Carrying a handgun on the AT

[mweinstone]

your not allowed to carry an unconcealed gun. duh.what you drinkin?

[mweinstone]

While Pennsylvania has a specific law that requires a License To Carry Firearms for the concealed carry of a firearm, and the carry of firearms in vehicles, the law is silent on the legality of openly carrying a firearm in other situations, making it de-facto legal.

There is however a law that requires a License To Carry Firearms to carry either way in "cities of the first class", which as defined by law is only the city of Philadelphia.

[DrRichardCranium]

.

Do you need a gun on trail? Who knows? It's your decision. Do I deride the man who decides no? No, I don't. I myself don't carry. So why must some people call people call those who decide to carry a gun "jerks" or "braggarts"? Is the non-carrier's manhood at stake?

First there is this, then:

But good Lord almighty this metrosexualization of American men is a sad thing to behold.

Do you know who else started to think that weapons were bad after a few generations of luxury and security? Who thought only paid mercenaries or conscripts should have them? Yes...that would be a people who had gone from rugged individuals to a collective of perverse imitations of men more prone to back aches acquired in bath houses than on the field. That would be increasingly effiminate Romans of the 3rd and 4th century.

Ya. That worked out well for them.

<...time warp...>

Perfumed Roman Man: "Oh hi thar Visigoth! Wanna go for a splash? No? Huh? Wassdat you have in your hand? Eeeeeeiiiieeee!!"

You claim not to deride people who don't carry, then imply that a man who doesn't is a pansy.

You ask "is the non-carrier's manhood at stake?" Evidently it is, according to you.

Now I have to go search the Gear section for a Visigoth-proof food bag.

[LimpsAlong]

But good Lord almighty this metrosexualization of American men is a sad thing to behold.

Agreed, Your whole post was well written.

[kanga]

First there is this, then:



You claim not to deride people who don't carry, then imply that a man who doesn't is a pansy.

You ask "is the non-carrier's manhood at stake?" Evidently it is, according to you.

Now I have to go search the Gear section for a Visigoth-proof food bag.

i took it that he wasn't deriding the non-carrier. he was deriding the hysterically whining liberals. it is probably just a coincidence that they are sometimes occurring in the same place.
could just be me, though.

[Sleeps_With_Skunks]

Anyone know how many of the five thru hikers who have been killed on the AT were slain with an illegal hand gun?

I don't know if they were thru hikers but in two hikers were shot by Randall Lee Smith in 2008. This was after he had killed two other hikers in 1981 in Maine. Here's the most recent news story...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354705,00.html


SWS

[ShelterLeopard]

Accidents happen all the time whether you have a gun or not. What is fair and what ought to be legal doesn't always represent the safest option. I'm sure we'd all be a lot safer if the bill of rights was mostly repealed.

Whoa! No, did not say that I thought the right to bear arms was wrong. Definitely not, actually. I am defending what I said earlier about being somewhat uncomfortable around people who carry guns. I just know that guns are powerful weapons. We are not talking about changing any laws here, we're talking about if one should (by any person's standards) hike with a gun. I am just adding the opinion that in some cases, knowing that someone else is carrying a gun may make me decide not to hike with that person. But it often depends on the person.

[toenail]

There's not a whole lot of empire-building going on out on the AT. Mostly it's just college age people that have a lot of time to kill. No one's out there yelling, " I am Sparticus".

[ShelterLeopard]

But good Lord almighty this metrosexualization of American men is a sad thing to behold.

Come ON. Are you serious? Sure, defend your right to carry a gun, but everyone who doesn't is suddenly weak? This is getting really pathetic.

[kanga]

I'm sure we'd all be a lot safer if the bill of rights was mostly repealed.

i'm sorry. what? are you an american citizen?

[Bearpaw]

i'm sorry. what? are you an american citizen?

Satire, dear. Satire.

[kanga]

Satire, dear. Satire.

i certainly hope so. i was fixin to get riled.

[The Weasel]

I call BS on couple of statements. First-Holsters are difficult to arrange with hipbelts. Impossible? Of course not. But that's a challenge.
El Wrongo- Got a Granite Gear, Large, hip belt pouch. Works great, weapon out in a couple of seconds (string extension on zipper)

Second, I have not seen a single post from anyone who has completed a thru while packing a handgun, much less found it of benefit.
I think you told Randy he has not been following the discussion, well maybe you ain't been following the poll question. Where are the words "Thru Hike" in the poll question?

