Important Travel Tips for New Concealed Carry Holders

February 09, 2022

Concealed carry gives firearm owners peace of mind when away from the house. This peace of mind comes from knowing that they have the means to defend themselves if an emergency strikes. However, a lot of responsibility and preparation are necessary when you own a concealed carry permit.

For example, traveling to a new state or country requires careful planning when carrying your gun during the trip. If you want to be responsible, use this guide to learn the most important travel tips for new concealed carry holders.

Know the Destination’s Laws

If you’re already a firearm owner, then you hopefully already know your state’s gun laws. Further, unless you’re heading to a permit-less concealed carry state, you should prepare carefully for carrying your gun at the destination. After all, having a concealed carry permit in one state doesn’t mean you have a permit for every state in the country.

As a result, one of the first steps for successfully planning your trip is familiarizing yourself with the destination’s concealed carry laws. Thankfully, you don’t have to look far for answers. States throughout the country make regulations like concealed carry laws readily available online, so you can plan accordingly. If necessary, you can always jot down the essentials on a notepad and use it as a checklist when double-checking your cargo before the trip.

Stay Up to Date

If you travel to a different state for a vacation and your concealed carry experience is great due to your prep and research, then that’s wonderful. Despite this experience, you should still check back in with the state’s gun laws if you take the same trip the following year. Regulations can shift over time. Therefore, always staying in the loop is critical for carrying a concealed firearm legally.

Learning all the concealed carry regulations in states might sound like a hassle, but it’s a step that will save you from much greater issues during your travels. Next, we’ll discuss one of the key components of transporting firearms properly: bringing along a suitable case and holster.

Use a Reliable Carrying Case and Holster

Suffice it to say, transporting your gun and ammunition requires a reliable carrying case. Later in this article, we’ll dive deeper into how to pack supplies for air travel. However, reliable cases are critical no matter what mode of transportation you’re taking. Thankfully, there are many types of durable, secure carrying cases available.

For example, at Elite Survival Systems, we offer many storage options that differ based on your discretion preference or gun type. That way, if you want a more discreet storage option when traveling to a concealed carry state, you can easily find options available. Plus, you should always consider the ammo you’re bringing along when choosing a firearm case. Size accommodations will vary, so take time to find an option that meets your needs precisely.

Of course, you’ll need the same level of reliability from your holster while you’re away. Luckily, as you can see from our selection of tactical gun holsters, these accessories come in various styles. Once you have your case and holster ready to go, you can focus on packing other essentials, such as clothes.

Pack Carefully

Of course, being careful should be a no-brainer for any gun owner. Regardless, unique circumstances create unique problems. Don’t worry; that doesn’t mean you can’t find solutions to these problems. After all, traveling with a legally owned firearm isn’t exactly a new concept.

So, when choosing clothes for your trip, keep your concealed carry preferences in mind. For example, if you’re traveling to a colder part of the country, you’ll need some warm winter gloves, jackets, and more. However, heavy winter attire can get in the way when you try to draw a firearm.

In such cases, taking steps like slipping on a shoulder holster and bringing along an accommodating pair of gloves will help you draw safely. Simply put, if you’re planning to wear clothes on the trip that you don’t typically wear, consider how they’ll impact your carrying and drawing abilities.

Furthermore, you should make time to practice drawing while wearing your vacation attire if possible. This is especially important if you must wear winter gloves because their thick insulated padding can make drawing and firing a hassle. Fortunately, practicing and changing your glove choice accordingly will ensure you’re ready when you arrive at the destination.

Double-Check Your Hardware

As many frequent travelers know, double-checking your cargo is critical. During planning and packing, it’s easy to miss vital items, from passports to phone chargers and beyond. Your gun and its gear are not exempt from this. Before heading to the airport, double-check your firearm and ammo to ensure the case is secure, the weapon is empty, and everything is where it needs to be.

Understandably, having a gun with them can make many firearm owners feel secure when traveling to a new place. If that sounds like you, then don’t forget to keep this step in mind before leaving the house for your getaway. Speaking of which, let’s address one of the most important travel tips for new concealed carry owners: flying responsibly.

Know How To Fly With Firearms

You can pack your concealed carry firearm for a plane trip. That said, you can’t have the gun on you while on the plane. Luckily, you can easily prepare because the TSA lists strict guidelines online that will help you transport your gun in the air responsibly.

At the end of the day, legally transporting ammo and firearms in planes comes down to having secure storage. Before arriving at the airport, always unload and lock up your gun and place it in a hard-sided container.

Then, you can treat your gun and ammo as check-in baggage. Take time to dive into the details of the TSA’s firearms and ammunition guidelines because they’re brief and invaluable to transporting your firearm in the air successfully. Like your cargo, double-check the TSA’s regulations before heading to the airport to ensure everything is secure, lawful, and ready to go.

You can do the same with this article. Anytime you’re about to travel to a new state, whether by car or plane, you can check back with this guide to refamiliarize yourself with the essentials.

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