Roma Leather Concealment Products

Roma Leather has solved this with their line of leather waist packs, designed from the ground up to carry a gun while retaining the functionality of a commercial fanny pack. Roma packs feature top-grain leather construction with nylon compartment liners, a wide cordura nylon waist strap with large fastex buckle, and a velcro loop for attachment to the trouser belt. The inner wall of the rearmost compartment (next to the body) is covered with velcro. Here mounts an adjustable nylon holster, which also incorporates an elastic loop for a spare magazine and a removable thumb-break. The compartment features a dual-zipper closure, along with nylon ripcords for fast access. Ripping down and away with the off hand will peel the rest of the pack away from the back panel, exposing the gun to be drawn by the strong hand. Alternatively, the compartment may be unzipped as normal for a slower, silent draw. Either the left or right-hand ripcord may be utilized, giving the pack an ambidextrous quality. Leather streamers on all zippers help disguise the presence of the exposed ripcord from casual view.

Forward of the gun compartment is a second zippered compartment that can accommodate a wallet, cell phone, pepper spray, spare magazines or other items. It also features a built-in strap with a clip for attaching keys. At the front of the pack is a flat zippered pocket with slots for IDs, credit cards, CCW permits and the like. It may also be used to hold cash, coins, pens and other small objects.

The Roma Leather waist pack retails for about $40 and is available in black or brown leather, in three sizes. The Small size is designed for .22 autos to subcompact 9mm pistols, the Medium pack will hold guns up to a Glock 19, and the Large size will conceal up to a full-size Glock or 1911. A similar line of nylon packs is also available. I have been using a Roma pack in the summer for several years now, and have been very happy with the quality and design of the product. Clearly designed from the outset for the armed citizen, but very functional as a fanny pack even if you're NOT carrying a gun! And at a price that won't break the bank.

Day Planner
The Roma Leather Concealment Day Planner is a unique off-body carry option for use in office or other more formal settings, where on-body carry is not possible and a waist pack would not be appropriate. The day planner consists of a top-grain leather "book" with a velcro strap closure. Inside the front panel are a zippered pocket for documents, slots for IDs or business cards, and a built-in solar-powered calculator. Also furnished with the unit is a ring-bound day planner with tabs for monthly, weekly and daily schedules, expense accounts and address listings. Behind the planner is a zippered compartment for concealing a firearm. The compartment is set up with ripcords at the top and bottom for rapid access (see Waist Pack description). The inside back panel is lined with velcro, to which is affixed a leather holster with an adjustable elastic thumb-break. Also included are two built-in elastic loops for holding spare magazines, as well as a removable loop for a third spare mag, knife, mace or revolver speed strip.

The Roma day planner is clever and functional, but is definitely a niche application. Although the holster will hold up to a Glock 19, practical use is limited to a small, lightweight pistol (Kel-Tec P11/P32, Kahr P9, S&W AirLite, etc) to avoid bulking the unit up too much and to keep the weight below suspicious levels ("why does your day planner weigh 3 lbs?"). The unit is very discreet when closed and secured with the strap. When opened, however, it becomes obvious that there is a large hidden compartment behind the planner itself. Finally, despite the ripcords, the gun compartment is not particularly quick to access, so you'd better have plenty of advance notice before you need to draw from this thing. I personally do not use the planner element of this carry system, so I can't comment on the utility of the expense forms, address book, etc. It does, however, make for a very discreet way to keep a gun handy while at the office, and may be worth considering if your workplace has a "no weapons" policy but does not provide any means of assuring your safety. Retail price is around $50.

Attache Case
This case is constructed of top-grain leather like most other Roma products, and quality is first-rate. It features a pull-over flap which closes the case with two durable fastex buckles. Features include: two full-length zippered pockets outside, two large inside compartments (one zippered, one velcro), and a stationary organizer panel for pens, pencils, paper, calculator, cell phone and other items. It comes complete with built-in carry handle and removable padded shoulder strap. A zipper around the bottom allows the case's main compartment to be expanded for holding a laptop computer, large files or other oversize objects. The gun compartment is located at the back panel of the briefcase, and is accessed by a vertical slit on the side of the case. There are slits on both sides, which allow the gun compartment to be set up for right- or left-hand use. The slits are closed with velcro and become nearly invisible when not in use. The inside of the gun compartment is also lined with velcro and is equipped with an adjustable nylon retention system for the pistol. Because the openings allow limited access, the gun compartment is best used with compact handguns. The attache case is available in black or brown and carries a $75 pricetag.

The Roma attache case accompanies me to the office every day... but to be honest, I have yet to use the concealment function of this product! In a way, that's a testament to how good an attache case it is, even without the gun factor! But it is also because there are some big drawbacks limiting this product's usefulness as a vehicle for off-body carry. First, I found it difficult to set the holster up inside the gun compartment, as there is no top access. Basically you have to shove your hands into each side of the compartment and install/adjust the holster "by feel". I was also disappointed in the small size of the access openings, which slows the draw and limits the size of the gun that can be carried. Finally, there are no ripcords for rapid access as found on other Roma products. The holster compartment opens by velcro only, which is both slow due to the small size and hidden nature of the slots, and noisy. On the up-side, I'm not in the kind of work that requires me to be with my attache case 24/7. When I need to carry discreetly in an office environment, my gun goes into the Roma Concealment Day Planner (above), which then goes into the attache case along with all my other work-related items.

Vertical Handbag
Somewhere between a purse and a waist pack falls this unique Roma product. I bought one for my wife when she got her CCW permit. Although working in a school environment precludes her from carrying the majority of the time, she has nevertheless endorsed this product by adopting it as her purse for everyday wear. High praise indeed, when you carry as much "stuff" as the typical American woman! The design of this bag is very well thought out. The gun compartment is in the rear, and is accessed vertically, which is a fast, natural movement with the bag hanging from the shoulder. The gun is held in place by adjustable nylon security straps, and the compartment includes a zippered closure with nylon ripcords for rapid access, similar to the waist pack described above.

As with Roma's waist packs, the vertical handbag not only conceals a firearm, but also provides adequate space for carrying more mundane items. It features three front pockets, one opening left to right for credit cards, ID, etc., and two for extra accessories such as a cell phone, sunglasses, pepper spray and extra magazines. The main compartment is located in the middle, and is sufficiently cavernous to hold everything a modern woman might need - keys, wallet, sunglasses, flashlight, cosmetics case, the list goes on. The bag also includes a clip-on hand strap and a shoulder strap that can be adjusted for use on the shoulder or across the chest.

Roma's vertical handbag is available in three sizes to accommodate a variety of firearms and various amounts of other "stuff", and sells for $30-50 depending on size. This is a very well-designed product; it discreetly secures a weapon in a manner that is equally accessible either way the bag is worn, yet still provides ample room for other necessities. And for the fashion-conscious, it's available in brown or black to match a variety of wardrobes.