Armed on a Backpacking Trip

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70 lb pack! My knees ache just thinking about it. If you can't figure out how to have a pack come in at less than 45 lbs (including food) then you need to find an experienced backpacker and talk with them (SAVE your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone).

As for guns, I used to do 3-5 day hikes and would carry a Smith& Wesson model 66 with a 4" barrel (stainless steel) and two speedloaders of ammo. Not the lightest thing in the world but whenever I was out like that I wanted "six for sure".
 
With a 13-yr old, we're now limited to "car-camping" with day hikes! Think 2-room tents, folding cots AND air mattress
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:confused:

If your kid is healthy, that's no excuse whatsoever. I know people who backpack with toddlers.

pax
 
I've done some long (5-8 days 23-48 miles) hikes in the Andes of South America. Needless to say I wasn't armed. If I ran into any "two-legged critters" that wanted what I had, I wouldn't be writing this right now. But the adventure was well worth the risk, so I plan on returning in a few years (perhaps from the Andes down to the Amazon this time around).

I've also done hiking in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, but we usually have a sort of central camp that we return to every few days, so it's not really applicable.

The most danger I've ever been in was in the mountains of central eastern Peru, and a gun would have done about as much for me as a hair dryer. I was malnurished and began suffering early effects of high altitude sickness. I got so tired that I laid down and went to sleep. I was awoken by a French couple who must've been a few hours behind me on the trail.

They found me passed out and revived me with chocolate and water. They urged me to continue on until I was able to find a group of porters who were working for a guided tour group. They nursed me back to, well, better health, before I went back out on my own. I didn't got over the altitude sickness until I got back to a lower elevation.

My point: while a pistol lets you sleep better at night, it is probably the least likely tool that you will need to save your life, given what you want to do. I'd rather have some extra food, a dry pouch, perhaps a flaregun instead, etc.

And I've never heard of a gun preventing a mountain lion attack (or even saving someone once the attack has begun). Why? Cause mountain lions don't square off with you on the trail. They'll pounce on you from the other side of that rock that's just up ahead, right where you were going to take a leak. ;)

The next year I traveled to France and had a wonderful time. Who would've guessed that two French people arguably saving my ass, would open me up to new cultures!
 
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Ripcurlksm

Has anyone gone on something like a 7-day backpacking trip into the wilderness? I'm talking about dehydrated food, fishing pole, water purifier, lite sleeping bag, small tent/tarp, etc. - total minimalist trip.
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for it to be a "minimalist" week in the woods, I would harldly think a 70 pound back back load would qualify. :)
All you really need is a Leatherman tool, a plastic garbage bag, and a pack of Twinkies.

Seriously though, to address your question, yes, I ALWAYS take a gun when hiking. It can be for the morning, or for a week, but I will have my S&W Model 34, or the Model 63 with me. These are 4 inch, .22 LR revolvers with adjustable sights. Its all I feel I need these days.
 
My point: while a pistol lets you sleep better at night, it is probably the least likely tool that you will need to save your life, given what you want to do. I'd rather have some extra food, a dry pouch, perhaps a flaregun instead, etc.
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to borrow someone else's line... guns are like seatbelts. You'll probably never need it but when you do you'll need it immediately and very badly.

And I've never heard of a gun preventing a mountain lion attack (or even saving someone once the attack has begun). Why? Cause mountain lions don't square off with you on the trail. They'll pounce on you from the other side of that rock that's just up ahead, right where you were going to take a leak.
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1991 - Nevada Test Site, north of Las Vegas, Nevada - Mary Saether, was attacked by a 120-pound female mountain lion. She suffered minor cuts and received 21 stitches on her head, right arm, and back. The cougar crept up on Saether and two male companions and attacked before they were aware of its presence. The two men beat the lion with their cameras forcing it to release Saether. A Wildlife Services Specialist arrived the next day. As he was doing a preliminary check, he heard noise in a tree and turned to find the lion charging. The man had only enough time to draw his handgun and shoot the lion at point blank range. The lion was found to be in good health. (U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, Reno, Nevada and various news reports)

Also....

