Carrying a firearm every day is something everyone should do. My preferred method of carry and what I recommend to gun owners is to carry on their body if possible. This is the safest way to carry your gun and ensure it is easily accessible at all times.
Sometimes this just isn’t possible, especially for women, when our clothing and outfits can be a little more restrictive than those of our male counterparts. In these scenarios, it’s important to find an off-body carry method that works for you, is comfortable, and you are willing to train to use.
There are an overwhelming number of off-body carry bags, belly bands, and even bras on the market today. I can tell you from experience that not all are equal. Some setups are better than others, and some should be avoided or used as a last resort for safety reasons.
In this article, I’ll share how I carry off-body, either with a backup pistol or as my primary setup when carrying on my body isn’t possible.
Off-Body Carry Options
5.11 Tactical LVC6 Waist Pack
You really can’t go wrong with any bags made by 5.11 Tactical. The brand’s motto, after all, is Always Be Ready. With so many options, though, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. The LVC6 Waist Pack is a straightforward, simple fanny pack-style bag for concealed carry. You can wear this bag around your waist or configure it for cross-body carry, which I prefer for activities such as hiking, mowing the lawn, or working on outdoor projects. The main compartment features Tactec™ loop material, a special kind of hook-and-loop Velcro. There is a smaller external zippered pouch for small items and a rear mesh pocket that is perfect for storing a cell phone.
The bag is not the only item you will need to complete the off-body carry setup. I recommend the Modular Holster from Crossbreed Holsters along with the Modular Magazine Carrier. When worn as a waist pack, you should set the bag to rest on your dominant-hand side. The holster should be set up for a straight draw up and out of the bag. Whatever gun you are trying to conceal needs to fit within the bag’s dimensions when zipped shut. In this configuration, there is typically extra space to include a spare magazine next to the holstered pistol.
When set up as a sling pack, the holster and gun orientation will be slightly different. With a sling bag, you want to set the bag to rest on your non-dominant side, with the holster and gun set at a diagonal angle. You might need to adjust the angle a bit to position it so it feels most natural for you to draw the gun from the bag.
The feature that makes this 5.11 Tactical bag the most practical for off-body carry is its two zippers, which give access to the main compartment. Each zipper rests at the end of the bag when closed. Most zippers zip outward and join together, whereas this bag is only sealed when each zipper is resting at its outermost point. These zippers are intentionally designed to allow for both right-handed and left-handed shooters to unzip the bag with their weak hand while drawing the gun simultaneously with their strong hand. The weak hand should reach up, unzip the main compartment, and hold the zipper to keep the bag in place as the gun is drawn from the holster. I always recommend people dry-fire with any new setup before carrying a live firearm, and live-fire as well if your range allows for it.
Gun Tote’n Mamas Crossbody Mail Pouch Concealed Carry Bag
I am not a big purse girl, and no matter what bag I use, it has to allow me to be hands-free or arms-free. The Gun Tote’n Mamas Crossbody Mail Pouch is the closest thing to a purse you’ll ever see me use. This bag genuinely surprised me as it is what I use every single day now. Even when I carry a pistol on my body, I have this bag on me as well, which allows me to have a secondary pistol at all times. I also use it as a regular purse without the gun when I’m flying or in a building where guns aren’t legal to have.
The Crossbody Mail Pouch is made of full-grain buffalo leather, with a rich, distressed patina. The main compartment features an RFID pocket for storing credit cards. Two smaller open pockets are great for keeping chapstick, dental floss, and other small items. The outside front storage slip pocket is where I’ll slide my phone into if I don’t have pockets. The concealed-carry zippered compartment has a Velcro-compatible patch and fits many firearms for top, left, right, or angled draw. With two zippers, it is compatible for both right-handed and left-handed users.
Notice the position of the crossbody bag and the two zippers on the firearm compartment. I am right-handed, so any bag I use must always rest on my non-dominant side. This allows me to draw my primary firearm from my waistline without interference and my secondary firearm from the Gun Tote’n Mamas concealed carry bag. Because my non-dominant hand will be unzipping the compartment, I always place the two zippers on the left side, slightly below the compartment’s corner. There is no need to put the zippers all the way to the bottom, as I just need enough clearance to draw the pistol. Just like the 5.11 bag, your non-dominant hand unzips the compartment and holds onto the zipper while your dominant hand draws the gun up and out of the bag. Once the firearm is clear from the purse, you can grip your firearm as usual.
