Guns for camping?

[The-Fly]

My go to handgun while camping is my 6" 686, loaded with 158gr DT gold dots. My long arm depends on where I am camping at, its either a 18" 870, my AK, or my AR.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I usually park and walk in to make a basecamp 20 or so miles up the trail and then hike out from there over a couple of days. Or, I'll section hike part of the Appalachian Trail for 3 or 4 days.
It's just not feasible or comfortable to carry an arsenal. So, I take a 357 loaded with full house magnum loads and two speed loaders. 2 or 4 legs will drop or run.
If that can't handle it, I'm in pretty big trouble anyway and will probably just hit the woods for escape/evade.

 

[lance22]

Normal camping - I'd pick a Glock 22. Respectable fire power, great reliability, and ugly enough that it can experience 'rough use' w/o worrying that you are marring your safe queen. If you are in Bear Country - then Ruger Alaskan.

Oh wait - you asked what do I carry ... Usually a Glock 35.

As ChrisinVA said - I've had a few scary situations in camp grounds - the worst was in Michigan with some people that pulled in at 2:00 AM - won't relate that story but it's as scared as I've ever been in the outdoors.

 

[JamisJockey]

As far as situations while camping....
I've never been in a scary situation while camping, except being cornered by some sheepdogs. Not just any sheepdogs, these are those big, wild white ones, Pyrannees dogs I think.
However, I've seen some very questionable people inhabiting the same campgrounds as me. Even saw a suspected meth lab once, promptly packed up and left. Notified a park ranger on the way out.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

A model 36 S&W on my hip, depending on the activity a shotgun or sks in the truck, or maybe a takedown .22 semi in my pack.

 

[Creeping Incrementalism]

Due to a dry conditions in California, the black bears have been extremely aggressive this summer. There have been a high number of bear "burglaries" and even "home invasions" in mountain houses. This one, not-always-occupied single-group campground I like has a number of bears in the area, and in normal years they always tear through the trash the night after the group clears out, unless another group immediately re-occupies the camp. So this summer they might be hungry enough to try taking food/trash even while the camp is occupied. If I went out there, I'd personally arm myself with my dog, my 45 w/ FMJs, and maybe an auto-loading rifle/shotgun.

 

[glockman19]

Do you take any firearms with you camping?

YES

If so, what kind and why?

S&W 686+, S&W 629 & 642 goes everywhere, Marlin 1894
Varmints, 2 & 4 legged.

When Hunting I also take my Remington 700 CDL 30-06 and teh 10/22 for fun.

 

[Mainsail]

Are you asking about camping (drive to a place, open door, pitch tent) or backpacking (carry tent, food, etc. several miles into the forest)?

For backpacking I carry my Ruger Redhawk Alaskan in .44 magnum.

I don’t consider squirrels to be reactive targets so I wouldn’t shoot it unless I planned on eating it.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Just got back from a weekend in the White Mountains, Arizona. Went to the Alpine area and caught quite a few nice trout.

I always carry when camping. Mostly CCW and hardly ever open carry. The XD-45 went with me this weekend.

I stopped by the boat house on Big Lake to clean fish and a guy to my left was wearing a Ruger semi auto handgun open carry. The guy to my right was carrying a S&W revolver on his hip as well.

 

[AntiqueCollector]

National parks are generally off limits to complete/loaded firearms not locked in cases, but national forests are just fine, your state's laws apply.

And yep, I always have a gun when I'm in the woods, generally a rifle (mauser) and often a back up handgun, a derringer or revolver depending on the circumstances. There are some crazy and dangerous people you can run into in the wilderness, not to mention animals, and it doesn't take a large bear to hurt you, a rabid small animal could hurt you too...

 

[countryrebel]

My glock 20 10mm with home loaded 180xtp's and 45rnd's ready to go makes me feel comfortable.I do not like taking my bushmaster though,too much money invested for some of the places I go,I do however take my ak with folding stock.It's alittle on the heavy side but you have compact reliable firepower.I coated it with brownell's od green so she's good to go for nasty weather also.

 

[BigBlock]

Where I camp there are bears, cougars, snakes, and tweakers. Only an idiot wouldn't bring a gun.

 

[Yakko]

I just spent the weekend at Crater Lake.