Near dawn, Dan Parrish was out deer hunting with his father when he was confronted by a cougar in Oregon west of Detroit Lake about 45 miles east of Salem, Oregon. Walking down a logging road, he stopped on a knoll which allowed him to see left, forward, and right into a clear cut. He waited there until he heard some cracking and popping behind him, and he hoped a buck was approaching. Instead, to his horror, a cougar head appeared just 20 feet from him. He thought he should shoot, but found this female so beautiful, that he hesitated. Then he heard more cracking and popping sounds from the woods behind his adversary. A young male walked up to her side. Parrish knew his .264 Winchester Mag with bolt action would not easily get off two shots in the time 2 cats could make the 20 foot distance between them, so he fired a warning shot into the air. To his dismay, neither cat moved, so he picked up a rock and threw it at them. Luckily, the male took off into the woods.

Dan continued tossing rocks at the lion, but he was so nervous he couldn't hit her. He took a photo as proof he had seen the lion he didn't want to shoot. He calmed himself down, and finally hit her with a rock. This angered the lion, and she lunged at him. On her second bound, Parrish was able to shoot her in the chest. When she lifted her head, he shot her again in the neck and then fled to get his father. The two returned to examine the cat and then reported this to the Detroit Ranger Station. Officer Allison later told him that he had killed a 2-1/2 year old female weighing 85 pounds. Parish estimates she was over 6 feet long from nose to tail. Her paws were as big as the palm of his hand, and "her teeth were plenty long and sharp". Source: (Usenet groups archives, collected by Norman Yarvin; posted by Dan Parrish, University of Portland, 02/02/95)

also...

mid September. At about 8:20 a.m., while elk hunting in the muzzle loading season, Dave Enyeart was sitting watching a saddle in Colorado near Rosemont Reservoir between Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek when a yearling deer came running up towards him. It stopped about 10 feet from Enyeart, looking back down the draw. He was hoping some elk had chased it up. Then the deer ran off, and he spotted the mountain lion coming towards him, looking for the deer. At first he thought it was great that he finally got to see a mountain lion. In a few moments he decided it was time to let the cat know he was there. He had always been told to look big and make noise, so he yelled out, "GET OUT OF HERE!" Showing no fear, all the lion did was look him the eye. Next Enyeart tried standing up, making himself look big and yelling more. Instead of retreating, now the lion came over a log and started for him. By this time Enyeart felt he had better shoot. He hit the female lion with one shot and called the Colorado Division of Wildlife to make a report.

Enyeart believes the mountain lion was mounted for educational use. It was approximately 2 years old and weighed a healthy 135 pounds. He was sad to have to shoot a lion, as he believes it is their world, but he had no choice. He was shocked by his experience. Now he goes into cougar land with new fear, believing he is the hunted, watching his back, and keeping his children with him at all times. Source: (E-mail from Dave Enyeart 03/21/2001)

also...

http://www.cougarinfo.org/attackex.htm#Whitmore

and on and on and on.
 
Lots of great feedback here folks! I too am an Eagle Scout :)

I agree that 70lbs is very heavy, I had only said that my friend stated it has to be under 70lbs MAX, granted this is still VERY heavy. I weigh 220lbs so a 40lb pack should do me right by most of your kindly advice. I have NO problem packing lite.

The trip is pretty cool, we are planning on doing it next August when the weather is nicer and the fish are jumping. So the spot is called Duck Lake, I know basic info about it right now- I will research it more as the date approaches NEXT August. From what I have heard apparently, you park the car at 6,000 feet and hike 2 days to 12,000 ft. and setup camp. From there you can drop behind the mountain to 8,000 ft. where there is lots of lakes and rivers for good trout fishing. I would plan to spend two days at 8,000ft and plan to fish/relax (also this is where I would try my hand at gathering or trapping small game). My friend has done the trip a few times and is getting me all pumped up to go at it!

Lots of advice on food and whatnot, I wouldn't bring cans of any sort although tuna in oil would be a treat. I am planning a 6-day trip (2 up, 2 there, 2 down) so I would plan on bringing 8 days worth of dried food - Which is absolutely nessisary to have - Although from what I heard trout is everywhere up there so there should be good eatin'!

This trip would be a great excuse to get me a snub 357 now! :evil: I heard that you can rent mule's so you can take a few extras along on the trip- that being the case I wouldnt mind taking along the shottie with some sluuugs. But thats proab too much. Sigh... I really wanted to take my 1911 :rolleyes:

Regards,
 
I have done 70+ miles of the Pacific Crest Trail over the course of 6 days, and I have done numerous smaller trips. How many people are going with you? For just two, 70 lbs is a bit heavy but not unrealistic. For a group of 4 or more, you should be able to spread the weight out and get down to less than 50 lbs. There are lots of ways to reduce weight, if the weather is above freezing get rid of the tent and use an 8x10 tarp with some para cord. I have slept quite comfortably through a thunder storm under a tarp (use a smaller tarp or plastic sheet under you sleeping bag as a vapor barrier).

