We are all looking for the latest scenario, astronomically unlikely, to stand in as an excuse to justify the purchase of gear we want (as opposed to gear we need). The latest and greatest trend in this vein to come back around is the “Bag Gun,” sometimes referred to as backpack guns. I’m not immune to the Bag Gun appeal. In fact, I think it’s a worthwhile project for any armed defender – as long as you don’t pretend it is something it’s not.

I’m going to give you just the tip here. I’ll run you through what I think qualifies as a Bag Gun, what gun I choose, and, of course, the bag to put it in.

Why a Bag Gun At All?

Because this is America.

Free men should be able to do what they want. Next question.

Also, because sometimes very bad things really do happen. We are made to confront more risk than we would like, often at a completely unexpected time. There’s an old adage used by gun owners who rarely carry, a phrase used to make themselves feel better. The “I take my gun if I’m going somewhere I may need it.” Maybe they use it to make themselves feel better.

That phrase, of course, and the thought process behind it, discounts the thousands of incidents of violence people encounter every year. Encounters that often occur in seemingly “safe” places. It’s the old “Who needs a gun in church/Walmart/other place” fallacy; any example of which I can find you multiple examples of a real-world, “Needed a gun there!”

One common rebuttal to this is often the simple (but wise), “Well, if you think you’ll need a gun to go there, how about you don’t go there?”

That argument ignores the fact that sometimes we have to go there (and presupposes the fallacy that different locations are either risk/no-risk places). Maybe you’re a realtor who has to meet a client somewhere in a dangerous area. Or, take the example I nearly faced.

My wife was pregnant with our second child in 2021. While I was told the unguided tour of the Capitol on January 6th was actually 1,000 times worse than 9-11 and Pearl Harbor combined, I was actually more impacted by the “Summer of Love” and its “Fiery but mostly peaceful” protests in my then-hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

On night one after the death of George Floyd, thousands of protesters gathered downtown and proceeded to smash out most of the windows in the Ohio State Capitol Building. This was followed by several nights of doing millions of dollars in property damage to small businesses. Because nothing says, “We believe in justice!” like destroying the local, minority-owned Jimmy John’s.

Why go on this rant? Because of our family situation. I could normally have avoided the roving mobs of rioters empowered by a mayor who assured them their cause was just and no one would be held accountable for any level of crime. However, had our birthing hospital been downtown, I would have had to brave that environment when the time came.

One last thing. Look to history. For instance, when Argentina defaulted on its national debt in the early 2000s, people still had to go into work. The big question about their commute was whether they’d get carjacked on the way by increasingly desperate people.

SHTF comes in all sizes. (Write that down.)

There will always be times that are clearly not normal safety-wise, but that still require us to adhere to societal norms as if they were.

I started with the premise that these use cases are unlikely and few and far between, but not impossible. In these cases, you may well decide to opt for additional portable firepower. I also want to be very, very clear; I don’t condone looking forward to or seeking out reasons to do violence or provoke a confrontation. However, I don’t advocate dying in the streets either.

SHTF comes in all sizes. (Write that down.)

There will always be times that are clearly not normal safety-wise but that still require us to adhere to societal norms as if they were.

Bag Guns Are Different Than Truck Guns

Granted, your Bag Gun could be your truck gun, but I’ll challenge that with the trite saying, “Mission drives the gear.” For some people, a truck gun is a lever-action .45-70 because they have critters on their ranch that need dispatching. For me, it is an AR-15 and a chest rig in case I’m caught far from home in a black swan event or if I get a call from my wife that someone has broken into the house, and I’m coming in hot.

The main difference here centers around portability. I get into this below, explaining my two criteria. The two types of guns (Bag/Truck) could be the same, but there are also reasons they are different. As with everything I write, I’m not telling you what you should do. I’m sharing my thought process so you can decide for yourself whether replicating what I have done makes sense for you. Or if perhaps using the same logic or train of thought might help you determine your best course of action.

Bag Guns Aren’t for the Second Battle of Fallujah

I’m the author here, so I get to make the rules. My rules for a Bag Gun are that it meets two criteria:

1. It provides measurably better performance than the handgun you carry every day (not the one you claim you carry).
2. It can be easily carried in a bag without feeling like you are going on a 5-day unsupported operation

In my mind, we’re really talking about Personal Defense Weapons (PDWs) here, not Short Barrel Rifles (SBRs)…even if stocks on most PDWs mean you’ve met the legal definition of an SBR. This could be anything from a Flux Raider up to an 8-in. PCC with a folding or collapsible stock.

If I had a third criterion, I might consider using common ammunition shared with your EDC pistol, but frankly this is overrated. My mags are already loaded, so unless the magazines are compatible…ok, you talked me into it. If the magazines are compatible, then that’s actually pretty cool. Flux Raider, you’re back in the running!

