Sharp as a Marble - Cool down period

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Cool down period

Out of sight, out of mind

So, it’s that time of the year where the temperatures are dropping below 70°. Little known fact - In Florida, that’s the temperature at which blood freezes. This means shirts with long sleeves and possibly a light jacket to prevent frost bite (which, in Florida is a danger below 62°).

Interestingly, because we’re still in a warmer climate, concealed carry doesn’t change much when the temperatures drop. I still wear my shirt untucked, I don’t have bulky jackets that could conceal a shoulder holster and even if I did, I don’t get to wear them enough to make it feasible. Even during the ultra-cold week where it drops into the high 30s, we just don’t wear the kind of clothing that is normally associated with those kinds of temperatures (and thus, changing the CCW profile parameters) due to stupidity and the fact most of us won’t spend the $ necessary on the outerwear for less than a month worth of frigid temperatures.

So, for those of you in colder climes, what concealment options does the colder weather provide?

posted @ 10/21/2011 11:12:07 AM

Incoming Links

Daily Pundit » CCW In the Freezer on 10/22/2011 12:34:48 PM

Comments

Barron Barnett says:

on 10/21/2011 11:50:34 AM

Up here on the Palouse, winter can get down right cold.

It gives us a little bit of leeway in that we can just OC and then throw on our coat. This also works in the wetter climate of Seattle. The problem with that though is if you take your coat off when you arrive at your destination. If you want to remain concealed then you'll conceal using the same methods you do the rest of the year.

Most of the time in the colder weather we dress in layers and you just choose which layer will take care of your concealment.

There comes a problem with the heavy coats though, drawing from concealment is becomes much more difficult. So, while it may place it out of sight, it creates it's own set of problems.

aczarnowski says:

on 10/21/2011 11:52:33 AM

MN winters don't change my carry options much either. I've found a couple styles that work for me and I stick with them.

We've got to take the bulky coats off when we go inside after all...

Joel says:

on 10/21/2011 12:17:23 PM

Yeah, the big problem is open carry. A heavy coat screws that up proper. One winter I even tried a separate gunbelt that I could strap on over the coat. Didn't work so hot, and finally just took to carrying a rifle.

Not in town, of course.

Rev. Paul says:

on 10/21/2011 12:25:59 PM

Here in Alaska, I just add an extra pistol in the outer coat pocket. The .45 stays on my belt, under a lightweight fleece vest.

Wolfman says:

on 10/21/2011 12:27:58 PM

MT winters give some additional options, but only in outdoor settings. I can pretty effectively conceal a 6" bbl revolver in a vertical shoulder rig when wearing coveralls and a coat. However, in regular gear, there is the issue of access. When you're wearing three layers of outerwear, its tough to get to a 5 o'clock pancake or IWB. In those sits, I usually would OC, or, if that wasn't appropriate, I spent a few minutes in private (restroom, etc) moving my holster to maintain access. This, of course, is a 'Stop Touching It!' failure. When you really need it, though, a gun under two coats and a pair of coveralls is not much better than leaving it at home. Failing that, I would put up with being either cold or hot during carry. I imagine there would be some serious ramifications to getting caught in a bathroom stall with a gun in your hand in a no-oc area...

Parrym says:

on 10/21/2011 12:32:39 PM

I have started to migrate towards a larger gun now that the weather has turned colder. Thicker shirts, zip up sweatshirts and the like do a better job of concealing something IWB.

Warmer weather is pocket carry all the time for me.

Canthros says:

on 10/21/2011 12:40:35 PM

Coats, hooded sweatshirts, flannels ... Actually, even being able to use a light jacket helps a lot, as long as it fits loosely and is sufficiently opaque.

Or so my experience has been, but I've only been carrying for the past year and change or so.

Jay G. says:

on 10/21/2011 1:00:16 PM

With the addition of larger cover garments like vests and sweaters that *can* be worn indoors, a full size 1911 or midsized revolver can be easily carried concealed.

With a coat? I've carried an M1 carbine concealed before... ;)

DirtCrashr says:

on 10/21/2011 1:24:07 PM

It doesn't get cold here in Silicon Valley either, and anyhow Global Warming will cause the Oceans to rise (lets go surfin'!) and kill all the nasty polar bears next week. So it's shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops all year.

