Do you carry a firearm while camping?

[B_and_D]

One time DH told me that he had packed one after we got home. I didn't know about it. I forget why he felt the need to do that. We carry pepper spray in the trailer but I have never felt the need to get it out. I had about a 15 minute training session by a police officer in using the spray. He said it doesn't work on raccoons, but it does work on bears.

The only time I've been afraid while traveling was once when we were going over Highway 108 in the Sierras...(I think, it was one of those REALLY steep, narrow highways). We were in the car and carrying all of our tent camping stuff, loaded to the max, going really slow with all the windows open and the a/c off, and we kept hearing gunshots. We decided to pull over because the brakes were getting really hot and smelly. While we were pulled over, this weird guy who was kind of jumpy pulled into the turnout and started talking to us. He was creepy. I made the kids get down behind the car between him & us and pretended like I was looking at the tires. DH was friendly with him (and he's a pretty big guy) and after a while he went away. I know people like to shoot guns off once in a while (our neighbor does it every 6 months or so) but this guy was just acting so weird that he made me very suspicious.

I used to shoot when I was a kid at camp (and I was a pretty good shot), and I'm not afraid of guns. I keep thinking that I should buy a nice rifle and take the kids to the shooting range and have them taught how to properly handle a firearm.

tasers are single shot devices, you miss and you are out of luck. I doubt that they would work as a bear deterrent either. All that fur you know.

[YWORRYDOG]

The laws are strange for tasers. Here in Michigan there is no way that it is legal to have one. The same with the best defense sprays. But I like others I can and do carry a gun with a permit.

zip ties are great to carry when camping and can work. Having been a boater most of my life we learned to carry a flare gun on all of our trips. In case of an emergency it can help and can normally be carried accross the borders.

There have been only a few times in my life where I needed a gun and didn't have one. Once, when I carried my infant son in a backpack, a black bear on Black River lowered his head and came for us across a small stream. He came within about 10 yards before turning away, but his head was down, his ears were laid back, and his intent was bad. I didn't have a gun with me because it was not lawful to carry one on the Indian Reservation. It is possible, maybe likely, that he only wanted the small dog at my side. I will never know, but a gun would have made the situation potentially less lethal to my son and myself.

Another time, years later, when my son and I were jet skiing at Bartlett Lake, a cougar came down from the hills at dusk and grabbed a child from a campsite next to us --- just a few minutes after we had left the area. The girl's father was delayed in rescuing her because he had to seek a crude weapon to fight off the cat.

I know these are freak encounters but they do happen.

There were other times when certain individuals approached me with certainty and a swagger --- who turned way when they saw a sidearm on my hip. In these instances, my senses or intuition told me that these folks also did not have my best interest in mind. One of these was gang related and I was appraising real estate in crime ridden section of town.

What is clear to me is that most folks don't know how or when to use a firearm. It's very much a last resort and must only be used to save, not take, life. There are other, non-lethal, avenues of defense that should be studied and practiced. For example, I never carry a gun without carrying pepper spray. But most folks are not inclined to take classes or go to the range. They just assume that just having a gun in their possession is sufficient. These folks, IMHO, should not own guns. The risk to themselves or to others is just too great.

For me a gun is a deterrence thing. Folks with bad intent generally respect what it can do (if it is visible) and will choose easier prey. I know that there is debate on this point. Most of the time I, lawfully, carry concealed. Personally, I feel that I have a responsibility in life to protect my wife and family, maybe even to intervene to protect the life of stranger.

My prayer to the Universe is that I will never be in the position to have to take action. This is all a bit uncomfortable for me to share --- because I believe that Life is about Love and Loving.

I continue to grow and to change. You may one day see my sidearm in the classifieds.

I always have a firearm around on cross country trips or camping- both for protection and for sport. A .45 or .357 revolver for protection and a .22 or mini-14 for plinking.

FWIW, you only need a permit to carry a pistol concealed, not when it is in a holster on your hip. If you want to keep it in the glove compartment or around kids, keep it unloaded!

Sensitive subject???? Not at all! Maybe it's the Texan in me, but I feel naked when I'm not carrying my Colt .45 ACP with me (concealed, of course). I didn't say I lived in fear; far from it. I am a Christian and I have faith that God is in total control at all times. I also strongly believe that He expects me to do everything humanly possible to protect myself and my family when and if we are in fear of our lives.

If you carry, you need to be formally trained and fully aware of recipical state agreements and each state's laws on carrying and using handguns.

If I were changing a flat tire on a deserted road at night and was approached by some crazy, I can pretty much say without hesitation that my family and I would remain safe.

D. White
Texas

When out with our TrailManor, and it is legal to do so, I carry a gun and know quite well how to use it. I do have a Concealed Handgun License.

[Wavery]

The worst day of your life would be if you actually shot another human being, even in self-defense or time of war. Don't think for one minute that you are "Man enough" to handle the physiological trauma. The event is far worse than anything that you could ever imagine..

If you think your a "Tuff guy" carrying a gun......just use it and see how it totally destroys the rest of your life.

Great wisdom in your post. Injuring or killing another human being can have severe psychological consequences, apart from the legal and moral implications of such action. Not everyone ought to own a firearm. They are dangerous!! And a decision to own one should not be taken lightly. In my opinion, existing gun ownership laws are either not adequately enforced and/or are not adequate to prevent unstable or criminally minded individuals from getting their hands on one. And I whole heartedly agree with you that anyone who carries a gun to feel like a tough guy is psychologically suspect and should not own a gun.

This thread could easily evolve into a discussion about the politics of gun ownership, as well as moral and religious thinking on the subject. But this forum is about TrailManors, so will stop here.

Thanks for your very thoughtful response, harveyrv.