I grew up within walking distance of Valley Forge, where George Washington and his Continental Army spent the brutal winter of 1777-8. In the 1960s and ‘70s, we had our share of apocalyptic snowstorms. Despite the fun of sledding, days off from school, and snowball fights, I decided I did not like the cold! Shoveling snow until I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes held no joy for me. However, I have to admit that cold weather does offer some advantages for concealed carry.

Cold Weather Carry Holsters and Gear

In 1979, I transferred to the University of Arizona in Tucson, and I never again shoveled snow! With the exception of my military service, I’ve been a happy inhabitant of the desert ever since.

It’s not that it doesn’t get cold in the desert, but our winters are mild and brief. We’ll get a snowstorm once or twice a year, and it is a beautiful sight to see our Saguaro and Prickly Pear cactus blanketed in white. But the snow is typically gone by noon.

Compared to the rest of the country, winter presents few inconveniences for me. However, when the cold winds blow through our Santa Catalina mountains, I know how to take some of the bite out of the winter chill.

Winter garb and its extra layer of warmth allow me to carry guns larger than the polymer striker-fired 9mm that usually sits in an appendix IWB holster. 5.11 Tactical, who supports the Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous every year, has been extremely generous, and most of my winter apparel comes from this outfit.

Here are some of my cold-weather solutions to staying warm while armed.

Colt Anaconda, Barranti Gunleather, and the 5.11 Seth Shirt Jacket

Colt Anaconda

In this case, I used a Colt Anaconda .44 magnum loaded with 125-grain Black Hills .44 Special HoneyBadger™ rounds. I chose this combination for the mild recoil in the heavy revolver. My previous evaluation of the Anaconda proved that this load is extremely accurate and powerful enough for defense work.

At 25 yards, this load shot to point of aim and grouped five rounds into a near cluster that measured just 1.57 inches. From the gun’s 4-inch barrel, the velocity was 1327 feet per second and generated 488-foot-pounds of energy.

For more information, please visit Colt.com.

Barranti Leather Outfitter Holster

The Anaconda is a big gun but not a brute to carry in the right holster. I chose The Outfitter holster from my friend Doc Barranti at Barranti Leather.

This minimalist holster features a wide belt loop, distributing the gun’s weight over a wider area, making it more comfortable. The belt loop also features a cut-out so the holster can be placed over a pants belt loop if needed.

Doc’s design allows a full firing grip on the gun while it’s still holstered. Additionally, its rigid design prevents the holster mouth from collapsing, making re-holstering easy and certain.

Doc Barranti makes some of the most beautiful Western-style holsters available, and The Outfitter is available with custom stamping or carving. It can also be made in a cross-draw version.

For more information, please visit BarrantiLeather.com.

5.11 Tactical Seth Shirt Jacket

The Seth Shirt Jacket by 5.11 Tactical handles most of my cold weather needs. Especially since most of the time I wear a winter jacket, I’m moving from my SUV into a store or restaurant.

Comfort is the keyword for the Seth Shirt Jacket. Its outside is constructed from a very soft, brushed cotton twill, while the inside boasts a fleece lining to retain body heat. There are waist-height pockets to warm the hands and two external chest pockets.

It has a fold-down collar, side seam vents, and snap cuffs. The Seth Shirt Jacket is not form-fitting. So, any gun on the belt will likely be unnoticed.

For more information, please visit 511Tactical.com.

S&W M19, Galco Gunleather Revenger Belt Holster, 5.11 Vest, 5.11 Pants, and 5.11 Chukkas

Galco Gunleather Revenger Belt Holster

Galco Gunleather’s new Revenger is part of its Masterbilt series, featuring the finest leather assembled by its most experienced craftsmen. I chose a Revenger built for a S&W M19 with a 2 ½” barrel.

Galco uses premium, fully lined steer hide for the holster and uses a gun-form for the leather to dry on. This gives the finished product such a good fit that little or no break-in is required.

The Revenger features a mild forward cant. It’s not quite as much as the FBI cant, but just enough to promote a wrist-locked draw stroke. It works for me and is comfortable and fast!

The holster also has a molded-in sight rail, a metal reinforced 1.5-inch belt loop tunnel, and a reinforced holster mouth to ensure easy one-handed re-holstering. Galco offers the Revenger in both black and tan and produces them for popular S&W, Colt, and Ruger revolvers.

For more information, please visit GalcoGunleather.com.

5.11 Tactical Adventure PrimaLoft Vest

5.11’s Adventure PrimaLoft® Vest gets a lot of use when the weather takes on a chill. It’s very lightweight and can be stuffed into a small space, so there’s never a reason to leave it at home. Its excellent heat-retaining insulation will keep your core nice and warm.

