FAST Gear

The Holster and Magazine Section of the Gear Chest

I had my carry permit for less than five months the first time I had a BAD carry day. I was working in an office and was running late for work. I grabbed a flimsy skirt off my bedroom floor, a fresh shirt out of the closet, grabbed a cheap nylon one-size-fits-most clip holster and shoved my Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry inside my waistband clipped to nothing but the side of my skirt. I wasn't even to my car before I wanted to ditch the whole setup. My skirt was digging into my side. The gun was flopping all over the place and on the verge of falling out all day. I was being poked with the muzzle and fighting concealment. If it weren't for my commitment to carry I probably would have given up concealed carry on that day. By the time I got home from work eight hours later I couldn't wait to take my gun off and don't even want to describe the raw meat my waist had been turned into.

I learned how important good gear could be to the carry experience and how bad gear can ruin everything or at least make you want to leave your gun at home or seriously compromise the security of your concealment and carry. So much has changed since that day and now I'm happy to say it's been a LONG time since I've experienced a bad carry day. I have a very good working system for myself that I can count on in a pinch and that is important to everyone who decides to carry a gun.

We all have those moments when we need to get out the door post hast. We're running late, we got a last minute appointment, there's an emergency and we need to gear up.

Finding good gear is a process that often varies by individual, gun, body type, etc, and may take some time to get perfect but eventually we should all get to a point where we have FAST gear that we can count on in a rush.

• Fit:

The gear should fit well with a wide variety of applications, clothing styles and your general lifestyle. Sure, there are always those days and moments where things get mixed up a bit but everyone should have a setup that, for the most part, would work on any given day. For some that could be smart carry and an XD or a shoulder holster with a j-frame. For others it might be an IWB holster and a 1911.

The holster should fit the gun. Spare magazine pouches should fit the spare magazine. I know I'm preaching to the choir here but I've seen (and sold) many holster that "could" fit the gun if these few stitches were let out or if you cut this strap or cut a hole in the bottom for the sight. Ill-fit holsters will cause you nothing but trouble in the long run. Spend the extra money, get yourself a quality, well-fitting holster and spare magazine pouch.

Your belt should be fit to your body and your gear (if applicable). If you commonly wear IWB holsters with your gun you might have to have a belt with a wider range of adjustability. If OWB is your primary carry method you may need a tighter fitting belt. If you carry a heavier gun, knife and spare magazine you may need a more robust belt to support the weight of your equipment. Choose your belt carefully to support you and your needs.

Pocket knives should fit in your pockets or on body in such a way that they are comfortable and you won't be tempted to take them off. The same could also be said of flashlights and other pocket tools. If these things do not fit well into pockets or your clothing doesn't have good pockets (like a lot of female clothing) consider purchasing only those tools with clips that can attack to waistbands or belts. Most flashlights and pocket knives and even many fixed-blade knives have belt or clip attachments available.

• Accessible

What's the point of having stuff you can't find? If you are in a hurry and can't locate a specific item you are most likely going to leave without it. We have a gear chest that sits close to the door. Everything but guns goes in that chest and I know exactly where I can find the things I need from holsters to spare magazines and pouches to knives, flashlights, ammo and even shooting glasses. Don't risk leaving something important behind by not having it accessible.

It should also be accessible on body. Your tools are only as good as their accessibility in a fight and if you have to get through several layers or into bags, etc, you might be forfeiting your use of that tool in the fight. Yes, some of us have to have deeper concealment than others but make it as accessible as possible.

• Secure

The security of your defensive tools should be paramount. I attended a FOF class where the airsoft gun I was using did not fit my regular carry holster and I had to borrow someone else's one-size-fits-most for the first half of the first day. My airsoft gun fell out of the holster once, ejected my magazine on me once, and often moved around on my waist while I was running or fighting. These things should never happen. PERIOD! Your gear should be secure on your body so that you can run, fight, or even work and play without worrying about it.

Belt loops should be strong. Belts should be sturdy. Holsters should be in good repair. Snaps should be solid. Clips should be well-formed. Locking mechanisms should be fastened. Your gear should be secure on your body.