Your position on the poll question is clear and I can mentally see you folding your arms and stomping your foot while blathering (your word) about the uselessness of handguns on the trail.

BTW, Josh at Hiker Hostel did a "gun shuttle" for me and didn't even know it. Ask him if he minds.

Well, here's why so many people really get offended by gun owners like you.

Gosh. I made a mistake. Like that's the first time in your life you've noticed it. But since I don't agree with every word you say, it's a major deal. Dang! Call names! Call BS!! Make nasty allusions!!! Wow!!! Feel better? Now that you've established that you can attack another gun owner/user for not being "acceptable", I'm sure that people will realize they better not mess with you!!!

Nor have I said a gun is useless, on the trail or elsewhere. It's utility is a different topic, but practicality has been the dominant theme here. And while I'm sure that some can find ways to wear a holster or do other things to pack a gun safely, it's not routine, either, especially if someone is going to attempt a thru. As I said before, in Post 18, carrying a gun is very, very difficult.

So go jump up and down because someone didn't genuflect to the Gun God (or at least the way you want him worshipped), but me? I shoot, I've carried guns for about 55 years now, and if you want to keep sounding like anyone who disagrees with you is evil, well, keep on. Me, I think carrying a gun while hiking the AT is very impractical.

TW

[The Weasel]

The question here isn't whether guns are good, bad or legal or not. It's whether they make sense on the AT. The Bill of Rights doesn't enter into it, nor does whether someone is "a man" or not (even if they are a woman).

SL has a very, very good point: Guns make some people unconfortable. Guns displayed by grumpy men along the trail make some people very uncomfortable, including some, like me, who own guns themselves. That's another reason not to carry a gun on the trail: If there is very little reason to carry one, and it causes problems for a lot of other people, maybe it can be left at home.

TW

[The Weasel]

***BTW, Josh at Hiker Hostel did a "gun shuttle" for me and didn't even know it. Ask him if he minds.

This is an interesting comment: If you're referring to the HH in Dahlongega, are you saying that you left a weapon (was it loaded?) in a pack or other gear without telling someone there was a gun there, and let them then shuttle it somewhere unknowingly?

That has some troubling implications, including some legal ramifications. I hope I'm incorrect in what was done.

TW

[Jack Tarlin]

I have never met a thru-hiker who carried a firearm throughout their hike, tho I'm quite sure it has happened. And if they did so, they were prudent and wise enough not to let anyone know about it; and this is fine, it is, after all, nobody's business, assuming they were obeying the law.

I also know of several folks who have publicly announced that they either carried while on their thru-hikes or have let folks know that they carry on the A.T. when day or section-hiking, and I have no doubt whatsoever that most of these claims are false, i.e. these comments are either public or more frequently, Internet bravado.

Very very few people carry on the A.T. and even fewer ever talk about it.

At least they don't if they have any sense.

[Deb]

I don't know if they were thru hikers but in two hikers were shot by Randall Lee Smith in 2008. This was after he had killed two other hikers in 1981 in Maine. Here's the most recent news story...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354705,00.html


SWS

The two hikers were FROM Maine. He did not kill them in Maine.

[rickb]

None of the five thru hikers who were murdered on the AT were carrying a hand gun when they were killed. Or raped then killed.

I can't help but wonder how may more victims there would have been had the criminals been certain that all of their potential victims were almost certainly unarmed.

Those that don't carry on their hikes (and doing so is problematic at best) own a deep debt of gratitude to the law abiding locals who do so responsibly.

[gunner76]

Unless I missed reading a post I have not seen these questions asked...

How many AT Hikers have had to shoot someone while hiking the AT ?

How many AT Hikers have had to pull their gun (concealed or not) and use it to protect themselves by showing it while hiking the AT ?

[Okie Dokie]

Think Jack Tarlin's take on the matter, above, is probably very close to reality...lot's of bravado out there...my experience is that you'll begin to hate anything in your pack that you know (or even suspect) is useless weight...can't see how anyone on a thru wouldn't begin to hate the weight of a gun after only a week in Georgia...if you do pack a gun the only sensible approach is to never tell a soul...once you tell people you have a gun your behavior/conversation better be impeccable or they'll want to put some distance between themselves and you...I'm not against guns - I've owned and used them all my life and think owning them is a right responsible people should be able to enjoy...just think a thru hiker has a much better chance of being bitten by a snake or struck by lightning than being put in a situation where a gun would be needed to save life/limb...a little common sense and situational awareness goes a long way...