The Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack is a simple, unassuming fanny pack designed for carrying a pistol. 

In an effort to find comfortable ways to carry a gun, I decided to test out the Everyday Fanny Pack to see if it is a viable option for concealed carry.

What is the Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack

The Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack is a collaboration between CCW gear company Vertx and professional competitive shooter Lena Miculek. 

The pack features three pockets:

• A front pocket for small accessories like chapstick, credit cards, etc.
• A middle pocket with a velcro back for carrying a gun and velcro-backed holster
• A back pocket that is big enough to carry even the biggest iPhone with a case

The pack is made of a nylon fabric that Vertx claims is hair-resistant and comes in two attractive colors: black and mountain sage. The middle pocket that holds the gun features over-sized pull tabs to make drawing the gun easier. There is an adjustable strap that allows the user to wear it around the waist as you would a traditional fanny pack or cross body. At the buckle attachment, there is a small loop for attaching keys or other items with a carabiner. 

The pack’s size dimensions are:

• 9” wide
• 5.5” tall
• 2.1” wide

It has a capacity of 2L. These dimensions make it similar in size to the Lululemon Everywhere 2L Belt Bag. It is also sized somewhere between the Hill People Gear Snubby Belt Pack and Medium Belt Pack. Pricing wise, it is just $49.99 from Vertx’s website.

For this review, I’m using a Sig Sauer P365XL with an optic. It fits perfectly in the fanny pack. I was able to fit a Glock 19X in a holster in the pack, but that’s about the largest handgun size you can fit. If you want to know if your gun will fit, you may want to take some measurements of your holstered gun to get an idea if it might work for you.

How to Use the Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack

Now, let’s explore how to properly use the Everyday Fanny Pack. 

Holster Options

The first thing you’ll need to do when setting up your Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack is set up a holster. Here, you have a few options.

I ordered the Fury Carry Solutions Appendix Holster for my Sig P365XL and took off the belt attachment and wing. Luckily, Fury provides the proper hardware to do this, though other holster companies may not. I then added a velcro backing to the holster using velcro tape you can easily find at Walmart or Amazon.

Another option is a Modular Holster from Crossbreed Holsters. It features a molded kydex front and cowhide leather rear with velcro. The biggest complaint with holster designs like Crossbreeds offer is that, over time, the leather backing can lose its stiffness and ultimately interfere with the trigger when holstering. That’s why I ultimately chose a full kydex holster from Fury.

The last option is using Tactigami accessories from Vertx, which allow easier mounting on the velcro. The BAP Strap XL or BAP Belt Adapter Panel allows you to secure your holster (with belt clips) to the fanny pack’s velcro backing. I didn’t personally try out any of these accessories, but they may be worth trying if none of the previous options work for you.

Carry Positions

The primary ways to carry the Everyday Fanny Pack are either across the waist like you would a traditional fanny pack, or cross body. 

Carrying like a traditional fanny pack is the more secure route. You can get the strap nice and snug around your waist.

Cross body carry offers a little more flexibility in the position of the pack as you carry throughout the day. You can keep it close to your centerline, let the pack rest at your side, or carry it at your back. I prefer to keep the pack close to my centerline for an easy draw and the security it provides.

Unless you have the strap tightened down pretty good, carrying the pack cross body does give a little more movement when drawing.

The Draw

When drawing your gun from the fanny pack, you first must pull the zipper strap to open the compartment. This can be done with either your left or right hand. I like using my left (non-dominant hand) to pull the strap, while holding the bag steady at the top strap with my right hand.

I then use my left hand to pull the strap downward. This does two things. It gets my hand out of the way of the muzzle and holds the pack taut so it remains stable as I draw the gun. 

One tip I have is to tuck the bottom zipper tab into the gun compartment. This leaves only the zipper tab needed to open the pack accessible for an easy draw. 

It’s important to test this draw out with an unloaded gun to determine which option is right for you.

The Re-Holster

When it’s time to put the gun back into its holster, you have two options. 

The first is to remove the holster to put the gun back in it, then return it to the fanny pack. This greatly reduces the risks of flagging yourself when re-holstering.

The second option is to return the gun to the holster while still attached to the fanny pack. Using this method takes some thought and patience. 

You’ll first want to open the gun compartment completely so that the inside front of the pack is facing outward. Next, I like to use my free hand to stabilize the pack either by pulling down on the strap at my side (the same as the draw) or by holding onto the top of the pack. Then, you should lean backwards at the hips. This angles the holster away from your body so that you do not muzzle yourself when returning the gun to its holster.

