Why More Concealed Carriers Are Ditching the Crossbody Bag
Why EDC Experts Caution Against CCW Crossbody Bags
It can separate you from your firearm, make access less consistent, and make you stand out. There’s a better way to carry.
Written by Logan H.
Off-body carry seems convenient. Toss your firearm in a crossbody bag, sling it over your shoulder, and go.
But that convenience comes with tradeoffs. Access depends on the bag’s position, and some crossbody bags may actually make it more obvious you’re carrying.
So, are crossbody bags actually effective for concealed carry?
1. The Bag Can Become The Giveaway
The whole point of concealed carry is that nobody needs to know you’re carrying.
But certain crossbody bags have become closely associated with EDC and concealed carry, especially when they’re worn high across the chest and never seem to leave the wearer’s body.
What feels discreet to you may be more recognizable than you think.
2. The Bag Itself Can Be Taken
A crossbody bag doesn’t just contain your firearm. It may also look like it contains your phone, wallet, cash, keys, or other valuables.
That can make the bag itself something worth stealing. And if someone manages to separate you from it, they haven't just taken your belongings, they may have taken the very thing you intended to have available for protection.
Keeping control of an off-body firearm means keeping control of the entire bag, all day, everywhere you go.
3. Your Firearm Isn’t Attached To You
This is the fundamental difference with off-body carry.
When your firearm is carried on your body, it moves with you. When it’s inside a crossbody bag, your access to it depends on maintaining control of the bag itself.
Take the bag off. Set it beside you. Hang it on a chair. Put it in the passenger seat. Now your firearm is somewhere other than on you.
For something you carry specifically because you may need it unexpectedly, creating that separation is a pretty significant tradeoff..
4. Access Depends On Where The Bag Happens To Be
Crossbody bags move.
They shift when you sit down. Rotate when you bend over. Get pushed behind your arm. Move underneath jackets and seatbelts. And depending on the design, accessing the firearm may mean first opening or manipulating a dedicated compartment.
The result is that the exact path to your firearm can change depending on what you're doing.
On-body carry gives you the opportunity to keep your firearm in a far more consistent location relative to your body.
1. The Bag Can Become The Giveaway
The whole point of concealed carry is that nobody needs to know you’re carrying.
But certain crossbody bags have become closely associated with EDC and concealed carry — especially when they’re worn high across the chest and never seem to leave the wearer’s body.
What feels discreet to you may be more recognizable than you think.
2. The Bag Itself Can Be Taken
A crossbody bag doesn’t just contain your firearm. It may also look like it contains your phone, wallet, cash, keys, or other valuables.
That can make the bag itself something worth stealing.
And if someone manages to separate you from it, they haven't just taken your belongings, they may have taken the very thing you intended to have available for protection.
Keeping control of an off-body firearm means keeping control of the entire bag, all day, everywhere you go.
3. Your Firearm Isn’t Attached To You
This is the fundamental difference with off-body carry.
When your firearm is carried on your body, it moves with you. When it’s inside a crossbody bag, your access to it depends on maintaining control of the bag itself.
Take the bag off. Set it beside you. Hang it on a chair. Put it in the passenger seat.
Now your firearm is somewhere other than on you.
For something you carry specifically because you may need it unexpectedly, creating that separation is a pretty significant tradeoff..
4. Access Depends On Where The Bag Happens To Be
Crossbody bags move.
They shift when you sit down. Rotate when you bend over. Get pushed behind your arm. Move underneath jackets and seatbelts. And depending on the design, accessing the firearm may mean first opening or manipulating a dedicated compartment.
The result is that the exact path to your firearm can change depending on what you're doing.
On-body carry gives you the opportunity to keep your firearm in a far more consistent location relative to your body.
So What's The Better Option?
Instead of moving your firearm into a bag, you can wear clothing that was actually designed to support concealed carry from the start.
That means keeping your firearm on your body while still wearing the shorts, joggers, sweatpants, chinos, and other everyday clothes you would have worn anyway.
No tactical-looking setup. No separate carry bag. No completely changing the way you dress.Just normal-looking clothing built around concealed carry.
And that’s exactly the problem Arrowhead Tactical Apparel set out to solve.
The Most Comfortable and Responsible Way To Carry
Trusted By:
U.S. Patent Nos. 11,259,583, 11,672,294 & 12,383,008
The ultimate do-anything shorts for safe, comfortable concealed carry.
The new Carrier Shorts Mk.II are the world's most advanced EDC shorts.
The Carrier Shorts Mk.II use our patented Carrier Retention Waistband. Enjoy comfortable and secure carry at any waist position with any size of handgun.
Unlike regular athletic shorts, the Carrier Shorts Mk.II won't sag or shift when carrying a holstered pistol.
The Carrier Shorts Mk.II feature deep hand pockets and dual zippered pockets with internal sleeves to carry spare magazines (single or double stack). A functional zipper fly offers easy relief.
The shorts are made from a soft, mid-weight fabric with 4-way stretch for comfort and athletic range of movement. A mesh crotch gusset offers extra breathability.
Key Features:
- Support for compact to full-sized handguns
- Zippered rear pockets with YKK zippers
- Internal magazine pouches for tactical reloads
- Functional zipper fly
- Soft nylon / spandex shell with mesh gusset
- Adjustable drawstrings
- 7" or 11" inseam
- Linerless for comfortable carry
NOTE: Every order contains everything needed for comfortable concealed carry with your handgun and your IWB holster. Supports all waist carry positions (appendix, strong side, ambidextrous, etc.)
Model Sizing Information:
- Model is 5'10, 170lbs wearing a Medium
- Training Shorts have an athletic cut
- For a relaxed fit, order up one size
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"Like most brilliant solutions, it's actually quite simple...the enclosed semi stretchy gun beklt is run through internal loops, and provides enough rigidity to hold a firearm. To keep hardware slim, Arrowhead uses an ingenious magnetic locking buckle" - CLAY MARTIN, GUNS AMERICA
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"For those of you who live an active lifestyle, the good news is that you no longer have to compromise your safety because you can’t take your gun on a jog or because you have to employ off-body carry at the gym...Arrowhead Tactical Apparel is ensuring you’re comfortably prepared at all times" - EUGENE NIELSEN, US CONCEALED CARRY
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"For an athletic apparel company that has chosen to tackle the problem of effectively concealing a defensive tool, Arrowhead Tactical Apparel has brought a solution that erodes one more excuse of not going to the gym" - FORREST COOPER, RECOIL MAGAZINE
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"The real question remains: How does it work? Impressively well. When carrying a handgun, the Carrier Retention system is plenty beefy enough to secure your firearm against your body without any flopping around...As a fitness garment...it is impressive in every way. I lifted weights, including squat and deadlift, in it, and it provides ideal range of motion" - ERIC CONN, NRA SHOOTING ILLUSTRATED