Ultimate Guide to Concealed Carry With a Fanny Pack [2026]

There was a time when the two big tells for concealed carriers were photographer's vests and fanny packs.

In the age before we had a massive amount of holster options, it was tough to conceal firearms comfortably. So, fanny packs became a common sign that someone was carrying.

As time passed, we got better and better holster options, and fanny packs became a big, stylish no-no. Concealed carriers who put concealment first rejected them. They were doomed to the dustbin of carry history.

Until recently. Something clicked, and fanny packs made a comeback. First, it was more or less an ironic fashion choice. Then, athleisure became a dominant style, which was a style that often lacked adequate pockets.

Which all leads me to say, fanny packs are so back. So are concealed carry fanny packs. They've made a comeback, and if you're considering packing in your fanny... wait, that doesn't sound right.

If you're planning to pack a piece in your fanny pack, you've come to the right place.

Why the Fanny Pack?

The fanny pack can be an effective deep concealment option for a variety of reasons. I can tell you when and why I use mine.

I employ the fanny pack when your typical AIWB rig just isn't an option.

When I'm mowing my 15 acres, I don't want an AIWB rig poking and prodding me. Plus, by the end, I'm covered in filth and dirt, which isn't great for guns. I drape a fanny pack on that carries my phone, gun, and wallet in a comfy and safe position.

If I'm hitting the beach or a water park, I'm on dad duty, so I'm not swimming or hitting the slides, but AIWB doesn't work with swim shorts. I can strap my gun, keys, wallet, and phone all in a fanny pack. The fanny pack protects my gun and gear from splashes and a bit of water, as well as sunscreen, sweat, and wet kids.

The fanny pack is great if I'm doing anything in clothes that aren't great for concealment, or situations that aren't well-suited for concealed carry. As a tall guy, anytime I weightlift, my shirt rides up, and anything on my waist would be easily exposed. A fanny pack allows for concealment regardless of what I'm doing.

Beyond enhanced concealment and comfort, a fanny pack also provides retention. The zippered design means your gun stays put in the most strenuous of activities.

Beyond enhanced concealment, and comfort, a fanny pack also provides retention so good you’d think Safariland made it. The zippered design means your gun stays put in the most strenuous of activities.

It’s not my main holster, but an option I turn to in specific situations.

Pros & Cons of Fanny Pack Carry

A fanny pack offers total concealment in situations where concealment is a challenge. It allows you to safely carry a firearm in situations where traditional carry would be difficult due to attire or situation.

A fanny pack allows for outstanding retention. The internal design means there is a zippered compartment that locks the gun in place. This doubles to protect the gun and keep the elements out of your action.

Additionally, if you need to pass off your gun, you can do so easily without revealing the gun. I can remove my fanny pack, pass it to my wife, and with a quick adjustment she can toss it on her waist or across her body.

It's also a super comfy, complaint-free way to carry. It allows me to carry my gun and all my other daily goods with ease, albeit the gun stays in its own dedicated compartment.

Those are all the upsides, but what about the downsides?

First, the draw is going to be slower. Defeating the zipper is going to take more time than drawing from a traditional position.

Drawing is also going to require both hands to be anywhere near fast.

Can you make it work with one hand? Yes, but it will be even slower. Additionally, in a clinch accessing your firearm will be even more difficult, if not impossible.

Beyond the slow draw, the fanny pack is like any other off-body carry option. If the gun is in the pack, then it stays on your body. You don't remove it to leave in the car or drop it in the shopping cart. It stays in your control, or in the control of a trusted and qualified individual.

You also can't use any old fanny pack. You want a pack with a dedicated CCW pouch. Luckily, there’s an abundance of those these days.

But how do you go about finding one that caters to your needs without screaming, “I have a gun?”

Keep reading...

Selecting The Right Fanny Pack

There are three big requirements I have for choosing the right fanny pack for concealed carry.

• Dedicated Concealed Carry Pouch
• Easy To Open
• Non-Tactical Exterior

A dedicated CCW pouch with a means to secure the firearm safely is a must-have.

This can be a hook-and-loop holster, or an adapter to use an IWB rig. Main thing is I want the trigger completely covered, and I don't want anything else besides the gun and holster in the pouch.

When shopping for a concealed carry fanny pack, you need to consider the size of the dedicated CCW pouch.

Most will be able to work with a Glock 19-sized firearm, but if you’re a 1911 guy or a Glock 34 type, you’ll need to make sure the fanny pack will conceal your chosen firearm. (If you're in the market for a CCW gun, check out our faves in the Best Concealed Carry Guns!)

Glock 19 Gen 6

$620at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$620at Palmetto State Armory

MidwayUSA (See Price)

GrabAGun (See Price)

Guns.com (See Price)

I have some big fanny packs, but as a person of calorie, it doesn’t look so large on me. For other folks it might just be a bit much.

Second, I want a large pull tab or hot pulls.

A hot pull is typically a tab that sits inside the CCW pouch, in the right or left corner to coordinate with hand dominance.

The dual zippers are pressed against the hot-pull tab, and when pulled down and away from the body, it opens the pouch for quick access.

Either option allows for fast and rapid access to the CCW pouch. This makes it easy to draw and ensures my firearm is ready when I need it.

Third, I want to forego big bold logos, MOLLE, or anything that might make the fanny pack stand out. Plain, subdued colors are a good go-to, as are loud colors. No one looks too hard at a bright blue or Hawaiian print fanny pack.

