Concealed Carry Transition

moving from a rural Alaskan home to an urban neighborhood in Northeast Arkansas has been quite drastic. The coolest temperatures at night are the highest temperatures you will see in the summers of Alaska. During the day, a vehicle is nothing more than an oven and the outside is humid and the sun threatens to cook your skin. Different climates such as this makes me have to readjust my gear and clothing for carry.

PROTECT YOUR SKIN

I hate sunburns and I am sure the rest of you can relate. I am a fan of wearing long sleeved shirts and pants, even on hot days due to the protection it provides from the sun. If I want a tan, I can take care of that at my leisure at home. The long sleeve shirts I tend to own are light and they breathe as good as a jersey does. Is this perfect, no, but it does a tremendous amount to protect me from getting burnt unnecessarily while driving or just being out in the sun too long. 

HIDING YOUR PIECE

When it comes to concealment, I think the best rule of thumb is to follow the definition of concealment. This means that you are carrying a firearm to where it cannot be seen, yet it is easy to access. For many people these days, appendix carry is the best way to go. I disagree based on the fact that everyone I have seen carrying appendix is incredibly obvious. It is easy to see their firearm to the point of it printing and drawing your eyes to the unusual figure. It looks like it is concealed when you are standing static in a mirror, but as soon as you get moving, get a breeze, move the clothing, it is no longer concealed. You need to be a little smarter about not only carry position, but also how you are covering it. Use color to your advantage and wrinkled and oversized garments to break up any part of the gun protruding through, though this is not something that will help appendix carry. The body type will determine your success more than your clothing. If you are fit and carrying in appendix, it is going to stick out. Those with a beer gut are more likely to have a better chance of concealing their gun due to a natural buildup in their stomach. Though having a gut only makes you a liability and illustrates a lack of discipline and self control...other than that, I have no opinion.

 BEWARE OF YOUR STYLE

I know many people think that we should not read a book by its cover, but that is a utopian fantasy. You can read someone by their iconography, body posture, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues. Criminals know this and they know what to look for. Being dressed in desert tan or OD 5.11 clothing and rocking Oakley's makes you stand out anywhere, and not in a good way. Think of it this way, if you look like a gun guy to a criminal, you COULD be treated the same as someone open carrying (You get selectively targeted or put ahead of the line in an armed/violent crime). In this particular part of the state, people have made the assumption that I am a Police Officer just because of my haircut and how I carry myself. In an age where Police have a bullseye on their back, being mistaken for an off-duty cop can put myself and my family at risk of being hurt or killed. This has made me more conscious of how I carry myself and how I take care of my appearance. My goal is to blend in and be unremarkable and unsuspecting.
The way to find out how to be unremarkable and unsuspecting is by driving around different parts of town and looking at the iconography, body language, and dress styles of others your age. Your job should be to mimic the average style and fashion of those in your age group as best as possible, even to the point of wearing iconography you may not even find particularly fashionable for yourself. But the length you go in this little blending experiment is all based on how important it is to disappear in the masses. At the end of the day the saying is "your life, your rules."

FABRICS SELECTION

When it comes to carrying in a hot and humid climate, you will have to get into the weeds a bit on the type of clothing you wear. Specifically, the type of fabric used and even construction can make or break a concealment garment. If you can swing it, it would be good to search around for fabrics that stretch and flex with your body. This comes into play when you are moving the cover garment and trying to access your weapon. If the material is too stiff, you can stag on parts of your body or the tension from pulling up only on one side will jam your garment against your body. Also, this stretchy fabric tends to help your garment breathe a bit so you are more comfortable. Comfort and function can go together these days, but sometimes you need to do the work and look around for the right stuff.

POST-PURCHASE PRACTICE

Once you have found your ideal cover garment, it is time to do a few reps of practice. No, I am not saying do so static. Instead, first get reps in while moving rapidly to cover. Test it while moving or static in a crouched position, bent over, on each knee. See how the garment reacts to being manipulated in these different positions and while in motion. Now is not the time to be an amateur only practicing standing still. Paper stands still...the rest of the world is mobile, so you should be too.​