Are you like me? Do you carry concealed and find your situation constantly in flux?
When it comes to carrying a handgun concealed, I like consistency. Yes, there are life variables that force individuals to use varying carry modes, but, as a rule, sticking to a rigid carry plan seems best to me. Let me tell you why:
When your stress level is redlined like a GSXR1000 (below, right) on a straightaway, do you really trust yourself to remember which spot you put your gun in today? Personally, I don’t.
As a result, I typically carry two guns; one along my belt line (we can talk about where and how in another article) and the other on my ankle. This system was a process of personal evolution up to this point, and I’m open to it evolving more in the future. That being said, it has served me well for a number of years now quite consistently. I don’t think that it would work for everyone, but I do believe that it would work for others who work in a similar role (where your concealed carry may be subject to frequent change).
Allow me to focus on the ankle option. The ankle is a back-up for me, but it’s a back up in more ways than you might think. It’s a back-up gun when my primary is in place and it becomes my primary in situations when a gun along my beltline becomes impossible to conceal for a given time period. The back up on my ankle shares the same platform, ammo, and magazines, but has a different footprint then my primary.
I work in just about every urban environment you might imagine. My day can easily go from the ghetto to a high-rise penthouse. I find myself going from no collar, to blue collar, to white-collar environments. (No I’m not a drug dealer.) In addition, when I leave the house, I can’t be sure that my schedule (and location) will turn out as planned.
Unfortunately, there are times when I need to lose the primary on my belt, lock it up, and go on. For example, something about my wardrobe has to change to accommodate a situation I’m entering, or I’m about to become much more active, or people I’m meeting are about to start giving out hugs (yes, I get hugged more than you might imagine.)
In these situations, I’d prefer to still have a gun. The ankle option staying in place is really nice and is only thwarted by shorts. Yes, it is less accessible than a gun along the waistline, but it’s far more accessible then the gun in the car lockbox out in the parking lot.
There are a few great ankle holster options out there, and there are some really bad ones too. I’ll mention my personal favorite and say nothing about the others. Up to this point I’ve enjoyed the balance of affordability and functionality offered by the Galco Ankle Glove
So my question to you today is simple: have you tried ankle carry? If so, what did you think?