Beyond that, I appreciate a wide belt since it offers more support to the gun (remember, guns are fairly heavy) and is more comfortable over longer periods of wear.

I also like additional pockets I can use to carry my phone, my keys, wallet, etc. If those extra pouches have internal pockets for organization even better.

If you want an "easy button," my two favorites are the Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack 2.0/2.1 and the Vertx SOCP.

Vertx Fanny Packs

$57at Vertx

Prices accurate at time of writing

$57at Vertx

Both are well-made, easy to use, with dedicated CCW pouches, and easy ways to access your firearm. Plus, they allow you to store all of your other EDC essentials.

I'm also a big fan of the Vertx HolsterLock system. This uses a hook-and-loop secured band that you slide your holster into.

Holsters

Fanny packs aren’t holsters, and it’s not safe to just drop a gun into the fanny pack pouch and go about your day. A holster inside a fanny pack is an easy way to better secure your gun.  

First, it keeps the trigger covered to ensure nothing interacts with the trigger.

Second, the holster ensures the gun remains in one position to make the draw easier and faster, something crucial for a fanny pack.

Holster selection for a fanny pack is a little different. We’ll likely be using hook and loop.

I mentioned the Vertx HolsterLock system, and that's my preference. I tuck my holster into the loop, which secures to the pack, and that's it. This means I'm already using the holster I have, and can even remove it from the pack and carry without it.

Crossbreed makes molded polymer holsters with a hook-and-loop background that works well for fanny pack carry.

Crossbreed Modular Holster

$46at Crossbreed Holsters

Prices accurate at time of writing

$46at Crossbreed Holsters

There are a ton of options, but like any holster, make sure it safely fits your gun, covers the trigger, and keeps it positioned in your concealed carry bag.

Best Way to Carry a Concealed Carry Fanny Pack

There are two main ways to wear a fanny pack that allows you to draw: traditional across the waist and then across the body.

I prefer the traditional method because it positions the gun on my waist, stays locked in place, and is typically easier to draw from.

Cross-body seems to be the more stylish method these days, but it can be a little tricky. It needs to be tight and kept near the chest for a draw. I often find cross-body to be comfy, but the bag moves more and locking it down tight is less comfortable.

Setting Up a  Fanny Pack for CCW

I was lucky enough to attend a short class from Lena Miculek on how to use a fanny pack for concealed carry.

The first portion of the class was dedicated to how to set up the fanny pack for success. It covered a few things I had never thought of.

First, to ensure the pack opens naturally, it's good to put your heavy items up front. This gives a bit of gravity-fueled help when drawing.

Second, when it comes to the concealed carry pouch, pick one method to open it — only one.

If you use hot pulls, then place the tab on the hot pulls and remove the zipper tabs. If you're using a zipper design, remove the tabs of all the zippers but the one you plan to use.

The idea is to prevent you from grabbing the wrong tab to pull under stress. It also prevents your hands from getting tangled up in uselessness.

If using the hot pulls, you want the zippers pressed against both sides of the hot pull so that when it's pulled, the pouch opens. If you are rocking dual zippers on your CCW pouch, you need to orient them to your dominant side, and then pick the top zipper. Attach your pull tab to that zipper and the second zipper will sit in the corner, being lonely.

Once the pack is set up, it’s time to position the firearm.

The gun needs to be set up so the grip of the handgun is on the dominant hand side. The grip will face upward with the muzzle facing downward.

Place it as high as possible and as close to the edge of the CCW compartment as possible. To achieve this, take your unloaded firearm and lock it into your holster or holster adapter of choice.

Position it with the red dot or irons at the top corner, then roll it downward, attaching the holster inside of the pouch.

This position ensures you don't have to reach deep into the fanny pack to free the gun, and it's at a natural and easy-to-draw angle.

How To Draw From a Fanny Pack

Zipper Draw

If you’re using zippers instead of hot pulls, use this method.

With the fanny pack in place, start with the support hand reaching to the bottom of the support-side corner of the pack.

The dominant hand should be moving at the same time to the dominant-hand side of the pack with the hand open, ready to draw.

From there, the support hand traces itself along the bottom of the pack until it reaches the dominant-hand side. Here is where it finds the zipper and pull tab. The support hand grips the tab and rips it over to the support-hand side.

The support hand will hold that pull tab taut, which helps keep the pack open and secure it for the draw. If held loosely, the draw could tug at the pack, causing it to move instead of freeing your gun.

The dominant hand frees the gun, and draws upward and rearward with the shoulder, ensuring you are not flagging yourself. At this point, the gun is driven forward, met by the support hand, and then fully presented.

Hot Pull Draw

The Hot Pull Draw is similar.

The support hand will land at the top corner of the support-hand side and trace the fanny pack along the top until you reach the hot pull.

Pull the hot pull down forward to defeat the zippers. Retain the same tension as the dominant hand reaches into the pack and grips the handgun.

From here, follow the same steps as above.

Draw at an upward, rearward angle, ensuring you don't flag yourself as you draw. Present the gun and engage as necessary.

Final Thoughts

Fanny pack carry isn't optimum, but it's a real option with real applications.

I use it for niche situations, but you might decide to use it every day. Regardless, approaching the subject with a little knowledge beforehand will give you much better results.

Is fanny pack carry for you? Let me know below! For more off-body carry options, check out our article on Off Body Carry.