Hiking Carry Pistol

[carnplanenut]

I like to hike. I have hiked the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim , Zion, and Alaska. I have carried a pocket revolver, a large frame revolver, and a Glock.

I had this discussion with a police officer friend of mine and he had some strong opinions about whether you are carrying for the 2-legged animal vs the 4-legged animal.

What do you carry when you hike and why?

[Irving]

Whatever I carry every day. I'm not saying I put any thought into it though.

[brutal]

What kind of opinion?

WTF is the difference? A threat is a threat and you have the God given right (human right for those that prefer) to defend yourself, your loved ones, and perhaps others in imminent danger if the situation warrants.

I carry every day, every damn place I am able, unless flying or otherwise prohibited. I'm carrying now in my home.

[hurley842002]

I just carry whatever I carry on a daily basis, which is (at this time) an M&P Shield 9, coincidentally the Shield is a light, comfortable pistol, so good for hiking IMO. I get the idea surrounding "hand cannons" for woods carry, but I just don't venture into areas where Grizzlies or Polar bears are an issue, and am still more concerned with 2 legged critters than anything.

[encorehunter]

I usually carry my 1911 when I am hiking. I dont feel the need to conceal as much, but my jacket or shirt do normally cover it. It carries .450 SMC rounds with bonded bullets. It is "fairly" lightweight, especially with the right holster.

[ray1970]

I typically just carry a decent knife.

I?m a gambler that way I guess.

[blacklabel]

I just carry a knife as well. I haven't found a way to carry comfortably on trail and usually don't want to deal with the weight.

[Grant H.]

Usually my 1911 or if I know there are bigger critters around something in 10mm.

[RobertJordan]

I carry a G19 in the woods. I would like to get a G20 as I start to spend more time in the back country.

[SouthPaw]

When camping, I usually take a 12g loaded with Winchester PDX1 shells for the truck/campsite gun.

For hiking, I carry a G20.4 loaded with a mix of 1/1 Underammo 220g hard cast and 200g XTP Jacketed HP's. With both rounds at about 1300fps and just under 700 ft/lb of muzzle energy, I am pretty confident I can stop any two legged or four legged creature that is a threat. I have a small hiking backpack that I have rigged up for an OWB Alien Gear Holster to sit on the outside that is easily accessible. Sometimes I wear it on the hip but just depends on how far we are hiking and where we are at.

[carnplanenut]

I am grateful for the different opinions. I carry a Bearz Front Pack for my long backpacking treks which allows for a Glock Sub compact/compactor J-frame revolver pretty easily. Did some day hiking this summer with mu kids last summer and wanted something larger. I didn't want the "hand canon" that I carried in Alaska as it is heavy.

I prefer to carry OWB or on my hip, but that doesn't work in most National Parks.

[blacklabel]

Do you have a link to that front pack? Is it similar to the Ribz?

[Rucker61]

My normal woods gun is a Ruger SP-101 in .357 with 180 hard cast bear loads.

[carnplanenut]

Do you have a link to that front pack? Is it similar to the Ribz?

Sorry, it is the Ribz. I have an original model called the Bearz. I love it for hiking. Easy access to anything important (snacks, map, firearm, etc)..

[davsel]

I prefer to carry OWB or on my hip, but that doesn't work in most National Parks.

I thought open carry in all National Parks was legalized in 2010.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/upload/Firearms-in-IMRparks2-2010.pdf

[SouthPaw]

I just carry whatever I carry on a daily basis, which is (at this time) an M&P Shield 9, coincidentally the Shield is a light, comfortable pistol, so good for hiking IMO. I get the idea surrounding "hand cannons" for woods carry, but I just don't venture into areas where Grizzlies or Polar bears are an issue, and am still more concerned with 2 legged critters than anything.

I used to use my EDC (26/19 or sometimes 17) up until a few years ago. We were camping in Wyoming and decided to take an evening ride on the ATV's. We didn't get more than a few hundred yards from the campsite, came around a corner and there he was, a giant moose standing in the middle of the trail. As soon as the headlights hit him, he froze and stared right at my girlfriend and I. He straightened his body out to be in line with us and just stood, not moving an inch. I was ahead of the pack and began backing up and he still wasn't moving. When I got to a point where I could turn around, we hauled ass back to tell the others to turn around. That big bastard wasn't in the mood for ATV's that night and he made it apparent it was his road we were riding on. I feel better knowing that I have some more horsepower with the G20 for stuff like this. Never actually seeing a moose in person aside from mounts, they are no joke.

[Irving]

Anyone remember this douche bag? Just don't be this guy when it comes to interacting with animals.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcoiEZxb1rA

[carnplanenut]

I thought open carry in all National Parks was legalized in 2010.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/upload/Firearms-in-IMRparks2-2010.pdf

As long as the state the park is in allows open carry is the way that I understood it. Glacier, not problem.... Yosemite, not so much!

