Handgun Carry in the Woods?

[pinnah]

Dead weight, eh? I also have the carry permit, but it is not necessary if you carry un-concealed in many cases.

22RF,

Primarily this is true for me. Nearly all of my time in the woods is on public lands in the east. Moose are the only reasonable threat and that's generally easily managed without needing a gun. The only meaningful statistic for crime are trailhead car break-ins, which don't lead to violent confrontations.

If I were a woman, I might consider it for protection against sexual assault, but I think that is much more likely to happen (sadly) outside of the woods, even on the busy, populated AT. Self-defense and pepper spray may be a better option.

Here's a good ol girl's take on guns on the AT.
[video]https://youtu.be/FjqQsLXjQy4[/video]

Lastly, I go into the woods to hike or ski, not to shoot.

 

[22-rimfire]

22RF,

Primarily this is true for me. Nearly all of my time in the woods is on public lands in the east. Moose are the only reasonable threat and that's generally easily managed without needing a gun. The only meaningful statistic for crime are trailhead car break-ins, which don't lead to violent confrontations.

<snip>

Lastly, I go into the woods to hike or ski, not to shoot.

I like a well rounded experience in the woods or as a "well rounded" as I can make it and shooting is part of the experience. I am mostly in the woods for the scenery, wild plants, and so forth. I have little interest in just grinding out miles of trail just for the sake of hiking. That is the primary reason I really enjoy the spring. I don't fixate on self defense. In many public lands you aren't allowed to "plink" which for me is a bummer. I visit Smoky Mt NP quite frequently and you aren't allowed to shoot there (other than fear of death or in other words self defense), but you can carry in accordance with state and federal law. Not particularly concerned about black bears and there are a lot of them. So at SMNP, sometimes I carry a handgun and more often than not, I don't, as I am carrying a lot of camera gear.

 

[fmajor007]

Yes. Always.

Sig Sauer P220 45ACP w/3 mags.

While i love being in the wilderness, it is impossible to guess when/where a significant confrontation can arise. I am usually affable and well-versed in de-escalation methodology (years of specifically focused professional training and course work). I also trained/competed in martial arts for many years and prefer non-violent response - everyone likes to have a good laugh (re-direction, change in topic, etc) and hopefully prefers that to aggression. However, if physical confrontation is unavoidable I am not unprepared.

Where i live, people from all over the US come to hike, ski, etc in the mountains and on the trails. Understandably so - the Rockies are beautiful. No problem - most of those folks are generally "normal", decent people (well there are some of the hippy-types, but they're not usually prone to violence). However, there are also those who also enjoy being in the wilderness, but lack more acceptable socialization and are prone to aggression/confrontation. They also are accompanied by like-mannered companions. I remain diligent and prepared just for folks like that and for all the other closet-nut jobs out there.

Just because yer paranoid DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE NOT out to get you.

 

[pinnah]

I like a well rounded experience in the woods or as a "well rounded" as I can make it and shooting is part of the experience. I am mostly in the woods for the scenery, wild plants, and so forth. I have little interest in just grinding out miles of trail just for the sake of hiking. That is the primary reason I really enjoy the spring. I don't fixate on self defense. In many public lands you aren't allowed to "plink" which for me is a bummer. I visit Smoky Mt NP quite frequently and you aren't allowed to shoot there (other than fear of death or in other words self defense), but you can carry in accordance with state and federal law. Not particularly concerned about black bears and there are a lot of them. So at SMNP, sometimes I carry a handgun and more often than not, I don't, as I am carrying a lot of camera gear.

If people have places where they can still go to the woods and plink safely, that's awesome. I'm envious. I enjoy shooting and where I live in New England, that's just a whole lot easier logistically at a controlled range.