The vest features a weather-resistant outer shell and a 100% nylon ripstop lining. There are pockets at the waist to warm the hands, and there’s also an internal dump pocket for keys and a phone. The centered zipper has a chin-guard, but I usually wear the vest unzipped for quick access to my strongside holster.

5.11 Tactical Defender-Flex Straight Jeans

I’ve been wearing 5.11’s Defender-Flex straight jeans for over 3 years, and they are tough stuff! Constructed from a comfortable 76% cotton and 24% polyester blend, they are assembled using double-needle stitching with bar tacks at each stress area.

Additionally, the pockets are reinforced, and two back yoke pockets are just right for a pistol magazine or my Cold Steel Luzon pocketknife. The Defender-Flex jeans use a button top and YKK zipper. They are available in Dark Wash, Stone Wash, and Medium Wash Indigo colors.

5.11 Tactical Classic Chukka Boots

Classic Brown Chukka Boots by 5.11 are a favorite of mine for cool weather wear. They’re good-looking enough that they’ll pass the mustard for all but the most formal events. The ankle-height boots boast a full-grain leather upper and possess an Achilles relief heel construction.

For comfort, 5.11 includes Ortholite® insoles, and the boots have a Vibram full rubber outsole for traction in wet and icy conditions. Fashionable, functional, and comfortable, the 5.11 Chukkas are a guilty indulgence that will garner plenty of compliments.

For more information, please visit 511Tactical.com.

FiveseveN Pistol and the GunfightersINC Chest Rig

If you spend your cold-weather time driving a snow machine or operating heavy equipment, a belt holster might not be your best choice regarding quick access and comfort. GunfightersINC is a veteran-owned company manufacturing Kydex holsters in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. The company’s Kenai chest holster is the perfect solution for using my Five-seveN as a driving gun.

If you’re unfamiliar with the FN Five-seveN pistol, it is a polymer-framed semi-auto that uses a unique delayed blowback action. Weighing just 21 ounces, the gun is chambered for the hot little bottleneck 5.7 x 28mm cartridge.

The round was designed to provide more energy than the 9mm NATO round yet be lighter and smaller to give guns more capacity. Recoil is incredibly light, probably 30% less than a similar-sized 9mm auto, and the Five-seveN’s magazine holds 20 rounds. Aftermarket magazine base pads can add another ten rounds.

My gun has a crisp 4.25-pound trigger, and I can shoot it rapidly without the sights coming off my target.

For more information, please visit FNAmerica.com.

Chest Rig Holster Details

The holster’s low profile makes it perfect for long drives, and the nylon straps lay flat, preventing pressure issues. Kenai’s shoulder strap is 2 inches wide. This thickness differentiates it from the horizontal chest straps.

This makes it easy to throw on quickly. Simply slide your left arm through the opening between the holster and the shoulder strap, and then attach the horizontal chest strap on the right side of the holster.

The retention of my Five-seveN pistol is perfect. Like most Kydex holsters, the Kenai uses the front of the trigger guard to do the lion’s share of retention. The 3-way harness also uses Gripper elastic on the back for comfort. Correspondingly, there’s plenty of material for adjustment even if you wear the Kenai over a thick winter jacket.

GunfightersINC currently has over 250 molds available for their holsters, and if you don’t see what you need, call them. Chances are they’ll be able to figure something out for you.

For more information, please visit GunfightersInc.com.

Arrowhead Tactical Sweatshirt and Joggers

Arrowhead Tactical has a line of joggers, shorts, and sweatpants. All of which can comfortably and securely conceal service-size handguns. The key to this product line is the OmniCarry Retention Belt. It is constructed of military-grade nylon webbing and is 50% thicker than standard belts to provide the rigidity and support needed for carry.

Arrowhead’s line of shorts and sweatpants features internal belt loops through which the retention belt is threaded. After adjusting it for size, the user simply clips their holster to the internal belt for IWB carry.

Arrowhead Tactical Carrier Joggers are extremely comfortable and feature the same OmniCarry Retention Belt system. They possess tapered legs with elastic ankle cuffs, zippered rear pockets with magazine pouches, and hip utility pockets for quick access to knives and tools. Made from breathable cotton and blended polyester, the Joggers have reinforced seams and durable polyester knee paneling.

The perfect cold weather complement to the Joggers is Arrowhead Tactical’s Standoff Concealment MK.II Hoodie. It features a hidden zipper at the bottom of the Hoodie’s front hand pocket. This allows the user to obtain a firing grip on the gun, positioned at the appendix, without anyone knowing.

The large side openings ensure the handgun can be withdrawn without any impediment. When zippered, the front pocket makes a convenient hand warmer. It has cuffed wrists and a drawstring hoodie and uses a cotton-polyester blend with an internal liner for comfort.

For more information, please visit ArrowheadTacticalApparel.com.