The Purpose: To test and evaluate holsters for long distance runners; this first time up it's The Ultimate Belly Band by ComfortTac, $39.90 on Amazon. I chose this belly band in particular because of it's low cost for this type holster combined with a high number of positive reviews on Amazon.About the tester: Male, 5'8", 145-155lbs. Triathlete, runner, middle of the pack depending on the race. When I'm in full training mode focused on a marathon or ultramarathon, I'll log 60-70 miles per week. Currently I don't carry on my runs, but I'd like to have the equipment to make it an option.The Setup: I wore the holster above the waistline to keep my hips free to move. Here it is concealed under a running shirt with some printing. I felt that concealment was fine, given than I normally run with a phone, nutrition, or hydration on my waistline anyway I doubt it would look out of place on most runners. Plus, being in motion will only add to the concealment.Here's the holster as I used it, carrying a Glock 43 and an IPhone 6S. The spot for the phone can also hold a spare magazine. The holster can hold a Glock 19, but I'd rather not lug the weight of something larger than a polymer single stack. With the tab/strap in place, it's not a face draw. That's fine with me, given the tradeoff for keeping the gun secure and stable.The test run was an 8-mile trail run. Surface was ungroomed soft single-track trail, about 60% soft dirt, 20% each mud and scree. Two wadi crossings up to calf depth, and fallen logs every mile or so. Elevation gain was a few hundred feet, mostly concentrated in a couple of sharp rises. Pace was long slow distance, and respected the small obstacles that came up -- mostly 10:00-12:00 miles. If it gives some idea, in similar conditions on a flat surface I'd expect 8:30-9:30 given the same LSD effort.The verdict: I'll be using this again; I was surprised and pleased at the amount of stability it offered while being comfortable against the skin. After more than 7 miles, there was no chafing or hotspots, and I didn't need to readjust the holster during the run. Both phone and gun remained securely in place; there was no excessive or uncomfortable bouncing. The one-size fits all band is much longer than it needs to be for my size, but the excess material rides along unnoticed when its fastened properly. It may also help keep things dry; when I removed the gun from the holster after the run, no condensation or sweat had contacted it.The stitching is solid, and I expect it will hold up quite a while through use and laundering.This holster will work for training runs that don't require carrying hydration carried on the hips, making it ideal for those whose training efforts stay below 60-90 minutes, or athletes who use hydration vests. I could also see this getting uncomfortably hot for some, but as long as there's no chafing I personally don't mind being sweaty under the neoprene.TL; DR: It's a worthy holster that should work as advertised for most runners. via /r/CCW http://ift.tt/2iOyk3n
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