I have a lot of sympathy and understanding of SuperTacs scary story. I rode my bicycle across the US in the mid 80s (dating myself) and when you're bike touring, you spend a lot of time in these fringe areas that are both remote and out of the protection of police and at the same time, accessible by car. IMO, these are the places where I'm most likely to carry a gun for self-defense. Criminals have easy access to me and easy escape due to the roads and they have little fear due to the remote location. When we rode across the Idaho pan handle, we brushed up against neo-Nazis and when we skirted Detroit to the north (we rode across the foot of Ontario) we were (on advice from the local cops) very wary of local gang activity even in the outer semi-rural suburbs. If I were in the near-country of RMNP, I would be concerned about pot growers.

When I hike, I admittedly like to rip off miles. I enjoy the physical challenge and I enjoy seeing stuff. Different strokes and all that. One of the nice things about getting in the deeper back-country, as opposed to the more car-accessible front-country or near-country, is that one tends to leave all that BS behind. Violent crime is practically unheard off in the backcountry.

I'd consider carrying for protection if I did more bike touring again. But that's only because bike touring is a near-country thing and really just about the most vulnerable thing you can do in terms of exposing yourself to that kind of threat.

 

[Mannlicher]

I always have a handgun when afield. I vary the carry, with a lot of choices available.

 

[GB940Rookie]

This is my preferred woods carry. Ruger MkII in cross draw rig. Not too many dangerous animals to worry about where I live. The cross draw is extremely comfortable while sitting which is very important to me.

I have a Kahr CW9 in a IWB holster for concealment if necessary.

 

[fishiker]

A Ruger 22 makes an excellent woods bumming pistol. I still have my old MK-I and a tack driving MK-II with Leupold scope. My current companion is a 22/45 Lite that rides in a 5.11 bag. In my opinion you can't go wrong with any Ruger.

 

[collim1]

I carry one. What I carry depends on the location and circumstances.

If weight, size, and concealment are a concern I can throw a air weight Smith revolver and a couple of speed strips in a pocket and forget it's there.

If it's not a concern I open carry a Smith 66 .357 revolver and a speed loader or two on my belt.

I was doing some scouting last week for a hunting trip that weekend and took a nice eating size doe with the 357 magnum revolver I was carrying. I needed meat for the year so I was glad to have it. I wouldn't have taken a shot with a small air weight revolver.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Pàdruig]

My mode of carry varies depending on where and when I go. Though I generally try to avoid hiking in popular areas, if I happen to be hiking in an area that is a bit more populated with hikers than I keep my pistol in my pack. Otherwise the Glock 22 goes on my belt in a Safariland ALS holster. I used to carry in a drop down thigh holster but not only did it prove to be cumbersome when attempting to bushwhack, but it also is a bit more threatening in appearance to those you might happen to cross paths with. At some point I would like to fashion a chest rig of some sort to try out.

Though we usually have little to fear in the woods, we have had an uptick in cougar sightings in the last few years and I have seen several black bears whilst out hunting. Better safe than sorry, in my opinion. Two legged predators are always a factor, too, I've come across a few that I was pretty certain were up to no good. I mostly bow hunt now but one of the last years some time ago that I rifle hunted I experienced something rather odd. Shortly into the season, my buddy and I set out to hit a few spots that we had scouted out earlier and while we were hiking a trail, we came across a guy who was sorely out of place. He had no pack, no rifle, no supplies. His clothing was clean, but stuff you would expect some kid in the city would wear. He spoke little to no English and we didn't see any other vehicles at the trail head. After attempting unsuccessfully to communicate with the guy, we parted ways though he continued to shadow us for some time before disappearing. A bit unnerving, especially since large scale marijuana grows had been found by the Sheriff's office in the woods we were hunting in.

Always good to be prepared regardless and I've simply adapted to the extra weight a pistol and ammo creates.

 

[jaseman]

I always carry in the woods. Mainly because, I simply always carry, regardless of where I'm at (providing its legal for me to do so).

How I carry depends on what I'm carrying, and the situation. If it's a full day of hiking, I prefer to open carry the 5" 1911 in a belt holster. It's just easier. The weight doesn't bother me too much, and I can let a shirt or jacket cover it if needed.

