Packing while you're backpacking?

“How many people carry a handgun while backpacking where it's legal?
I'm never in the woods without mine. I camp solo alot and you never know what kind of weirdo you might run into miles from the nearest road.”

“rugerman, someone did it to me when i first started coming around here, so im gonna do it to you







Ready, Aim, Fire”

“Whether you believe in the right to bear arms or arm bears it doesn't matter to me as long as you don't infringe on my rights.”

“Nothing like a gun thread to stir up a little Trail Talk fun.
I don't carry one myself. Matter of fact I don't even own one. Never found a need for one.

If you feel the need to take a gun in the woods that's your buisness. I have a gun phobia but if I'm being mauled by a bear then shoot the motherfuker off me.”

“JOSH catches on quick!

I begrudge the weight of a firearm. I don't care how lightweight a model it is, it seems like excess weight in my pack to me. I have backpacked with people carrying, though and had no problem with it as they were responsible people who were well trained in firearm safety. I just think it's superfluous and unnecessary extra weight.”

“If you start shooting at me then I'll beat you to death with a trekking pole while your reloading.”

“Excuse me, please. Would you point that gun somewhere else while I remove my backpack so that I can get my own gun out?”

“Why do people always expect to run into weirdos in the woods? I don't think I ever met anyone as weird as myself.

I carry a gun during hunting season sometimes, but not very often. I prefer hiking over hunting.”

“I knew this thread would start up some crap. I was just curious if people carried or not. I've thought about the weight issue of a firearm also since I'm new to backpacking but since I go solo alot I just feel alittle safer carrying mine.

Nobody ever wakes up one morning and thinks I think I'll be a victim of a violent crime today. If you stop and think about it, where do most murderers hide there victims? In the woods.

I probably wouldn't carry if I were hiking with a group of two or three people.”

“At least once a month there is a new gun thread or a thread that has de-evolved into one. Why is that?

Do whatever floats your boat provided it does not violated the protected rights of other. And remember somethings are better left unsaid.”

“Why else would you carry a gun?”

“oh, I forgot to add MORON”

“Have you ever seen the movie, Deliverance?”

“You do know that that was fiction though, right?”

“Kewl, a new troll.”

“skullcap,

Yeah, I know it's fiction. What's interesting is I was just going through the archives for last month and there's a thread about 2 hikers that were murdered in Virgina. That was not fiction.”

“Your probability of getting murdered while hiking is less than being in a freak car accident.”

“oh, I forgot to say
that cuts off your trigger finger and a few other useless extremities. MORON”

“Hmmm...and I'll bet there were hundreds of threads about hikers not getting killed. Was that supposed to be a point?


That's awsome lyra! A Flaming Troll!”

“lol, lyra! 'Nuff said!”

“he's packing a couple, too!”

“skullcap and MORON,

If you're murdered while hiking you're dead. No matter how unlikley it was to happen.”

“You look cute with orange hair. Can we paint your toenails?”

“...MOST murderers don't hide their victims. They leave them right where they killed them, whether it's on the street, in a car, in a house, in the Stab 'n' Grab storage room. Some murderers do take the time to hide bodies, but not that many.

BTW rugerman, I own a variety of guns. I, too, have wondered about carrying in the woods other than for hunting. My concerns have been noted here, including the increase in clandestine drug labs and their paranoid operators in national and state forests, and the always pleasant feral/loose pet dogs that pack up in rural areas. So far, I've left the guns home. But I have a sweet little revolver perfect for woods carry.

If not a troll, search the archives for the threads.”

“Just bring a long a knife; that should be enough to keep you safe.”

“Bear spray is better than a gun. You can use it for more things:

Spicing up the dehydrated chili
Noisy camper dispersion
Feral Bacpacs
Deodorant
Toothpaste
In place of Prep-H
Firestarter

Oh yeah, and NON-LETHAL deterrent for all manner of foul creatures.

Guns are overkill in the woods. No pun intended. If you feel so afraid, see a therapist.”

“I own guns and like guns. However, I don't think you need one backpacking. I don't carry them where they are illegal.

Just a thought. I just happen to walk off the AT on to the Fontana Dam on 9/11. I was searched and escorted away from the dam. If I had a gun in my pack?? Would not have been good.”