Phoenix Ukoala Bag
I have had the Phoenix Ukoala Bag since January 2023, and it has been one of the best bags I’ve ever owned. I have worn this to every SHOT Show and NRA Annual Meetup, other tradeshows and events where I’m networking and shaking a lot of hands, and when my clothing just doesn’t make it easy to conceal a firearm on my body. For me, this bag is more comfortable than a waist bag and less intrusive than wearing a sling bag. The Phoenix bag offers different sizes, but there is a limit on what size gun will fit in the magnetic pocket. I carry a Glock 43 in this bag, which has a low round capacity but is still better than carrying nothing.
The fireram compartment differs from all the bags mentioned so far, as it features a magnetic closure rather than a zip. The magnetic pocket sits closest to your thigh and features sewn-in Velcro for compatible holsters. This bag should be positioned over your dominant hand’s thigh with the leg strap clipped into place. The purpose of the leg strap is to act as retention, so your support hand can focus on getting a grip on the gun as soon as you draw it out using your dominant hand. Of all the bags I have used, the Ukoala Bag has the strongest Velcro. One pro tip I have for you is: when you go to place your holster in the pocket, use a pancake-style spatula to keep it from adhering to the Velcro until it’s as far down as you want it to go.
What I love about this bag is how many more compartments and zippered pouches there are for carrying as much stuff as I can fit in the Gun Tote’n Mamas Crossbody Mail Pouch. The main pocket, which is zippered and covered by the outside flap, also has sewn-in Velcro, so while it’s not easily accessible, it is a great place to store several spare magazines.
Zendira The Friday Concealed Carry Crossbody
I would classify Zendira’s The Friday bag as a more dressy concealed-carry bag. This is an excellent option when you want to carry a gun but might be wearing a dress or skirt where a waist, sling, or thigh bag won’t work at all. This bag is similar to the Ukoala in that it has a magnetic enclosure and a Modular holster will work with it, but it is unique in that you can use a trigger guard in place of a holster. A trigger guard covers the entire trigger of the firearm with strong retention so it does not fall off the gun. When you purchase The Friday bag, you will be given the option to add a Kydex trigger guard specific to your make and model firearm. Never purchase a trigger guard that is “one-size-fits-all,” as this is what makes a firearm dangerous because these are rarely made with proper retention and can leave you with a loose, loaded firearm.
This bag is available with a right-hand or left-hand draw, a selection you make when ordering. There are two different strap lengths to fit different body sizes as well. The magnetic closure rests against your chest, on your non-dominant side. If you choose to use a trigger guard, it is attached to the inside corner of the magnetic closure via a string. When you want to draw your firearm, your non-dominant hand grabs onto the outside flap of the closure while your dominant hand dives in and gets a grip on your firearm. The gun will come free of the trigger guard with a strong pull from your dominant hand and proper retention of the bag by your non-dominant hand. Please practice the draw with an unloaded firearm until you understand the amount of force needed to pull the gun free of the trigger guard.
The Friday bag features two zippered compartments with ample storage for your phone, wallet, keys, and more. The strap features a polished gold buckle that can be adjusted to set the bag at a proper height for a perfect draw.
Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack 2.0
The Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack is the smallest, lightest off-body carry bag I own. I have an older version of this bag, but the new version has better water-resistant fabric and a Rapid Access Tab. This bag is designed for the most minimalist use, whether you’re going for a quick run or to the grocery store and back. There is a zippered front pouch for most essentials and a discreet back pocket for most smartphones. The main compartment is loop-lined, and once again, I like to use the Crossbreed Holsters Modular Holster with this bag.
I set my holster and pistol up the same way I would in the 5.11 Tactical sling bag. The bag rests on my non-dominant side, with the gun slightly canted inside. The zippers differ from the 5.11 bag because they zip outward, so I like to set them up together on top, where I can see them. To draw the gun, I use my non-dominant hand to unzip the bag and maintain a hold on the zipper until my dominant hand can draw the pistol from my holster. Once the gun clears the bag, I will grip it as usual.
Final Thoughts on Off-Body Carry Methods
As I mentioned from the start, the best way to carry is on your body, but if you have to off-body carry, ensure you do so safely.
While I’m a professional competitive shooter, I have to remind myself to dry fire and live fire practice as often as possible with my carry guns and setups. There are no shooting sports where I can draw from off-body, so I intentionally make time for this at home and on the range.
It takes a lot of reps for me to get comfortable with a new off-body carry setup, so don’t get discouraged by how long it might take you to get used to it. Practice often and stay safe.
