Guns on the AT - Appalachian Trail

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#1

I want to say some thing to those who are toting a gun in thier pack on the AT right now. First of all guns are not allowed on the At period. Second the gun will not be of any use if it is in your pack,third It seems that every one is freaking out because of the shooting near the trail this week. I think every one needs to calm down and think before taking a dangerouse weapon on the trail.If every one is going to start doing this sort of thing, I will stop hiking.Let’s all calm down before we all start turning on each other.

The Come back kid

#2

Kid - you are mostly correct. Read on.
ATC and most long-distance hikers strongly discourage
the carrying of a gun on the Trail. Guns are not permitted
on national park lands (40 percent of the route) and in
many other jurisdictions through which the Trail passes. but not completely. So to say that guns are not allowed on the AT Period is not quite correct. However reading this it would seem not worth the trouble to do so. Moon Man

Moon Man

#3

In reading your response here, I have only this to say to you, if that is so true that guns are allowed on the AT then there will be alot of shootings going on among hikers when they disgree on some thing or they dislike that person.

Come back kid

#4

I’m leaving for a short distance hike in 2 weeks and I’m carrying a concealed gun (have a permit).Sure I’m going through Nat’l forest as well, I’ll take that chance and pay the price if I get busted. Hikers are a different breed of species. They love to have a good time, respect the outdoors, enjoy the challenge, and most are relatively calm natured. I agree that Micheal Moore would think shootouts would happen all over the trail, but the problem lies with the outsiders that prey upon those of us.
Call me paranoid, just like the extra protection against a bear or whatever.

boz

#5

A long time ago, the State of Alaska recommended people carry a gun of some sort when hiking in the back country as protection against bears. I think it was the early '90s when they stopped making that recommendation and is had nothing to do with liberal democrats demanding people not protect themselves in the wilderness. Not sure who did the study or when, but someone thought there was enough bear encounter data to determine how useful a gun was. Turns out, except for experienced hunters, most people won’t shoot, no matter what the situation. Instead, they tend to throw the perfectly good and loaded weapon at the bear!

The second item to look at is data about gun usage in the US between humans. Turns out, a gun is about two to three times more likely to be used against its owner than against the bad guys. Put another way, you are about two to three times more likely to be killed by your weapon then you are to use the gun is anything akin to saving yourself from bad people.

Plus, they are way too heavy to carry!

Bear Bag Hanger

#6

Your gun is concealed in your pack and you have a chance encounter with a bear, thief, or other dangerous varmint. What are you going to do, say hold on a minute while I get my concealed gun out of my pack so I can shoot you…
Haven’t we had enough discussion on guns on the trails. They are a bad idea and very dangerous to the other hikers on the trail.

Boom Boom

#7

I think carrying a gun should be an individual choice. I would not carry one, because of the weight, but If I ever did I would carry it on my person, not in my pack.

Chessnut

#8

I think there is a move afoot to allow concealed weapons with a permit in national parks…which I guess would allow the use on the AT.

The weight may sway me as well,but any bad guys on the AT will have them…and bringing a knife to a gun fight is not where I’d want to be…probably shoot myself anyways.

Doc Holiday

#9

Guns arent really that big of a deal besides weight. I know a bunch of people who own them had them myself (sold them for rent money) I don’t understand why “boz” would want to carry one concealed where they are illegal to be carried concealed though. Seems that a firearm related felony wouldn’t be that cool to have. Considering that is what an illegally concealed weapon would get you. Just carry it on your hip and look like a dam loser that is so chicken that they have to carry a gun around instead. Also I assume that You meant National Park not forest since Guns are legal in National Forest as long as you dont shoot the critters. What the heck you need a gun for man seriously? I love to shoot when given the chance, but I’d hate to have that weight on me plus everyone will look down and laugh at you behind your back just like Robocop who carried an illegal concealed gun through the PCT last year, even in the parks. Permits are hard to get for concealed dont blow yours when you dont need it. Carry it in the Hood not the Park dude. You wont ever need to shoot anything anyway. The 12 bears I saw on the PCT last year all took off when I yelled at them immediatly. Instead of the gun maybe a can of Mace would do you better since I dont think that will get you in trouble. Plus if you shoot someone I think most people would agree you go to hell so that isnt cool either. :cheers

Guino

#10

Adultery on the trail, like guns, is officially frowned upon but in fact is quite common.

We all know that for female hikers, the possibilities are endless for fooling around. In fact, most women DO have sex on the trail, whether they’re married or single.

Since that’s obvious, I’d like to discuss a more general issue: Since most married women inevitably fool at some point(s) during their marriage, is it inevitable? Genetically wired? Some scientists say YES, a woman is genetically pre-wired to fool around, to maximize the chance that her genes will survive and be passed on. By placing her eggs in more than one basket, so to speak, her genes have more carriers and thus more chance of surviving into future generations.

Now, I’ve had experience with adultery from both ends. First, while single, I’ve assisted women who wanted to fool around. And I can tell you, by the way, that sex with a married woman is among the best – there are no strings attached and you both know it. It’s just pure sex, with no pretensions or hangups.

So, what do you women think? Should we stop pretending to frown on married female hikers having sex on the side on the trail, or grow up and accept it as natural and inevitable?

