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Posted: 3/3/2025 11:18:58 PM EDT
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I bought one of these 5.11 skyweight chest packs for use with a hiking pack. Attached File I got tired of trying to manage AIWB with a waist belt or having my pistol attached to my pack waist belt. I plan to carry a 365xl, G19, or Shield in there, along with a few things I either need quick access to or things I want on my body when the pack is off. I’ve never used one of these or anything similar like an HPG. What is the best way to actually carry the pistol inside? I’m reluctant to have an exposed trigger on a pistol without a manual safety. Most of what I see online are people using something like this Attached File velcroed into the pistol pocket then everything is zipped up. Attached File Initially, I thought about taking an inexpensive kydex holster, taking off the mounting accoutrements, and covering the back in hook Velcro so I could just stick it in there. Then, I thought I’d be better off finding a way to stick a standard holster in there that I could remove at camp when I just want a pistol on the belt. I’m probably going to buy that Maxpedition holster and see if I can get a Tenicor clipped in there and find out how it rides. Or maybe get some hook material and make something. My sewing skills are less than stellar. If you have a chest pack, how are you carrying your pistol inside? |
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Use this to cover the trigger and tie it off inside the chest rig, then use any of the Velcro strap holsters like the maxpedition you posted to keep it secure. I think LBX has something too that often goes on sale. https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-2-lanyard-kit/ |
| I use this one because it keeps the gun where I want it to when I'm moving around, but it is still easy to access the gun. |
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Quoted: Use this to cover the trigger and tie it off inside the chest rig, then use any of the Velcro strap holsters like the maxpedition you posted to keep it secure. I think LBX has something too that often goes on sale. https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-2-lanyard-kit/ I use this trigger guard thing, then tie it off at the correct length, so the guard rips off when drawn. I have not bothered securing anything with velcro, as I never noticed the gun moving around. I kayaked about 180 river miles like that last year, no problems. |
This or one of the variations from many other manufacturers 
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My personal favorite. https://www.tightchutes.com/product-page/m-a-r-s-lo-pro-carry-insert |
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That Maxpedition 1+1 thing is designed to carry a bare pistol and a spare mag, it will not accept a compact pistol in an IWB holster as the strap is too wide for a 1.5" holster clip. There are a couple velcro adapters that will velcro around your existing IWB holster; I can't recall them now but I think I have one or two saved on my tablet*. imo that's the way to go, a simple velcro wrap is personally unacceptable for safe pistol retention. I'm also not interested in a trigger guard tiedown as I don't think that's conducive towards a consistent draw. You also might consider a molle adapter for the Safariland QLS setup. Put the molle adapter on your pack belt with the gun and the basic QLS adapter on your pants belt. *Will update when I find them. This is based on my experience with fanny pack carry, I think similar principles apply here. 
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Quoted: Use this to cover the trigger and tie it off inside the chest rig, then use any of the Velcro strap holsters like the maxpedition you posted to keep it secure. I think LBX has something too that often goes on sale. https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-2-lanyard-kit/ This is what I use. Pistol just rides loose, all by itself, in the gun pocket. Friction and pressure keeps it from moving around |
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I use a similar bag. HPG. Those guys up there are right. Some cover on the Trigger. HPG bag has a loop in the bottom and a lanyard goes from the loop to the trigger protection, so it shouldn’t affect the draw stroke. The hill people say it is not necessary fwiw. I tried a Velcro holster similar to what you posted, didn’t like that. In the end, my carry gun has a manual safety. I don’t put anything but the gun in that compartment, and I don’t use anything to cover the TG. No, I don’t pack the .44. Usually a 365XL. Attached File |
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I have used the Maxpedition elastic/Velcro offerings for years in backpacks/fanny packs. Add a trigger cover if you'd like and you're GTG. Pic related; my girl's purse carry. Attached File |
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Vertx BAP velcro belt adapter panel if you want to use a belt or IWB kydex holster. https://vertx.com/products/bap-belt-adapter-panel?pr_prod_strat=jac&pr_rec_id=3aa9d0e13&pr_rec_pid=9759249400090&pr_ref_pid=9759220072730&pr_seq=uniform Vertx tactigami MPH if you want a velcro holster https://vertx.com/products/mph-full |
5.11 Holster Pouch  ETA: I don't use the thumb break thing. It fits a M&P 2.0 Compact w/ TLR-7 WML. |
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Quoted: I have used the Maxpedition elastic/Velcro offerings for years in backpacks/fanny packs. Add a trigger cover if you'd like and you're GTG. Pic related; my girl's purse carry. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/69748/1000018793_jpg-3481154.JPG Don't over think or over complicate it. K.I.S.S. Kydex Trigger cover attached by Paracord to a small carabineer which attaches the paracord to the loops inside the pack. Grab gun in pack, pull it out and the trigger guard falls away and you are ready to rock. Bigger_Hammer 
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Quoted: Use this to cover the trigger and tie it off inside the chest rig, then use any of the Velcro strap holsters like the maxpedition you posted to keep it secure. I think LBX has something too that often goes on sale. https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-2-lanyard-kit/ Yup. I use this with my hpg kit bag & a Fanny pack in summer. |
