How to Select the Best Range Bag, and Fill it With the Right Gear

By Jacob Paulsen | June 2, 2022 |

How to find the Best Range Bag —

For years, I threw my gun gear into a duffle-style range bag. This worked okay for most trips. Occasionally I forgot some piece of gear behind, simply because it was in a secondary range bag or I didn't have room to leave it in my bag all the time.

We all know it is frustrating not to have the gear you need at the range. However, if the missing gear is safety gear, it could shut the trip down.

Taking a few steps beforehand, as well as some simple planning, can help you out big time. The intent is that you would have what you need when you get to the range.

Selecting a range bag:

We should dedicate a range bag to storing and transporting all our relevant gear to the gun range.

The best way to ensure you forget nothing is to:

First, use a dedicated range bag that isn't used for anything else.

A good way to forget things is to move them in and out of the bag you take to the range. It seems we inevitably leave something behind.

You can use any old backpack you have in the house. However, this isn't a great strategy. One reason is TSA. Every year, airport security stops people with loose ammunition or other prohibited gear in their carry-on bag.

If you fly with firearms, consider reading this post.

Choose a purpose-built Gear Bag:

Ideally, invest in a backpack or duffel that is specifically designed to hold your pistols and other range gear.

I use a backpack-style handgun range bag. I have for at least 5 years. The Range Ruck, from ReadUp Gear, is exactly like the bag I use. The difference is I paid much more for mine years ago. I find the backpack style is far superior to the duffle-bag style because it:

protects my guns
has individual pockets for specific gear
provides tons of storage
allows me to carry other things in my hands

Carrying all the gear you need couldn't be easier.

What should you put in your range bag?

These are some items that you should include in your range bag. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list:

If you aren't sure what should go into a range bag, don't worry.

Click here for a comprehensive list of everything you should have in your range bag.

Prepare your gear bag and leave it alone:

While my preference is for a backpack-style range bag, if you like duffle bags, use one like this.

I like to keep mine stocked with the necessary gear. This means I always have the essentials.

I put the gear for the range in the bag and leave it there. For example, don't use the cleaning kit from your range bag while at home. Use a second cleaning kit for that.

Consider storing your bag in a spot with all your other gear. What you will find is that gathering everything for a range trip is much easier. It also lessens the likelihood you will forget something.

For example, I keep my range bag on top of or in my gun safe. When it's time to head out to the range, I only have to add the ammunition I need, grab the individual firearms I'm going to train with and I'm set.

In conclusion:

As you can see, we just scratched the surface of the topic. I go into a bit more detail on why having a dedicated range bag is a necessity and even how not having one can even get you into trouble if you're not careful, in this article.

Do you have a dedicated range bag? If so, what do you keep in it? Let us know in the comments below.