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I could have titled this concealed carry pants. Same thing, but I live in Arizona. So guess which one I wear more?
I’m specifically referring to the idea of pocket carry shorts or pants here. In my previous article about pocket carry, I mention a few guns I habitually carry this way.
There are a few criteria for pocket carry shorts/pants.
- Pockets. Many, many pockets.
- Good sized-pockets.
- Large sizes and fairly loose fit.
I’ve actually found a particular brand/style that I like: (Amazon link) Propper Men’s Summerweight Tactical Shorts. Yes, that’s a lot of words in that description. Allow me to explain what I like about them.
Table of Contents
Pockets. The more the better.
Here’s the thing: when I put a gun in a pocket I’m done. That’s all I put there. Reaching for a gun and pulling out my keys or phone would be, at best embarrassing.
By my count, there are 10 pockets on these shorts. And two of them are very clever and assist in pocket carry.
There are two hip pockets, with zippered closures.
On each thigh, there are two pockets: one zippered and one with a hook and loop secured flap. They are separate pockets and now two different ways to access the same space.
And now the clever bit. Each front pocket is actually two pockets. There’s a thin flap of material between the two spaces, with a hook and loop fastener at the top.
As I said; the flap is thin and should not be confused for any sort of trigger protection. You still need a good holster.
I have, many times, carried two different pocket guns in these shorts. I put the gun in the back one and keys or what have you in the front. It allows me to reduce printing while maintaining the “only gun in pocket” rule so I don’t pull something I don’t want when I’m trying to get the gun out.
It’s slightly slower, since I have to undo the fastener. Pocket carry isn’t all that fast in the first place, so I can live with that.
Good-sized pockets.
There is no pocket gun I own that doesn’t fit in that inside front pocket. In fact, the M&P Shield that I once considered for pocket carry, fits pretty well. I don’t think I’ll be doing that, but I may consider getting a pocket holster for the Sig P365 at some point, though.
And it has more than enough space to carry all the other sundry items I’ve been known to haul around.
Fairly loose fit
These are available in sizes up to 56″. I’ve seen some of the “name” brand that stop at 44″. Not that helpful. See the name of this blog.
Kind of goes with the pocket size thing. Tight pants and pocket carry are really not compatible.
In the picture below, you can see the name “Propper” in white at the top. That’s a little piece of cloth attached to the zipper. It’s quite handy; one of those things I didn’t realize that I needed.
Fasteners.
There are three. Inside button, top button, and the zipper. Pretty standard stuff. The only thing of note is that the top button doesn’t attach directly to the waist band. There’s a little strip of cloth attached to the waist band that then has the button on it. Makes it a bit easier to button.
When I first saw that I questioned how long it would last, but it hasn’t been a problem. Speaking of that…
Durability.
I have several pairs of these. The oldest is probably three years old now. No holes. No loose fasteners. No other flaws that I can find.
Keep in mind that I’ve done delivery work in these. 10+ hour days getting in and out of a van over a hundred times and carrying packages in Arizona. Some days were well over 100 degrees.
I’ve had flashlights, keys, guns in holsters, pocket knives, speed strips, speed loaders, spare magazines, and who knows what else in these. They’ve been flawless.
What’s missing?
A drop in pocket for a cell phone, for one thing. I mean, 10 pockets is plenty and I can find a place for my phone. But, except for the two outer ones up high, they’re all fastened in some way or another.
It’s not a crisis or anything, but I would like to have something like that.
Conclusion.
I still see people saying that this sort of tactical short/pant screams “gun carrier” to people. I don’t believe that’s true. At one time it might have been, but right now I think most people accept the fact that pockets are handy.
I have always bought the summerweight because Arizona. They do have a non-summerweight available on Amazon; they have a different material but otherwise seem identical, although I don’t own a pair.
They’re available in sizes from 28″ up to 56″ and in five different colors. If you’re looking for a quality pair of shorts with many, many pockets, these are them. Amazon has them for you.
>> Click here to buy on Amazon <<