Paramour

#11

Guns, dogs and adultery, OH MY!

:happy

Thinktraub

#12

So as not to wake my fellow campers I will now strap a crossbow to my backpack in case of emergencies. I will coat the arrow tip with a lethal poison to shorten the suffering of my victim. Along with my nightvision goggles, GPS unit, SAT phone, Web Ready Blackberry and cans of BeenieWeinees my pack weight will still be under 100 lbs.

HooRah!!:smiley:

harrier

#13

"sorry…“victim”…as in rabid woodchucks, wildebeeast and the like…

harrier

#14

Trust comes at a price, yes, but so does insecurity. Not believing in oneself is the culprit, not the potential distrust of others. A firmly held trek pole in a chance encounter around a bend in the trail is reassuring enough without having to look for my one bullet in a top pocket. Remember, guns don’t kill people, military-industrial complexes do.

fishngame

#15

I carried a snub nosed .38 revolver from the Mex border to Lone Pine, CA on the PCT in '81. At the time there were a lot of stories about people stealing packs and harassing hikers in So Cal and I was hiking with my girl friend (now wife of 25 years) and felt like the weight was worth the ability to deal conclusively with a bad situation. Not everyone needs or should pack a weapon; certainly you should not do so if you are not trained and comfortable with it and willing to use it if the situation requires it. The suspect statistic above that you are more likely to be injured by your own weapon has to do with people who are not trained and are not willing.

That said, it is a fact that violent crime goes down in states that pass right to carry laws, while violent crime increased in places like the UK and Australia that passed draconian gun seizure laws. Even violent criminals retain some measure of rationality and are more hesitant to prey at random if they are aware that the prey may have the ability drop them. So, you don’t have to carry if you don’t want to, but it should be reassuring that the calm friendly guy you run in to on the trail just might be.

Pappy

#16

actually I think the price per bullet ought to be about 10,000 $. There is absolutely no need for a gun on the trail. Nothing about it makes good sense. Personally I would feel extremely uncomfortable and would probably turn in someone who thought a gun and hiking was a good idea. Learn how to deal with the world in a peaceful manner. Yeah, ass%$les exist. Hell, we have one in the White House and how many has he killed? I think a couple hundred thousand by now. Despite the few odd incidents this year, the women killed at Blood Mountain, the rape and the shooting of two fishermen… it is still safe to be on trail. Asides, none of those cases this year would have been helped by having a gun concealed.

YOU CAN BOMB THE WORLD TO PIECES
BUT YOU CANNOT BOMB THE WORLD TO PEACE!

another great saying:

Fighting for Peace is like fu&king for viginity!

POWER TO THE PEACEFUL

ASWAH

p.s a study was done in Alaska and found that pepper spray was FAR more effective in preventing a bear mauling/killing than a gun. A bear does not give fair warning. The fact that the spray has a wide distribution as opposed to trying to outdraw a charging bear than hit it precisely and kill it with one shot. Try shooting a bear and see how much more aggressive it will get.

p.s. an answer to the last post. Fact is violent crime rises despite the fact that we have death penalities and people may carry a gun. Make the cost of bullets 10,000 each and you will think twice about whther or not busting a cap in someone’s butt is worth the cost. Obviously that rational is flawed. The women hiker on Blood Mountain was not saved by the fact that folks in Georgia carry guns nor were the two fishermen who were shot saved by the fct that we have prisons, people carry guns in Virginia or the fact that that as^ had already been to jail for a double homicide.

Aswah

#17

Paramour,
You sound like someone who has been poo-pooed on by some female. Get over it. Besides what women or even other men do on the trail is really none of your business. Besides, I think you are making this up. In all the miles I have hiked on the AT I have never seen anyone making out. Get over your dislike for women. Get a life.

kirbysf

#18

done a lot of soul searching the last several days on the gun issue. Our numbers for the section hike have increased from the original 2 since I last acquired my permit (done only for this hike). With the wieght issue and increase in #'s of fellow hikers I may just drop by and acquire me a bear repellant spray. I’m not backing off the idea of guns are bad. IMO,it’s an individual choice. My priority for the hike is to get back home to my family safe with my crew, not that I’m some sort of chickensh!t. I think I owe that to my family for allowing me to leave them to take off. Now for women hikers packing heat or in heat for that matter, I’m sure they are hikers to oblige you.(lol)

Boz

#19

Guns kill people like spoons make people fat.

Proven fact more guns = less crime.

Self determination goes against all commie lib beliefs. the right to defend yourself, drive what ever car you want, make a bunch of money etc. etc etc.

hike your own hike and I will hike mine, with a gun and a blackberry with a big dataplan so I can surf the internet, make calls, stock trades and send and receive my emails and actually make money while on the trail. Don’t tell anyone because money is bad.

Wheel on brother!

Wheelman

#20

I go back and forth on the gun question. I think there are good arguments on both sides. And, intellectually I understand that people that are good, sober, wise and careful can safely carry a gun, no harm no foul.

But, speaking as someone who has actually been shot by someone who meets all those criteria in freak accident, I would still prefer to have as few guns around as possible.

Sht happens, bad sht happens, crazy sh*t happens. You have a right to carry a gun. So, if you choose to, just be fricken careful.

Nature