Concealed Carry in The Cold

You are never too old to learn, and yesterday I learned a lesson. I found that I was completely unprepared for the unexpected snow that fell leaving thousands (and reportedly hundreds of thousands) stuck on iced over highways. Unprepared, that is, from a concealed carry perspective.

Conceal Carry in Any Situation

Bundling up to withstand the frigid temperature left me with the dilemma of where to carry my pistol that provided easy access. Since I don’t wear thermals, I had to make do with some different winter accessories around my house. it was too cold to leave my coat open. In fact I had to wear two coats, a light one and a heavier one.

I wore sweat pants, plus pants, thick cotton wicking socks with leather hiking boots, a sweat shirt, two coats, and a pair of gloves. I felt like a stuffed duck, and walked about like one. My outer coat pockets wouldn’t hold my pistol. If I wore a belt holster access was delayed by two zipped coats, an ankle holster was out period, my carry isn’t a derringer (though I do have a little .38), and even if it had been, my boots would have prevented the carry.

Insulated coveralls would have kept me warm without all the layers, but I couldn’t conceal a weapon, nor could I carry a rifle around in public view without scaring people to death. My goal was to help stranded motorists, not frighten them. Besides, the zipper had broken on my coveralls. A thigh holster or possibly a shoulder holster would have worked but I have never bought one. This spawned an online investigation of holsters for a winter concealed carry, and a decision to update my winter closet to accommodate an icy Deep South.

Concealed Carry Items For Winter

1. Concealed Carry Coats-Offer pockets designed with concealed carry pistols in mind and provide easy access. Great solution!
2. Cargo Pants-These have pockets on the thighs, some of which are very large and deep. The ones my son wears would easily hold a full sized pistol. Most of them easily accommodate a concealed carry pistol. Personally, my arms are too short for fast access to cargo pockets.
3. Coats with Pocket Sleeves-I can see it being difficult to access but it would be better than no access at all.
4. Faux Pocket Coats- Coats with a false pocket that allows access to belt or shoulder weapons. Another great solution!
5. Fanny Packs-Any well-constructed fanny pack will work, but concealed carry fanny packs are made for a weapon and provide ambidextrous access unlike a typical fanny pack. Many that I saw provide storage for extra magazines.
6. Tactical Vests-Great as long as the coat is open. My Ranger vest would have been fine if it would have fit over my coats. I generally wear it in the woods, under an open coat in the winter. Winters are being redefined for the south this year however, and require some creativity.
7. Hunters’ Vests- These vests are a potential possibility with their pockets. Years ago I had a hunter’s orange quilted fur lined vest with removable sleeves. Warm with deep pockets and much longer than most. It was oversized enough to wear over a coat.

GrabAGun Helps You Conceal

In my region, snow and ice are rare. We don’t get enough snow plinking to count but we do get cold. Shooting with gloves is definitely an adjustment. If you aren’t used to shooting with gloves, try fingerless gloves to start with. Be cautious of gloves, some cause slippage when trying to handle a gun.

GrabAGun has a large selection of gun holsters, including a great selection of winter options including jackets, IWB holsters, OWB holsters, and much more for your concealed carry pistol needs. We offer one of the largest inventories of guns for sale online, optics, and much more. Give us a call, we will be happy to assist you.