Alien Gear’s Cloak Tuck 3.0 IWB Holster

The Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0 IWB holster uses a variety of materials in different places to provide comfort and stability.

One of 2017’s signature words seems to be “bigly.” As it turns out, that’s a great description of the gun I chose when field testing an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0 Holster.

A couple of years ago, I reviewed the FN FNX 45 Tactical pistol. The details are for another story; for now, just know that it defines “bigly.” This gun packs 15+1 rounds of .45 ACP into its double-stack profile, and even though it ain’t petite, it doesn’t require a sling or tripod. In fact, you can carry it with the right holster setup. Interestingly, the folks at Alien Gear make a compatible holster, so I decided to give their inside the waistband (IWB) Cloak Tuck 3.0 model a try with this handgun.

The holster is a hybrid design, although it’s more hybrid than similar models on the market. The “hybrid” concept is similar to others in that it relies on a large backpanel that goes against the body. This is married to a polymer shell that’s molded to the contours of your specific gun. As a result, you can swap out shells so one backing can fit different guns. The more practical benefit of this hybrid approach is that the hard shell material is great for keeping a gun stable and secure. It’s also skinny, which aids concealment.

On the other hand, hard plastic isn’t the ideal material to press against your sensitive love handle area when carrying inside the waistband. That’s where the large back panel comes into play. The generous size provides stability for even the “bigliest” of guns while the soft material flexes to contour around your body. The result is a very comfortable mount. Bottom line? Hybrid holsters use different materials in different places to create comfort, stability and solid retention.

The layer closest to the body is a huge panel of neoprene that keeps your gun dry and protects sensitive love handle areas.

Where the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.0 differs from the earlier 2.0 (and competitor) designs is how the backing is constructed. The Cloak Tuck 3.0 panel is a layered system that uses different materials to provide different functions. Closest to your body is a layer of neoprene. That’s the stuff that 007 and all those nameless henchmen divers wore in those underwater fight scenes. The purpose is to prevent moisture from passing from your body to the gun just as neoprene dive suits prevent water from getting to the body. It also happens to be very soft, spongy, and as a result, comfortable.

Read the rest at OutdoorHub.