Now on to packing heat while packing...

I usually carry a large sized gun while backpacking, the most comfortable way is to jury-rig a holster onto the waist band of the backpack. The only problem with this meathod is if you have to take your pack off in a hurry, you lose your gun. A friend of mine carries a Ruger in a western-style gunbelt. This keeps the gun lower and out of the way, but it seems like the added weight on you leg would get tiring after a while (also watch out for sweat staining the leather). The other meathod (and the one I use) is an OWB nylon holster. There are two ways to do this, the first is to use a high-ride holster and buckle the waist band over the gun so that the top of the gun and holster stick out above the belt and you can draw that way. The other way is to get a lower riding holster, buckle the waist belt higher on you hips and let it push down on you belt and holster (so that the gun is riding outside the waist belt).

You will have to experiment to find out which meathod is comfortable for you, but to paraphrase a great man, "carrying a gun should be comforting, not comfortable."

P.S. Stay away from thigh-holsters, they may seem like a good idea, but all that weight on your one leg gets really old really fast.;)
 
This trip would be a great excuse to get me a snub 357 now! I heard that you can rent mule's so you can take a few extras along on the trip- that being the case I wouldnt mind taking along the shottie with some sluuugs. But thats proab too much. Sigh... I really wanted to take my 1911
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Okay, I'm going to go against something I said earlier with this one note. If you have a 1911 and have practiced with it so that it is comfortable and quick for you to handle then I would take that. Why this about face? Because, in my opinion, the .357 magnum takes a some time and dedication to master ESPECIALLY in a snub nose configuration.

If you don't have the time to get friendly with a .357 on the range before you go (and I'm talking a MINIMUM of 3-4 range trips and 300-400 rounds of actual practice, not blasting away at random) then if (God forbid) a crisis hits and you need the gun, things may fall apart in a hurry because it is so different from what you are used to. So in this case I say "go with what you know".
 
You go out (into the woods), the gun goes on!

I make it a priority every time I go out into the woods to have a firearm close by but preferably on my person. Especially since a large black bear walked into our camp this past summer.:what: I was really glad he was in a non confrontational mood because he ran off when my dad yelled at him. All I had on me was my .45 and it's safe to say that it cleared leather.:D

My usual woods gun is a .454 Casull Ruger Super Redhawk with a 7 1/2" barrel:evil: . Most would find that too heavy but I'm used to lugging lots of weight long distances when hiking. I carry at least a .45 ACP Ruger P345 or a 10mm Witness Compact with me when in the back country, usually for a backup to my rifle when hunting. When I have my .45 (Very similar to your 1911) on, I don't even notice it's weight; depending or your size, I don't imagine you would either.

I live in Montana, you might have different beast where you live, like hippies!;)
 
Your pack should weigh 70 pounds only if you are carrying ALL the food you will need and lots of water. 70 pounds of stuff is way to much. Your stuff should not weigh over 30 pounds. And around 20-25 would be better. Also any light weight small gun i thick would be ok, as long as its a 9mm and above.
 
More than 30 years ago, I spent 2 weeks on horseback in the Gila Wilderness, living out of my saddle bags and augmenting my supplies with trout out of streams and the occasional critter that I could shoot.

I felt comfortable with only a Winchester 1906 and about 150 rounds of .22 LR ammo, carrying the carbine in a saddle scabbard.

Of course, during that 2 weeks I only saw 4 other humans, a couple on horseback and a couple of backpackers.

When wandering in the boonies today I ,have my normal CCW, a Kahr PM9 in a pocket holster and either a S&W 686 or a S&W 22 in a belt holster.
 
+1 on revolver better suited to backpacking
+2 on Charter Arms Bulldog (20 oz of heart-stopping fury!)
+3 on 70 lbs too heavy!

From someone in his mid 40's who did 23 miles in Yosemite last year, at altitudes approaching 10,000 feet. This was a 3 day trip.

