In this Arrowhead Tactical Carrier Shorts Review, the crew from GunSpot takes a look at a line of athletic shorts that work well with a range of fitness activities.
According to my internet research, 34% of Americans feel unsafe while in the outdoors hiking, jogging, biking, etc. You don’t have to look too far to see stories about people being assaulted while out on a walking or running trail. Even in rural areas with low crime rates, this is a real concern.
What is the solution? Well, I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard the Robert A. Heinlein quote “an armed society is a polite society”, but I believe that holds some truth, especially in this scenario. When we go out for a run, we will lace up our running shoes and be donned in some comfortable, flexible athletic clothing.
As a result, this clothing doesn’t usually work well for concealed carry. Luckily though, we live in a modern age with modern solutions. So, there are some people out there making some good stuff to keep you strapped while you’re sweatin’ it.
Aiming for Success
Arrowhead Tactical has some fantastic athletic apparel specifically designed for concealed carry, whether you are wearing the clothing to get some exercise or just to stay comfortable.
On the Arrowhead Tactical website, there are numerous styles available, including athletic shorts and pants. How the clothing works is a combination of two things. First of all, they have above-average waistband designs. They are taller and more rigid than your average sportswear.
The second feature is that they have belt loops on the inside of the waistband to allow you to wear your concealed carry belt on the inside of your shorts. You can add a belt they offer to your order on their website, or you can simply put your own belt on the inside of the shorts as I did. I ended up putting my Next Belt into the loops, which worked well because of its micro-adjustable ratcheting system.
The Short Of It
Recently we got the chance to try out the Arrowhead Tactical Carrier 8” Shorts. The shorts we tested were 8” inseam black Carrier shorts. So, we decided to put these things through a series of tests to see if these shorts could carry the gun well during a few popular exercises.
The first exercises were upper body exercises, and the least challenging ones for the shorts. We started with push-ups and, as you’d expect, it was both comfortable and there was no issue with retaining the pistol. The next exercise was a dumbbell bench press, which takes a little more effort to do than a standard barbell bench press. I was really curious if while rolling back into position and hoisting the weight up I’d cause the gun to dislodge from the holster. But that was not the case.
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The next test incorporated lower body movement and hinging at the hips by performing a squat. The shorts performed really well on this test too and, surprisingly, the gun wasn’t uncomfortable either. I was able to do the exercise with ease and retain the pistol.
The last couple of exercises, that focus on cardio, really steps up the stress on the gear. I decided to run at the pace of a jog for about 100 meters. This again provided no issues, so I decided to step it up to a sprint. Again, the shorts held the pistol in place and, at the end of the sprint, I could still consistently draw the Hellcat Pro I was carrying.
The final exercise is one that admittedly I never do because it’s a ton of work. The Burpee. Burpees are a full-body movement taking your body all the way from flat against the ground to up off the ground. This was sure to be the hardest challenge for the shorts yet. But again, the gun was secured and held well in the shorts with no slippage, clinging around the waist just as you’d want. Now, I will say that the burpees did have quite a bit of discomfort for me, with my pistol jabbing me with every move. But if you are skinnier than me or have rock-solid abs, you’ll be fine.
Conclusion
In my experience, the shorts have been great and they do the job well. When trying out the shorts, I used my Nexbelt for the inside of the shorts. I simply threaded my EDC belt through the loops on the shorts.
If all the clothing from Arrowhead Tactical is like these shorts, I can tell you that they will more than do the job of supporting your everyday carry, no matter if you are just lounging around or out doing wind sprints. Personally, I am now interested in acquiring a pair of shorts and perhaps some sweatpants from them as well. With clothing like this, carrying has never been so comfortable.
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