If we're camping at one of the state parks, I tend to conceal the FNS-40c IWB. We're generally not putting more than a mile or two on at a time, or just hanging out around camp. There's lots of families and kids running around, and while I'm very open about carrying, not everyone is so open minded about it. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

On rare occasion I'll wear a shoulder rig in the woods. It's really comfortable and keeps the gun from getting banged off of trees, rocks, brush, etc... but, I'm almost always wearing a backpack, and it competes with the straps.


I'm not worried about animals in the woods. The dog's usually on to them and flushing them well before they become a threat. But with the wife and my 8 y/o daughter along, it's two legged predators I worry about.



Question for those that carry a handgun in their pack, verses on their body.... Why? Unless it is strictly for plinking, what good does it do in a place you have to open up and fumble for, and possibly even take off of your back to get to?

This isn't a judgement, I'm just curious, as, should you actually need a handgun for protection (no matter how many legs it has) time is usually of the essence. A bear, cougar, or meth cook isn't going to wait for you to get a pistol out of your pack if they decide you are a threat.

 

[tranee]

In the woods, I favor the same front pants pocket holster and Kimber Micro9 as I use for EDC. What's really nice, in a woods gun, is a silenced .22lr added to the mix. Now that is entertaining. A really good one will reliably hit starlings at 25 yds from standing and if you can brace it on something, will do so to 40 yds. Since the critters usually just sit there when you miss, you often get more than one try, so in effect, the effective range is extended, in a manner of speaking. If you go with an aluminum "can" and the aluminum upper receiver on a 2245, the package can be as light as 22 ozs and be just 10" long. If you hold shut the bolt with your non-firing thumb, it is BB gun quiet.

 

[Pàdruig]

Question for those that carry a handgun in their pack, verses on their body.... Why? Unless it is strictly for plinking, what good does it do in a place you have to open up and fumble for, and possibly even take off of your back to get to?

This isn't a judgement, I'm just curious, as, should you actually need a handgun for protection (no matter how many legs it has) time is usually of the essence. A bear, cougar, or meth cook isn't going to wait for you to get a pistol out of your pack if they decide you are a threat.

It is a good question and one I am not sure I can adequately answer. However, since I have done the activity in question in the past , I will share my reasons for doing so.

It really comes down to two reasons for me. The first reason is mostly for practicality. I typically carry a full size pistol in a Safariland ALS hoster on my hip. When I am bushwhacking (usually when I am hunting or just plain exploring), that package tends to be rather cumbersome due to its bulk and can get hung up on branches, underbrush, etc. Really annoying! So pistol will get tossed into the pack until I come to clearer areas to hike in. Now I know that I can resolve this by:

1.) Changing my mode of carry, which I have been looking at making a chest rig which will ideally not be in the way.
2.) Scaling down the size of the overall package. ie. More compact pistol, lower profile holster, etc.
3.) Simply getting/making a different holster that hugs the body better vs. projecting as much as the ALS holster does.

The second reason tends to not be much of a factor as I try not to frequent many popular and/or populated areas anymore. But in the past, when there is a reasonable expectation that I will encounter a lot of other hikers, I simply avoid the potential hassle that open carrying a large pistol can cause and stow it in my pack. I recognize that it renders the pistol rather useless if I were to need it in a pinch but I make no attempt to conceal the large knife I usually carry (knives seem to be an acceptable tool in the wilderness, regardless of size) and I am also not a small man, so if someone wanted to get the drop on me, they would have to do just that. Animals are less of a concern really, though as I said earlier, we do have a rather healthy black bear and cougar population here in the NW.

All in all, I can certainly improve my mode of carry in the woods. My reasons aren't necessarily good ones, but they are honest. I never not take my pistol as I believe that having one and not needing it is the best course of action regardless.

