Purse Carry is THE MOST Diffucult

I often see off body carry being presented as an “easy solution.” I find that this stems from a gross misunderstanding of how to properly carry off body, because when done responsibly it quickly becomes one of the most difficult and cumbersome concealed carry methods.

Beyond selecting the proper purse, firearm, holster for the purse, and understanding access issues, it’s also the way we have to treat our loaded purse that quickly becomes problematic. When I think through my day with a purse in tow I think of ALL the times I set it down. When I go to a friends house with kiddos around? My purse is on the kitchen counter while we play with the kids and the dog. When I am unloading groceries from the car? On the living room floor. A restaurant? On the back of my chair. At church? Under my chair. At the gym? In the unlocked cubbies. I have no qualms with treating my purse with such little care because the only thing in my purse is harmless medical supplies. If it’s stolen then I get a new purse and replenish my medical supplies. Consider also that treating my purse this way is the social NORM.

If I have a gun in my purse it becomes an appendage, and CANNOT ever leave my body. This can appear awkward in certain scenarios such as the gym, friends houses, play dates, lunch dates, etc. It’s often presented as an easy solution for obvious reasons, you don’t have to figure out how to conceal it well or comfortably on your body, it just goes into a bag.

Don’t fall for the idea that off body carry is a simple, easy and safe alternative to carrying on body. They are inherently different methods and thus present different safety concerns. I’m not saying that we can never carry off body, but I am saying that we should be aware of what we are signing up for when we do so. Your bag is your appendage for the day, and the ONLY time you can set it down, is if it’s going into a safe.

*this post does not address ALL concerns that come with off body carry, rather just a select few*