How do you protect yourself and your family in the wilderness ?

myright

myright

Gold Member
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Alright boys - After seeing that "other" thread hit 5+ pages with no real discussion around actually protecting yourself in the woods I thought I'd start a new thread.

I'm interested in hearing the ideas and practices you guys have and use when hiking/camping to protect yourself and your family against 2 and 4 legged threats. How do you protect your baby against the dingo? :D

I've seen videos of people setting up trip alarms near their campsite, etc.

Personally, I do not carry a gun. I am always aware of what is going on around me and try to avoid a perceived threat before it becomes an actual threat. I do not consider my blade a defense weapon, but will use it if need be. Normally I have walking stick, my dog, some pepper spray and there are always plenty of rocks on the ground.

The thing that starts to play tricks on my mind is that I've been putting in a quite a few miles with my kid on my back. I'd pretty much be up sh!t's creek if I had to try and defend myself with a kid on my back. Flight is more in order for this.

Let's hear your techniques.

Please - Let's not let this thread get into a debate about what is right or wrong, let's just share what we do.
 
I figure If I really feel threatened I'll throw my kids and than my wife at the potential threat buying me time to escape....
seriously though I'm not super worried about it, but I usually have bear spray for dogs and the odd idiot
sometimes (but not often I'll bring along a shotgun)
I stand a much greater risk of being attacked in my own neighborhood or the surrounding area than in the woods.. but it doesn't mean it can't happen so I pack some gear as I see fit... however awareness imo is always the best way to stay safe.
 
RescueRiley said:
I figure If I really feel threatened I'll throw my kids and than my wife at the potential threat buying me time to escape....
seriously though I'm not super worried about it, but I usually have bear spray for dogs and the odd idiot
sometimes (but not often I'll bring along a shotgun)
I stand a much greater risk of being attacked in my own neighborhood or the surrounding area than in the woods.. but it doesn't mean it can't happen so I pack some gear as I see fit... however awareness imo is always the best way to stay safe.
Click to expand...

The same is true here. More dogs and people and idiots in the neighborhood then there are in the woods. There aren't very many 4 legged predators in the woods where I live either.
 
You've three options in protecting yourself...option #1 buying hardware (guns, pepper spray, knife, walking stick etc), option #2 programming your software (getting proper/competent training) or option #3 both. Most choose option 1 and minimize option 2 and 3. Most try to substitute their option #2 and/or #3 by getting their software development thru books and this forum rather than seeking a competent instructor and/or school. Most would rather spend money on "gear-hardware" and the accumulation of gear-hardware than spend even 4 hours in a class learning the proper way to use the gear - and more importantly under stressful, realistic, life threatening simulated survival conditions.

The reason the "gun used during the hike & the man goes to prison thread" is 5 pages long is because many people lack the development of software which is very evident in many of the replies in that thread...and what people are discussing for five pages is a software problem/situation yet many who reply lack a true understanding of judicious use of deadly force in that state. Anybody can buy a car, knife or gun...but not just anybody can use it/them competently (in stressful, realistic life threatening survival conditions) in this society without reaping dire consequences from the media, the prosecutors & and from law suits. The key ingredient in today's world is to invest more in software than in hardware to help mitigate the possibility of spending time in the newspaper (the least of our worries), spending time in jail or prison, or spending a fortune on a civil law suit. I'd say just like anything else...seek out competent professional training first and then figure out what hardware you should buy or ultimately end up selecing. Also with the proper development of software you'll learn about other alternatives besides the the use of deadly force (which is always the last option) and how to build a "layered defense."
 
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Like Riley, I face many more threats in my everyday travels then I ever do in the woods.

The run down/abandoned buildings, bad neighborhoods, and inner city infrastructures that my work takes me to can be dangerous.

The woods to me are a peaceful oasis.

I have encounter a few mean dogs, and a few animals I suspected to be rabid (skunk and coyote) on the trail, but was always able to avoid any contact.