 

[Horsewright]

We ranch in some big wide open country. Always carry. We have 4 legged predators, bears, mountain lions, big pigs (not really a predator but can be a problem) and coyotes and bobcats like to eat our calves. Snakes can be a problem some years too. We've also had numerous run ins with two legged predators. The idea that you can be out in the boonies and not run into nefarious people simply is untrue and naive. Spend enough time out here and you will find them. Belt carry on a handgun and on the backside of the ranch will take a rifle too. But the horse carries that one. Checking feed conditions in some of the canyons.

Out checking fence, (thought I'd check this burl on this old dead oak to see if there were any knife handles inside).

Even branding in the corrals. I carry.

The backside of the ranch. Wife and I were fixing fence. There are no roads. We call this "the big country". She's got my back while I fix fence.

No not really. She was just holding the .45-70 while I adjusted my saddle after a real steep climb. But it makes a good story. She carries too.

 

[tranee]

everywhere, at all times, dogs and men are by far the worst threat. The ASPCA says that every year, 800,000 people are dogbitten badly enough to seek medical care. that's 20,000x more than bear attacks.

 

[jaseman]

It is a good question and one I am not sure I can adequately answer. However, since I have done the activity in question in the past , I will share my reasons for doing so.

It really comes down to two reasons for me. The first reason is mostly for practicality. I typically carry a full size pistol in a Safariland ALS hoster on my hip. When I am bushwhacking (usually when I am hunting or just plain exploring), that package tends to be rather cumbersome due to its bulk and can get hung up on branches, underbrush, etc. Really annoying! So pistol will get tossed into the pack until I come to clearer areas to hike in. Now I know that I can resolve this by:

1.) Changing my mode of carry, which I have been looking at making a chest rig which will ideally not be in the way.
2.) Scaling down the size of the overall package. ie. More compact pistol, lower profile holster, etc.
3.) Simply getting/making a different holster that hugs the body better vs. projecting as much as the ALS holster does.

The second reason tends to not be much of a factor as I try not to frequent many popular and/or populated areas anymore. But in the past, when there is a reasonable expectation that I will encounter a lot of other hikers, I simply avoid the potential hassle that open carrying a large pistol can cause and stow it in my pack. I recognize that it renders the pistol rather useless if I were to need it in a pinch but I make no attempt to conceal the large knife I usually carry (knives seem to be an acceptable tool in the wilderness, regardless of size) and I am also not a small man, so if someone wanted to get the drop on me, they would have to do just that. Animals are less of a concern really, though as I said earlier, we do have a rather healthy black bear and cougar population here in the NW.

All in all, I can certainly improve my mode of carry in the woods. My reasons aren't necessarily good ones, but they are honest. I never not take my pistol as I believe that having one and not needing it is the best course of action regardless.

Thanks for the response. As I said, was just curious.

I can definitely understand a full-size getting in the way. The holster for my 1911 rides nice and tight to the body, but even then, my pack rides against that big grip and gets in the way - which would make it a PITA to actually draw my weapon. If your carrying a full size, 6" revolver, or even a double-stack semi, it'll stick out even more....

 

[tranee]

front pants pocket holster is best for EDC in the street and in the woods. It's out of the way of your pack and rifle. It's out of the elements, out of sight, yet accessible. It's amazing how people can not worry about 20-50 lbs of fat, but be upset by a lb of pistol weight.

 

[supertac916]

If people have places where they can still go to the woods and plink safely, that's awesome. I'm envious. I enjoy shooting and where I live in New England, that's just a whole lot easier logistically at a controlled range.

I have a lot of sympathy and understanding of SuperTacs scary story. I rode my bicycle across the US in the mid 80s (dating myself) and when you're bike touring, you spend a lot of time in these fringe areas that are both remote and out of the protection of police and at the same time, accessible by car. IMO, these are the places where I'm most likely to carry a gun for self-defense. Criminals have easy access to me and easy escape due to the roads and they have little fear due to the remote location. When we rode across the Idaho pan handle, we brushed up against neo-Nazis and when we skirted Detroit to the north (we rode across the foot of Ontario) we were (on advice from the local cops) very wary of local gang activity even in the outer semi-rural suburbs. If I were in the near-country of RMNP, I would be concerned about pot growers.

