Brand new weapon for Trail Defense

“I concur with Nigal. Animals are a bit more predictable than people.
The bear thinks: I am either gonna eat this guy or leave.
The psycho thinks: I'm gonna pretend to like this guy then kill him when he goes to bed, take his keys and wallet, go to the trailhead and steal his car.
O.K. that may be going a bit to far but I do a lot of hiking on busy trails and see many people while I am out.”

“Sarbar,

Makes sense to me. I would insist my wife carry a gun if there were recent safety concerns in the area I live such as the ones you face.

I don't really have anything against the NP's. I have heard wonderful things about the ones in the northwest. I prefer the National Forests in my region.

I like to hike with my dog and I think it ridiculous to be required to leash a dog while backpacking. I have never been chided for having my dog offleash in a National Forest in Colorado, Wyoming or Montana. I am aware that it is required, but I will happily pay the fine and enjoy my freedom. Too many RVr's in the NP's for me though, too many people overall for my taste. I know you cannot take anything away from the beauty of the NP's.

I prefer the Beartooths to Yelowstone, and the Wind River Range to the Tetons. No accounting for taste I suppose, I would rather hike for a week and camp where I choose and not run into more than 2 or 3 other groups, than be bunched into pre-designated campsites and hike on trails that look like freeways.

I have been backpacking for 25 years and truly try to leave no sign of my visit other than my footprints. It makes me happy to know how popular backpacking has become and that popularity makes me all the more eager to find areas that are lightly used. NP's are fine, and easily located, all you need to do is get the brochure and pay the fee(s) and you're in. Normally, I have found, right nearby the National Parks is comparable terrain, in National Forests but wihtout the designated camp sites and inexperienced travellers who typically populate the trails of our National Parks.

Oh, I am pretty sure it is a felony to carry a firearm in an NP being as how it is federal land and all.”

“I'll agree that I enjoy the NF next door to Rainier much more..no pesky rangers and no pesky permits ;-) I can camp cross country, and no one knows I am there. It is nice!”

“And you can carry your gun without risking getting some lame charge against you by the rangers (in most states). I think Alaska is the only state that has a few NP's where it's ok to carry, mainly due to Grizzley activity.

Not that they would know if you had a concealed weapon anyway.

One day I hope to do a bit of trekking in the Northwest, but for now I still have a lot of exploring to do here in the Rockies.”

“not bad for a photoshop job”

“Other than the fact that the DEPLOYMENT phase shows Isreali Soldiers....(LOL)”

“No riding on Shabbat please.”

“Pistol, rifles...Phil's son has the right idea but they are all "wussie"!

Me when I hike I have oncall fire support. Yeah there is nothing like having an AC-130 dust the campsite next to you for having a loud radio.

LOL...imagine that obnoxious jerk with the bratty kids when they start screaming at 2Am and I put about 30 rounds of 105mm WP in their camp.

NOW that is protection...(LOL)”

“'morning everyone.Here is the skinny on carrying in NP or NF direct from CODE OF FED.REGS.TITLE 36 "PARKS,FORESTS,PUBLIC PROPERTY" ...Generally,firearms are prohibited in NP's but not NF's(because NP's are adiministered by the USDI and NF's by the USDA).Firearms being carried thru a National Park are to be unloaded,cased/and or out of sight.Ranger or park attendant must be notified upon entry. Public campgrounds in a National Forest prohibit ANY weapons (airguns/bows included).Thanks all; happy trails.”

“Not all National Forest campgrounds prohibit weapons. Some allow unloaded firearms.”

“and it is technically illegal for me to carry as I pass a School, or stop to buy gas from a store that sells alcohol, or eat in any restaurant that serves alcohol.....

I do it anyway...in 30 years of carrying concealed, I've never been asked to leave, or arrested for it, because when carrying properly, no one knows you have it.

believe me, I'd rather deal with the results of having the weapon and using it in a self defense situation, than the results of being in a self defense situation without it.

No, I'm not a gun nut.... I realize that using a weapon even when you are right to do so is just the start of your problems, not the end of them....

The END of all your problems comes when you need the weapon and don't have it.”

“Here in Ohio we can carry in places that sell alcohol but not in places that serve alcohol. Michigan is bizarre because you can carry where alcohol is served but only if it is less than something like 30% of their total revenue. How the hell are you to know?”

“Nigal
The difference is basically no guns in the bars, but they're ok in restaurants. I know the wording is lame, but that is the practice.

Stomper: Remind me to tell you a story of another hiker and animals next time we hike.”

“Get one of these for a non lethal weapon
[url]
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php/www.pearlharborstories.org?nid=80&sid=1042438[/url]”

“something happened with the link so when you click on it at the end of the link you'll have do delete off [/url] or here is a copy of the story

By ELLIOTT MINOR
Associated Press Writer

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AP) - The military calls its new weapon an "active denial system," but that's an understatement. It's a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire.

Apart from causing that terrifying sensation, the technology is supposed to be harmless _ a non-lethal way to get enemies to drop their weapons.

Military officials say it could save the lives of innocent civilians and service members in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The weapon is not expected to go into production until at least 2010, but all branches of the military have expressed interest in it, officials said.

During the first media demonstration of the weapon Wednesday, airmen fired beams from a large dish antenna mounted atop a Humvee at people pretending to be rioters and acting out other scenarios that U.S. troops might encounter in war zones.

The device's two-man crew located their targets through powerful lenses and fired beams from more than 500 yards away. That is nearly 17 times the range of existing non-lethal weapons, such as rubber bullets.

Anyone hit by the beam immediately jumped out of its path because of the sudden blast of heat throughout the body. While the 130-degree heat was not painful, it was intense enough to make the participants think their clothes were about to ignite.

"This is one of the key technologies for the future," said Marine Col. Kirk Hymes, director of the non-lethal weapons program at Quantico, Va., which helped develop the new weapon. "Non-lethal weapons are important for the escalation of force, especially in the environments our forces are operating in."

The system uses electromagnetic millimeter waves, which can penetrate only 1/64th of an inch of skin, just enough to cause discomfort. By comparison, microwaves used in the common kitchen appliance penetrate several inches of flesh.

The millimeter waves cannot go through walls, but they can penetrate most clothing, officials said. They refused to comment on whether the waves can go through glass.

The weapon could be mounted aboard ships, airplanes and helicopters, and routinely used for security or anti-terrorism operations.
There should be no collateral damage to this," said Senior Airman Adam Navin, 22, of Green Bay, Wis., who has served several tours in Iraq.

Navin and two other airmen were role players in Wednesday's demonstration. They and 10 reporters who volunteered were shot with the beams. The beams easily penetrated various layers of winter clothing.

The system was developed by the military, but the two devices currently being evaluated were built by defense contractor Raytheon.

Airman Blaine Pernell, 22, of suburban New Orleans, said he could have used the system during his four tours in Iraq, where he manned watchtowers around a base near Kirkuk. He said Iraqis constantly pulled up and faked car problems so they could scout out U.S. forces.

"All we could do is watch them," he said. But if they had the ray gun, troops "could have dispersed them."”

“Not trying to start a gun thread here(been done)! What is anyone who exercises 2nd amendment rights choice of carry? Mine is a S&W 681 4" stainless .357 with 158gr. Federal Nyclads. Any black bear wearing soft body-armor and trying to get tough/ NOT a problem.”

“I hope I didn't freak anyone out here. It is an important subject here in the N.E. Black bears cause more injuries/fatalities than all other species combined. Luckily polar bears are rare in VT along with browns or grizzlies.”