The 3 Best Fanny Pack Holsters for Concealed Carry [REVIEWS]
There are many people who just won't wear fanny packs or fanny pack holsters. Some think they look corny, some may think it looks unmasculine, but most of these people think that it just screams "GUN". We disagree. Well, at least with it being obvious when we're talking about the general population. Yes, fellow gun owners may recognize a fanny pack holster by the brand, but otherwise they are totally discreet.
Fanny pack holsters these days look just like the average fanny pack and do are a great option for concealed carry especially for runners, joggers, hikers, and anyone requiring comfort that may find the average IWB uncomfortable in certain situations. It's important to equip yourself with the best fanny pack holster for you, so let's go through our favorite 3 the current market has to offer.
5.11 Select Carry Pistol Pouch
The 5.11 Fanny Pack was made specifically for concealed carry of standard sized pistols. Guns like the Springfield XDS .45 will fit nice and snug but anything bigger then the Glock 19 and you may have trouble squeezing it in this pack.
It comes with 2 little side pockets which are good for small things like a folding pocket knife, a tiny flashlight, keys, etc. The downside is they're not big enough to be able to fit in most wallets or a smartphone.
The front pocket in the middle is where the pistol goes. What's great about this front pocket is that it not only has zippers but also a trademarked hot pull tab that hangs out (options for both right and left hand) which is pulled down to rapidly unzip the pouch and draw the gun. There are also compartments for magazines and an elastic go keep the firearm in place which comes in handy especially for revolvers.
The 5.11 Select Carry is extremely comfortable. It stays flat and nice and tight on the body. There's also padding at the back for extra comfort on the waistline. The padding also acts as loops for those wanting to attach it to their belt for extra security. The fact that it has minimal flop or bounce around makes it a perfect concealed carry fanny pack for runners.
Voodoo Tactical Hide A Weapon
The Hide A Weapon from Voodoo Tactical is a great fanny pack holster for anyone who enjoys an active lifestyle. It can be used comfortably when running, walking, hiking, working out and just about any activity you are doing. It's a universal holster system perfect for medium to large size guns such as the Glock 19. The color options are great too, with the choice of black, coyote, olive drab, and our favorite the multi camo.
The material is extremely durable and the stitching is of really high quality in all the right places. We also love the YKK zippers. At the front of the pocket you'll see some MOLLE webbing which is great. This can be used to attach things like a multi-tool or a flashlight and makes them easily accessible.
As far as the extra storage compartments go there are 2 pockets with zippers on either side of the front pouch which are very small. These pockets are nice to have for your small EDC items like a pocket knife, etc. Then the zipper pocket at the front of the front pouch has a little more room to fit things like a marker or a bigger folding knife. Lastly, theres a velcro sealed pouch at the back which is great for flat things like cards, papers and things of those nature.
The main compartment is really awesome. It has dual zippers which zip almost all the way down to the bottom making the pouch easy to drop open. There is a shell that handgun sits in to keep it in place and the cool thing about it is that the cant can be adjusted. Drawing and re-holstering is quite smooth and it really does a great job of keeping the gun secured. Behind where the firearm sits is another compartment which is secured by velcro. On the reverse side (the part that opens up) there are options to keep extra magazines in elastic straps which are tight and hold them nice and snug.
Just like the 5.11 Select Carry Pistol Pouch this fanny pack also uses tabs to allow for quick draw of the pistol. It works in the same way, just leave the tabs hanging out through the either corner of the zippers (side depending on left or right handed) and yank the tab down. This is a really great feature to have on both of these fanny packs and both work like a charm.
ComfortTac Ultimate Fanny Pack Holster
ComfortTac took a completely different approach to all other fanny pack holsters on the market with their Ultimate Fanny Pack holster. They noticed there was a gap in the market of fanny pack holsters with all of them having the gun in a horizontal position. This may be your thing, and if it is the 2 holsters mentioned above are great options. But many people don't want their guns pointed at the people walking next to them. In fact with a horizontal design drawing and reholstering your pistol doesn't make much sense either.
The Ultimate Fanny Pack Holster has the best and safest feature of all fanny pack holsters in that when your gun sits in the holster it is in a vertical position pointed downwards. By leaving the pack unzipped at the top it gives easy access to the draw the pistol while still keeping it completely concealed. There is also padding to protect the gun while it is holstered and for comfort to the body.
The actual holster sits in surgical grade elastics, same as the holstered magazines. Your gun will stay in there nice and snug and it's secure. The size of the overall fanny pack stays the same, but you have 2 choices for the holster size. It comes in compact and sub-compact and fit almost every gun under these classifications.
On either side of where the gun will sit are 2 extra magazine pouches for those wanting to carry extra ammo. There is a front pocket with 2 seperate zipped compartments which is good for fitting items such as a smart phone, cards, papers, etc. Behind the front pocket is the back pocket which is large and fit a number of things, good for keys, knifes, tools and more.
The ComfortTac is made out of 600D nylon which makes it really light weight but still keeps it tough and durable. Just like the Voodoo Tactical Hide A Weapon, they have used strong YKK zippers all round.
Closing Thoughts
Fanny pack holsters can be a great way to conceal your weapons especially for active people like joggers. As you can see there are some fantastic choices out there and these days fanny pack holsters have come a long way, with features such as quick pull tabs making them easier to draw.
We're not big fans of leather holsters in general, hence why none of them made this list. However if you are inclined to go the leather route we'd suggest the DTOM (Don't Tread On Me) Concealed Carry Fanny Pack which is made of suede leather.
If we had to pick an overall best fanny pack holster it would have to be the ComfortTac Ultimate Fanny Pack Holster. ComfortTac clearly put a lot of research and thought into their holster and went a different direction with their design. In our opinion this is the most comfortable, safest, and well thought fanny pack holster on the market.