Finally, once your gun has a clear path of travel back into the holster, you can slowly and carefully return it to the holster.

Remember, if you are practicing this on the range, you may need to turn your body partially or fully to the side to ensure your gun remains pointed down range.

Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack: The Good

Let’s take a look at some of the things I really like about the Everyday Fanny Pack.

The Look

First off, I really like the look of this bag. Some companies make the mistake of designing carry gear that looks tactical, which totally undermines the point of concealed carry. The Everyday Fanny Pack reminds me of the Lululemon Belt Bag, and is actually a similar size to the Everyday Belt Bag Large 2L. This makes the fanny pack look totally unassuming – most people would not suspect the bag contained a gun.

The Detachable Holster

One of the most dangerous things you do as a concealed carrier is holstering your gun. Unfortunately, it’s not unheard of for someone to accidentally shoot themselves while holstering up. Without due diligence, it’s not difficult for something (a shirt, keys, etc.) to get tangled up in the trigger guard, discharging the firearm. If the shooter is not ensuring that they are not flagging themselves, then that round could easily discharge into their body. 

This is where the detachable velcro holster shines.

While you can safely reholster your gun in the fanny pack without removing the holster if enough diligence is used, being able to remove the holster to reholster your gun is even better. This allows you to easily put your gun back in its holster without the risk of an accidental discharge hitting you.

The Dedicated Gun Compartment

Having multiple pockets, one of which is a dedicated gun compartment, makes me really like this pack. The front and rear pocket can house all my small items I carry with me, while the middle pocket is solely for my gun and holster.

Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack: What Could Be Better

Now, let’s get to some of things that I think could be better about the Everyday Fanny Pack. 

Vertx’s Lack of Safety Education

My biggest hangup with this fanny pack is the lack of safety education from Vertx. Because of the nature of a fanny pack worn crossbody, there are some inherent safety issues that Vertx should address to ensure the user is using the fanny pack in the safest way.

Not only does Vertx not provide guidance on how to use the fanny pack safely, there is actually a video on the product page that shows a man breaking firearm safety rules by flagging himself with his gun over and over again as he demonstrates different sizes of guns being used in the pack. It is actually mind-boggling that Vertx would promote that level of negligence and complacency with one of their products.

Zipper

The middle pocket that holds the gun features a zipper that runs from the bottom of one side to the bottom of the other. If I could change one thing about this pack, it would be for the zipper to start and end about one inch lower on each side. This would allow for the front flap to completely open up, allowing for slightly easier re-holstering.

Carrying in a Car

The last thing I don’t like about carrying with a fanny pack is that it is not ideal for carrying in a car. I prefer to have my gun accessible, even when driving. With an appendix-in-the-waistband holster, I can drive without every taking my gun and holster off. Now, this isn’t an issue specific to the Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack, but off-body carry in general.

Rules for Using a CCW Fanny Pack

In order to be a safe and responsible concealed carrier using a fanny pack, there are some rules to follow to safely carry your gun:

• Only your gun and holster go in the gun compartment. Absolutely nothing else should be carried in this section so that your gun’s trigger doesn’t get tangled up in it. 
• Never leave your fanny pack unattended. If you are carrying a gun in it, the pack needs to be attached to your body unless stored safely at home.

• Do not flag yourself when drawing your gun or re-holstering. Your gun’s muzzle should not pass over any part of your body when not secured in its holster.

Concealed carry using a fanny pack is technically off-body carry, which can be pretty contentious among shooters. I find that fanny pack carry is more secure than purse carry as the gun is still attached to your body. That being said, if you are out in public, be cautious of carrying the pack behind your back. Pick pocketers are experts at stealing items out of your pockets and bags when not paying attention.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I find the Vertx Everyday Fanny Pack to be a well thought out option for concealed carry. I previously reviewed the Galco FasTrax PAC and find Vertx’s Everyday Fanny Pack to be a much better option.

While my primary choice for concealed carry is the PHLster Enigma for on-body carry, the Everyday Fanny Pack is a great choice for days that I need a different option.

Ultimately, if you choose to carry with the Everyday Fanny Pack, be sure you practice your draw and re-holstering with an unloaded or blue gun so that you can learn how to safely use your fanny pack.