Halloween Carry Tips: Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Halloween is a time for spooks, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. It is a time to dress up and pretend, a time for sweets and treats. What it is not is a time to let your guard down so that you are unprepared to defend yourself or those you love.

There are five things I always keep in mind when I carry; especially for Halloween Carry:

1. Clothing
2. Holster choice
3. Speed of access
4. Place
5. Less-than-lethal options

These are especially important to consider when wearing a costume that may impede accessibility and when activities may take you to places where alcohol is served or other factors prohibit carrying your personal firearm.

1. Clothing

First, let’s consider clothing. Halloween costumes are fun! And parties or occasions to wear them are fun. Whether you like to dress scary, cute, or in a couple-themed outfit, where to carry is your first consideration.

• Is your costume multi-layered?
• Does it have a cloak or overcoat?
• Is it tight-fitting?
• Is it revealing?
• Does it require a mask?

These questions apply to any wardrobe choice you make, but they may hit differently when wearing a costume.

Responsible carry means giving serious thought and consideration to these decisions.

If your costume requires a mask, other laws may come into play. Be sure to consider the ramifications of wearing a mask while carrying a concealed weapon.

2. Holster Choice

Next, think about holster choice. Where does your costume allow you to carry? Will you need a belt holster that is outside the waistband and can be covered by your costume, or will you opt for an in-the-waistband system?

While it may seem like a good idea to incorporate your firearm into your costume, don’t. Being in a crowd who may not recognize that your firearm is real increases the chances that someone may try to take it from you. Things could escalate badly from there.

3. Speed of Access

Your comfort and ease of draw are further considerations. Studies show that in an emergency, you must be able to access your firearm and get a shot on target in 2.0 seconds or less. Wearing a cover garment, as costumes likely involve, may add as much as 0.5 seconds to your draw time.

One habit I formed early on, at the suggestion of the woman from whom I took my license-to-carry training, was to dry-fire draw at least ten times before walking out the door each morning. Since the costume you choose may be quite different from the clothing style you normally wear, this step is even more important.

You will need to practice clearing any cover garments as well. Some hints to make this step easier include the following:

• Grab your shirt or blouse with your non-dominant hand, pulling the material up and across your body.
• If you are wearing a vest or jacket that is too long or heavy to clear easily, swing it open with your dominant hand to access your firearm.
• Buttons, zippers, and snaps—plan first and choose wisely. Buttons aren’t your friend in an emergency. Choose a zipper with an extended pull for ease of access. And snaps may require both hands to separate.

These choices will affect your ease and speed of access. So will practice.

4. Place

Another consideration is where you will be wearing your costume. Just as in everyday carry, a concealed permit does not give you carte blanche to carry anywhere you choose. You must always follow the laws regarding carrying a firearm in your state.

5. Less-Than-Lethal Options

Halloween’s revelry may take you to places where carrying a firearm is not an option. If that is the case, you may want to consider a less-than-lethal option.

• Will you be able to carry pepper spray or a stun gun?
• Is a kubotan an option?

Choosing one of these options will lead to other considerations.

• Where will you carry your tool for protection?
• How easily will you be able to access it?

These are the same questions you must ask as a responsible gun owner any day that you choose to carry.

If You Stay Home

Finally, you may choose to stay home instead of going out to celebrate the holiday. If so, you may not wish to wear your firearm. Instead, you may choose to keep it in a place where it is easily accessible, should the need arise. Be sure that wherever you store your firearm, it is not accessible by anyone but you.

The Bottom Line

Dressing up for Halloween may give you more variations to ponder in your decision to carry, but the bottom line is still to make a responsible choice so that you will be able to protect yourself and those you love.

The goal for every gun owner who chooses to carry a firearm for personal protection is to come home safely every night. Thinking through the choices you make each day as you get dressed, whether for work or for fun, increases the likelihood of that outcome.