Do you feel the need to have a weapon when camping

[TheSurvivalist]

I think this is highly influenced by where you live, the areas you frequent and other variables.

I can agree with that.

Most places in Florida and Georgia I've been to are great, with the exception of a couple guys we ran across while hiking in Ocala National Forest. I wasn't sure if they were there to camp or cook meth.

 

[Dances with Wolves]

I can agree with that.

Most places in Florida and Georgia I've been to are great, with the exception of a couple guys we ran across while hiking in Ocala National Forest. I wasn't sure if they were there to camp or cook meth.

I grew up in Clearwater and spent a lot of time mountainbiking in Ocala. They were checking on their crops.

 

[TheSurvivalist]

I grew up in Clearwater and spent a lot of time mountainbiking in Ocala. They were checking on their crops.

LOL, yeah, probably.

 

[GregSplett]

It is almost like some peoples forays into the back country is consumed by their fears.

 

[Christophe Noel]

You get wounded out in the woods, you're potentially hours, sometimes even days away from any sort of help.

Another excellent point. One of my friends said he carries for those reasons: in the event he has to spend days in the wilderness due to an unforeseen incident. I get it. I also asked him if he uses anything like a SPOT or inReach and he looked at me like I had three heads.

I use an inReach, and have for a few years now from Baja to Iceland, Ecuador, and all over the remote West. I've sent and received over 300 messages without a single failed communication. So, in the event of some bummer in the woods, I'll likely get saved by that little widget than anything else. So, if you carry a gun for those reasons, I would advocate an inReach as well. Way more effective. You can have help on route in minutes, and it needn't be full blown SAR.

 

[Dalko43]

Another excellent point. One of my friends said he carries for those reasons: in the event he has to spend days in the wilderness due to an unforeseen incident. I get it. I also asked him if he uses anything like a SPOT or inReach and he looked at me like I had three heads.

I use an inReach, and have for a few years now from Baja to Iceland, Ecuador, and all over the remote West. I've sent and received over 300 messages without a single failed communication. So, in the event of some bummer in the woods, I'll likely get saved by that little widget than anything else. So, if you carry a gun for those reasons, I would advocate an inReach as well. Way more effective. You can have help on route in minutes, and it needn't be full blown SAR.

I think perhaps you misunderstood my meaning. I don't advocate carrying a firearm to signal others to your location (although it can certainly be used that way in a pinch), in fact I don't advocate carrying at all unless you are properly trained on how to use a firearm.

I think that those who choose to carry do so because in the event of suffering an injury resulting from a physical confrontation (human or otherwise) police/rescue will potentially be a good ways away from helping you, with or without a GPS/Sat communicator.

A firearm gives you the ability to defend yourself.
A GPS/Communicator gives you the ability to determine your location and send messages to others.

2 different tools fulfilling 2 different roles.

 

[k9lestat]

I just touch my communication badge on my shirt and say beam me up Scotty.

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[406expo]

I just touch my communication badge on my shirt and say beam me up Scotty.

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Same here!

 

[rayra]

It is almost like some peoples forays into the back country is consumed by their fears.

lol ask Timothy Treadwell about that. And his girlfriend. Better bring a ghost-whisperer though.

 

[rayra]

When I was stationed at ft drum NY I found it odd about these rules of hunting with rifles. As I recall the majority was shotguns only with few or any exceptions.

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That's mostly about population densities in the northeast and their comparative lack of open ranges. Shot and slugs travel a lot less distance then an errant rifle bullet. Western states the rifle bullet can usually fly to its heart's content without any risk of hitting anybody.

 

[Blind_Io]

It is almost like some peoples forays into the back country is consumed by their fears.

You could say the same thing about wearing a seatbelt or owning a fire extinguisher or first aid kit. It's not about the likelihood of an animal attack, it's about what's at stake. I am not "consumed by fear" but I am aware of the risk, there is a difference. Having a firearm helps to mitigate that risk, the same way having a fire extinguisher in your kitchen helps to mitigate the risk of a grease fire.

Now, I've never had a grease fire, but I still keep an extinguisher near the stove. I've never had to point a weapon at anything other than a practice target, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave it at home in the safe.

Awareness is a cognitive process, fear is an emotional one.

 

[MOguy]

You could say the same thing about wearing a seatbelt or owning a fire extinguisher or first aid kit. It's not about the likelihood of an animal attack, it's about what's at stake. I am not "consumed by fear" but I am aware of the risk, there is a difference. Having a firearm helps to mitigate that risk, the same way having a fire extinguisher in your kitchen helps to mitigate the risk of a grease fire.

Now, I've never had a grease fire, but I still keep an extinguisher near the stove. I've never had to point a weapon at anything other than a practice target, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave it at home in the safe.

Awareness is a cognitive process, fear is an emotional one.

This /\

 

[Dalko43]

You could say the same thing about wearing a seatbelt or owning a fire extinguisher or first aid kit. It's not about the likelihood of an animal attack, it's about what's at stake. I am not "consumed by fear" but I am aware of the risk, there is a difference. Having a firearm helps to mitigate that risk, the same way having a fire extinguisher in your kitchen helps to mitigate the risk of a grease fire.

Now, I've never had a grease fire, but I still keep an extinguisher near the stove. I've never had to point a weapon at anything other than a practice target, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave it at home in the safe.

Awareness is a cognitive process, fear is an emotional one.

Essentially the same idea I was trying to express, but in a much more articulate manner....well said!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I have put in many days of scouting for elk through an area where I know there are black bears and cougars present without carrying a weapon, but it's also an area that sees little human presence and bears/cougars are wild enough to know that human scent means they go the other direction. I keep telling myself I will start carrying a can of bear mace but haven't yet, do your homework and you will learn it's far more effective than a sidearm. It's the areas where the animals get used to humans and their food that you need to worry about interaction. To be honest though, moose scare me more than anything else in the woods, they aren't scared of anything and will not get out of the way on the trail.

 

[Blind_Io]

Moose are the ones I worry about the most; 700 lb of irritable ice-aged mega-fauna that stomps wolves to death with hoofs the size of hubcaps and can run 35 mph.

Pepper spray is effective, no argument on that, but it's rage is also limited and once you've used the can, it's gone. I've never met anyone who carried more than one small can of bear spray. A rifle is also useful in a survival situation, to signal for help (three shots is a sign of distress), or to start a fire (take a cartridge apart for the gun powder). A rifle, shotgun, or pistol isn't just for dissuading aggressive wildlife - but that is the point I chose to address because it was within the scope of the discussion.