Save every ounce you can. If possible, leave that hefty swiss army knife and take a light razor knife. Tuna in cans too heavy - instead take tuna in a foil pouch and a box of tuna helper sans the box (but don't forget the instructions!). Very satisfying after a long day hiking.

Don't short yourself on food. Anticipate that ALL your efforts to scrounge food in the wild WILL FAIL. If not, you have a happy accident and can donate some of your extra meals to others who did not have such good judgement on your way out. Anticipate that someone will stumble and spill their meal in the dirt, or it will fall in the lake, or a raccoon will get it. Store the food up where bears cannot get it.

Get the pack weight DOWN. SHARE GEAR among the party i.e. not every man needs his own dinner pot, his own coffee pot, his own private tent, his own fishing pole etc. THIS WILL SAVE A LOT OF WEIGHT. The "every man an island" philosophy sounds cool sitting on the sofa at home sipping a brew, but it looses a lot of it's appeal at 10,000 feet, miles from civilization. Invest in ULTRA LIGHT equipment, it's well worth it. Divest yourself of silly notions like toting a hatchet. You can cut wood with a string-saw (these are available at backpacking stores). Carry a disposable rain coat (these are about .99 cents) because hypothermia KILLS. "If it's raining, we won't be hiking, we'll stay warm and dry in our tents" yeah, good idea until someone is hurt and needs help NOW and you HAVE TO hike out in the rain. Think ahead. And don't forget a plastic cover for the pack, that 40 lb pack quickly becomes 60 lbs when it is drenched with rain water. A plastic garbage bag or two should do the trick just fine.

Dehydrated backpacking food SUCKS and is very expensive. The same and MUCH BETTER meals can be prepared using common supermarket food. Stovetop stuffing is one example, Instant mashed potato flakes is another, powdered soup mix and powdered gravy are other examples, as is the tuna helper mentioned above. I ate MUCH BETTER on my trip than my companions because I prepared my meals this way, and had delicious food to share. One night was chicken breast chunks (from a foil pouch), stuffing, and mashed potatoes and gravy. Those eating "astronaut food" dehydrated cook in bag meals were green with envy. One thing that IS worth it is the dehydrated shredded potatoes, those make a DARN FINE breakfast because there are dehydrated onions and peppers in there. But you need a teflon skillet of some kind and PLENTY OF FUEL because these take a while to crisp up. Take butter in a "do it yourself" toothpaste tube (backpack store) and a small bottle of cooking oil, you get small bottles at the backpack store or Wallgreens (some people use them for travel size shampoo, etc) but be sure you double bag it inside ziplok bags!! Some food prep calls for milk, take powdered milk and know how much powder and water to add, you don't need to make a whole quart just for a little milk to make mashed potatoes. Break out the calculator before the trip and FIGURE IT OUT.

Clothing - especially this time of year - IF IT HAS COTTON, IT STAYS HOME! NO EXCEPTIONS. Synthetic and wool only. Forget blue jeans and flannel shirts, yeah I know that romantic "Mountain Man" image is attractive but HYPOTHERMIA IS NOT. Cotton gets damp and stays damp, absorbing humidity, dew, your perspiration, etc and you will lose heat faster than you know. Synthetics breathe and dry quickly, wool keeps you warm even when wet - I speak from experience because I put my foot thru the ice of a frozen stream one morning and didn't change footgear for an hour - I was fine because the WOOL SOCK kept my foot warm dispite being soaked.

I would have loved to have had the Charter Arms Bulldog with me on that trip, but it was a national park. At 20 oz, it's the lightest firearm I own and I have complete confidence in it's reliability. I don't relish the thought of taking on a bear or a cougar with anything less than a rifle, but for 2 leggers it should work just fine.
 
I've done a couple of 2 week backpacking trips in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Because it's a National Park, they don't allow firearms. So packing a rifle is out of the question.

I usually bring a S&W 686 or a Glock 20 (10mm) with me. They're kinda heavy, but I figure I like that reassuring weight in my bag and especially in the tent at night on nights we're so high up we're not allowed to do camp fires.

70# is way too heavy. Take dehydrated foods, water pump, and my personal favorite.....GATORADE IN POWDER FORM....What a treat that is after you've been hiking for 8 hours straight....And don't forget the rain gear (bring two)...make sure it covers your pack also.

Lastly, a small roll of duct tape is worth it's weight in gold up there.

