Carrying Concealed: Are Old Fanny Packs The New Trend?

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I’m old enough to remember when fanny packs specifically designed for the concealed carry of firearms were introduced. The first one I remember is the DeSantis Gunny Sack (maybe because it has a clever name?). A number of holster makers put out various models of fanny packs for carry. They were well made, usually of heavy-duty Cordura, and likely had some sort of easy access pouch (Velcro, oversize zipper pull tab, etc.) for you to get to your gun. I owned a Gunny Sack and used it, because it worked.

However, as a general rule, Americans don’t believe in the concept of “too much of a good thing.” Those first-generation fanny packs designed for guns grew, and got big enough to hide an entire rotisserie chicken from Costco. I specifically remember the U.S. Customs agent with whom I shot on a weekly bowling pin league. Off-duty, he carried his duty weapon in a DeSantis Gunny Sack with, I think, a spare magazine and maybe cuffs. His duty weapon was a Beretta 96, which means that fanny pack was the size and weight of an airline carry-on.

Right about the time the gun-centric fanny packs started getting comically huge (and coincidentally not “discreet” at all), fanny packs themselves started to fall out of fashion, and for a few decades you didn’t really see any out in the world, but now, apparently, they’re back in fashion.

My son just came home from the Army and what do I see him carrying? A cheap/fancy leather fanny pack, into which his Glock 19 just barely fits. And he’s not the first young(er) person I’ve seen with a fanny pack lately, they seem to be the new fashion accessory for both men and women. So, here is the final installment of the series I didn’t plan to write on various types of “bag carry.”

In the modern era, when everyone has a big smart phone and wallet and keys and assorted other stuff, and half of everyone is wearing tights or pajama pants in public (dear God don’t get me started on that) which don’t have pockets and/or a belt, a small strap-bag truly comes in handy. It is far more convenient and practical than lugging around a backpack.

Most of the people I’m seeing with fanny packs/belly bags aren’t actually wearing them around their waists, they’re either carrying them or they have them slung crossbody over their shoulder like miniature sling packs, the bag over their chest. That’s how my son was carrying his. Back in the day, nobody was doing that, fanny packs all stayed on the waistline, and you would have drawn attention to yourself if you put it over your shoulder. If you look at the websites of most holster manufacturers, fanny packs are back on the menu. However, today’s packs, for the most part, are better constructed, and either have more features or the same or better features while being smaller.

If you’re the kind of person who hates wearing any gun larger than what would fit in a pocket, a fanny pack might be right for you. As a rule, any gun is better than no gun, and a fanny pack is going to allow you to carry something larger and more powerful than a simple pocket gun. At a minimum, they are all spacious enough to accommodate something the size of a Glock 19 and maybe a spare magazine, although I will tell you, from personal experience, that once you start adding to your loadout (spare magazine, knife, whatever) it’s the weight that will bother you, not the bulk.

DeSantis is still making the Gunny Sack, as well as a number of variations. Falco Holsters sells both fanny packs and small crossbody bags specifically meant for the concealed carry of handguns. Galco Holsters sells many variations of their FasTrax PAC Waistpack. Interestingly, I see they only make them for compact and subcompact pistols, which means the packs stay small and unobtrusive and don’t scream “GUN!”. Viktos is a newer tactical clothing company launched in 2017 that’s been steadily gaining market share with quality products, and they offer their Upscale Hip Pack, which is about the size of the big old-school fanny packs without the same tactical footprint, which is exactly what you want if you’re trying to go “gray man.” They specifically state it’s also built for slinging across your shoulder.

Compared to thirty years ago, the materials and construction in these modern packs is far superior, but they also offer better features. Some of them have built-in holsters, and some have Velcro panels onto which you can slap an appropriate Velcro-backed holster at whatever position/angle you want.

Vertx has a huge presence in the tactical bag market, and their fanny pack/mini sling pack offerings are a perfect example how modern products have been improved. Their products are purpose-built for tactical use while looking like unremarkable commercial units, and offer specific upgrades—pockets for comms, or for discreet carry of phones that you’re using to do video surveillance, Velcro-covered internal panels for mounting holsters or mag pouches, etc.

Just as interesting is the long-standing partnership Premier Body Armor has had with several of the above companies, including Viktos and Vertx. I’ve written up Premier Body Armor products before in these pages. They’re best known for their soft body armor panel inserts meant for backpacks, but they also make them for smaller bags/sling packs, and they offer packages.

From Premier Body Armor, I secured a Vertx SOCP Tactical Fanny Pack Bundle which includes the Vertx SOCP Tactical Fanny Pack (in “Rudder Green”) and a Level IIIA soft body armor insert—and let me say, THIS is exactly what I’m talking about when I say that modern products have features that simply weren’t available back in the day. A precision cut-to-fit body armor panel? Whether you’re wearing the SOCP around your waist or slung over your chest, where that 8.5" x 5.5" armor panel is right over your heart, it gives you protection even if there’s no gun inside the pack. The panel slides into a hidden pocket between the built-in holster and the back of the pack, right against your body. The SOCP itself, with all the straps and internal pockets (some of which are removable) weighs a pound, and the armor panel weighs half a pound. The SOCP Tactical Fanny Pack has an MSRP of $99.99. If you buy the bundle from Premier Body Armor, the pack plus the IIIA armor insert is $145.00, which I think is a great deal.

Having a pistol with you is good, and bag carry allows you to equip yourself with something a little more capable than what would fit in a pocket. Having that pistol, plus an armor panel? Better. 

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