[Ramsker]

I bought a G29 a few months ago with the intention of malking that my hiking/backcountry carry gun.

[DireWolf]

been thinking about a g20 for a while, but for now it's just a g19/17 and 6.5" 300BO w/ 110 vor-tx's

[SuperiorDG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3RJUMm-hd0

[.455_Hunter]

I started out at age 13 with .38 S&W (not Special) DAO Enfield for 2 and 4 legged defense, usually running the 178 gr FMJ loading for soft target penetration. Whatever caliber I choose nowadays, it's always a heavy JSP/Non-HP Lead/FMJ, rapid expanding hollow points need not apply.

[carnplanenut]

I started out at age 13 with .38 S&W (not Special) DAO Enfield for 2 and 4 legged defense, usually running the 178 gr FMJ loading for soft target penetration. Whatever caliber I choose nowadays, it's always a heavy JSP/Non-HP Lead/FMJ, rapid expanding hollow points need not apply.

This is probably the best advice here! I carried Cast Bear Loads in Alaska. Revolvers always go bang in the field. They handle cast well.

[Fentonite]

Years back, my wife hiked the Colorado Trail, solo. 500 miles, here to Durango. 4-1/2 weeks trekking above 10,000 feet of elevation (on average). Did I mention solo? We spent months planning it, placed caches (and backup caches) in sealed PVC pipe at various points along the way. I was still in school, couldn?t go (and who are we kidding - couldn?t have kept up anyway). Money was scarce, but so was her pack-space and load limit. She was counting every ounce, so it was all I could do to get her to even consider packing a gun, but finally she agreed to take the lightest thing I could afford at the time - a Taurus 85 Ultralight (.38spl +p, alloy/titanium 5-shot snubby, about 13 oz.) in a silly fanny-pack holster with a couple speed strips for reoloads. I don?t think she?d have used it on a 4-legged (even if her life depended on it), but she wouldn?t hesitate to defend herself against a ne?re-do-well biped. She got proficient with it before she left (in spite of a sharp recoil). She wouldn?t have carried anything heavier, but I felt better knowing she had at least something, if needed. Point being, anything is better than nothing. Carry the most you?ll carry, but don?t carry nothing, just because the ideal is too heavy. Heck, I almost bought Ray?s tiny revolver, just because I?m guilty of that at times.

[Cofaler]

3" SP101 in a Simp!y Rugged OWB.

[UrbanWolf]

Anyone remember this douche bag? Just don't be this guy when it comes to interacting with animals.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcoiEZxb1rA

WTF is with the weird noise he keeps making? Trying to scare it or piss it off?

[UrbanWolf]

I carried a 10mm 1911 when hunting and hiking into more remote areas, I plan on trying a Glock 20 next. 1911 gets heavy when you put it on your hip for more than 12 hours a day.

[Nagant1984]

If I’m on a casual trail that’s well traveled I’ll just have my Glock 43. If it’s further off the beaten path I’ll take my Glock 20. I keep Buffalo Bore bear loads in it for woods carry.

[esizer]

Anyone remember this douche bag? Just don't be this guy when it comes to interacting with animals.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcoiEZxb1rA

This made me incredibly sad to watch. What an asshole. Even after shooting it unjustifiably, he doesn't even have the decency to put it out of its misery.

[ray1970]

This made me incredibly sad to watch. What an asshole. Even after shooting it unjustifiably, he doesn't even have the decency to put it out of its misery.

What a tool. And who carries on an empty chamber?

[Irving]

I guess there is a longer version showing him driving that moose down the trail quite a ways before the interaction.

[Nagant1984]

What a tool. And who carries on an empty chamber?

The fact that he just left it there to die was the shittiest thing about it. What a douche.

[SSChameleon]

It’s a long read, but interesting and changed how I think about a woods gun. While his research is only anecdotal, I think it’s interesting how he finds people who hike more and spend more time on the trails lean towards a lighter caliber.

https://www.ammoland.com/2017/11/smith-wesson-model-317-kit-gun/#axzz5gUP64rU4

[Irving]

The more I think about it, people should carry whatever makes them feel most comfortable defending against whatever it is that they are most afraid of. But they'd better be proficient with it and have it handy if they are serious. My personal opinion is that it is pretty easy to avoid an animal encounter, especially if on some established hiking trail. If the conversation even makes it to a caliber debate, that's mental masturbation more than anything.

[Irving]

It’s a long read, but interesting and changed how I think about a woods gun. While his research is only anecdotal, I think it’s interesting how he finds people who hike more and spend more time on the trails lean towards a lighter caliber.

https://www.ammoland.com/2017/11/smith-wesson-model-317-kit-gun/#axzz5gUP64rU4

That was an excellent article. Thank you for posting it!

[kpp80202]

G20 for me. Great balance of weight, size, and power.