Carry the hardest hitting gun you can comfortabley carry without drawing too much attention.
 
yea, I'm from the days when we didn't have tuna in foil pouches and I always had a couple cans in the pack for emergency food. I would definitely opt for the foil pouches of today though. :D
 
You're not planning this trip for the winter are you? I've backpacked in the Sawtooth's a little and brought my Ruger sp101 in a pancake belt holster, you get used to it. Get into great shape before you go and go for long weekend hikes for the weekends before you go and don't cut weight by leaving clothing at home. If you're cold you'll be miserable. Have a good trip.
 
.357 Snubby

I'm gonna presume you hike already, so I'm not gonna go on at length about making sure you have a light hiking stick with some fast-access essentials mounted on it, or how many pockets you need on your pack.

I figure if you believe you can feed yourself fishing, you already know how. There are plenty of the little fellers out here.

At 70 lbs, I think you'll spend a lot of time proving something. I think your 40 lb pack idea is lots better.

The water, for the most part, in the Eastern Sierras is good, especially if it's running over granite. Usual precautions apply.

Depending on time of year, we do get mosquitos.

If you're going to go with a revolver, may I suggest that you add a couple of inches to that barrel? A 4-inch .357 doesn't carry as nicely as a snubby, but in that moment of need, that silly extra 2 inches will improve your chances.

If you haven't yet made the purchase, outdoor use would suggest stainless. Grips should be reliable in a wide range of temperatures and both wet and dry. Find a place to carry that allows you a wide range of motion (lots of bending) and yet doesn't restrict access. Possibly a modified vertical shoulder mount. I haven't ever needed to do that, so I can't recommend.

We have some gorgeous country out here. The bears enjoy it, too.
 
I would only add that a sil-nylon tarp is one of the best "high bucks" purchases I have ever made.

For most trips I have dumped the tent in favor of a Mountain Laurel Designs Super Tarp. $125 bought a 10.25' X 10.25' silicone impregnated nylon rectangular tarp that weighs 17 oz and features 11 reinforced tieouts.

Usually I just mount it on my hiking poles and tie it down like an A-frame pup tent. I have also used it a pack cover, rain trap for drinking water, and as a "rain cape."

Set up correctly it can provide most of the comfort of a tent with none of the weight. Due to the flimsier nature of the rigging system and not having real support poles, you should put some more money into a bivy sack or get acquainted with bushcrafting skills to put together something for more extreme conditions. I have used the tarp as a top cover/fly for a lean-to in snowstorm conditions once and cme out fine, though don't try that at home without some experience.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/supertarps.php

I use the tarp in tandem with an Integral Designs South Col Long Bivy. In warm weather I use the bivy as a ground insulator and sleep in my bag on top of it under the tarp in case of rain. In cold and or continuously windy weather, I sleep in the bivy and rig the tarp as a wind channeler.

Total weight of the shelter system: a few ounces under three pounds. With its sleeping bag, a Sierra Designs Paul Bunyan X-long, about just over seven pounds.

I like this system because I don't like sharing a stink filled tent. I can pitch it just about anywhere, at wierd angles, in tight timber stands, or against rock outcroppings. Its light weight allows me to carry luxury items that others forgo, like a real hunk of honest to God cheese, all of the alcohol fuel for my stove I could possibly envision using, my RAT-7 knife, and my Aerolatte French Press and as much variety in coffee as I might wish to bring,
 
Some random backpacking thoughts:

Uncle Mikes makes some decent nylon holsters that will fit over belts up to 2.25". I think these are in their Sidekick line. These can go on your backpack belt if it's no more than 2" wide. Anymore and you'll have to unthread a clasp to slide it on. You might be able to work the clasp through the holster belt look otherwise.

Does anyone know is somebody makes a nylon thigh holsters to fit a 4" .357 revolver? I was digging around for one, but everything I saw was for autos.

Tuna and chicken both come in those plastic bag packs now. Some brands might even be resealable. No need for cans. I'd probably pick chicken over tuna since tuna smells so much. Make sure these packs are inside of another zip-lock bag in case they leak.

Cotton kills. Leave it at home.

Lipton and others has a line of noodle and rice entres that you just add hot water to. You can cook these up right in their own bags. The same kind of thing can be found in the organic section if you are concerned about such things. These pack really well and you can easily add the chicken mentioned earlier.

Get a food dehydrator and make your own beef jerky. mmmmmm.

Oranges. They're bulky and a tad heavy, but they travel well. Just remember to pack out the peels.
 