The bears I have seen where always moving away from me.

Situational awareness, whether in the city or in the woods, is your best defense.

That said, I have been known to carry a few “tools” with self defense in mind, put they are only there as a last resort.




"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike

Forest & Stream
 
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I carry a gun, but that's also my last line if I can't diffuse or use less lethal options. First, just paying attention to what's going on around you is your most effective means to avoid a bad situation. I think a good walking stick (mine has a pointed ferrule on the end) will take care of about 90% of no-legs, 2-legs or 4-leg threats. I was packing a machete or axe; I would strongly consider that a more lethal option, but I don't consider backpacking knives as weapons...sure they can be, but my first rule is to keep distance between me and the threat.

A dog is a great companion and family protector...fire is great at keeping the boogieman away at night for the kids. When my kids were younger they had to remain in sight at all times. The biggest threats I've faced here in central TX are idiots (not too many in the wild), snakes (a few, but pretty easy to avoid) and fire ants (wicked little land-mines!).

I don't like to scare or use fear when outdoors with my kids...I want them to enjoy it, but know the threats and how to avoid them.

ROCK6
 
I think for a reasonable level of defense, and to cover your butt, bear spray seems like a pretty good choice. I suspect you'd have a pretty good chance of staying out of trouble if you can show that you never intended deadly force and in fact avoided it.
 
This:
20CAK01.jpg


and this:
Mosin003s.jpg


The "software" doesn't show up on screen.
 
I dont really have to think about self defense in the woods, its not an issue here. If it was, I doubt Id hike alone to begin with. I do realize this is a relevant and important issue in many places though, so Im not questioning anyone elses preparedness.

Realistic threats in the woods in this area are snakes (adders) and mooses (they are easily tens of times more dangerous in here than for example wolves or bears). With these animals, prevention is everything. The first and most important rule is not to walk too quietly. There are no animals in Finland that want to encounter people (like grizzlys or such), so its best to not surprise them.

I do have a walking staff (and surprisingly, a knife) with me usually though... The staff is effective against snakes, Ive even had to use it once. Of course even more effective is to have proper shoes, and not walk around in sandals.

I was once attacked by a pack of reindeers in northern Lapland. Those things can be plain crazy! :) I didnt have any means to defend myself against two dozen reindeers at the time, so I made a tactical retreat to a freezing cold river (+4C) :D
 
The peoples republik of Maryland does not give us the option of firearms.

When I go in the woods, the better half and I both carry a regular police size can of OC in a belt holster. We like the bigger can for the longer range stream and capacity.

In addition, I am never without my stout blackthorn walking stick when about in suburbia, and when off on a woodswalk it gets replaced with a very stout hornbeam staff. The staff works good enough, that I managed to kill an off leash pit bull that attacked our on leash welsh corgi a few years back. The staff then enabled me to defend myself against the enraged pits owner with a good outcome.

There are no really dangerous 4 legged animals in my part of the country, so the two legged is the one to be wary of. A good stick or OC spray will handle 99.9% of trouble. When we took a trip out to Yellowstone a few years back and hiked around, we had bear spray.

Looking back on documented attacks on people in national, state, and local parks, its very surprising how many of them don't involve a firearm. The case of Gary Hilton is almost typical of them. Usually its a lone white male, older, kind of down and out, looking for easy prey. Because they are either very wary of the police or other factors, they tend toward a knife for intimidation of the victims. Gary Hilton preyed on a lone young female, or elderly people. From what I've been able to gleen from news accounts, a gun figures in a minority of back country assaults. Still, it does happen, and I'd love to be able to have a CCW now that we're now into our senior citizen years.

If I were young enough to still venture into real wilderness, I'd have a compact revolver concealed, as I used to do in my younger days. Now we don't go as far or as long. We're old farts now, but in a way that makes us even more at risk, so we have to be very carefull. The better half and I have had many many talks on this, and have worked out some stratigies and tactics between us if something happens, we'd rather not talk about on an open forum. I guess thats one of the advantages of being married to the same person for almost 40 years, you know what the other person is thinking. You get to be a well oiled team. Co-conspiritors if need be.

