Does anyone here use this vest, or any other, for concealed carry?  What issues, plus and minus, have you found?  I would like to try one out for myself, but at $70 I would like to hear a few opinions first.

when i see a vest with lots of pockets i think gun but maybe that's just me.

Me too aim, but I think its because thats what I use(Cabellas photo type vest)  when I do carry.   Saw a guy in a store the other day with a black photo vest on and I immediately started looking for the grip to push on the fabric when he bent at the waist.  Even though on this day some had light jackets on, the vest got my attention.   I seldom have a gun on, but generally have one in the vehicle.  What can you wear in the tx heat that doesn't scream packin'? It's a tough one.  Belly(sweat) band? Yikes.

Quoted: when i see a vest with lots of pockets i think gun but maybe that's just me.

If you think a vest screams 'gun' then you should see what I'm using for warm weather now!  It's a full sized Gunrunner waist pack with a 2" wide belt.  At least it's blue and not 'tactical black.'  It's surprisingly fast on the draw though.  It also used to have the advantage of being big enough to carry all of our daily 'stuff' but not any more.  All those goodies that make life easier are taking up more and more space.

When I saw the ad for the 5.11 vest in the latest NRA catalog, my wife and I were both excited at finding something that has the pockets designed for our growing list of gadgets and conceals a pistol too.

I checked out the 5.11 website today and discovered a stocking dealer nearby.  The weekend we plan to check them out in person.

The problem with a lot of pockets is you tend to fill them up. You put 5 to 10 pounds of junk in those pockets, and that vest is going to feel wrong.
The vest stands out to people in the know. So if you're law abiding, you should be okay. It draws to much attention either way. If you're a photo guy, isn't someone thinking that they might be able to jack you 3,000 dollar cannon camera?
Pick the vibe you want to present carefully. You'd be amazed how often you're scoped out by a criminal.
-Steve

Interesting.   It's good that someone mentioned weight distribution since I didn't occur to me and I can't test that factor throughly in a store.  I'll have to think about that one since the weight of whatever I carry would be transferred to the shoulders pulling to the front.

However, with the exception of the battery of our cel phone, and of course the pistol, everything we carry is pretty lightweight.  For example, one reason we picked a Surefire G2 instead of the 6P was because it shaves off 20% in weight.  Moreover, the weight of my pistol, now pulling forward on my lowerback, would be transferred to the hip.

Maybe this would work if we keep a reasonable limit on what we carry.

As far as the 'vibes' are concerned.  Would a vest be any better or worse than a waist pack? (shoulder shrug)  This really all came about when one of my carry instructors said that he discourages waist packs because he heard of a few 'slash and grab' thefts.

The entire 5.11 line of "tactical clothing" has an excellent reputation.  I've got several friends who use their vests and swear by them.  I've been using their polo shirt and find it to be comfortable and innovative in design.

I have one...I love it.  It stays in my truck (Texas) year round and is worn as needed.   I also have a fanny pack that I carry.

I wore the vest at Disney World for five days...worked great!    

I would definitely recommend it.

I use my 511 vest for CCW and the only comments that I've gotten is people asking me if I was fishing earlier. Kind of stupid, but at least they didn't ask if I was CCW. Also, I have noticed that around here the vest doesn't attract any attention from police. The best part is the vest has enough rigidity to properly cover the weapon even when bumped, sitting, or during simple movement. I too have heard all the "shoot me first" comments by other gun nuts, but really if the bad guy is astute enough to figure out you are armed, they he should also pick an easier target.  

well at least i know i'm not paranoid.. living in FL.. i just can't see a vest. A fanny pack down here either means german tourist or you're packing. i just stick witha  fobus paddle and an untucked shirt. Sometimes i got for the bellyband  or i have a Kramer under-confident shirt which is nice sometimes.

To sheeple vest means fishing and photography.
To cops, CCW's, and SMART criminals vest means gun.
Honestly I think your main concern would be with the police. I would think a criminal that sees that you have a gun would have the good sense to leave you alone. If they're hyped up on drugs they probably wont care but then again if they're hyped up on drugs they probably wont notice. As for CCW's; when I was at work they had a new guy that they were showing around the plant and I immediately noticed he was packing. He was wearing a fanny pack with a zipper that went down the side and across the top with a loop in between. Obvious. But I didn't say anything because he was a nice guy and I knew he was just like me. So, if you go to a coffee shop, just make sure it's well hidden.