• Tested

There is a time for testing your gear and as someone who reviews holsters for various individuals I sometimes take the risk of carrying in "untested" gear as a means to test it. Though I usually have a back up near by. But when it comes down to a moment that I am running out the door not willing to take on the role of reviewer or tester or don't want to make sure I have a reliable backup I will always revert to tried and true and well-tested equipment. I choose guns that have gone through hundreds (if not thousands) of rounds of accuracy and reliability. I choose holsters, belts, flashlights, knives, sheaths, pepper sprays and other tools that I have carried many times before and have proven themselves to work through trainings and experience. There is no (and should be no) doubt that, if needed, my equipment will work.

And it's always a good idea to do a quick test while gearing up. Test that flashlight and make sure it still works. Drop that magazine and make sure it's fully loaded. Check the chamber and make sure it's loaded. Pull on your holster and make sure nothing has broken or ripped. Deploy your knife to make sure the blade comes out smoothly and nothing has broken. Make sure you have disabled any major locking devises like the key-lock on your S&W revolvers or Taurus 1911s.

Having a system of FAST gear will insure you are equipped in those moments of hast.

Week 7: Carrying to Doctor's Appointments

If you haven't already been to your Ob/Gyn for your first prenatal appointment it is probably coming up shortly. These days doctors encourage the start of prenatal care as early as possible even as early as five or six weeks. Often, to get an accurate gestational time line you may even get an ultrasound in those early weeks to confirm that everything is where it is supposed to be (most importantly, baby).

If you have already had a child you can start nodding in agreement, but if this is your first child you will find that you don't get to keep your clothes on very much when it comes to doctor's offices and pregnancy. Let's face it, everything of importance to your pregnancy is located between your rib cage and your knees which means doctors are going to need access to it. "Lay back, put your feet in the stirrups  and spread your knees," will be the most commonly heard phrase at your doctors office of the next nine months. It's just a fact of pregnancy life.

So if you carry on body (as you should) and it's legally permissible for you to carry into your doctor's office in your state you can find yourself standing in an exam room with a gun and holster in your hand thinking, "Dear God, what do I do with this thing?"

Fear not. I've gone before you and come up with a few solutions to help with this problem.

Again, if this is your first pregnancy you might not be aware of the processes involved in prenatal care. One such process is that of getting your blood pressure, a urine sample and weight at the very beginning of your visit. If you are carrying a gun, of course your weight may be a little on the heavy side if you have not already removed your firearm. Throughout my first pregnancy I would remove my firearm in the restroom while providing the urine sample and store it in a variety of ways (which I will go into shortly) throughout the remainder of my visit.

As a precautionary warning I will say that the less you handle your gun the less likely you are of having a negligent discharge. Safety should be your top priority and the safest method of handling your firearm is while it is in a holster. Your holster really is your best friend when it comes to carry. Your holster protects your gun from you and you from your gun. A quality holster (which is the only type you should be using) will form to your gun and will completely protect the trigger guard area from accidental tampering from anything, whether it be a finger, a pen, a tube of lip gloss or a set of keys. Unless absolutely necessary and/or you intend to shoot it DO NOT take your firearm out of its holster. Keep your gun in your holster and remove the entire rig from your body to store it.

Also, remember your four rules of gun safety and make them your practice while handling any firearm:

• All guns are loaded all the time--treat them that way.
  
• Point the firearm in a safe direction.
• Keep your finger off the trigger.
• Be aware of your target and what is beyond.

Considering what you might have to go through once you get into the office you may want to consider leaving your firearm in your car or at home for your appointments. If may decide you would feel much more at ease if you didn't have to worry about what you are going to do with your gun.

BEST
One of the best ways of securing your firearm in your vehicle is with a car safe such as a Center of Mass Car Safe. They are very cheap, can be secured to the car and can hold quite a bit of stuff depending on the model of safe you buy. Depending on your holster you may also be able to store the entire rig in the safe and not have to remove the firearm from it's holster. This requires no or minimal handling of the firearm which is ideal.