Crater Lake National Park has "No Weapons allowed in the park" posted.

I'm guessing this is the same for all national parks now. I wonder how long it'll be before hatchets and hotdog skewers are forbidden... What's next, pointy sticks?

To answer the question:
Where legal, I take a pistol and my wife takes a pistol.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

A bit OT, as it is a question and not an answer...But every now and again I go camping at Jackson Falls in Ill...What is legal for me to take there(Ill)?

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I carry my taurus tracker 357 with 2 speedloaders, plus a loaded cylinder. I carry my handloads, 125 grain remington sjhp with blue dot, pushes 1600 fps. I also carry a speedloader with my remington 158 grain soft points, with winchester 296, these push 1300 fps. The 357 is my outdoors, camping, hiking gun.

 

[22-rimfire]

I honestly prefer a 22 handgun for camping. A Smith Model 18 or a Colt Diamondback is just about perfect. Truck camping and I bring half the house and that includes guns except in National Parks, of course.

 

[skeeter1]

Whenever I camp where it's legal, I bring along a S&W M60 .38Spl +P. I'm proficient with it, have used it enough to be confident that it will work, and stainless steel is best for camping.

Where ever I go, I always have one or two decent knives with me.

 

[Elm Creek Smith]

1. My S&W 3 inch M13 with two to four speedloaders.

2. It's hardly worth mentioning since I always carry it, but my KelTec P32 with 1 spare magazine.

3. A single shot Marlin 15Y in .22 with a Weaver K2.5 scope and a brick of Remington Thunderbolt ammo. (It likes it, alot!)

4. A Ruger Bisley Vaquero 4 5/8 in .45 Colt with either my 777 handloads or 300 grain "Bear Loads."

5. Rossi M62 (Model 92 clone) in .45 Colt with the same ammo as the Ruger.

6. Stoeger Coachgun in 12 gauge with 777 handloads in MagTech all-brass shells with 7 1/2 shot and some 00 loads.

1, 2, and 3 always. 4, 5, and 6 if OUT THERE.

ECS

 

[ScottE]

We don't need no stinkin guns.....

I've been camping in Colorado for most of my life, and have never seen a bear, Mntn lion, or anything that could take me down. Also, my brother who usually camps in Arizona has never shot a gun, and probably never will, but has had encounters with wild boars and wild horses.

Years ago while camping in Park Cnty. CO, I was driving over Mosquito Pass when I encountered a guy who rolled his Subaru off the side of the mountain, and claimed he had been there for a week. The guy seemed desparate, and made me nervous. I was glad to have a gun with me that trip. The local Forest Service office told me they don't do vehicle recovery, and would recover his body if it came to that.

A few months ago, a kid was taken from his tent while sleeping and killed in Utah by a black bear. Apparently the same bear tried to get into another tent a couple nights before. In that case, the campers shot a "warning" shot which scared the bear away. It was the first time a bear had killed someone in Utah since they have been keeping records.

I usually feel safe just having my CCW gun (XD-9). It's pretty rare to hear about someone being attacked by wild animals, but it does happen, especially to children/smaller adults. You are probably safer in the woods than in the city.

It's good to have a weapon, but you probably don't need (hopefully) the whole arsenal.

 

[harrygunner]

When I'm in the woods, I like to camp/hike isolated, away from all unnatural noises or sights.

I carry either a Glock 29 in 10mm or a Ruger Redhawk in .44 Mag.

I like the versatility either platform provides with different ammo. I have 240gr, 300gr .44 Mag ammo plus a couple of boxes of Buffalo Bore's 340gr blockbusters that exhibit around 1480 fl-lb of energy at the muzzle of the Redhawk.

Parts of Kali, the Dakotas, etc. the G29 is good. Places like eastern Arizona, the Sierras, northern Montana, northern Idaho, I carry the Redhawk in a leather shoulder holster.

 

[benEzra]

It's my understanding that ccw in most state parks (save Florida) and National Forests is verboten. Maybe open carry isn't? Or maybe you're camping on private property?

Carry in National Forests depends on state law.

Here in NC, it's legal to have a gun while camping on National Forest land (not when stargazing or hiking, though). I'd have a 9mm on my person and a carbine in the tent or trunk, personally.