Anyone carry a gun?

[twistwrist]

Pardon my ignorance if this is a dumb question, but how many of you carry a gun on the trail? I'm assuming a concealed carry permit is required?

[Sarcasm the elf]

First, just to warn you this is a hot button topic and there's a good chance the posts on this thread will get out of hand.

The gun laws in the various states the A.T. crosses are a bizarre and inconsistent patchwork. It's very easy to get a permit to carry in some places, but it's almost impossible to legally carry on the entire trail unless you work as some form of a law enforcement officer. Also just so you know, not all carry permits require you to have the weapon concealed, if you have a valid permit in your state of Georgia for instance it is perfectly legal to open carry a sidearm, again it varies dramatically from state to state.

As for the question of how many people carry, the answer is not that many, but more than most people think. Most hikers don't think it's worth the extra weight, responsibly and legal risk to carry a gun. Those that do carry on the trail responsibly probably won't give you any indication that they have a weapon on them unless they know you and trust you personally.

[MuddyWaters]

The search function will provide you with hours of entertainment, if not useable information, on your topic.

I encountered one woman that told me she had a gun. Dead weight as it was in her pack and out of reach. I suppose she felt better sleeping with it.

[Alligator]

Try thevsearch feature and if you find you have a more specific question you can start a different thread.