I’d ask that you go back to my Stribog article to get a sense of my pet peeve about how so many PCCs have become as large and heavy as a rifle-caliber long gun, but with half the capability.

It’s a fine line between love and hate for me.

My Bag Gun, Gun Selection

To stay well away from crossing this line (and because I’ve always wanted something this cool), I went with an HK SP5K build.

It really doesn’t get much more compact but usable (V.Z. 61 Skorpion, I’m looking at you) than this. Without a can and with the stock folded, this K is only 14.75 inches long. Even with a red dot and sporting the “built for concealment” 15-round magazine, this gun is just 9.25 inches tall.

I’ll have a full, separate write-up soon on this build that goes in-depth on just how transformative Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs) are in guns like this, but suffice it to say, there is no question this platform provides far more capability than a typical carry pistol.

Even in the standard semi-auto position, you have a gun with a stock and VFG that makes hits at 25 or 50 yards much easier. Because I am a good American, I regularly shoot my pistols at 25 to 50 yards. I can make better than man-sized hits, but that doesn’t mean it is easy, and I would prefer something easy (or easier) to do it with if my life were on the line.

Additionally, a typical carry gun holds around 15 rounds, whereas your bag gun in 9mm will typically hold far more or something similar in a larger caliber. Again, I don’t care what you carry, but do please think about what additional capability you are getting for all this extra effort.

A Gun Bag for the Bag Gun

Sometimes, when defining what something is, we have to first define what it is not. The bag I envisioned for my bag gun gun bag (say that three times fast) was meant to carry the gun, equipment to support the gun, and maybe a few ancillary items like medical and water. This is not a Get Home Bag (GHB), a Bug Out Bag (BOB), an I’m Never Coming Home (INCH) bag or anything other than a bag intended to win a fight.

If you’re familiar with the terms, think of it as more of a “fighting load” versus “sustainment load” philosophy.

Because of this, and because Bag Guns aren’t full-sized rifles, I went with the smallest Gamut in the lineup: the 22L. Vertx, who generously supplied this bag for my review, actually tried to talk me into a larger bag, given how most guys and gals use them.

I was determined to make the most of as small a package as possible, though. There is something about constraints that focuses you. (Cue the Marcus Aurelius quote about how “the impediment to action advances action”.) This bag, much like the SP5K platform itself, forced me to focus in and really think about priorities.

Some more stats before I continue.

Vertx Gamut Concealed Carry Pack 22L

• Outer Dimensions: 21″H x 11″W x 9″D
• Main Compartment: 19″H x 11″W x 5.5″D (20″ Diagonal Length)
• CCW Compartment: 17″H x 10.5″W x 1.5″D (18″ Diagonal Length)
• Maximum Laptop Size: Laptop up to 16”, Up to 14”H x 10”W x 0.5”D

[More information about that particular Gamut can be found right here.]

One other note on why I went with this size: truth be told, my oldest son is about to outgrow his 18L camping pack, and I wouldn’t be “GI Suburban Dad” if I didn’t have to take kids into account when getting anything. Also, it is an ironclad rule that no matter how big the bag, you will fill it up completely, and that leads to a lot of unnecessary stuff and weight.

This bag is by no means small, but in a world where bags like my Go Ruck GR1 are 26L and my Mystery Ranch 2 Day Assault pack is roughly 27L, it sure seems compact.

In case you are trying to build a bag that does/fits it all, Vertx makes this in not only 26L but also 32L.

I also wanted my bag to look civilian. Everyone wants to be the Gray Man until it’s time to do Gray Man shit. We all know the stereotype: the guy in 5.11 pants, Danner boots, a short-sleeve button-up shirt, Oakley glasses, and an operator cap claiming they are “blending in”. It seems like 90% of gun guys claim they give Zero Fs about what people think (they literally wear clothes that say this to let you know), and that goes double for fashion. They then proceed to be the most homogeneously dressed “in-group” outside of a Motorcycle club, with super cute matching outfits and friendship patches.

This Evergreen pack (that’s what they call this specific color) with handsome brown accents wouldn’t look out of place in any granola-eating hiking club, and that’s the point. This is how you really do Gray Man. More than that is best said in a standalone article.

If you are too insecure to have anything other than tactical black, rest easy. Vertx makes an all-black version. This green is not that far off a Ranger green, though, or even too terribly far from some interpretations of OD (Olive Drab). So, should things go super south, you won’t be walking around looking like a radioactive highlighter.

Who needs a bag with instructions attached to every zipper? Turns out, this guy (thumb pointed back at me).

Despite getting an outstanding run-through of the bag in person with Vertx at SHOT Show, I completely forgot about the covert compartment holding the pullout gear hood. Take that as a cautionary tale, then take a minute to read the tags (or even scan the QR code for more info on some) before you tear them off.

