I have written many articles about the way I feel about off-body carry of a concealed handgun. In short it is not my favorite way to carry a handgun due to the fact that it increases the opportunity of someone to take your handgun because it is not on your person. But as I have also mentioned, sometimes it is the only way I
you can carry a handgun in certain situations and I would rather use this method then not have a handgun on my person at all.
Where I work I am not allowed to carry a handgun on my person so I utilize a good backpack that is designed for carrying a concealed handgun, I am using the Maxpedition “Sitka” Gearslinger pack right now and it works really well as an everyday carry sling pack. It has plenty of room to hold your EDC gear without being so big that you carry too much stuff and it has a separate pocket that holds your handgun securely.
But in the summertime when things are “hot” 
and all I wear is a t-shirt and a pair of Wranglers, I do wear a small sling pack (or bag) to carry my handgun in. Recently I bought a Raptor Sling Pack which seems to work very well. I did a review on this bag on September 30, 2025, if you are interested in that. This bag is smaller than a full backpack and works great as a concealed carry bag. If this pack is something that might appeal to you, then check it out. The holsters that come with both of these backpacks are not very good in my opinion and so let’s explore this topic a little further.
What Holster Usually Comes With This Type Of Concealed Carry Backpack?
My concealed carry backpacks of choice
are made by Maxpedition and Dinosaurized: An Army Store and they have a couple of styles of backpack holsters that they offer for their concealed carry backpacks. They are the Velcro straps that can be placed around your handgun to universally fit many sizes of handguns. The back of the universal handgun holster has Velcro on it so it can be placed anywhere the backpack has Velcro attached to the backpack. There are other brands of concealed carry backpacks; Vertx, Blackhawk, 5.11, Glock, Alpine Concealed, Voodoo, Eberlestock, Red Rock, Elite Survival Systems, Wolf Tactical, Viktos, Advance Warrior Solutions, etc. which use the same type of holster for their backpacks. Some of them are included with their backpack and others you need to purchase separately. 
Some people like this style of Velcro backpack holster, they are handy, versatile and economical but it is not what I like to use in my backpack.
Looking For The Perfect Backpack Holster
When I first considered using a concealed carry backpack to hold my handgun I looked at all the holster options that were available. As I mentioned, the Velcro style backpack holster is not what I wanted to use in my backpacks. I like a holster that is more ridged and holds my handgun so it does not move around.
It took a lot of research to find my perfect backpack holster. Many hours of Internet searching, looking at holster manufacturers to see if they make backpack holsters and then if they did, what style they made. Honestly, there were not very many that made good ones.
This One Really Works
Then I found this one from a company
that I never heard of before. Their name was Cook’s Holsters and they really did a fine job with these holsters. I have ordered two of their holsters about 6 – 7 years ago and they really impressed me. These are especially made to fit flat, like in a backpack and that flat section of the holster is large enough
to hold a large piece of Velcro that will really sticks to the side of a backpack. Plus it clicks in place and will not come out without a good tug on the handgun by your hand. They worked really awesome for me and I liked them a lot. Then when I got the Raptor Sling Bag I tried to contact them but then they were gone. Their website is still there but I got not response by phone or email. And I thought I would just need to forget about these holsters and utilize something else.
I Found Another Company
So I tried to use the holster that came with the Raptor Sling Bag but It was not my type of holster. I got back on the Internet and began to search for backpack holsters 
again, but all I found were the Cordura styles and nothing made out of Kydex. Then I tried to look up flat-backed Kydex holster and I found what I needed. A company named Crossbreed Holsters ( ) had a whole line of flat backed holsters for purses, backpacks and bedside holsters. They call their holster a “Modular” holsters, and they do make them either right or left handed. So if you are interested in this type of holster, you might check them out.
Their website address:
https://www.crossbreedholsters.com/product/modular-holster/
You need to check them out, their products seem really nice.
Final Thoughts
Well there you have it, my saga of the backpack holster search that finally came up with a good solution. Concealed Carry Backpacks may not be for everyone but they do work very well in certain situations. But if you are going to use them, they must be setup correctly. You need a holster that will keep your handgun in the correct position within your backpack or bag. Those flimsy nylon holsters do not secure your handgun as well as a Kydex holster and the last thing you want is for your handgun to come out of the holster and be loose in your backpack. So if you agree with my comments, you might contact Crossbreed Holsters and give them a try, have a great day!
If you have any questions about this post or anything related to Everyday Carry (EDC), feel free to leave a comment below and I will be happy to get back to you.
All the best,
Larry
Founder of EDC Essentials