Do you carry a firearm while camping?

[ShrimpBurrito]

This topic may be a bit controversial, but I'm curious as to how many members carry a firearm with them while camping, particularly while boondocking. Camping in a campsite may be inherently less risky, if it's in a good area, since there are people around, but what is to stop some joker from harassing you and your family when you are in the middle of no where, where no one can be seen or heard?

I don't, but have been giving it some thought lately.....

Dave

[Scott O]

Very interesting and touchy subject. I have always been of the opinion that a gun has the potential to do more harm than good. If I don't have one, then it can't be used. We are all very vulnerable to evil deeds everywhere we go. I consider the camping environment to be safer than the urban environment. I just try to live smart and hope all continues to go well... But like Dave, I do give it some thought from time to time.

[Joseph]

Yes, but only when and where legal, and in the manner prescribed by the laws of the area we are in. DW ( Marine Corp Sargent ) has a license to carry her 44.

[mcgyver210]

Yes I am a Gun Permit holder (have been for yrs) & do carry where it is legal & always will. I have had extra training not required though & have actually been in a few situations that let me know I will not overreact in most cases. The biggest worry I had was shooting someone without cause when I first started carrying.

There is a book on reciprocal laws for other states that tells me what the guidelines are while traveling.

[grakin]

I find campgrounds to be more dangerous than boondocking it in the middle of nowhere, personally. I've camped alone and with my girlfriend in many places, everywhere from KOAs to state parks to a truck stop parking lot. I've only felt even slightly uncomfortable twice, once in a KOA of all places, and once in a very large campground that was more mobile home park than campground. I've never felt uncomfortable in the mountains, even when I'm the only person for tens of miles.

Even at the places that made me uncomfortable, I worried more about the beer being stolen from my cooler than violence against me. :)

A lot of this probably depends on where people live, and what they are used to (studies confirm this: people generally rank risky behavior as less risky when familiar, more risky when it is unfamiliar - hense why people often worry more about getting onto a jet airplane than into their own car, despite the car being far more riskier). I'm much more used to, having grown up in Wyoming, to wide open spaces and few people around - so it makes sense I'd get a little nervous sometimes when hundreds of people share a couple acres of land at a campground, but not when I have a couple hundred acres to myself. :)

[Digger]

I think it’s good where legal and if you are competent with firearms.
We’ve had a high number of bear maulings this year so I like to take along some protection while hiking and competing with the bears while fishing. We will be traveling to the lower 48 for a few months this winter and with the strict laws on transporting firearms across the Canadian boarder I’ll not be taking any guns on the trip. As grakin said, I will be more worried about someone stealing beer from my cooler than personal harm. We also have a 3 yr old Golden that lets us know when some is snooping around. Although if someone did try to break in, she’d be the first one to hide.

[coulter]

I don't carry a weapon, even though I was taught to handle one safely as a teen.
I travel frequently with just the two kids, since my DH's job prevents summer travel, and can honestly say I have never felt threatened anywhere we camped, and we do a lot of forest service camping, no private campgrounds for me unless there is no other choice.
We do have a boxer we travel with that sounds ferocious if someone approaches too closely, and she might lick someone to death, but that's really not much protection. :)

[dugb527]

Have never carried a gun but if I ever go to Alaska again I may. Not for people protection but for Grizzly protection. I saw at least 20 when I was there in 2005 and would hate to be caught off guard. Shooting one with a gun would be a last resort. It might just anger the beast even more.

[jpcoll01]

I had this exact conversation with my father when my family and I were contemplating a couple weeks in the Northeast. I was and am really torn on it, a firearm in a camper with 2 small kids scares me to death, but I would like to know I had something if I needed it. If you can tell I never did come up with a solution we went to Western NC instead and since we go there all the time I didn't feel it was necessary. If and when we head north again I'll have to think about all of this again.

[Rich_in_Tampa]

Would a Taser meet part of the need for protection at less risk? Are there similar permit laws and state-by-state variation in requirements?

A friend in law enforcement says that's what he recommends. He also says a Taser without handcuffs or other means of restraint after the power runs out is not a good idea - the intruder can get right back up and continue what he was doing. I guess you need to immobilize, remove any weapons, and cuff him up.

[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.

[agesilaus]

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.

[tdepouw]

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.

[Goodyear Travels]

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.