Frankly, this might be the most well-thought-out piece of kit I have ever come across in my life.

That’s a bold claim, I know. I own a lot of really well-made packs and bags (and other gear) built by companies like Mystery Ranch and Eblestock. However, the more time I spend with this bag and actually read the directions (please don’t take my man card), the more I realize someone (or multiple someones) who not only knew what they were doing but gave a damn designed and built this thing.

I can’t go into all of it here, but there are a ton of videos available to walk you through the features. But I’m telling you, even given all that available content, this bag will still surprise you. I’m almost overwhelmed by the possibilities a bag with this sort of design flexibility provides me.

Case in point: I asked for this bag specifically to run my SP5K. However, both my full-size SP5 and Stribog SP10A3 fit easily in the main compartment, with Velcro attachment points to secure them. The problem with this bag isn’t how to get it to work for what you want to do, but choosing which of the many workable solutions to go with.

I’m still settling on how I want to set up the other compartments, but the front-most admin section provides the perfect reloading layout. In addition to a few spare magazines, it will also hold my Omega 9K suppressor (which can stay on the K if it is in the main compartment, but not if it’s stashed the back one). This compartment is not only easily accessible, but the horizontal configuration is great for long SMG-style magazines without printing.

Everywhere you look on this bag, you will find more compartments, sub-compartments, dividers, attachment points, and other nooks and crannies. Its potential configurations are limited by your imagination. It is going to be a while before I feel like I have everything set up optimally, but it was very simple (and quick) to set it up adequately.

But Let’s Get to the Gun Bag Bag Gun

I personally think “draw time” on a Gun Bag gets over-emphasized. If milliseconds count, then first you failed to be situationally aware, and second, just draw your EDC pistol and go to work. In the magnitude of an event that would require a bag gun, I would think two handfuls of seconds to get the gun out and on target is acceptable.

The Vertx Gamut allows this with its quick-grab zipper handles, and you can expedite this time by opting for less retention in the pack if you don’t use Velcro tie-downs. By all means, take it to the range and train with it to become proficient and verify the carry setup you choose is viable, but don’t get bogged down trying to look fast for Instagram.

Speaking of Instagram, you can see a video of me deploying the HK SP5K and shooting it here.

It Is Also a Non-Gun Bag…also referred to as a “Bag”

Recently, I took the family to Colorado. We hiked around in Rocky Mountain National Park, Red Rocks, etc. This pack proved to be the perfect day hiking pack for me to be the family mule. I could easily carry water for myself, my wife, and both my boys, along with snacks and their sweatshirts as the day warmed up.

Others have covered this use in far more detail, so I’ll just add this caveat: it doesn’t have to be tactical. This bag can do a lot for you outside of playing Secret Squirrel Rambo Gray Man.

Vehicles and Firearms PSA

I want to make a Public Service Announcement here. Friends, your car is not a safe.

Please do not leave a bag like this with a gun inside your locked car and call it good. At best, in a break-in, you will lose hundreds or thousands of dollars in gear. At worst, you’ll arm a less-than-upstanding person with the means to hurt others.

Get a real bolt-in car safe, or even put padlocks on a Pelican case and cable-lock it to a hard point in your car, SUV, or truck. These can be set up with a combination instead of a key, so anyone you designate can have access, and you’ll never be caught without what you need to get in.

I hate to be a killjoy, but unless we police ourselves, laws we won’t like will get written to do it for us.

Final Thoughts

This Bag Gun combo is killer. I could not be happier with both, and I’m racking my brain to find something to complain about. This is rare for someone like me, who has issues with even the way people put toilet paper on the dispenser (it goes paper over the top, for the record).

I guess with the HK, I’ll say the installation of my Rare Breed FRT introduced a little wiggle between the upper and lower receiver, but it hasn’t impacted function in any way. And that’s specific to the particular firearm anyway, not this concept.

Also, the Omega 9K tri-lug adapter is so tight (or the barrel lugs of the HK are so close to spec) that I had to take fine-grit sandpaper to my brand-new $3,500 gun’s barrel to get it to fit…but that’s not actually bag-related either.

As far as the bag (and I never thought I would say this), maybe its only drawback is that it’s perhaps too feature-rich. I don’t know that I will use half of the bag’s features, so perhaps the argument could be made that a pared-down version for a few bucks less would be cool.

But, man, am I reaching for something to put in the negative column here. Especially because I already don’t know how they offer this bag at this price, given how much time and attention went into it.

I may not use this gun bag concept often, but it is a unique loadout that gives me something my other setups don’t. And let’s face it, it was fun to think through and build.

If you are in the market for a setup like this, you can’t go wrong with the Vertx Gamut or the HK SP5K.

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