Do you carry while hiking, rock climbing, etc?

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If I am hiking or boulder scrambling I am always carrying a gun. It is typically a 45 acp, or a 357 magnum of some variety.

I tend to open carry in the woods. I'm not allowed to carry on the job, and I work in the woods. If I was allowed, I certainly would.
 
Age and injuries ended my rock climbing decades ago. But, I still backpack some. Regardless of the strenuousness of outdoor activities I have always carried.

Over they years it has varied from .22 lr revolver "Kit Guns" to my current .45 4 5/8" Blackhawk. I should note that these days whether in the field or city I always carry a small NAA revolver in addition to anything else.
 
Around town, I don't carry anything. The city is safe enough and bringing weapons (even if kept in a vehicle) to a job site is forbidden so being in the habit of having nothing with me saves me from having to park in a remote location and walk to the job site.

I have restricted mobility as a legacy of my former disability so I don't do a lot of hiking, but when I do, I normally carry an M-1 style carbine chambered in 5.7mm Johnson. Experience tells me the people I'm likely to have a problem with in the woods are going to be armed with shotguns (for harvesting deer out of season) or rimfire rifles (for harvesting squirrel or racoon out of season) and the carbine gives me options for dealing with them in a confrontation a pistol would not. In the even someone did get in very close, I usually also carry my grandmother's Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver, but in 30+ years, I have never had to even reach for it.
 
A 10 mm auto makes a great hiking companion. It feeds reliably in semi-auto, is available in multiple platforms, and allows for increased capacity over a revolver (not that a revolver is a bad choice). For example, one could carry a Glock 20, which has 15+1 capacity +/- a spare magazine. If that's too big, one could carry a Glock 29 (10+1) +/- a spare Glock 20 mag (15 rds). Other options include a 1911, Sig, Delta Elite, S&W, or Witness in 10 mm. If you don't mind the length, there's a new Glock 40, which is basically a long slide 10 mm auto with RMR attached to the slide.
 
I don't rock climb, but I'm always carrying, woods or not.

Now that I'm out of grizz country I generally carry either one of my .45's or one of my .357 mags on the belt. I have a 10mm that needs some more proving time before it makes the trip.

Up in AK I always had my .44 mag Redhawk, boating, hiking, hiking tundra (man is that a chore), whatever.
 
I never used to carry while I hike because it's such a pain to get a concealed carry license here in California. Last summer though I crossed paths with a HUGE mountain lion. A month later I came into contact on a desolate trail with a deranged individual.

Both instances led me to begin concealed carrying a Glock 20. I still don't have a license, but I'll risk a misdemeanor after the two experiences above.
 
Yesterday, I varied my morning walk, going through the woods, wading the creek, and following logging roads and trails for about 8 miles. About 2 miles from home on the way back, a big, black animal flashed across the trail ahead of me. I stood there, replaying the incident in my mind-- "That was a a a a bear!"

And all I had was my Colt Woodsman.:eek:
 
I never used to carry while I hike because it's such a pain to get a concealed carry license here in California. Last summer though I crossed paths with a HUGE mountain lion. A month later I came into contact on a desolate trail with a deranged individual.

Both instances led me to begin concealed carrying a Glock 20. I still don't have a license, but I'll risk a misdemeanor after the two experiences above.

What county? Some like L.A. it's impossible unless you are rich and/or famous. Others it's much simpler, still hoops to jump through, but reasonable ones.
 
I usually carry my PMR30 22 mag with two additional magazines. Fully loaded it only weighs 19oz. Carrying 90 rounds of 22 mag is sufficient for me and very light weight.

Here in the Big Bend area I don't have to worry to much about bears and such, but there have been sightings of black bear reported.
 
What county? Some like L.A. it's impossible unless you are rich and/or famous. Others it's much simpler, still hoops to jump through, but reasonable ones.

There's actually a number of counties: LA, SF, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, etc. that are very difficult to get CCW permits.

I suppose I will get one sooner or later.
 
Here in the Big Bend area I don't have to worry to much about bears and such, but there have been sightings of black bear reported.
The last bear I saw was two days ago, and when he realized what I was, he departed the area at high speed.
 
black bears not usually a problem.... but when you get between her and the cub all bets are off..... depending on where i am i carry anything from a 45-70 to a 1911-22 in town at least a 9mm....
 
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Out here we have a number of critter problems.

Bear attacks are pretty rare but do happen. Mountain lion populations have exploded (they are protected and thus have no fear of man whatsoever) and they now see people as a potential food source, especially kids. Coyotes have also increased in numbers dramatically (again restrictions on hunting, trapping and poisoning are the cause) with the same kinds of issues as with the mountain lion.

Smaller animals do have the potential to carry rabies, and frankly I'd rather face a cat or yote than a rabid skunk. Further down the critter size scale are poisonous snakes.

Snakes can mostly be avoided, mostly. But at times it can become a "him or me" situation. And of course, if you have kids or pets you don't want them too close.