I have a Swedish Army poncho, similar to the tarp idea. Got it at a milsurp store. Nice big piece of ripstop nylon with grommets. Used all the ways described above at one time or another. Very light.
 
Reply 1.
I do not understand why folks do not take personal steps to insure safety. It does not matter the activity, taking some steps to insure safety , with mindset, some kind of training, and back up plans just "are".

Reply 2.
Firearms are just one tool in the toolbox of taking steps to insure safety, not THE tool.

-
I have been in Canada more than once , starting at age 15 and we spent anywhere from Seven to Fourteen days out in the wilderness. We canoed and portaged , checked in with a Ranger Station about every three days. Two people shared One backpack. Naturally enough being underage and in Canada, no firearms. We were not even allowed to use live bait for fish.
We had all sorts of critters from Mosquitoes , Black Flies, Bears, Snakes and ...
Fire, Water, Food .Shelter. Meant a way to make fire, gather and have healthy drinking water, and we ate very very well. No game meat, fish, berries, fruit, and of course we made Pizza, cakes and all sorts of foods.
This back before MREs and a lot of the offerings available today.

Travel Light? Yep. We had one rod and reel for every 2- 3 people. We used Zebco 33 and Garcia Spinning reels - fiberglass rods.

My "Survival Knives" - Swiss Army and Old Hickory Utility knife , we had two folding saws and two small hand axes. [pretty much for all my trips, even the guide used a Old Hickory and had back-up knives in his gear.

--
I get bigger, and head off to Jamaica, I again cannot take a gun, still we took a 3 day, 2 night hike and camp out trip.

Again, my survival knife was a SAK and Jamacian version of a Old Hickory Paring knife for fixed blade.

My Metal "cup" was one of MY most important tools. I could boil water, cook, drink , eat...my metal cup and spoon were important to me. As was Aluminum foil.

I have caught fish from Canada, to Key West, to PA to West OK using a 1/8oz bucktail jig in white, grey and black - white being the best overall color.

Personal Safety meant taking care of feet. In Canada, I wore 'Nam style Jungle boots. Not worth a flip for hiking for most hike needs, great for being in and out of water all the time. We did not have the offerings back then we have today.

Even swimming, I wore light canvas "Keds" tennis shoes. Feet are that important a part of Personal safety.

Bears? Yeah, they are really BIG! WE had to use our brains to stay safe. Do not ask me how many times a "cheating monkeyfist" was tossed over a tree limb. Basically a Tennis ball with heavy cord, attached to rope we threw. Hauled that food store burlap bag/ pack w-a-y up in a tree - away from camp.
Lots of Bears? We cooked on a small "island" , out in the lake, and ate in the canoe. Usually a "sandwich meal" as we kept biscuits made and Smores made to travel with.

In Canada, one guide pulled out the head of a hoe. just a small hoe "lighter, easier to pack". He would find a stick, use if for his "walking stick". Best thing in the world to kill a snake with, dig a trench to keep water draining and not pooling aroud a tent and other used.

We all make a walking stick the first day out, sharpenend the end, fire hardened it.

I probably still could, though it has been years. All I had was a compass, knife, 2 matches, some cord, fishing line, small box of raisins and one small patch of aluminum foil , clothes on my back and survived for / up to 3 days and 2 nights.
Only once was I allowed a firearm and I did not use it. Depended on the deal, but I did not have a lot of stuff on person. They even took away my firestarter, and emergency blanket once.
Summer time...when they did this.
I made me a cup using foil, used worms and bugs found under rocks, and limber stick and caught fish. If it had not been summertime, I would have snared squirrels.
 
READ THIS. VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!

WARNING

My lab partner from school is facing misdemeanor charges for packing in a 1911 on a california hike. When his brother broke his leg and the ranger looked in backpacks for a firstaid kit he found the gun. UNLESS IT'S OPEN CARRIED, it is concealed. If you haven't got a CCW, wear it or forget it. The chance that you'll find a mountain lion is far lower than finding hypothermia and dying. And 70 lbs is way too much, even for those of us who it'd be 1/4 our body weight. If you want to carry (I say carry) make sure it's open carried. Remember you need a 6" barrel to hunt with it in the PRK too, though I doubt you'll be hunting.
 
Over many years living in Calif., I backpacked, hiked, camped, and hunted and fished all over much of the Sierra Nevada range, so know a fair amount about much of it.