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I use the HPG ones and I don't use an inner holster. If there's nothing else in with the gun it seems impossible to get the trigger pulled. I even tried manipulating the trigger with my fingers through the pack and I couldn't do it. If you just wanted peace of mind, I'd recommend one of the trigger covers. |
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Quoted: I use this trigger guard thing, then tie it off at the correct length, so the guard rips off when drawn. I have not bothered securing anything with velcro, as I never noticed the gun moving around. I kayaked about 180 river miles like that last year, no problems. This. Raven Vanguard |
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Quoted: That Maxpedition 1+1 thing is designed to carry a bare pistol and a spare mag, it will not accept a compact pistol in an IWB holster as the strap is too wide for a 1.5" holster clip. There are a couple velcro adapters that will velcro around your existing IWB holster; I can't recall them now but I think I have one or two saved on my tablet*. imo that's the way to go, a simple velcro wrap is personally unacceptable for safe pistol retention. I'm also not interested in a trigger guard tiedown as I don't think that's conducive towards a consistent draw. You also might consider a molle adapter for the Safariland QLS setup. Put the molle adapter on your pack belt with the gun and the basic QLS adapter on your pants belt. *Will update when I find them. This is based on my experience with fanny pack carry, I think similar principles apply here. Here we go. There's another couple companies that make the same thing, a Velcro adapter you can clip an IWB holster into. https://combatarttraining.com/velcro-holster-holder-for-iwb-holsters/ Here's an interesting option. It uses magnets to hold a naked gun, no holster, in place. They seem to be targeted at mountain bikers and have some gnarly videos of a guy putting a gun in a pack and bouncing around a canyon. https://www.tightchutes.com/product-page/m-a-r-s-lo-pro-carry-insert |
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Lots of great suggestions here. Thanks for all the real world input. The Vertx BAP looks like exactly what I imagined. I’m going to try one of those simply to have a belt holster with me. Of course, I’ll probably just end up with the Raven trigger cover after that doesn’t work like I hoped… I think there’s a hierarchy of pistols most likely to go off with an uncovered trigger. Manual safeties and DA revolvers are at the bottom, Glocks and others with trigger safeties are next, and striker fired pistols with no manual safety or trigger safety are up near the top. The 365xl has no safety other than not pulling the trigger. (Sure, sure - firing pin safety) I’m personally not comfortable with carrying it without something over the trigger. I realize that the likelihood of an ND is slim, but could be catastrophic if it happened. |
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Quoted: Use this to cover the trigger and tie it off inside the chest rig, then use any of the Velcro strap holsters like the maxpedition you posted to keep it secure. I think LBX has something too that often goes on sale. https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-2-lanyard-kit/ |
| If you put nothing but the gun in the gun pouch, I just don’t see any way for the trigger to get activated. But I get it, cause I would be a little worried about my 365 sliding around (don’t think it does), if it didn’t have a manual safety. It has a fairly light trigger. |
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I ordered the Vertx BAP VTX5153. I had to trim the ends a bit, but it is doing what I wanted. Or, what I think I wanted. It holds the holster in the same position in the bag and lets me easily remove the holster for pants wear. Attached File Attached File From the pic, it looks like the bottom of the grip would get caught up in the bag, but it hasn’t so far. I may have to play around with the positioning a bit; this set up works fine for some basement dry fire. I’ll have to get some range time wearing this to get a final evaluation. This may be getting in the weeds a bit, but I also like being able to reholster. I’ve had a trigger cover for an LCP (and pocket carried it) but there is no simple process to put that back on. There’s room to put one extra mag in the elastic slots without causing a problem. During dry practice, the front of the bag doesn’t come completely open, so the mag isn’t upside down. Again, I’ll have to try this on the range and see if it’s worth carrying a mag there at all. |
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Quoted: @96Ag raven makes a x300u one. I'd assume they do a r1 if they do a x300u https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-3/ Quoted: Quoted: Does anyone make an Vanguard like holster for TLRs? @96Ag raven makes a x300u one. I'd assume they do a r1 if they do a x300u https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-3/ Also, out of stock. Thank you for the link, I'll keep checking back. |
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Quoted: Yup. I use this with my hpg kit bag & a Fanny pack in summer. Quoted: Quoted: Use this to cover the trigger and tie it off inside the chest rig, then use any of the Velcro strap holsters like the maxpedition you posted to keep it secure. I think LBX has something too that often goes on sale. https://rcsgear.com/product/vanguard-2-lanyard-kit/ Yup. I use this with my hpg kit bag & a Fanny pack in summer. My choice came from https://pjholster.com/products/triggerguardholster, used primarily in my HPG bag |
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crossbreed modular holster: kydex velcro holsters and I have a few for chest and fanny packs https://www.crossbreedholsters.com/category/modular-systems/purse-defender they make them for many models with lights and stuff super happy with them! |
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Quoted: This. Raven Vanguard Quoted: Quoted: I use this trigger guard thing, then tie it off at the correct length, so the guard rips off when drawn. I have not bothered securing anything with velcro, as I never noticed the gun moving around. I kayaked about 180 river miles like that last year, no problems. This. Raven Vanguard Yep, they are great. |
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