Wolfman says:

on 10/21/2011 1:38:16 PM

Jay G- theoretically, I could conceal a Mosin with fixed bayonet under my coveralls and coat, but access would still be an issue. Give me a couple extra moments, though, and self defense with all the stabby goodness would ensue... it makes walking difficult, though :-)

ExurbanKevin says:

on 10/21/2011 2:20:55 PM

Hah!

70 degrees?

You Floridians are SO thin-skinned.

Out here in the Copper State, we don't switch to light jackets and long sleeves until it's at LEAST 68 degrees outside.

TexasFred says:

on 10/21/2011 4:15:35 PM

I live just outside of Dallas, concealment here is a shirt tail 10 months out of the year...

Stuart the Viking says:

on 10/21/2011 4:22:34 PM

The 70 part isn't so bad, but that's during the day. It's the mornings when it's 52 that gets to me.

I moved down to Florida from Illinois, so I don't have any cold weather carry advice. Sorry.

I never did understand the "too hot to carry" thing though. I pretty much wear the same clothes year around and just add a jacket in the winter so nothing really changes for me. I know people who just "CAN'T" carry anything bigger than a J frame during the summer. I just don't get it.

s

SoupOrMan says:

on 10/21/2011 5:17:04 PM

There's also for a certain segment of the cold-enduring population a sport known as "hockey." While often bulky and obtrusive, a "hockey jersey" (or "hockey sweater" from the Canadian words meaning "hockey jersey") can provide decent cover for a firearm. This of course is thoroughly untested within the state of Illinois at the moment, as no "fans" of "hockey" within the state would ever defy the state's ban on fun. EVER.

Timmeehh says:

on 10/21/2011 6:31:08 PM

Definition of SWEATER
1: one that sweats or causes sweating
2 a : a knitted or crocheted jacket or pullover
- b : a heavy jersey worn in ice hockey

Matthew Carberry says:

on 10/21/2011 6:49:06 PM

What Rev. Paul said.

You just carry like normal, but if it is cold enough to zip up your coat and block access to your normal carry method you either move the gun to an outer pocket (extra holster) or carry an extra gun.

DJ says:

on 10/21/2011 10:15:55 PM

In the winter I wear pants instead of shorts. The pockets are a slightly different shape, but that's the only difference when it comes to concealed carry.

Skip says:

on 10/22/2011 12:30:31 AM

Here in Cent. Cal. when it gets down to the 30s I will change to clamshell shoulder rig under my coat.
The other 300 days of the year it's IWB.

Hunter says:

on 10/22/2011 2:30:58 AM

I am also with Rev.Paul. Same carry, just add an additional in an outer pocket. I think of it as a "get off me" gun so I can get to the main battery.
With all the rain we get here, I can carry a coach gun in an inside pocket of my rain cape.
Hunter
Still kilted in Alaska

kaveman says:

on 10/22/2011 1:51:19 PM

70 degrees here is a freaking heat wave.

But my carry option doesn't ever change. I carry my gun stuffed up my butt-hole.

I figure that if I ever have to use it and run out of ammo, I'll just slather my inner goodness on the perp and gross him out.

Weer'd Beard says:

on 10/24/2011 10:08:14 AM

Used to be I'd switch from pocket carry to more shoulder carry as I tossed a zip-front sweatshirt or a chamois shirt over my standard t-shirt.

But this year I've just been wearing a light cotton button-down shirt over my shoulder-rig this summer.

The cotton shirt gets displaced for the pocket gun only when I'm spending extended time outside during the hottest of days.

So I would say that this actually might pertain to you if you wanted to switch to a shoulder rig.

But given that you manage to carry a G20 now, I don't see what you need to adapt to.

Ben Branam says:

on 11/2/2011 9:07:33 AM

Winter means an additional pocket revoler in my outside coat pocket. It is both good and bad; carrying and extra gun is good, but the pocket revolver now becomes my primary weapon and my Glock under my coat is the back up.

Comments have been closed on this topic.