(BTW, folks, the correct name is "SIERRA," not "Sierras," or "Sierra's." In Spanish, the word "Sierra," is plural, meaning a collection of mountains within a rocky mountain range. Therefore, the "Sierra Nevada," or, "the snowcovered mountains range.")

That little bit of trivia out of the way, I've not seen this in any of the responses, but as far as "trapping and snaring, and fishing," you'd better have a Calif. Hunting license and fishing license with you at all times! Go to the Calif. Game & Fish Dept., and not only buy your two F&G licenses, but pick up a copy of the hunting and fishing regs and study them so you know what is legal and what is not.

Don't depend on those high mountain lakes and streams for trout. Sometimes yes; sometimes no. Plan on "no."

As far as carrying a gun while backpacking, the Hunting license insures your legality, but..... there are different laws about carrying concealed and non-concealed out in the boonies. Both the Calif. Penal Code 120XX defines where you can carry concealed and not. Those Calif. P.C. laws at times, conflict with the Calif. Fish & Game laws. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

As said by others, you can not LEGALLY carry a firearm in a National Park or Calif. State Park. Always know where the boundaries are up in the Sierra.

Another thing I haven't yet seen mentioned about backpacking in the Sierra, but is of EXTREME IMPORTANCE is carrying and using at all times, a top rated water filter!! Do not drink the water from streams or lakes in the Sierra! Most are contaminated with Giardia, or "Beaver Fever." I prefer the Katadyn filter.

Anytime you're above 6,000 feet, you need to drink a copious amount of water to combat altitude sickness, which comes mainly from dehydration at high altitude. So take that Katadyn filter and USE IT!!

.45 ACP? .357 Mag.? In my opinion, as you already have a .45 ACP and are comfortable and familiar with it, I'd pack it and a couple of extra magazines. I've carried my Colt's Lightweight Commander many a mile in the boonies and never worried about the caliber. Also have packed my old Ruger Security Six SS 4" .357 many times. Either is just fine for what you're going to do.

Rather than investing in a new pistol, ammo, holster, and practice just for a backpacking trip, I advise you put some of that money into that Katadyn Water Filter of which I spoke.

Others here have commented on cutting down your pack weight, type of food to take, clothing, etc. I won't touch on that, other than to say that many years ago when I was in the Army (no combat), in addition to my issued M1 Garand rifle, I carried about 65 pounds when we'd head out for field training, etc. I was then 20 years old, 6'3" tall, weighed 178 pounds and was in very good condition. Even so, that weight was plenty for me, and we did not even go into the altitudes which you listed.

You mentioned renting mules to pack some of your goods. Hmmmm.

I don't know how experienced you are with four footed beasts of burden, but I've done a fair amount of horse and mule packing both in the Sierra and several of the Rocky Mountain states. I can assure you, you don't know what "fun" is, until you've tried to untangle a mule wreck on those very narrow, dangerous, steep, switchbacks in the high Sierra!! :eek:

Anyway, these are my suggestions. Take them for whatever use they might be, if any. :)

Have fun on your trip.

L.W.
 
I'm an old infantryman and a backpacker. I've hiked almost all the Appalachian trail (over 2,000 miles), most of it in 9-day segments. I've also hiked most of the Ozark Highlands Trail, Horseshoe Trail in Pennsylvania, and many others.

My pack for a 9-day trip weighs 20 lbs. I carry:

A small pack -- too big means too much weight in the pack itself.
A 2 lb sleeping bag (Northface Chrysalis)
A foam pad
A visqueen groundsheet
A home-made poncho (7X9 feet) that doubles as a tarp tent
An anti-gravity alcohol stove
A can, spoon, and lighter (cook kit)
A can of alcohol for the stove
A bottle of iodine tablets
A sliver of soap
A plastic bottle for water
A bandanna
A light nylon jacket
Two pairs of heavy socks in a plastic baggie
A swiss knife
Food:
  • Two packets of oatmeal per day
  • One freeze dried meal per day
  • Two packets of chocolate drink per day

I wear or carry:

A buttonup shirt
Shorts
Hat
Wristwatch with compass
Map in baggie
Danner boots with heavy socks.
Bamboo walking stick (6 feet long)

With that, I can afford to carry a gun. I usually carry a .22 pistol. I hike areas were bear attacks have happened, but consider that adequate.
 
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