Man Purse

I am having some difficulty with carrying my gun. I don't get "made" and I am not self conscious about wearing. The problem is that it is uncomfortable to switch between "carry" and "no carry" modes.
For instance... I am carrying my Khar, as a often do, my wife wants me to try on some clothes... What do I do now? Leave the gun in the fitting room with my pants?
Another instance... We are out and about and we decide that we want to go to the grocery store, nope, can't walk in because they have that stupid gun sticker up. They just want psychos who don't care about the law carrying guns in their store.

Anyway It is much easier to get around with a man purse off the body type carrying device. So, I begin to look for something that will appeal to my wife's fashion sense all while keeping me reasonably manly.

First and foremost, I WILL NOT wear a fanny pack. I just won't do it. They look horrible and they go with nothing. I am looking for something that I can wear that will look decent with everything.

Most bags are not made for CCW, so you run in to problems like there is no place to attach your holster to. That sucks, because you really do not want to have your gun just floating around in a bag pocket. One the gun will pick up a lot of dirt and lint. If you carry an automatic, I do, dirt and junk will gum up the action, and may cause a feed issue. Really not something you want when you need to fire a second or third shot and your pistol jams. A holster not only keeps the gun in the right position, but can protect it from unwanted fouling.
Another issue is that the pockets may be in the wrong place. A bag not made for CCW may only have a few pockets, and it can look really strange if your other stuff is smashed together in the small pocket.

Made for CCW bags are few and far between. Let's be honest. Most guys who carry guns have some sort of esteem issue somewhere, thus anything even resembling a woman's purse on a man sends them looking to burn somebody in the name of JESUS!!! So, most CCW made bags resemble military gear packs. Not something that goes well with anything other than BDUs.

So let's look at some options.

Not Made For CCW
Osprey Packs Veer Shoulder Bag


This is a nice bag, but I will have to do something about the pockets... They are the right size and in the right place, but there are no attachments inside for my holster... I might end up having to buy a pocket holster...
Anyway Osprey is a hippy company, that would probably have a stroke if they thought that their bags would even be purchased by someone who once fired their grandfather's shotgun that onetime they stayed with him in his farm house... That kind of makes me giggle...

Keen Brooklyn Postal Bag


Keen is the same company that makes those really kick ass shoes that I wear all of the time. I even got some of their new leather ones shoes I can wear them in the winter time.
This bag I think is actually marketed to the womens... That's ok I am secure in my man-ness. It is not a woman's purse. It is my ultra manly postal bag of death.
This bag has a back pocket that, I think, will fit my Kahr perfectly. Again, there is no place to hook my holster on to... I seem destined to buy a Nemesis Pocket Holster

Eddie Bauer Small Guide Bag


Not a bad bag, but it really has no interior pockets for anything... My pistol will certainly fit in one of the pockets, but it will also roll around in there...


Made For CCW
Coronado Leather Cross Carry Bag

Hot socks, now you are talking!!
This bag looks awesome and can go with anything, anywhere. It comes with a built in holster and is specially designed for CCW. The problem is that it is pricey. $155 makes the $40 Eddie Bauer bag more attractive.

Marom Dolphin FP 2 Covert Shoulder Bag


This guy is a little out there, as Marom Dolphin mostly makes stuff just for military use. This seems to be a nice looking bag, but I know nothing about it...

Maxpedition Fatboy Versipack

Very military, very manly... Goes with nothing. On top of that... The thing is HUGE.

The biggest problem that I seem to be running in to is just that... size. Men's bags tend to be messenger type bags and are very large. The kind of bags that you would take off, or would look strange when carrying around with shorts and a T shirt. The Man's Bag has replaced the briefcase in many places, but has had to take on the same size of the briefcase.

Of all of the bags I have found, I like the Osprey, Keen, and Coronado Leather bags best, with the Coronado Leather bag leading the pack. It is made for CCW, and is nice enough to wear with anything. The Osprey and Keen would not necessarily look good if I am wearing all of my nice clothes... Like to a job interview or something. What? You don't want to bring a gun to a job interview? You know you do!!