I don’t know about you people, but i plan on packing a pistol on my thru-hike. I don’t see the harm if you keep it in your fanny pack at all times. I had a near-death experience hitchhiking before and understand that the AT requires some of it, so i plan on having self protection this time, what does everyone think about a pistol on the AT.
billynoshorts
I always carry in the backcountry. Too many variables, two and four legged, to go naked. The marginal increase in pack weight is worth the security, just like the premium on a life insurance policy. My S&W 386SC with Scandium frame and titanium cylinder weighs only 17 oz. and is light, powerful, and safe.
Mike Geurtner
Dear billy:
First issue: Whether guns are allowed on the trail by law or not. That’s probably a state by state issue, and occasionally a federal issue, depending on whose land the trail runs over. I don’t know whether guns are allowed on the trail legally or not.
Second issue: Whether the hiker is in fear of something or not. Its absolutely clear that some are in considerable fear, and that’s the basis of their desire to have a gun while hiking. Other’s simply don’t have the fear and so have no perceived need for a gun.
Personal anecdote: While hiking the AT one time I met another hiker. As we became friendly, he told me how he’d started off carrying a 44 magnum with him. Ultimately, he said, he got rid of it because it was “too damn heavy” and he’d come to realize that carrying the weapon simply wasn’t necessary once he’d had some time to properly perceive and adjust to the forest environment. As we spoke, it became clear that it was his dissipation of fear that led him to get rid of his weapon. “It was what I saw outside the forest, all the dangers one experiences in society, that made me think I’d need one. All the whackos out there! But, here,” he said, “there’s just no need. It’s completely different here. The people are all friendly. And the animals? They’re no danger! They’re afraid of us! And besides, if they’re big, you just be careful around them, they don’t mean us any harm.” And that was that.
In time, if you’re actually on AT for any length of time, and I hope you do persevere, you’ll see that there’s really no need to carry a weapon. Your fears will dissipate in time, just as my fellow hiker’s did.
Sincerely–Conan.
Conan
billy,
If you’re that afraid maybe the AT is not for you. What a waste of space and weight personal weapons are. Please reconsider for everybodys sake.
You risk ridcule and trouble with the law plus you will cause the other hikers to distanse themselves from you.
Have a good hike.
pete
Tybeepete
Think of it this way. If you don’t practice with a weapon it is of no use. If it is not in place where you can use it quickly it will be of no use.
Personally I think you much more likley to be in danger of 1. shooting yourself (I am sure you know your weapon but statistically it is much more likley to happen) 2. Hitching a ride with a drunk driver.
just my thoughts
Mongo :cheers
mongo
first, whats the point of carrying it “if you keep it in your fanny pack at all times.”
second, hitching on the AT is nothing like hitching in the rest of the country. chances are you are going to get picked up by someone who knows what you are doing. also, isn’t it the hitchhiker that everyone else is supposed to be affraid of?
social butterfly
You can almost make “book” on it. Every few months somebody makes a post about guns on the AT.
Somebody should study the archives of this forum and determine the frequency of this phenomenon. I bet there is a nice little mathematical formula in there somewhere. Same thing with posts about bringing dogs and hiking with kids.
Exile
In most situations on the AT, would it even be effective?
Obviously, you would want it packed away and out of plain sight…so, if the situation arose where you did need a gun, would you be able to dig through your pack quickly enough for it to even be effective?
Seriously. I’m curious about that. I can see mace, pepper spray, etc. You can clip that on the outside of the pack, but a gun?
I guess just hope you don’t take a tumble that causes it to discharge.
bearbait
Carrying a gun while on the AT is like carrying a rabbit’s foot: It provides psychological protection against an irrational fear, but isn’t likely to be of any real help in a realistic danger situation.
Well, it’s not quite like a rabbit’s foot. Carrying the gun concealed will, at best, be legal only in one state of the 14 you’ll hike through, assuming that you’re a resident of an AT state, and have a CC permit there. For the other 13, you will be committing a crime everyday you are hiking there with the gun. (I don’t believe states have reciprocity agreements for CC permits…they might). Plus it will be illegal in the federal lands and national parks you will hike through. Plus the gun+ammo is heavy.
