Poll question - Do you carry a gun when hiking?

“Check my blog for this poll question...

[url]http://www.themisplacedalaskan.com/[url]

Thanks!

Jeremy”

“Just had this conversation last weekend. I consider it no ones business...the one carrying or the ones that are not.

I do not but that doesn't mean I never will.

BTW your link is broken

http://www.themisplacedalaskan.com”

“Thanks! Not sure how I screwed that up, and I can't figure out how to edit it. Thank for posting the corrected version of the link!”

“I carry a water gun”

“i never have. but i carry a big knife now. i had a man come at on me on the trail a few years ago, i slipped around him and continued my trail run, only to have him turn around and follow me. i let him catch up and then i pulled a little pigsticker on him, and told him to leave me alone and pointed him on down the trail. he left and i followed at a safe distance as there were a few other woman on the trail and i didn't want him to bother them either.”

“I think If I were going on a group hike, Id sort of like to know if someone were going to carry a gun...”

“Same here - you never know when someone might go nuts and start shooting everyone.”

“sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I never make a big deal of it. I evaluate how save I feel about the trip and the extra weight of carrying it.”

“I'd tell ya but then I'd have to kill ya so I'd rather not say.”

“Yes. At the very least a knife. And, IMHO, the happy, blissful, this-beautiful-world-loves-me-and-bad-things-only-happen-to-bad-people, Pollyanna type hikers are victims looking for a place to happen. Sure, it might never happen to you. But it has happened to others. And it only takes ONE time to destroy a life... many lives. Why take the chance? As for the fear of someone going nuts and shooting everyone. *rolls eyes* If THAT is going to happen, it is going to happen, and NOT carrying a gun isn't going to prevent it. BUT, someone carrying a gun just might STOP it and save some lives! It would be so lovely to be able to wander around and never, ever have to fear for your safety, but that is not the world we live in. You are responsible for your own safety. To put on the rose-colored glasses and try to believe otherwise is just foolish - and potentially tragic. Hey, and if I am on a trail and I happen to see someone attacking you, I will shoot them FOR you and maybe save YOUR life... You're welcome.”

“so do you carry a gun to the grocery store and your kids school and to the dentist? Holy Cow! Its people who think everyone may try to rob or assult them that are the problem in todays society.”

“some how I have a feeling if someone were attacking me, you would pee your pants and run the other way and forget all about your nice little savior of mankind.”

“Interesting. I went into a local park this week-end to camp. The campground only has four sites and all were empty so I was the only person there in the entire park. The park itself closes at 7:00PM so nobody else can get in except by foot. I will be honest that I didn't give any thought to whether I was safe or not. I guess if I had carried a gun I probably would have paid more attention and listened for someone with bad intentions. As it was the roaring of the creek would have drowned out any sound a potential attacker would have made.”

“Poll question - Do you carry a gun when hiking?

Why doncha try something and find out?”

“Poll question:

Which question is most commonly asked on here?

A) Do you hike with a gun?
B) Do you hike with a dog?”

“Wow, I didn't mean to offend! I apologize. But, beg to differ, maybe this is just me, but I am significantly more likely to see the people who do rob and assault as the problems in today's society. And, who said that anyone thinks that "everyone" may try to rob or assault?" My God, that would be exhausting! Pants peeing... "savior of mankind?" Gee wiz, again, I'm very sorry if I offended. : ) Really I am.”

“Are you new to this site? It doesnt matter what you put, someone will bi#&h; about it. Never fails......some more than others.”

“Are you new to this site?

doubtful”

“well you did offend with your assumptions and classifications. Just because I choose to NOT hike with a gun does not make me a "happy, blissful, this-beautiful-world-loves-me-and-bad-things-only-happen-to-bad-people, Pollyanna type hikers are victims looking for a place to happen." And just because you DO hike with a gun does not mean you are prepared in any way to protect me or anyone else from potential danger.”

“I am very aware of what could happen on the trail and in my neighborhood and in my own house. I dont hike alone because those possibilities. I bet a hiking partner would save more people than a gun would...how many people have accidents on the trail and perish because they were alone and how many have used a gun to save them from an attack?”

“Its people who think everyone may try to rob or assult them that are the problem in todays society.

No, it's the people who rob and assault people that are the problem.”

“be nice. he IS new. he's my friend. and maybe we have seen more bad stuff.”

“LOL! Very new to this site, but not new to similar sites... Can't please everyone - And, yep, some less than others. LOL!
P.S. I prefer to hike with a dog. You don't have to carry them.”

“I agree HPD until we have gun toting alarmists who think pulling out a gun is the answer to a problem.”

“Prime example...I remember the fear this created in Southern OH. Just cause you pack doesn't mean you are safe...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/767482/posts”

“I don't carry a gun and don't really plan to. But there have been times when I would've felt a little better having one. Two instances in particular:

1: Three days into a canyon in Utah, we woke up to find mountain lion prints all around our camp. Big freaking mountain lion prints. We didn't see them any other night, but we were still jumping at any sound outside the tent.

