Four tips for better summertime carry

Warmer temps are upon us. With that comes fewer layers of clothing and longer daylight hours for outdoor activities. Is your CCW routine ready? Here are a few tips that I, as an AIWB carrier, use to keep my gun ready yet discreet during the warmer months.

1. Crisp cotton or linen shirts are your friend.

The stiffer texture of “dress shirt” type material won’t cling to your torso in the same way a soft tee shirt or synthetic athletic fabrics do. Another upside of wearing a crisp, button-down cotton or linen shirt is the way it allows for air circulation and hides any sweat marks.

Just be sure to select shirts with a long-enough tail to fully hide the firearm during your normal activities. Accidental exposure of a concealed firearm is a CHL violation in some jurisdictions.

2. Patterns are your friend.

 Any pattern printed on or woven into your shirt delivers great benefits to carrying concealed, especially if your choice of gun is a larger one, like the Glock 19 shown in this article. The human eye has a tough time picking out shapes that are cloaked in patterned fabric. So-called Hawaiian shirts are great for both texture and prints that distract any viewers from that little lifesaving secret in your waistband!

Doing the “grey man” thing? Small-pattern plaids are fabulously forgettable. Stuck on tee shirts? Stick with darker colors and seek eye-catching decals on the chest or sleeves—or across the shoulder blades if you opt for carrying behind your midline, an unadvisable strategy for gun security but hey, to each their own.

3. Yep, it’s possible to do AIWB with some beltless shorts and tights.

Drawstrings are present in some cargo and athletic shorts and workout pants. When tied correctly, they’re a great substitute for a belt, allowing you to dress a little lighter if not looser around the waist. How? Perform the second move of tying a half-hitch, assuming move #1 is crossing the left/right sides of the drawstring, twice. This double hitch delivers the ability to tighten the entire waistband as you pull on the free ends. It’s quick, easy, and so effective, you can run, do yoga, or any number of other activities and the gun holster will stay put. The downside is, larger guns are significantly more difficult to manage when carried this way.

Speaking of athletic wear, lately I’ve seen other gun bloggers promoting women’s tights that have little to no retention to prevent the gun from falling out. Worse yet, the outside of the so-called holster pants is soft material that permits entrance of unwanted objects into the trigger guard. These products are a negligent discharge, injury, and death waiting to happen! Never compromise safety for comfort. The Bravo Concealment Torsion holster offers both retention and trigger guard protection in a trim, hot weather-friendly profile.

4. Protect your gun from your salty summer self.

Unless you live in a constantly air-conditioned environment, at some point during the summer you’re going to sweat. The salt that’s left behind as a by-product of your body’s evaporative cooling can rust any exposed parts of your gun within just a day or two if not removed. Choose a holster that separates your skin from the steel slide of your semi-auto, or any metal parts of a revolver. You’ll save a lot of hassle and devaluation later, and possibly save the very function of your gun if you really ignore accumulated rust. Again, the Torsion holster with it’s slide-backing profile offers good protection for your gun.

It should go without saying, but if your gun accompanies you to the beach this summer, salty sea breeze can have the same effect, even if your gun is completely protected from sweat. A good wipe-down with a solvent and light oil treatment at day’s end will keep your gun as refreshed as you are after a day at the beach.

What strategies do you use to facilitate hot-weather EDC? I’d love to read your suggestions too. 

Eve Flanigan is a defensive shooting and concealed carry instructor living in the American Southwest. Today she works full time as an instructor and writer in the gun industry. Flanigan loves helping new and old shooters alike to develop the skills needed to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.