered the delight of having a shark knife (made for SCUBA divers) strapped to my leg. It's inexpensive, the straps are rubber so they don't slip and slide, and it doesn't weigh much, so I barely know that it is there.

With an attack as brutal as what is shown in the vid above, I don't know that most women would be able to do much in self-defense, but I'd be trying to go for that knife. The robber would be focused single-mindedly and two-handedly on the purse, and might not see a blade coming up, if I could get to it. It would be worth a try.

I got the shark knife after failing to identify a good neck knife holder. If anyone knows of such a thing, please post.

[Middle Age Russ]

A fixed blade knife that can be easily employed is never a bad idea. Easily employed is certainly a key part of the definition, though. You, with your fitness and awareness levels, may believe yourself capable of assessing the threat and getting to a knife carried on a leg or arm, such as the knife you mention. That may go out the door if you are surprised and find yourself pinned under an attacker.

Since most of us walk around with hands loosely at our sides near belt-line, and since you mentioned carrying a belt/fanny pack, I'd suggest finding a small (<3" blade) fixed blade knife in a friction-only sheath that can be carried on the belt horizontally near mid-line in the front. This can be accessed by either hand (one in a reverse grip) and can be employed immediately once it clears the sheath. When away from work, I often carry such a knife so that it is in a reverse grip (blade out) for my strong hand, providing the ability to "punch" with the cutting edge or stab in an ice-pick manner.