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Hot Weather Carry or TEXAS TOASTIN'!

4K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  Mike Oswalt 
#1 ·
I have just returned from two weeks or thereabouts traveling through Texas to pick up the new puppy and enjoy our first real vacation in years. Since reciprocity is in full effect from Florida to Texas and back in every state through which we drove, I was determined to be armed at all times. I put together my standard "carry bag" a small case with 150 rds of ammo in boxes, all my Glock 40 mags fully loaded (72 rds ready to launch) and a group of holsters. I packed my 511 tactical pants and two vests and a number of different holsters. For the initial leg, I was ever faithful with 511 tropicals, a lightweight vest and a Blade Tec IWB in which to carry my Glock M27 40. This lasted up into the first overnight stay at the in-laws place in Lake City Florida. It was pretty hot and humid all the way from Miami to pop's place.

Then we set off on I-10 west. When we hit Alabama, it got a bit worse. But by the time the alternator went bad in Alexandria Louisiana, it was SMOKIN' HOT! My word, I'd walk the adult dog in the pre-dawn moments and be sweating profusely by the time I got back into the hotel room (BEST WESTERN IS EXCELLENT IF YOU HAVE PETS!). By the time the van was fixed on warranty at a dealer, we headed up into Texas and through the Piney Woods and into the Hill Country where we picked up the pup and went sightseeing over 4th of July on thru the 11th. I have to confess, I swapped the vest and IWB to a belly bag and stayed with that for the entire trip. It held spare hi-cap M22 mag, SpyderCo knife and a SureFire 6P light.

Yup, it well...FELT conspicious. But I think that wearing a VEST in that heat and humidity would have been far worse. If I'd needed to draw, it would have been excruciatingly slow, but hopefully, being in condition yellow, I'd be able to see the threat a bit in advance and get set. I only had ONE time when the hairs on my neck stood up and that was when a carload of punks passed us full of "salty lookin' dudes" (as Dirty Harry once said) with full tatts and some evil looks. But even if they were predators, they didn't stay behind us long. I wonder if my window stickers were a factor?

"GLOCK, Sig Sauer, NRA Instructor, NRA Life Member, etc....." LOL
 
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#3 ·
Cavorting?

Euclidean said:
While you were cavorting, I was helping someone move.
First of all, what's WRONG with "cavorting?"

Next, in addition to "cavorting" I was adding to the economic growth of the great state of Texas. Explored Piney Woods and Hill Country. Next trip we'll head up north and maybe a little farther west but still in Texas, although the wife does want to see Roswell (she's a real Sci-Fi fan--I got her hooked on The X-Files when we first got married) and Santa Fe. I want to see the Fort Worth Stockyards and see if we can get a better steak than we found at The Little Red Barn in San Antonio, which would be hard to do.
 
#4 ·
Welcome Back Home Soldier!

Exsoldier was not cavorting.
You folks don't seem to know the subtle difference between "cavorting" and "rollicking and frolicking"
He was "rollicking & frollicking" all over the country picking up stray mutts.
I'm guessing that at least part of his trip was business as he did spend time "torture testing" his vehicle alternator.
I imagine that if you are traveling in "high heat" that the belly bag would be a better choice than an additional cover garment and probably much more comfortable than a synthetic blend "Please Shoot Me First" Vest.
The only real advantage to the vest would be that you could have carried a spare alternator in one of those many deep vest pockets. :biggrin:
Traveling when it is super hot? Remember these wise words.
Light Colors & 100% COTTON Will Keep You From Getting Hot And Rotten
 
#5 ·
I wear shorts and a t-shirt with underarmor on under the t shirt. Seems to work well. Just keep the t shirt untucked. And I am carrying a full size USP HK.
 
#7 ·
Welcome back, Soldier.

Glad the trip was a safe one.

Not to hijack the thread, but may we assume there will be pictures of the new member of the family posted soon?

