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A sidearm is a valuable tool to have while hunting, scouting, or hiking, and to be useful, you need to keep it at the ready. This is, fortunately, made easier with the wide variety of holsters available. Most folks will find that chest carry is most convenient. Here are a few reasons for that:
- Chest carry doesn’t interfere with a backpack waist belt
- Chest holsters can usually be kept on the outside and aren’t affected by clothing layers
- It typically allows the best freedom of movement
- Your handgun can remain quickly accessible, and not snag on anything
One drawback to chest carry is that sometimes holsters don’t work cohesively with a binocular pouch/harness — a tool that’s become standard for most western hunters. At best, you have another extra set of straps to deal with, and at worst, it simply doesn’t work. There are better options out there, and one of them is the Guardian chest plate from Deadfall Designs. This simple plate allows you to attach your holster, and uses webbing straps to the rear of your bino harness, sandwiching the pistol between. The plate’s hole pattern is compatible with a variety of holsters and you can orient the pistol how you like.
For harnesses with wings or side pouches, the pistol can be a bit buried, but the Guardian works very well with compact handguns in this configuration. For others using bino pouches with no side wings, it’s easy to fit a holster for a G20 or other full-sized 10mm, and to position the grip for an efficient draw.
A key to successful backcountry defense is being armed and always having your handgun at the ready. This system makes that easier by providing a simple, universal, user-friendly option.