[rtry9a]

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!

[dw8ite]

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

[Dixielou]

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.

[Dixielou]

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.

[rtry9a]

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.

I have to call BS on this comment... It has nothing to do with being tuff or a macho vigilante- it has everything to do with being responsible and stepping up to solve a problem involving the better of two bad choices. The Police officers, and our military, face that dilemma every day. FWIW, The worst day of my life would be if some a$$hole hurt one of my kids and I had the power to stop them and did nothing about it.

IMHO, any blame goes to the assaulter, not to the victim. I have "0" compassion for terrorists (including gang members/criminals) who prey on innocent law-abiding folks. They deserve whatever punishment they receive, from whatever the source. Im sure my military training would be very helpful were I put into that situation- they are targets and need to be stopped, nothing more. Bleeding heart liberals have taken the compassion from deserving victims and shifted it to those who prey on society- go figure.

Our society has a real problem with personal responsibility and deferring action to authorities who are often unable to provide the needed support when it is needed. The Constitution addresses the rights of "WE the People", not "YOU the Government".

[agesilaus]

That attitude, 'we are powerless to resist evil', is a big problem in this country. There was an example a month or so ago where a crowd stood by and watched a man kick a small child to death without doing a thing. If one of them hand been carrying a gun and had done the right thing, I doubt that he would have been troubled by feelings of guilt.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"

BK

[Bill]

OK, folks, let's take it easy here. We're getting off the agreed-upon purpose of this board. I would rather not freeze the thread, but if we are going to get into name-calling or socio-political stuff, I will not hesitate to do it.

Bill

[Rich_in_Tampa]

If you have a handgun or shotgun locked securely in the TM, and kept its ammunition separately secured and out of reach, are there still states which would consider you in violation?

And what about at your destination? Seems like many gun owners like to keep the weapon secure but accessible and generally loaded (if not in the chamber) while in the campground. Is there any minimal standard that will keep you within the law in all or most states?

[Joseph]

I believe the question was, " Do you carry a firearm while camping?..."

Thank you much.

[rtry9a]

If you have a handgun or shotgun locked securely in the TM, and kept its ammunition separately secured and out of reach, are there still states which would consider you in violation?

And what about at your destination? Seems like many gun owners like to keep the weapon secure but accessible and generally loaded (if not in the chamber) while in the campground. Is there any minimal standard that will keep you within the law in all or most states?

A handgun or rifle is only a "firearm" when it is loaded with ammunition, otherwise it is only an expensive paperweight. Your Constitutional right says you may have a firearm anywhere on your own property for protection at any time.

Permits are generally required only when a loaded handgun is carried in public places while canceled (out of sight) in most localities. While rules may be interpreted differently, generally a holstered unloaded handgun in sight is legal in most places, but it is not smart to do so as it might offend others. IMHO, it is never smart to keep any firearm around others with a round in the chamber, ever, but always treat it like it is loaded.

[Dixielou]

Information on gun laws can be found in the following sites:

http://www.gunlaws.com/links/

and

http://www.handgunlaw.us/

[agesilaus]

Your Constitutional right says you may have a firearm anywhere on your own property for protection at any time.

Permits are generally required only when a loaded handgun is carried in public places while canceled (out of sight) in most localities. While rules may be interpreted differently, generally a holstered unloaded handgun in sight is legal in most places, but it is not smart to do so as it might offend others. IMHO, it is never smart to keep any firearm around others with a round in the chamber, ever, but always treat it like it is loaded.

That's nice in theory and may come to pass when the Sosus Heller decision is implemented over the next few years, but right now that could land you in in major legal trouble. Lots of states, especially in the North East ban handguns. New York for one has the Sullivan act.

BK

[rtry9a]

It has never been a problem anywhere Ive wanted to live, but you do have a point that may be true in some places where the Liberals' main goal has been to invalidate Constitutional rights without the public's permission, but I ask... how is a gun without ammunition anything other than a piece of metal and plastic/wood?

[ShrimpBurrito]

Thanks for everyone's responses. The ratio of those who carry a firearm to those who don't has remained constant for awhile now, so I don't think keeping the thread open longer will produce a different result.

So to preserve the professional and focused decorum that I have always found here, I'm going to close the thread before folks say stuff they wouldn't say to their mother, and thus regret. I appreciate the feedback!

Dave