BETTER-Than-Good
If you choose to leave your firearm in your car and do not have a car safe I prefer to disable it in some way so that if my car is stolen it can not be immediately used by the criminal who may find it. If this disabling can be done without removing the gun from the holster it's even better. On some firearms there are key locks such as some Taurus firearms and S&W revolvers (as an example). If your firearm does have a key lock read the owner's manual carefully to make sure you are locking your gun appropriately. Put the key on your key ring or in your purse or wallet and make a habit of locking the firearm before you store it in your vehicle OUT OF SIGHT (I know that should seem very obvious but I one processes talked to a woman who left her firearm on the passenger seat of her car and was shocked when she returned to find her car broken into and her firearm gone.. be smart). This method usually requires minimal handling of the firearm (depending on the locking mechanism) which is next to ideal.

GOOD
If you do not have a car safe or a lock on your pistol you can simply unload it by removing the cartridges from the cylinder of a revolver or removing the magazine and round from the chamber of a semi-auto. Obviously this involves a little more handling of the firearm and should be done with utmost care. If the first two options are not available to me I will go to this option and take the ammunition with me while I leave the gun in the car... Out of sight.

NOT-SO-GOOD
The last means of disabling your gun is to disassemble it. If I'm carrying a 1911-style pistol without a firing pin safety I will slip off the back stop, remove the firing pin and take that with me while I leave the gun. Some advocate taking the barrel but that can mean completely disassembling the firearm and can be messy and time consuming and depending on your make and model can mean loosing some small parts or needing to remember to take a take-down tool with you. Remember you are doing this in a vehicle where others might see you which can add stress as a distraction (something you should try to minimize while handling your firearm). This method also requires the most handling of your firearm and should only be done as a last resort and if you are extremely familiar and comfortable with your gun handling. I have only done this method less than a half dozen times. Often I will recommend locking the gun in the trunk in a box with a padlock before I recommend disassembly though it is, of course, an option.

Decide what method of car storage you are going to use (if you choose to do so), practice it at home in a safe environment until you are comfortable, safe and quick with it, and then stick to it. Remember to store your gun out of sight, lock your doors and don't forget to reassemble or unlock your firearm before you put it back on.

If you should choose to take your firearm with you into the office here are some methods for securing it. No matter which of these methods you should choose, however, make sure you are, again, being safety conscious, careful and watchful. Never leave your firearm unattended and be conscious of what is going on.

1. The over-sized purse, bag, etc.
I'm not a big fan of purse carry and if you are committed to on-body carry I applaud you. That doesn't mean, however, that your purse can't come in handy in times like these. Just because you don't carry in your purse doesn't mean you can't temporarily store your gun in your purse while being examined by doctors. Either while in your car or before asked for your weight or immediately when you get to the office, you can slip into the bathroom and put your entire rig into your purse for temporary storage. If you have a gun purse with a designated pocket for your gun, PERFECT! If not, consider taking a purse that has a little extra room and a good zipper or flap to it where you can comfortably hide your entire set up for the duration of your visit. It's easy to take from room to room and keep an eye on.

2. The coat or sweater or cover garment.
Your cover garment can be just as concealing off body as it is on body. Again, in the bathroom, and before asked for your weight, take off your entire rig and with your gun still in the holster wrap it securely in your coat, sweater or cover garment. Make sure it is completely concealed and secured so that if will not just slip or fall out while being carried (I have even put my gun inside a zippered sweater, zipped it up and then folded it around itself for added security). Even if you have to tie the ends of your garment together for added security, do so.

3. Trusted, legal friend or spouse.
Chances are if you are in a committed relationship going through this process your partner is going to be with you for some of these appointments. Ultrasounds and important discussions about certain processes of the pregnancy are going to want to be shared with the person with whom you are going to be sharing the life of your child. Chances are also pretty good that that person is legally permitted to carry as well. If not, then keep those legalities in mind and do what is right according to law. If so, it's an excellent idea to let that individual take possession of your firearm throughout your visit.

A final note: 
A lot of women take their children with them to prenatal appointments. Some doctor's offices discourage the practice but when you have frequent appointments for a mother with young children it can be hard for her to find day care and most offices will forgive them dragging their little ones along. Perhaps you have to bring your own little one along. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO INSURE THAT ALL UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS (INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY CHILDREN) CANNOT GAIN ACCESS TO YOUR FIREARM. If there is any doubt in your mind that you will be able to safely store your firearm at your doctor's appointments, err on the side of caution and leave it at home or in your vehicle. You are far more likely to have an accident than be attacked while giving a prenatal urine sample. Be legal. Be safe. Be responsible.