Last weekend I was in St. George, Utah with my wife and three kids for my daughter who had a dance competition there. Sorta last minute we decided that we were going to head south to Vegas for a couple of nights instead of driving north towards home. Exactly ten years ago in March, my wife and I were married in Vegas, so we thought it would be cool to visit on the ten year anniversary of our wedding with our children. I ended up booking a great deal at the Encore at Wynn.

Saturday early evening we arrive in Vegas; I head to the check-in counter while my wife took the kids outside in the garden area to wait for me. I have with me just my own bags--a black 5.11 Rush 24 pack with an American flag patch, my black Tumi Brief, and a black Maxpedition Octa Versipack worn like a sling bag--and my wife has the rest of the luggage.

After I finish checking in, I step away into the lobby area and search around for my family. A security guard at this time approaches me and immediately tells me that he will need to search my backpack for firearms. I simply stared at him deadpanned for about two seconds and then said "alright" and slung off my pack and set it down. He then tells me as he starts to unzip the main compartment that they have a policy at the resort to inspect all "tactical bags with molle webbing." He said it just like that.

So here's the thing. His instincts were correct. As I was watching him go through my 5.11 pack, I was standing there above him with my Sig 229 on my right hip with a spare magazine on my left. Furthermore, in my Tumi Brief, I had four spare magazines for the Sig, and in my Octa Versipack I had my Shield 45 with three spare magazines for it. Also, while he was searching my "tactical backpack with molle webbing," I had forgotten that I had packed at extra 100 rounds of .357sig all the way at the bottom of it. He never found it, and I only remembered about it later in the hotel room when I unpacked.

As it were, I was carrying two firearms and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition, and this security guard missed all of it because he only searched the backpack and didn't see the ammo buried deep at the bottom. I admit that I was slightly nervous that he was going to ask to search the rest of my bags and me, but he was only interested in the "tactical backpack with molle webbing." He then placed a bright blue tag on my bag so I wouldn't get stopped and searched again, and I was free to be on my way.

Of course we all would like to tell someone in a situation like this to kiss our ass, but I didn't know what would be the end result of that. Would I not be permitted to stay at the hotel if I refused to be searched? Probably. And what if he ultimately did find that I was carrying? What then? Would they allow me to stow my firearms in my vehicle? But it's parked on their property. And what if I had not arrived by car? I just don't know what would have happened, and I didn't ask. Thankfully I had nothing else gun related in my pack other than the ammo that he missed.

And so that brings me to this. I will no longer be using the Rush 24 pack, or any "tactical" backpack, for travel any longer. Which is a shame, because I've been using this bag for years flying back and forth to work and everywhere else, and I love it. But damn did I hate that feeling of being profiled. I of course always knew that the 5.11 packs are not the most inconspicuous pieces of luggage one can travel with, but I guess I just never thought I'd actually get harassed like that for doing nothing more than standing there in jeans and a plain gray zip up hoodie wearing a military style pack with an American flag on it. If I had my wife and kids with me at the time, it's possible he wouldn't have searched me, but nevertheless, I'm retiring the Rush 24. In its place will be the very boring looking Aer Travel Pack 3 which I just ordered today. Hopefully it will serve me as well as the 5.11 pack did for many years.

So here's my travel tip of the day. If you're visiting Vegas anytime in the future, and especially if you're going solo, forgo the tactical style travel gear. It'll get you noticed and likely searched at the resorts...at least it will at the Wynn.

Wheee, security theater! Did he do jazz hands when he was done?

Taking Drama in the 8th grade is what prepared me to be a security guard.

Yes, don't go around looking tacticool.

It does not benefit me to broadcast that I am into tacticool gear.

At best, it's a tactical disadvantage; at worse, I look like a poser douchebag.

I'm never the "tactical" type. Be as inconspicuous as possible.

The wife and I have adopted the very grey "Old Midwestern Couple' look when we travel. I just bought a new backpack for our coming trip out west. part of my requirements for the pack was zero MOLLE or Velcro on the exterior. Ended up with a Mystery Ranch District 18 pack. We don't wear clothes that indicate anything firearm or public safety related.

For shooting classes, I've moved to a Milwaukee rolling toll box with multiple boxes. No ammo cans, no cardboard boxes of ammo going in and out of the hotel. I look like a tech or tradesperson rolling out for class in the morning. Ever since the Harvest Festival event, I'm very low key going in and out of hotels.