“Briar Rabbit makes a good point about some things being better left unsaid. I will add one more; it is illegal to carry a firearm in any state or national park.”

“YA-where are you hiking? the interstate?”

“Wow this has been one of the tamer gun threads.

I have felt pretty much OK about the people on the trail that I knew had guns. What has bothered me is when people are packin' and drinking.”

“I've been on a few trips with groups; only once has someone packed a gun in. It freaked me out a little when he pulled it out to "show it off". He couldn't give me an answer when I asked why he brought it. He wasn't that experienced, maybe he thought we'd run into a grizzly. I didn't care as long as he wasn't fondling it and it stayed in his pack.”

“we carried a gun paddling in northern canada, i'm glad we did, i could owe my life to it, but that was canoeing, where weight doesn't matter as much, and a 12 gauge shotgun, short barrel... about 7 lbs, isn't going to matter.

hiking, i don't see a point, unless you're hiking along the shore of hudson bay, which i would not advise.

walking, alone in the woods, there's a murderer burying his 7th victim, you just happen to walk by him, he pulls a gun and shoots you?? probability, i don't think so, not gonna happen.

think, a criminal... "where can i find my next victim? how about wandering through the woods, maybe i'll happen to stumble upon a stray hiker" again, i dont' think so... so what is the point of carying a gun again?

ok maybe i could see the point if i end up walking through a big city... but i'm not going to be carying my gun ready... there wouldn't be time, there's no point.

here's a question, how many of you have carried a gun, and had to use it for protection?

i said i have and i owe my life to it. anyone?”

“The people I've packed with who were packin'--I never would have known it if they hadn't told me. It's not something they were advertising. Nor should it have been.”

“Unless you are actually going to shoot someone, a gun is useless. Why carry the extra weight?”

“I carry a bowling ball instead of a gun.It doesn't weigh that much more and is the only thing i could think of that is a useless as a GUN.”

“I mean how many times have you even come close to shooting someone? The only place I have really wanted to pack a gun was to school. Campuses are fun of weirdo rapists.”

“Scully, you've nailed it squarely on the head, darlin'.”

“Good point Biz. But probably better off to learn how to defend yourself in other ways. A rapist would probably just grab your gun and shoot you in your stupid knee.”

“Then violate you and take your expensive gun. I just carry bear spray, a whistle, and few moves designed to annihilate the horrible ba$tard! Hopefully I will have no use for any of them, ever.”

“I concur with FG.”

“Ummm, that isn't to say that if you are a great shot, have easy access to your gun, and can handle the sudden stress of the situation, that you shouldn't carry a gun. It would be pretty great to shoot the horrible ba$tard in the knee . . . or the head.

Geez, this thread is making me violent.”

“Guns are useless. Learn aikido if you're skeert!”

“But Your Honor, I didn't know my hands were loaded.”

“I have said it before and I'll say it again. Your best defense is to look CRAZE. No one messes with crazee people.”

“Unless they're really SHORT!










Sorry, I couldn't resist.”

“Guns guns guns guns guns guns
Guns guns guns guns guns guns
Guns guns guns guns guns guns
Guns guns guns guns guns guns

Blah blah blah blah

If you're scared of walking alone in the woods, get therapy. You should be more scared of each of the following:

1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Stroke
4. Unintentional injuries (non-auto related)
5. Diabetes
6. Motor vehicle accidents
7. Flu and Pneumonia
8. Suicide
9. Electrical current
10. Execution by US civil authorities.

Each of the above killed drastically more people in the last 10 years than crazy people waiting in the woods for backpackers. In fact, you should be more afraid of domestic hijacking of an airplane.”

“Just pack in a couple of frags. You don't have to aim with those suckers, just get it in the general vacinity.”

“Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me!”

“While I do have a concealed weapons permit, I never considered carrying in the mountains...a weapon powerful enough to stop a bear is more weight then I want to carry....I have had lots of encounters with bears and a couple mountain lions, but never felt the need to shoot one.

When it comes to people, I always remember my training...if you pull your gun, you kill them...no bluffing, no warning, no trying to "out scare them"...you KILL them. I haven’t found the need to kill anyone in the mountains......yet, but...........

I do carry a well concealed, rather nasty knife that I am rather good at using.....and I can look crazy as hell.”