Call them what you want: fanny packs, man purses, I’ve heard almost every possible name for them. 

I think they’re great.

When I was a small child I watched my Dad’s daily ritual of going to his dresser in the morning, going to this special multi-compartment tray, and from each compartment loading up his clothing: money in this pocket, wallet in that pocket, checkbook here, put on the watch, keys, and whatever other things he kept in his pocket. Then in the evening he’d return home and empty everything back into the tray. Just one of those things a man did. So of course, as I was growing up and started carrying things in my pockets, I did a similar sort of ritual, but no cool tray. However as I got older, I also got lazier and would often just leave everything in the pockets of my jeans, so when I woke up the next morning I could just pull the jeans back on (provided they were still clean enough) and ta da… dressed and prepped all in one shot! Efficiency is intelligent laziness.

Still, I didn’t always care for this because often I’d want to carry more things and didn’t have a place for them. Or I might want to carry things that I didn’t want to crush (e.g., in my younger days I smoked cigarettes and wouldn’t want the pack to get crushed). Or just the simple fact that sometimes it’s annoying to carry heavy and/or sharp objects in your pockets (e.g.,keys). What to do? I think it was on a trip to New York City during my years in undergrad. I was seeing a bunch of bands and noticed all the crew guys and band members all wore these bags around their waists. One of the guys expounded upon how convenient it was to use them, so I tried it myself. Sure enough, it was a great thing. The main reason? Convenience. You can carry all of your stuff. All of your stuff is in one place, so when you’re in a hurry to get out the door, you just grab the bag and go.

For many years I wore a fanny pack. I could keep my keys, wallet, Leatherman, mobile phone, loose change, lip balm, and whatever else maybe needed carrying at the time. Just grab and go. My children even became conditioned to the sound of the “click” of the joining of the clasps of my bag to mean “Dad’s leaving”. The only problem with most fanny packs is they are cheap, so I wore out many of them, often having to replace them every year. This was always tough because I had a few rules about the bags:

1. It must be leather. Nylon? Sorry, but no. I don’t care much about fashion, but nylon… no.
2. It must be black.
3. When wearing it, you do not wear it over your untucked shirt. 

And it’s difficult to find a well-made fanny pack that fits at least the first two criteria, and has enough space and utility to be of worth. Basically, it’s tough to be cool wearing one of these, but you can work to minimize how dorky you look. 😉

Then I entered into the world of guns, and you discover that fanny packs can be useful for carrying a concealed handgun. Unfortunately, most purpose-built holster-fanny-packs, IMHO, suck. First, most are nylon (violates rule 1), but at least most are black (hey… it’s not tacti-cool if it’s not black, right?). Second, most don’t look like fanny packs. Most look like some sort of odd-shaped compartment strapped to your waist. Third, they can be huge. They have to be large enough to hold a handgun, and so they often end up being larger than a lot of traditional packs. This is exacerbated if you wish to have your pack hold more than just the gun (e.g., hold keys, wallet, etc.)… now the pack will be even larger, even heavier. Furthermore, they may have to do odd things to be able to support the weight of a handgun (and perhaps anything extra you carry), such as reinforcement (most fanny packs are not stiff), or maybe a strap on the back of the pack that can loop around your belt, but how many “social” fanny packs do this? I have just not been impressed with the holster-packs on the market.

That said, I don’t think a fanny pack holster is without merit. It does allow you a way to carry, especially if there isn’t any other way. For example, to go jogging, to go to the gym (i.e., a place where you may be changing clothing). Riding a motorcycle, you can keep it in a handy location that isn’t obscured by a riding jacket and is still somewhat on your person. Women can have a difficult time finding a concealed carry solution because their bodies are just built differently than men (IWB carry usually just isn’t possible); a fanny pack can provide a solution. Another nice part about a fanny pack vs. other methods of off-body carry (e.g., daytimer, handbag, etc.) is the fanny pack is and should remain strapped to your body, thus you are less likely to forget it or leave it somewhere. Perhaps most importantly, a fanny pack can provide urban camouflage.

If you carry concealed, you want to do your best to blend in. I live in Austin, Texas, and due to the hippie scene, fanny packs are fairly common. In fact, this is perhaps an argument to violate the “leather/nylon” rule because you can go to REI and pick up some fanny packs for other purposes and may be able to carry a small gun with you on a back-country hike, where carrying in a IWB holster may be possible but may be uncomfortable. I still think a purpose-built holster fanny pack has advantages (e.g., many have a means to hold the gun secure, they provide fast and “correct” draw access), but your situation may dictate differently. You have to choose what is right to serve your needs.

Some argue that wearing a fanny pack screams that you have a gun. Well, maybe to other gun folk, but apparently not to the majority of the public. Again, in a place like Austin, no one blinks at a fanny pack. Or if you’re in a location heavy with tourists, maybe that rainbow nylon pack is just right. Key thing is, blend in with your surroundings.

In the end, a fanny pack is not a bad thing. Yes, some people hate them with a vengeance, but I’m a practical person and fanny packs provide a practical solution. They carry whatever gear you deem important to carry and keep it handy.