A concealed carry backpack is a normal backpack with one difference: a separate, zippered compartment with a holster in it, placed where you can reach it with the bag slung to the front. Most people who want one are students, commuters, parents, and hikers who cannot wear a belt holster in what they wear, and most of the "tactical" backpacks sold to them scream gun from across a parking lot. This guide covers the three we sell that do not.
What to look for
- A dedicated compartment with its own zipper, on the back panel or the side, that you can open with the bag swung to the front.
- An internal holster on hook and loop, adjustable for height and angle, that covers the trigger.
- Nothing tactical on the outside. No MOLLE, no patches, no coyote tan. The best concealed carry backpack looks like a backpack.
- Size. Small enough to keep on your body all day. A big pack gets set down.
The backpacks
Elite Survival Systems CCW Mini Backpack
A 13-by-8.5-inch mini backpack in heather gray or stripe that reads as a fashion bag, with a discreet zippered concealed carry compartment, an ambidextrous internal holster on hook and loop adjustable for height and angle, a large main compartment, and an exterior phone pocket. The most anonymous gun backpack we sell. $32.97.
Cameleon Amelia Concealed Carry Backpack
A women's backpack in vegan leather with a faux buckle strap and magnetic snap, a drawstring main compartment big enough for a tablet and books, a zippered front pocket, and an ambidextrous 8-by-8-inch concealed carry pocket with an included universal holster that fits a full-frame pistol. Black, maroon or hunter green, 10 by 12 by 6.25 inches. $149.99.
Elite Survival Systems Avenger Concealment Gun Pack
Not a backpack: a 6.5-by-9-inch 1000-denier pack that carries by the handle, on the included shoulder strap, or on a belt, with a main compartment that is entirely the holster and an accessory compartment with magazine loops. For anyone who wants the gun in a bag and nothing else in the bag. Black, coyote or heather gray, $67.95.
How to carry a backpack with a gun in it
Off-body carry has one rule that outranks every feature: the bag stays on your body. A gun in a bag on a chair, in a cart, or on a car seat is a gun someone else can pick up. The second rule is that the gun lives in its own compartment, in a holster that covers the trigger, and nothing else goes in there. Carry it on one shoulder or sling it to the front in a crowd, where you can get to the compartment. Practice the draw at home: swing, unzip, grip, and out, with an unloaded gun, until it is one motion.
Frequently asked questions
Can I carry a full-size pistol in a backpack?
Yes. The Amelia and Avenger take a full-frame pistol; the Mini Backpack fits compacts and subcompacts.
Is off-body carry a good idea?
It is a compromise. It is slower than a belt holster and only as secure as your grip on the bag. It is much better than not carrying, and for some clothes and some days it is the only option.
Does the bag come with a holster?
Every bag listed here includes an adjustable hook-and-loop holster inside the concealed compartment.
Can I put anything else in the gun compartment?
No. The gun and nothing else, so nothing can get into the trigger guard.
Left-handed?
The compartments and holsters are ambidextrous; the holster repositions for either hand.
The bottom line
The CCW Mini Backpack is the concealed carry backpack nobody will look at twice. The Amelia is the one for a full-size gun and a full day of stuff.
Related reading
Best EDC sling bags
Best concealed carry fanny packs
Best concealed carry holsters: every style
