It's really bugging me! First time backpacking.

Glock26 said:
Hi all

I'm a male in the early twenties, I consider myself a lifetime veteran car camping person. Meaning I've been camping since I can remember always with my guardians and friends either in established campsites and in a tent or most recently a trailer. First time ever, I'll be camping with my class mate since 6th grade who's a good friend. We'll be backpacking a short ten mile hike and pitching a tent. The issue is security, not what to pack I got a good idea what to bring, the issue is what kind of protection should I bring.
Above all, let me stress that this should be a fun trip, but I don't know what it is I'm always thinking about bad negative events in my mind. Bad guys coming, homies coming messing with my buddy and I in the tent, wild animals etc. I think this will be a learning experience, I'm bringing my knife and gun. Plain and simple. This post is meant to vent my concerns for safety and security while out in the wilderness. The truth is, whenever I go camping I always bring a firearm, I guess it's just different carrying everything on my back and I'm just contemplating should I bring it or not?
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Check your local laws, but in California you can legally open-carry a firearm that is unloaded where city/county ordinance does not prohibit it. Take a semi auto, leave the chamber empty, keep full mags handy, and train to load and wrack the slide when you draw. In addition to a firearm, take bear spray as it will take care of both four-legged and two-legged threats that are not endangering your life at that point, just violating your sense of safety.
 
DM Mills said:
I can relate to your fears having lived and camped in SoCal for 40 plus years.

The fact is though once you get off the beaten path your chances of any human problems quickly go away.

The worst things I've encountered camping in SoCal is noisy drunks and feisty raccoons.

If your hiking into somewhere 5-10 miles I wouldn't worry at all.
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I'm with you on this. With 40 years of camping and hiking under my belt I don't recall ever having a "real" negative experience with people or critters when I was out and about...so I've never felt the need to carry. Sure, there has been the occasional weirdo, drunk, annoying food grabbing animal, etc., but nothing that I didn't think I could handle without a firearm. But whatever makes you comfortable.
 
Good post, Glock26. And it is a concern I hear a lot of the time. Every person has to make their own decision about whether / what to carry to make themselves feel secure, but for my part, I always carry a handgun with me. I have ccw'd for years and years, and have never needed it. That doesn't mean I wont need it tomorrow, so I carry.

There are places where it is against the law to carry, and in those situations I usually make sure it is very well concealed! heh.

My GF still isn't comfortable with handguns, so she has a can of bear spray. Not for the bears, mind you.

I guess the point I am getting to is "carry what makes you comfortable". The reverse of that is "if it is uncomfortable to carry, dont!" If you are going to a ton of trouble and discomfort to carry your pistol, then maybe you should go for something lighter or easier to have around, like the bear spray. If, like me, you feel naked without that weight at your hip, then by all means haul the handgun into the bush and have fun.
 
First of all, if you are from LA, then it is unlikely that you have a concealed carry permit. Am I right? So are you making a public announcement to break the law on a public forum?!

Or do you plan to do like NoahL said and carry open and unloaded?

Also, you need to consider how you are going to carry your gun. It won't likely be on your belt, as your backpack hip belt will be in the way. In your pack won't do you any good, plus like I said, that would likely be illegal. So, you need to figure out how you are going to carry an unloaded gun in the open and still be able to draw and load in with some efficiency.

Lastly, about the only thing your gun will be good for is humans, unless you are taking a 44 mag. But, in reality, you probably are more likely to have a problem with another person than a bear or something of that nature.

You are totally valid in your concerns, I just thought I would bring up some things for you to consider legally and practically. Have fun on your trip!
 
A friend and I are going backpacking this weekend. I'm bringing a walking stick and a Khukri (for firewood/trail clearing) and my friend will have a Glock on his hip. I might bring my .357 Magnum on the trip, still desiding. It's not that we "need" the gun, the fact is, we can legally carry here in Utah and it's comforting to know that we have it incase we do need it.

If you can legally carry do to age and the area and feel comfortable doing, go right ahead.

Heber
 
thanks all, if anything of course my firearm will be legal until i get to my legal campsite area where my tent will be set up. Safety first, please I don't need any lecturing the thugs and criminals don't care if you beg and i will not gamble being lucky.
 
99.9999% chance that nothing will happen, but it doesn't mean that something won't. I pack a little .357 Taurus-between that and my tomahawk and/or machete or whatever I'm bringing for processing wood, I sleep soundly.
 
Take something that you can forget about, a lightwight pistol in maybe .40 cal, that way you will only remember it if you really need it
 
Where will you be camping? Some areas will be way more secure than others! I'm local, and can better assess your risk if I know the area you will be in. (You don't have to be specific, just a general area.) With some experience, you will eventually learn where to go, and where to avoid.

Truth is, criminals are lazy and not going to want to hike 10 miles just to empty your wallet at your campsite. That will be especially true if you are hiking into a very remote area, like one of the many wilderness areas. You will however probably be most vulnerable at the staging area near vehicles, where criminals have easy access.

There are 4 legged critter out there too, so store your food properly, etc.

In reality, you will probably be far far safer than you would ever be back in town, but only a fool goes unprepared. Just quietly tuck your firearm away in a small generic looking fanny pack, and belive me nobody will ever know or care that you have it (especially a little G26)!!! I have lots of LEO friends, and every one of them carried concealed ("illegally") before they became sworn peace officers....so that should says something right there you can learn a lesson from.
 
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If you want to carry go for it. A glock isn't that heavy and the piece of mind it gives you will trump the weight. I however don't carry anymore. The odds of a 6 foot 250 pound man with a shaved head and full length beard with a nessmuk trinity tattoo on his arm and carrying a tomahawk getting attacked by random thugs is pretty low IMO. The image doesn't really scream "victim" which is what they're looking for. LOL
 
Shotgun said:
If you want to carry go for it. A glock isn't that heavy and the piece of mind it gives you will trump the weight. I however don't carry anymore. The odds of a 6 foot 250 pound man with a shaved head and full length beard with a nessmuk trinity tattoo on his arm and carrying a tomahawk getting attacked by random thugs is pretty low IMO. The image doesn't really scream "victim" which is what they're looking for. LOL
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PICS of the nessmuk trinity tatoo!
 
hollowdweller said:

PICS of the nessmuk trinity tatoo!
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Here you go. It looks a little hinky because of the angle. The hatchet doesn't taper like that in real life. I've yet to have anyone recognize it on the street but then again, from my earlier post someone might have but didn't want to approach me. LOL

2010-03-26205218.jpg
 
Set up claymores around your camp.


Seriously though, carry what you feel comfortable with, gun/spray etc..
 
Ditch your pack and run if you find yourself under threat, get back to the car, take your pistol and go shoot the fucker
 
NothingCoherent said:
You're paranoid, dude.
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No! He is not paranoid.

Unfortunately many areas of our local mountains here in S. Calif. have become infested with pot farms that are guarded by armed growers and many that are left unattended are booby trapped. So No he is not paranoid just aware of his surroundings.

I think you might be well advised to stay on established trails. You may run into few more people but you will be less likely to stumble onto one of the pot farms.

The noisy drunks mentioned in another post are more likely to be found when car camping.

Most of the people that you will run into backpacking likely to be pretty good people.
 
I always camp with a firearm and depending on where I camp it is always on my hip. One nice thing about Cali is it is legal to carry in the forests out here as long as they are not national parks etc. I am not nearly as concerned about things when I am in a group with friends but when I go with my son or daughter or wife for that matter and their protection is my responsibility that is when there is concern.
 
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