Do you feel the need to have a weapon when camping
- Thread starter Expedition Key
- Start date
- Status
R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
Yeah, I guess maybe to try and bring it back from the brink...
No, I generally don't feel the need to have a weapon. I do have a large knife, but it's more intended for cutting things that are already dead.
I have thought about going old school... A walking stick with a removable cover revealing a spearhead.
No, I generally don't feel the need to have a weapon. I do have a large knife, but it's more intended for cutting things that are already dead.
I have thought about going old school... A walking stick with a removable cover revealing a spearhead.
Mr. Leary
Glamping Excursionaire
I bring a firearm with me when I go out there. I bring it for warning and signaling purposes, defense if the need arises, and hunting. It is another tool in the bag. Better to have it and not need it then need it and not heve it. It rarely makes it out of the bag during trips. I bring different loads for different applications. .45LC for effect, .410 8.5 shot for warning / hunting, and .410 000 buck shot for hunting larger game / defense.
Tools are often not needed, but when the need arises, it always works better if you have the right tool for the job. When personal defense is needed, its good to have a tool in the bag that is well suited to the particular task, among other things.
You may never encounter hostile people out there. What if you do?
The people who are likely to hurt you are the ones that will likely be culled only by force or the threat of it. Criminals tend not to think about the consequences of their actions. Thats why they are criminals. Your chances are poor that you will be able to reason with them without assuring them that if they try to bring harm to you and yours that you will make them hurt for it.
Those who don't wish to hurt you have nothing to fear from a responsible and level headed person with a weapon, such as yourself. For some reason, people are scared of weapons. I fear the people behind them with malicious intent.
BTW. If you are completely confident in your fellow man, so be it. A hand gun is a last resort and a pretty poor one at that for defense against a bear or big cat. You are far better off staying alert, keeping a clean camp, and getting a couple cans of bear spray.
Tools are often not needed, but when the need arises, it always works better if you have the right tool for the job. When personal defense is needed, its good to have a tool in the bag that is well suited to the particular task, among other things.
You may never encounter hostile people out there. What if you do?
The people who are likely to hurt you are the ones that will likely be culled only by force or the threat of it. Criminals tend not to think about the consequences of their actions. Thats why they are criminals. Your chances are poor that you will be able to reason with them without assuring them that if they try to bring harm to you and yours that you will make them hurt for it.
Those who don't wish to hurt you have nothing to fear from a responsible and level headed person with a weapon, such as yourself. For some reason, people are scared of weapons. I fear the people behind them with malicious intent.
BTW. If you are completely confident in your fellow man, so be it. A hand gun is a last resort and a pretty poor one at that for defense against a bear or big cat. You are far better off staying alert, keeping a clean camp, and getting a couple cans of bear spray.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
I tried to search for news stories on all the millions of people who didn't die during their camping trips, but couldn't find any.
I did find this however, which is an interesting read.
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/guns.htm
I am not interested in suicide deaths, and homicides as... it could be argued that they could occur with or without a gun. I'm more concerned with accidental deaths.
And I've said this before... I'm not anit-gun. I am interested in them as a technological device. I want to get one, but mostly for TEOTWAWKI reasons. But as a home defense, or camping defense tool, I struggle to see how they would be useful if they are all locked up, as required to keep my kids safe.
I also just don't want to live my life under the shadow of a gun. "If they live their lives in such fear, why do they want to live so bad?"
30,000 accidental gun deaths in 18 years. What was the number of bear attacks again?
the camping trip comment cracked me up, Rob..hahahahaha!
Here's my setup:
my shotgun is locked at home right now. the only key is on my keychain sitting on my desk. When I get home I unlock it, still unloaded, with 6 rounds attached with a sidesaddle to the side of the action.
It sits above a mirror in plain view and my kids know that they can get it down and check it out if I'm around. Culled a lot of curiosity(they're all under age 5). At night it stays unlocked and then in the morning I re-lock it before I leave.
the action lock (not trigger lock) is attached to my keys until I put it back on my shotgun. I haven't forgot to re-lock in the many years I've kept this routine...though I did try to put my keys with the lock still on it in my pocket one sleepy morning. Nice metal bulge in my pocket, made me chuckle.
I guess there is a danger that my kid could:
-pull it down
-close the slide
-put a shell in
-rack the slide while pressing the slide release
-and then fire it...
...but I feel like I have a good handle on where my kids are when I'm in the house, and have quenched any curiosity they have with proper, frequent handling (not operation) with me present.
That said, my handguns ARE locked in a touchpad lockbox 24/7 fully loaded and ready to rock...too much like a toy, and too difficult to load with sleepy hands...Good compromise there...literally takes me 2 seconds to have a loaded handgun in my hand ready to go.
Could you live with yourself if you were hit by a drunk driver and your wife and kids were injured because your 91 4runner doesn't have side impact airbags?
Now before this gets taken the wrong way, I am not suggesting you shouldn't carry a gun for self defense, it is a personal choice, or that you should stop driving your 4runner. I just think it is odd how our fears and actual risks are not often that well correlated. It is more about a feeling of safety and control (which is very valuable in itself) than actual safety.
Now before this gets taken the wrong way, I am not suggesting you shouldn't carry a gun for self defense, it is a personal choice, or that you should stop driving your 4runner. I just think it is odd how our fears and actual risks are not often that well correlated. It is more about a feeling of safety and control (which is very valuable in itself) than actual safety.
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
I carry 99.97% of the time in the back country but one would never know I was armed.
I never show it nor speak of it around the campfire, but I know it is there and it gives great peace of mind especially when things go bump in the night
Mr. Leary
Glamping Excursionaire
Not sure what a pistol is gonna do against a grower with an assault rifle either except maybe keep their heads down long enough for you to get the heck out of there.
Mr. leary. we both used "culled" in our posts. do we get a prize?
OD USP.45?
I'll take a XP-9, actually...
or maybe a Ruger blackhawk
or maybe a GP100 in .357...hmmm
one of each?
Yummy!
SunTzuNephew
Explorer
Not really the right question, since one can't really add aftermarket airbags, afaik. How about driving a (say) 1962 CJ without seatbelts or a rollbar?
I know if my family was hurt driving such a vehicle, I'd feel responsible.
I am definitely not criticizing what you choose to drive, and you don't have to justify to me or anyone else I drove an 88 4runner for many years, and it was an even less safe car!
I drove an 88 4runner for many years, and it was an even less safe car! It was an analogy, you can't add after market airbags, but you can choose to drive a vehicle with airbags.
The point being, the risks we take in the other aspects we discuss here, FAR exceed the risks from violence while camping in the woods, yet there is far more discussion about what sort of gun to carry than there is off trying to convince ARB to make an aftermarket airbag system This is not a criticism, just an observation.
The point being, the risks we take in the other aspects we discuss here, FAR exceed the risks from violence while camping in the woods, yet there is far more discussion about what sort of gun to carry than there is off trying to convince ARB to make an aftermarket airbag system
This is not a criticism, just an observation.
R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
That's a VERY good point. I would think the odds of somebody needing ANY weapon for defence is very much lower than the odds of one being injured driving or riding in an older vehicle.
R_Lefebvre
Expedition Leader
- Status