By being aware and obsevant goes a long way.
 
I think the main protection in the wilderness is from injury not animals or people actually.

I feel totally safe in the woods 99% of the time. Coyotes howling around you at night is creepy but not really dangerous.
 
attej said:
I was once attacked by a pack of reindeers in northern Lapland. Those things can be plain crazy! :) I didnt have any means to defend myself against two dozen reindeers at the time, so I made a tactical retreat to a freezing cold river (+4C) :D
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Now *that* is a region-specific threat! :D It must have been harrowing, but it sounds just a little bit awesome.

Speaking personally:

I do not generally take extra precautions with hostile people in mind when I am out in the woods. So far, this has not been an issue. If I am in bear country - and if it is permitted - I will carry a rifle or shotgun. At the very least, I will carry bear spray if I am concerned about encounters of that kind. Otherwise, I bring a stout walking stick and a protective (but extremely friendly) yellow lab. Of course, I always have a belt knife as well, and that could serve as a weapon if absolutely necessary.

I also make it a point to know the area that I am hiking in, and to be aware of my surroundings at all times. This applies in the woods, and doubly so in the city.

That's about it.

All the best,

- Mike
 
Big Mike said:
The bears I have seen where always moving away from me.
Click to expand...

My wife and I had a bear follow us on a trail last summer - first time in over 50 years in the woods that has happened.

Our defense was to walk past a fisherman - the bear went down to relieve him of his fish.
 
My strategy for staying safe in the woods is 90% personal awareness, and 10% hardware (a knife of course, and usually one or two lightweight, easy-to-carry goodies I'd rather not discuss on a public forum).
 
Grampa said:
My wife and I had a bear follow us on a trail last summer - first time in over 50 years in the woods that has happened.

Our defense was to walk past a fisherman - the bear went down to relieve him of his fish.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the fisherman was thrilled.....
;)


In my case, I unfortunately don't spend time in the woods like I used to.
However, when I did, it was usually a knife and a walking stick. But, as mentioned above, I felt safer in the woods than in the city.....
 
Personally, I do not carry a gun. I am always aware of what is going on around me and try to avoid a perceived threat before it becomes an actual threat. I do not consider my blade a defense weapon, but will use it if need be. Normally I have walking stick, my dog, some pepper spray and there are always plenty of rocks on the ground.

The thing that starts to play tricks on my mind is that I've been putting in a quite a few miles with my kid on my back. I'd pretty much be up sh!t's creek if I had to try and defend myself with a kid on my back. Flight is more in order for this.
Click to expand...

I would suggest a stout WALKING STICK if you don't care for carrying a firearm. I don't consider a knife a real weapon as it is for use way too close in, and would be use it or die kind of thing. A machete is a good sharp choice for defensive use against 2-legged predators and a useful tool around the campsite and trail.

I don't really know much about pepper spray in terms of the container size. I suspect carrying a firearm is just as easy or easier.

There have been a few times that I have felt comforted that I had a firearm with me out hiking or out taking pictures (which is part of the hiking experience). It has always been 2-legged predators that have made me the most nervous. But, I have had close black bear encounters (where they are aggressive) that have stood the hair on my neck up a couple of times and I was not armed.

So now that I have a handgun carry permit, I usually carry a firearm if it is legal where I'm walking. Otherwise, I have a walking stick and a knife or two with me. The walking stick is clearly the tool of choice as you already have it in your hand most of the time. With guns I take the view of "out of sight out of mind", so I have been known to have a firearm where I shouldn't carry one (ie National Forests in my state) as I was concerned about predator encounters. The gun would be a near last resort however as I really don't want to shoot a bear out of hunting season.
 
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H&K USB Compact .45. More for the wild hogs, than people. I hike alone and never feel threatened.
 
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