With all of this said, the only critter I have had multiple run ins with have been homo sapiens. Perhaps it's the filter of years but it seems to me folks we generally more agreeable when you met up out in the hills and forests.

I can't recall a single incident, as a child, when away from organized facilities. And only one in a camp ground. I need more than one hand to count the number of times I've felt that violence was eminent over the last ten years.

I know there are more folks out there. But, I really believe it's more an indication of the types of people who now inhabit out of the way places. To be sure, I meet many more agreeable folks than disagreeable ones. Still it's sad that many of today's younger folks don't have the same freedom and lack of safety concerns I and my parents had.

So, what is this diatribe all about. When selecting a firearm for outdoors, while animals are a concern, people are a bigger one. It's the reason I went from .22 lr Kit Guns to .45 colt revolvers and .45 acp semiautos. It's why my Jeep gun went from an AR-7 (perfectly adequate for it's original intended purpose) to a shotgun or levergun. It's why even when carrying openly for a legitimate sporting purpose I always have a concealed firearm.
 
Why is your knife dull? It takes little skill to keep it sharp.
I found it virtually impossible to learn to sharpen a curved-edge knife reliably to a really fine edge. The first time I resharpened my little Stanley block plane, I was easily able to get it shaving-sharp, and realized that there was no need to struggle with the curves. I have a couple of tanto blade folders: a 4.5 or 5" CRKT made around 20 years ago (wasn't able to find one of theirs I liked more recently) and a Benchmade Mini-Griptilian because it's legal to keep in a pocket. The Benchmade is a little harder to get really sharp, probably due to a greater angle on the edge.
 
Mountain lion populations have exploded (they are protected and thus have no fear of man whatsoever) and they now see people as a potential food source, especially kids.
That's what happens when politics over-rides sound game management policies.
 
When we go hiking in the summer, I carry a Ruger sr9c. In the fall I carry a Ruger sr45. We'll be hiking around the White Mountains next week and I'll have the .45 with me.
-mike
 
Backpacking, an IWB on the hip belt, inside the belt strap, but outside the padding. (can you visualize what I mean?). Often exposed, but shirt can be untucked and draped over to conceal if needed.

Rock climbing, a belt holster (cheap Uncle Mike's with retention strap) fitted to the front of the left shoulder strap of my daypack, just north of my nipple. Concealment not possible in this configuration.

Folks are mentioning 2 legged threats and 4 legged wild threats... I'm sorry to lay the egg in the conversation, but it's 4 legged domestic critters I fear most. I hike with small children; we've seen bear and coyote and people, and never been threatened by any of them. We've certainly been threatened by several Fidos, however!
 
I carry a 4" .44. Mountain lions are not protected out here and the hunting season is year round. I like .44 snake shot more than 38.

I would not even think about carrying while technical climbing, especially on the sharp end.
 
As a young man, I had a 4 3/4" Ruger Single Six (in a Bianchi holster)that I wore way around the back of my belt with the barrel down in the pocket of my jeans. That let you walk and move while hiking. It was the ONLY handgun I had at the time. Today, I would do something different. I'm old now, but still have the Single-Six even if I don't hike any more!
 
Backpacking, an IWB on the hip belt, inside the belt strap, but outside the padding. (can you visualize what I mean?). Often exposed, but shirt can be untucked and draped over to conceal if needed.

Rock climbing, a belt holster (cheap Uncle Mike's with retention strap) fitted to the front of the left shoulder strap of my daypack, just north of my nipple. Concealment not possible in this configuration.

Folks are mentioning 2 legged threats and 4 legged wild threats... I'm sorry to lay the egg in the conversation, but it's 4 legged domestic critters I fear most. I hike with small children; we've seen bear and coyote and people, and never been threatened by any of them. We've certainly been threatened by several Fidos, however!

I've never had a run in with a domesticated critter in the field. I have had run ins with feral dogs. Not the same thing.
 
Now that people mention it, packed-up feral dogs are the concern that made me step up from .22 to something stronger. I had one encounter, and bluffed my way through it by barking aggressively, while wondering if the peanut thrower pistol in my pocket was going to cut the mustard if it needed to.

On that day I reconsidered things and now think .38 Special the minimum and 12 gauge the optimum. Of course all that will vary with location and the local fauna.
 
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This morning's hike included a cougar encounter. No dog can whip a cougar, and mine are rookies at dealing with them. Very comforting to have the .357.

My fierce hunting dogs didn't even notice the cat. Sheesh.
 
When I'm in the woods, I typically bring along the pistol I use for normal self defense. I will usually put in ammo that is likely to more deeply penetrate such as the stuff from buffalo bore. I'm usually more worried about other people than animals.
 
I’ve never had a run in with a domesticated critter in the field. I have had run ins with feral dogs. Not the same thing.

A feral dog IS a domesticated critter –“feral” means a critter that was once tame and useful but which has since become wild and dangerous, as in the Feral Government.
 
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