I know all about that heat - I spent a few years living in AR, LA, and TX. Sometimes it feels like someone hung ten wet blankets on you as soon as you walked out the door.

SSKC
 
#8 ·
Soldier,

In Texas, we don't cavort too much, but we have been known to mosey and ponder.

Lot's of history in the Fort Worth stockyards (and Fort Worth in general)--I was born and raised there. Best steak hands down is at Cattlemen's in the middle of the stockyards. My brother who serves on attack subs has the steaks shipped to him in Connecticut when he's not out lobbing Tomahawks into Iraq or sneaking around underwater. The family and I spend a lot of time in the pineywoods and hill country camping (and maybe a little cavorting...).

I hope you make it back to Texas soon, and thanks for leaving some cash with us.
 
#9 ·
Pup Pic!

SSKC said:
Not to hijack the thread, but may we assume there will be pictures of the new member of the family posted soon?SSKC
Here ya go. Hope she posts okay. Pic was taken by my PHONE camera today. Pup is three months old tomorrow and weighs about 25 pounds.
 
#10 ·
Camjr said:
Soldier,

In Texas, we don't cavort too much, but we have been known to mosey and ponder.

Lot's of history in the Fort Worth stockyards (and Fort Worth in general)--I was born and raised there. Best steak hands down is at Cattlemen's in the middle of the stockyards. My brother who serves on attack subs has the steaks shipped to him in Connecticut when he's not out lobbing Tomahawks into Iraq or sneaking around underwater. The family and I spend a lot of time in the pineywoods and hill country camping (and maybe a little cavorting...).

I hope you make it back to Texas soon, and thanks for leaving some cash with us.
I agree, Cattlemans makes a great steak. One of the best.

Although, we spent some time at a dude ranch up in the panhandle in May, and the steaks we had cooked out on an open mesquite fire may have topped Cattlemans. I guess I need to get back by Cattlemans to refresh my memory, so I can compare.
 
#17 ·
I now live in the Piney Woods area after spending 15 years in New Orleans. While it's way too hot to do much cavorting this time of year, I think New Orleans was worse. Remember that old saying, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity"!!

Come back up in Oct/Nov or Mar/Apr, the weather's much nicer and you can get by without that vest getting too hot to wear. You might even want to bring a light jacket.
 
#18 ·
SASHAYING Miami Style---not to be seen in Texas, I hope!

Lawrence Keeney said:
What about SASHAYING?

Didn't you boys ever sash shay?
Never saw that in TEXAS but I saw some sweetie over on South Beach (Sobe) strut down the sidewalk once with a distinct lisp: Thay there, do you like my Thath Thay, Thweetie?
 
#19 ·
Houston carry

Well, I live and work in Houston, which is kind of a swamp in Texas. It gets very hot and exquisitely humid for most of the year. I think that the only way you can get away with wearing a vest of any type is if you couple it with shorts, loose light shirt, hat, and a lot of A/C exposure. I wear a t-shirt and jeans (not only for the heat, but because I try not to advertise my carry). I have a gov't 1911 in a leather IWB, with a spare mag in a horizontal pouch on my belt. Plastic doesn't breathe enough, and you get really hot and sticky where you wear it. Shoes make a huge difference; sandals can really help. I love my boots, though, and only wear something else if I cannot stand the heat.
It is definitely a challenge to balance the heat and the firepower. btw, I also advocate having a dedicated "dashgun" that you can keeo in your glove compartment. You do not have to worry about concealability much, and you can likely get to it faster than something on a belly band under a shirt and fastened seatbelt. It also gives you a New York reload.
It also occurs to me that you may have overloaded on ammo. Having a spare is one thing, but a box and a half of ammo plus assorted mags is just plain heavy. Then again; maybe I am just a wimp who doesn't like to carry heavy stuff.
I hope you enjoyed your foray here into Texas.

Y'all come back now, y'hear? :biggrin:
 
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