Concealed Carry Corner: Planning To Travel While Carrying

Know Your State Laws

If I had to stress one thing more than anything else, it would be to plan out your route and know exactly what states you can carry concealed, as well as states you will need to unload and secure your firearm while going through. There are a number of online resources that will show your concealed carry reciprocity and which states you're allowed to carry in. Another important factor is knowing what is considered concealed when inside the vehicle. For example, in Florida, the handgun has to be truly concealed inside your vehicle, while in a state like Michigan, you can have a handgun anywhere in the vehicle and have it be considered concealed.

So various laws like that can make a difference when traveling through different states. If you're looking for a good resource, the USCCA online reciprocity chart will tell you exactly what states are good for your home state carry license. It's a great resource for people who are on the road and traveling through multiple states. This week, I’m heading down to Knoxville, TN and with the route I'm taking, I will be able to carry my handgun concealed all the way down with no worries of having to unload and store my handgun. Knowing the basic laws and abiding by them will allow you to stay out of trouble and not make a costly mistake that could be entirely avoided.  

Prioritize Your Items

One of the biggest mistakes I see when people travel with handguns is putting everything they own and want to take on their body rather than only carrying the bare essentials and carrying everything else in a bag or in their vehicle. Having the least amount of items on your body will help keep you comfortable traveling and sitting on long trips. Another thing I see people do when they travel with firearms is pack everything under the sun they could possibly need. It creates stress and there's a 99.9% chance you won't need hardly anything extra you pack.

While it offers you peace of mind, it can add extra stress and drag you down with extra bags in the name of being prepared. I used to be like this, but the more I travel, the less I take since I won't need almost any of the things. I will take medical items and a few extra magazines for my carry pistol. I will usually carry a full-size or mid-size handgun just because it's easier to carry in a vehicle than a super small handgun. I used to take a rifle, armor and all kinds of stuff, but there's really no reason. It adds weight to your vehicle and makes checking in difficult with extra gear. These are all personal preferences for me, and it's not necessarily the best way to travel for you. The hard truth is you don't need much more than what you typically would carry on any given day.

Tiered Approach

For those of you who want to pack out your vehicle and travel with a rifle, gear and extra items you may or may not need, the best way I’ve found to do this is having everything in a tiered list where your absolute essentials (handgun, knife, and wallet) are on your body. I know it may be tempting to take your carry gun off, but I usually advise against that. Keep it simple when riding in a vehicle; any medical supplies should be in your backpack or a bag you can easily take.

This is typically where I would keep my extra magazines, medical supplies and anything else I want to bring extra. If you have a smaller PDW-style rifle, I would usually put my rifle in the bag as well, but I know it's not always possible for everyone to do that. If you have a longer rifle that you take as a travel companion, you will have to keep it as a third tier inside the vehicle. This can be everything else that may be too large for a simple backpack. Whether that's body armor, full-size rifles and anything else that is too large for a regular bag. These items I tend to argue against taking. The benefit is outweighed by the extra effort you need to put in just to bring it into a hotel or area where people in public will see you. If someone sees you with everything, it can be an uncomfortable situation or even involve the local police. You can absolutely take extra items, but be smart and have it be a tiered system just to keep things simple and organized.

Overall Thoughts

If you don't normally travel with firearms across the country, it can be rather tricky to know what to take and exactly how to check to see if you're legally carrying concealed in various states. It's always important to look at your trip before leaving and keep things simple when packing. If you feel the need to pack heavy in order to be prepared, do it using a tier system and things will be easier for you.

Let me know what you will typically take when you go on a road trip in the comments below. If you have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.

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