Edited to say: Sorry this was kind of a tangent.

I've got two 5.11 Vests (khaki and OD) and I like them.  My wife calls them the "wearable diaper bag" because of the bottle pockets in the back.  Needless to say, I'm not amused.  Anyway, the vests work well to conceal a handgun, but don't always fit the "dress" of the day.  

I find the internal concealment pockets to be totally useless.  I've removed the velcro panels entirely, mostly because they add stiffness to the front of the vest that makes drawing a gun on the hip more difficult.  I've got the 5.11 pouches (made by BHI) that go inside, but when used, they just make the vest look too bulky.  Also, any handgun carried in these pockets that weights more than 16 oz fully loaded flops around a lot.  I know they show a vest with a 1911 coming out of the concealement pocket, but I can say from experience that is totally unrealistic.

On the left side lowe pocket, there are loops for 3 handgun magazines.  The problem is the loops are only near the top, and there is nothing near the bottom to help hold them in.  For my 1911 mags, they are held so loosely that after a few minutes, they are just rattling around loosely in the pocket.  I need to figure out a way to fix that.

Other than my friends, I don't see very many 5.11 vests at all.  I've seen a few from other sources, but also rarely.  Given that, most of the sheeple and criminal element where I live won't notice the vest.  The cops may or may not either.

You might want to carry some weight in your strong side bottom-most pocket, closest to the zipper, to help get the vest out of the way upon your draw.  I recommend a couple of rounds, or car keys.  A little trick from carrying under a suit for a few years...

I would have no problem carrying with one of these vests.  People that worry about them screaming gun, are over-thinking the situation I think.

If it is true, then we should stop wearing Wilderness belts, 5.11 pants, close haircuts, etc......

More people pick up on your haircut or pants then they do a vest.

I can carry with an unbuttoned ss shirt over a t-shirt, with the pistol on my belt.  This is in NM!!!  The onlyplaces that compares to us is AZ.  Unless you are outdoors for hours at a time, the heat shouldn't be a concern.  We have ac in our cars, stores, offices, etc....

Quoted: You might want to carry some weight in your strong side bottom-most pocket, closest to the zipper, to help get the vest out of the way upon your draw.  I recommend a couple of rounds, or car keys.  A little trick from carrying under a suit for a few years...

I second the above....all in favor (i)

Well, I got the vest this weekend.  We paid full retail at a local store, but it was well worth it because we were able to work with a sales person and try on various sizes and colors to pick out the best one for me.  The sales person watched while I tried on the various vests, with my pistol on of course, and he and my wife made observations and suggestions as I went through the process.  "OK, bend left.  Now bend right." that sort of thing while they watched for 'printing'.

My wife really likes it and wants one of her own.  I think we'll fit one into the budget for her next month.

My thanks to everyone for the input.

BTW, they had Surefire G2s on sale for $25 so we picked up another one of those too so we each have one.

Quoted: Well, I got the vest this weekend.  We paid full retail at a local store, but it was well worth it because we were able to work with a sales person and try on various sizes and colors to pick out the best one for me.  The sales person watched while I tried on the various vests, with my pistol on of course, and he and my wife made observations and suggestions as I went through the process.  "OK, bend left.  Now bend right." that sort of thing while they watched for 'printing'. My wife really likes it and wants one of her own.  I think we'll fit one into the budget for her next month. My thanks to everyone for the input. BTW, they had Surefire G2s on sale for $25 so we picked up another one of those too so we each have one.

Where did you buy it at Fishkepr?  I see your in WA, so I'm just curious.

Quoted: Quoted: Well, I got the vest this weekend.  We paid full retail at a local store, but it was well worth it because we were able to work with a sales person and try on various sizes and colors to pick out the best one for me.  The sales person watched while I tried on the various vests, with my pistol on of course, and he and my wife made observations and suggestions as I went through the process.  "OK, bend left.  Now bend right." that sort of thing while they watched for 'printing'. My wife really likes it and wants one of her own.  I think we'll fit one into the budget for her next month. My thanks to everyone for the input. BTW, they had Surefire G2s on sale for $25 so we picked up another one of those too so we each have one. Where did you buy it at Fishkepr?  I see your in WA, so I'm just curious.

Bullseye in Tacoma.