Really guys, getting on him for a backpack he likes.
Glad it worked out for you. Sad that this kind of thing is happening. It is so stupid, unnecessary and does absolutely nothing for public safety.

Policy to inspect. And what if he finds something? Is your reservation cancelled? Is carry not allowed? What’s the point of inspection? Only for guests staying the night? What about casino visitors? The whole thing sounds ridiculously pointless. Like you said, bad actors could use generic bags.

Thx for the heads up. I generally avoid LV but it’s a waypoint going in/out of UT.

But of course they didn’t think to check the Vegas shooter’s luggage when he snuck 25 rifles into the Mandalay Bay hotel.

quote:

Originally posted by Copefree:
But of course they didn’t think to check the Vegas shooter’s luggage when he snuck 25 rifles into the Mandalay Bay hotel.

Of course you close the barn door after the horse has left. Closing the barn door before the horse leaves would require imagination and presupposing what might happen and how best to deal with the possibility.

To be fair, one would have to be a pretty sick individual to imagine ahead of time the LV/Mandalay Bay shooting. I doubt anyone has yet figured out (after the fact) what that clearly broken individual was thinking.

We stayed at the JW Marriott Rampart Casino for a few nights in late December. I walked in with a Glock 45 on my hip, two spare 17rd mags on my other hip, three 33rd mags in my small rolling luggage, a CZ Bren 2 in a name brand guitar bag slung over my shoulder with two Pmag 40's loaded with Hornady 75gr TAP, and three Pmag 30's loaded with green tips. I had all that shit because it was a long road trip. Nobody said anything, because I was just a guy with an two day luggage and a guitar. It sucks they pegged you for the 5.11 bag, but that is the reason right there I won't use anything that looks even remotely tactical for actual travel with a firearm. Music oriented hoodies and sneakers. Nobody ever looks twice at me. It's always just a guitar.

I don't know, sounds like the opposite to me. Wear the most tacticool backpack you can. Distract the mall ninja while you have an RPG on your back... lol...

If this guy missed 100 rounds in the backpack, sounds like he was either a total incompetent fool, or he just didn't give a damn and was just going through the motions of a stupid hotel rule he has no choice but to indulge.

Stupid you had to go through that.

Same reason you wouldn't walk around with a sign that says I have lots of $$$ on me, it's best not to dress in a way that would draw attention to you. Try making that argument with an open carry advocate though...

I gotta admit I do use a small molle pouch as my toiletry bag when I travel but then again it's usually stuffed way deep in my actual luggage case and never out in the open.

With that said, the hotel being on private property, they rightfully have the right to search you and refuse entry with firearms, etc especially if they have signs posted stating so...

For nine years I carried off body in a royal blue , single shoulder strap lunch cooler pouch/bag.

Never got half of a second glance,
Recently I've been considering reinstating it's use for daily carry of all my "stuff" that is non fire arm related.

I carry on the hip 85% of the time Iam up in the big city.

Pretty retarded imo, sorry that happened to you. I’m sure y’all are already aware but Vertx makes all kinds of bags with “tactical” features that are hidden and in different colors… not just black, OD, FDE..

Maybe the security guard knows there are cameras that would record everyone and everything that goes through the lobby as well as him doing or not doing the requirements of his employment. Then, maybe he didn’t actually miss the ammo in the bottom of the bag or that you were carrying, but rather looked at you, your wife, your young (an assumption based on your anniversary) kids, the fact that you consented to the search, decided you weren’t a threat, and gave you a pass.

I got a pass on a half dozen occasions for those reasons.

Gray man.

Man I can’t believe he missed everything you were carrying unless like Trapper said he was giving you a pass.

Were there any signs on the doors prohibiting weapons?

One final thought some of you guys are loaded for bear! The most I usually carry is one spare mag.

Yeah, in this day and age it is far better to blend in with boring travel dress and gear.

When the wife and I travel we look like any other old couple just trying to remember where home is. I don't blame the guard at all...just doing his job.

Sorry you had the experience. Wynn is locally known as being one of the more anti 2nd in Vegas. Going forward I'd just go as incognito as possible and/or choose a different resort.

The last time we moved across country I worried about getting turned away, late at night with few options. I wasn't going to leave stuff in the car and would be bringing it in via cart. Pretty hard to miss a couple of long gun cases. Was especially concerned in CO. Fortunately it didn't become an issue.

Great karmas, i’m in

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