I guess the proper comparison would be that the gun is like a lead rabbit’s foot that’s filled with pot. :smokin
For any of the situations that you think might happen where you would actually need a gun, having it, “in your fanny pack at all times” will mean that it’s essentially useless. You will quickly give up on having a 1lb+ fanny pack, and the gun will just be buried in your pack with everything else. Now imagine the imagined run-in with the drunken Deliverance hillbillies armed with shotguns (that is the most likely imagined gun scenario I think) Do you think you’re going to be able to fish your piece out of your pack with Jimbo aiming a shotgun at you? Or be able to retrieve it while sitting in a hitched ride when the driver pulls a gun on you? I don’t think so either.
You’re better off without it. You won’t ever need it, if you did need it it wouldn’t help, and getting caught with it will end your hike.
Rusty075
I am going to add a little to this, and post a link to the only time I feared for my life on the AT.
That was actually even a calmed down version of the real story.
Ironically, I had taken mace on the trail with me. Guess where it was during this trip?
Packed away, safely in my fanny pack…at the church hostel.
You get so desensitized from normal life and civilization as you currently know it, and, regardless of who you are, you will let your guard down, and will put more focus on enjoying your trip. And, with all of the instances pointed out (in regards to effectiveness and legality), I can’t see that it would be anything more than dead weight to you.
Getting caught with a gun on the trail won’t necessarily end your hike, but it will add an expense that you probably didn’t intend (fine plus confiscation likely).
bearbait
It’s scary to think of people bringing guns on the trail. One of the most wonderful things about the AT is the community of people on the trail, and in surrounding towns. It is amazing what you may discover if you are open to people. You would only be endangering yourself and others if you carried a gun. Talk to others who have hiked, read their journals and email them. You will discover thru hikers are a special bunch. When I hiked last year I found that getting to know those around me was the best way to stay safe. Hitch with a friend and try to let go of some of your fear.
Serenity
I can honestly say that of all the “dangers” involved with my AT hike, the knowledge that some of my fellow hikers will be packing while they’re packing scares me more than just a little bit.
Helium
I’m not going to get into the statistics that say you are 1000’s of times more like to a) shoot yourself, or b) shoot your trail partners, or c) shoot someone you thought was a deer, or d) have a bear who doesn’t know it’s a gun attack you anyway, or e) get shot by someone else with your own gun — than you are to successfully defend yourself from grievous injury.
I’m just not going there.
Where I’m going is that I’m don’t know if I should tell you that I don’t carry a piece or I that do. Come to think of it, I think I’ll be packin’ my little ol’ 50cal sniper rifle. Yeah, that’s it.
stay away
hardly anyone carries a gun on a thru-hike. usually anyone that scared just sits on the internet and talks about it.
I only know of a couple people who carry a gun. Lone wolf says he carries one, but that doesn’t seem to bother me. He’s well trained and not a fool. A freak, but not a fool.
What bothers me are the scared little men who need one to feel secure. I’ve met some. But they didn’t last long.
Tha Wookie
I agree with the majority of the post above.As many,many years of Hiking in a large number of States and Canada,I have never had a need for a gun.I once stopped at a Shelter on the N.P. trail in the Adirondacks, intending to stay overnight ,when I Spotted a Hand Gun in the gear of one of the Shelter occupants.I moved on to the next shelter.
old&in the way
With security the way it is these days I would think a weapon would be a pain to just worry about.Never know when your pack might be searched if you go places and then having to hide it in the woods while you and everyone take a train into DC or New York. Youd be packing interstate plus concealed. I thought of it before my hike( I think alot of people do) but thankfully opted out.Just let the idea go. The trail is just not that way.“If your scared then buy a dog”
Virginian
A lil’ ole can o’mace is much lighter and can dangle on a cord around your neck in plain sight. I carried mine along with a lil’ squeeze light, my Swiss Army knife, and a compass/whistle jobbie. Oh, and I never felt threatened along the Trail.
Julie