When I hike, I admittedly like to rip off miles. I enjoy the physical challenge and I enjoy seeing stuff. Different strokes and all that. One of the nice things about getting in the deeper back-country, as opposed to the more car-accessible front-country or near-country, is that one tends to leave all that BS behind. Violent crime is practically unheard off in the backcountry.

I'd consider carrying for protection if I did more bike touring again. But that's only because bike touring is a near-country thing and really just about the most vulnerable thing you can do in terms of exposing yourself to that kind of threat.

I'm not much of a long distance backpacker and usually just hike out 10 miles or so because that's when you get real seclusion from people. I agree that most of the criminal element that I've run into were off the backcountry roads or within a few miles off the trailheads. I still carry though because you have to hit the trailheads somewhere and California has it's fair share of criminals, especially these days with much of the liberal policies, where they are releasing "Non-Violent" offenders and cite and release. This includes individuals who are caught in possession of stolen firearms. I had a gun stolen out of my hotel room a year and a half ago, while my buddy was in the bathroom and my kids were sleeping in one of the beds. Left to go get some coffee downstairs before we geared up and headed out on an ATV trip. The guy went into our room because my dumb arse figured it was 5am, an adult in the room, and two kids sleep, and I'd only be gone for 5 minutes. Came back and my Kimber Gold Combat was gone off the nightstand. Just the gun was gone and he left my wallet, mags, and everything else. A month later I get a call from one of my buddy's at the gun store I used to work at in college and he asked if I had my Kimber stolen. Detectives were doing a serial number check, so I called the Oroville PD and inquire about my gun. The guy was a convicted felon, drug addict, etc. and was arrested for brandishing it. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured with my gun which was my primary concern. It was stolen in August 2015 and recovered in September and I didn't get the gun back until September of last year. The criminal who stole it spent 3 months in jail and was given time served, so my gun spent 9 months longer in evidence, than the felon spent in jail. When I went to pickup my gun from the PD I asked the officer about the guy and there were two new warrants out for his arrest for probation violations. That's one of the reasons why I carry every day and no matter where I am. There is no punishment for our criminals to deter them from reoffending.

Here's a few pics of after I got my gun back from evidence and cleaned it. It was covered in gunk because the defense attorney wanted it fingerprinted and DNA tested at the DOJ during his appeal. He also no showed to several of his hearings and had bench warrants out for his arrest throughout his trial. They just kept letting him out.

 

[the possum]

Last weekend I went for a walk in the woods, at two different places. I dropped my little NAA mini .22 revolver in my pocket just because. Figured I didn't really need it, because I was also carrying a rifle. Actually, I swapped out halfway through- I carried a bolt action the first time, and then decided to grab my lever action at the next place. I did some plinking at random stuff with the rifles. But it was good to just get out for a relaxing (if short) walk.

 

[Ultraman]

We ranch in some big wide open country. Always carry. We have 4 legged predators, bears, mountain lions, big pigs (not really a predator but can be a problem) and coyotes and bobcats like to eat our calves. Snakes can be a problem some years too. We've also had numerous run ins with two legged predators. The idea that you can be out in the boonies and not run into nefarious people simply is untrue and naive. Spend enough time out here and you will find them. Belt carry on a handgun and on the backside of the ranch will take a rifle too. But the horse carries that one. Checking feed conditions in some of the canyons.
(

Awesome pictures, I'm envious and the leatherwork looks beautiful. May I ask what kind of pistol that is? Thanks!

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks Ultraman The first one (where I'm wearing the red and blue leggings on my horse) is a Ruger Old Model Vaquero in .45 Colt. The second one where I'm cutting the burl is a Bersa Thunder in .380. The third is a Polish Radom Tokarov in 7.62x25mm. I made all three holsters. I'm kinda a gun guy so I don't really have a specific gun that I always carry. I vary all the time and a lot of it might be dependent on what I'm doing and where on the ranch I'm going.