Gear Review: 5.11 Tactical Select Carry Pistol Pouch

I have owned my Select Carry Pistol Pouch by 5.11 Tactical for over a year now and it has become one of my favourite, as well as one of my most useful accessory purchases to date.

I am not traditionally a fan of any sort of off-body carry method. I prefer to carry my defensive handgun securely on my body in a Kydex holster, but sometimes circumstances dictate that other options be explored. One such situation is when I train at the gym: tracksuit pants and vigorous exercise are not very conducive to carrying a holstered firearm after all, the lack of a proper belt not being the only concern.

Fortunately, I managed to find a very effective solution to this little problem in the shape of the 5.11 Tactical Select Carry Pistol Pouch.

The pouch is sized suitable for any standard pistol, and it securely holds a Glock 19 and two spare magazines without a problem. The elastic slots into which the handgun and magazines fit require a little breaking in at first, but they hold their retention ability even after extensive use. The slots also allow for handguns to be secured in either direction, so the pouch is completely suitable for left-handed as well as right-handed people.

Drawing the handgun from the pouch is easy and unencumbered. The pouch comes with hot-pull tabs which allow you to rapidly pull the pouch open from the zipped-up position and deploy your firearm. This works exceptionally well even when driving. When zipped-up the pouch will remain closed until the hot-pull tabs are pulled or it is unzipped, therefore there is no risk of it opening by itself and exposing your firearm.

The Select Carry Pouch has a fully adjustable strap to ensure it properly fits people of all shapes and sizes. It is made from rugged 1050D nylon which can withstand some punishment, and is padded for comfort.

I am especially fond of how inconspicuous the pouch looks. There is nothing about it that indicates it is designed for carrying a firearm, and while savvy gun owners will immediately have their suspicions roused by a person wearing a pouch or moonbag, it is safe to assume Joe Public will remain merrily oblivious.

Having worn it to the gym and other public places over the past year I can also safely state that it is quite comfortable. Sure, you may not exactly look cool, but being over 30 I find myself caring less and less about style and caring more about substance. As Sprite used to say, image is nothing: thirst is everything. It will keep your firearm hidden and secure while you lift weights, but I do recommend placing it next to you if you get on the treadmill: as secure as it is, it will bounce sufficiently to pulverise your family jewels at speeds above a sedate jog.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a reliable, practical carry solution for situations where belt-and-holster carry simply won’t be suitable…this is definitely an option worth serious consideration.

Since I acquired my version 5.11 has unfortunately done away with many of the colour options, and the Select Carry Pouch is currently only available in black.