2: In Death Valley with Toejam last year, there was a fairly odd (and moderately unbalanced) dude at the ghost town with us who was packing. Though I was 99.99% sure he was "safe-crazy" and not "bat#&%!$-crazy", he was carrying a gun... so yeah...

That said, that's a lot of extra weight for something you'll probably never need, particularly when bear spray and a good pig sticker are probably plenty protection for you in most cases.”

“Rednecks tend to speak loud and long about personal defense being the reason they carry guns. However, one look at the statistics shows there is a definite racist undertone. African Americans are 5 - 10 times more likely to be killed by firearms.”

“Does anybody carry an AR?”

“Ok. Ouch. I'm going to put some salve on these stone contusions and have another cup of coffee. Trust me, I have VERY effective flame thrower, and delight in the occasional summary incineration, but as I would prefer to see this site as one of relative peace... a place for friendly chat and lively discussion... I'll desist. So, happy happy, joy joy everybody. Home brew for all!”

“Racist undertone the lower-end-of-my-large-intestine! If African Americans are 5 to 10 times more likely to be killed by firearms it is because of AA-on-AA GANG violence, NOT gun-toting rednecks. I'm not even sure how you connect the two.”

“AA-on-AA = B-on-B”

“If I actually owned a gun, I would carry it with me when hiking.”

“five years ago i wrote a blog saying that i would never carry a gun, didn't even want one in my house, and that people who felt a need to carry were probably nuts. i've changed my mind somewhat since then. i love the big knife on my hip and wouldn't mind hiking with someone who carried, especially if we were anywhere near the border, (of mexico), the illegals don't worry me half as much as the coyotes bringing them over. what i'll never forget though is the man who when faced with my knife, opening admitted he was after me before i turned him back down that trail.

am i going to carry one? no. i'm not allowed to.”

“I carry a good size knife too. Right around my neck so ppl can see it.”

“I carry a good size knife too. Right around my neck so ppl can see it.

how convenient”

“LOL @ tenjen!”

“I think a good size knife is an awesome fashion accessory!”

“Rednecks tend to speak loud and long about personal defense being the reason they carry guns. However, one look at the statistics shows there is a definite racist undertone. African Americans are 5 - 10 times more likely to be killed by firearms.”
Mutt

Yeah when I'm packing my bag for a trip I always think..."Hmmm, better take a gun in case I see one of those black people"

Now that I think of it, I've never seen a black person hiking. The reason I and most people carry is for animals and long term survival. If I get stranded, I'd like to have a way to shoot a squirrel for dinner. And there are plenty that aren't too heavy. When I go with a group on a float or a hike, we just see to it that one of us has one.

Mutt, I disagree with your stereotypical and illogical conclusion.”

““I think a good size knife is an awesome fashion accessory!”

Especially if it has a pink handle!
last edited: 3/28/11 1:40:53 PM”

“Exactly, if I am on a serious back country hike, a firearm is almost essential. I'm not going to use it hunt for those scary humans with dark skin, but I might have to use it to shop for groceries! (With thanks to Edgar Friendly) Name the movie reference and I'll give you respect. LOL!

Partial to earth tones myself, particularly green, or basic black, but pink is a very nice color!”

“demolition man”

“I think Mutt was making the point that statistics can be used to look like people stereotype.

Do I get a chicken dinner, Mutt?”

“Respect! @ Stratd00d. Yeah, I can relate... useless junk gets stuck in my head too. :)”

“this is california, people of all colors hike, and i've hiked with them. NBD.

i bought brian a pretty knife once for his birthday. he lost it, kid loses everything.

i carry my big knife on my hip mostly as a warning. it's a big #&%!$ off to anyone who might think that i'm someone easy to mess with. just cause i'm a small girl doesn't mean i'm going to be harmless.”

“Yep, exactly! And, at the risk of contradicting someone and getting blasted again, having lived in Texas (arguably one of the biggest redneck infestations), and recently moved to California from there, I too have hiked with numerous races and at least three distinct genders. I can say, having met many rednecks... and more than once being accused of actually BEING one... rednecks simply do not shoot everybody they run into. I think that was a nasty, unfounded rumor fomented in really safe places like New York Subways, East LA and all of Detroit. :)”

“uh oh. . . you are so going to be reamed any minute now baby. i still love you. they don't know you like i do.
:D

and ROFLMAO @ . . .and at least three distinct genders. . .”

“LOL! I can't imagine what in that really deserves a reaming, but *sigh* I expect it. So, do you think it will be over my sympathy for rednecks or having mildly picked on New York, LA and Detroit?”

“now, as a redneck myself, just not a gun totin'-shoot first type, (raised in West TN, lived in Mississippi, S. Carolina, and N. Carolina) - the sterotype is earned, it's just not exhibited to such strong degrees by ALL rednecks.

Afterall, the basic American Redneck is one of the most prolific forms of human on the planet.

I've lived in three time zones and visted (and hiked) in several others. I'm here to tell ya that rednecks are everywhere.”

“Oh, please be more specific on what genders you would be referring to... just to stir the pot ;)”