The Fanny Pack with a Bang: An Excellent Concealed Carry Solution

I often carry concealed, and my two go-to concealed carry pistols are the Glock 43x and the Sig Sauer P365-XMACRO Comp - both 9mm. For a while now, my go-to concealed carry solution is an IWB (inside the waistband) Phenom Stealth holster from G-Code, which I appendix-carry.

However, at the SHOT Show this January, our friends at Eberlestock handed me one of their Bando Bags, and I made a mental note to try one as soon as I could. Eberlestock has had trouble keeping these things in stock, but a few weeks ago, I was finally able to grab two to try out - the XL and the normal size.

Now first, let me say that I've never carried a "fanny pack" in my life. Sometimes, in fact, I've probably made fun of dudes I've seen wearing fanny packs. But now that I've spent a half dozen or so outings with the Eberlestock Bando Bag I have to say, I'm a big fan and I don't give a s&!$ if anyone makes fun of me. This thing is super functional and of course, also has a nice little surprise that beach-type fanny packs do not.

First of all, the main pocket on the Bando is great for carrying lots of practical items - wallet, keys, Airpods, etc. - as well as other EDC items, like a fixed-blade knife, flashlight, lighter, whatever. There's an elastic loop on the lid of the main compartment, and Eberlestock mentions this is a good place to store a tourniquet. You can see what that looks like here with the MyMedic Rapid RATS Tourniquet. (Side note - RATS stands for Rapid Application Tourniquet System. It is a type of tourniquet designed for quick and easy application in emergency situations to control severe bleeding. The RATS tourniquet is known for its simplicity, effectiveness, and compact size, making it a popular choice for both military and civilian use.) This elastic loop works just fine for a tourniquet, but as you'll see in a sec, there are other uses for this as well.

On the front of the Bando is a smaller zippered pocket where you could store smaller items or maybe cash. Or - as I figured out - a spare mag.

I should also point out one of the things I love about the Bando Bag are those large finger loops on the zipper pulls. Whoever came up with those at Eberlestock deserves a raise, Glen.

The third zippered pouch on the Bando is on the back of the bag and lays flat against your body. The pouch is the full width of the Bando.

And this pouch is where you keep your sidearm nice and handy.

Inside the weapon pocket area is an elastic strap to keep your pistol positioned perfectly. The strap is backed with velcro and you can move it around on the inside of the concealed carry area wherever you want, depending on your pistol geometry.

The lining of the concealed pocket on the Bando Bag is velcro, but it's super soft velcro that doesn't seem like it would scratch your weapon finish.

The zipper on the concealed carry pocket unzips the full length of the top and both sides, and the Bando sort've flips down out of the way when drawing your pistol. I don't know if Eberlestock intended the design to function that way, but it's spot on for quickly drawing your pistol if necessary. It's like the weight of the items in the other pockets, combined with the design of the weapon pocket, functions to get stuff out of the way fast when necessary.

As I mentioned, I bought two different Bando Bags - the regular size and the XL. The XL is shown here in Coyote Brown (with a grey front pocket), and the regular size in Black.

Eberlestock mentions that the XL Bando Bag is designed to carry more full-frame pistols, and indeed, my custom Glock 20 (10mm), complete with Trijicon RMR, Streamlight TLR7a, and threaded barrel, fits just fine.

I've also carried the XL with my Sig P365-XMACRO Comp, which works fine. The XL bags simply give you more room to carry stuff without the pockets getting too tight. The last thing you want is to be that idiot who accidentally sets off their car alarm because your key fob got squeezed in your "Bando-lier" fanny pack with a secret gun compartment.

So, keep an open mind, remember that Mil folks have been using tactical fanny packs for a long time, and try out an Eberlestock Bando Bag as a solid concealed carry solution. Someone might stare at you as you walk through Walmart or the mall or while getting gas or whatever. But who cares - you know you're comfortably carrying what you need, especially if things get tight and you have to reach for that 3rd, rear pocket. Overall, I highly recommend the Eberlestock Bando Bag - especially for the price...give it a shot.

Below are a few more pics I hope are helpful. Feel free to DM-me (shoot me a Guidefitter message) if you have any other questions. Happy to help where I can.

This is that removable, velcro-backed elastic loop. Pull it up and reposition it where you need to secure your weapon.

The regular size Bando, showing the size of the main pocket compared to my wallet/drivers license, AirPods, etc.