how many carry a handgun (RE: safety concerns) while hiking on the AT

[max patch]

Come on guys. This is an obvious attempt to start a fight on Whiteblaze. The OP is not serious. Putting on ignore. Don't care if my post gets deleted. Don't feed the jollies of this troll post. Putting thread on ignore.

I disagree. The OP has only been here 3 weeks and his other posts are all hiking related. He doesn't know that the gun topic turns a bunch of you into blithering idiots and the thread eventually turns to crap and then Mr. Gator shuts everyone up.

[Tuckahoe]

Come on guys. This is an obvious attempt to start a fight on Whiteblaze. The OP is not serious. Putting on ignore. Don't care if my post gets deleted. Don't feed the jollies of this troll post. Putting thread on ignore.

The problem is not the OP's question. It is an honest and legit question, and it is even within the Straight Forward forum which means that the only discussion that should even be had is whether one carries concealed or not. Whether one should or should not carry or gun control or anything else was not opened up for discussion. This is why we have a straight forward forum.

[moldy]

Walther PK380 Pro Carry Shirt Tuck Tuckable Concealed Carry IWB Leather Gun Holster, $29 amazon

[Deco]

Don't want the weight of a gun.

[hikerboy57]

during the 6 weeks i was on the trail this spring, i didnt meet anyone who owned up to carrying(although i never asked), which is hpw it should be. noone should know if you are.
the subject came up in damscus, and i only heard one hiker say they had met someone who had told him he was carrying.

[Nooga]

At my wife's insistence, I carried one last year from Springer to the NOC. Sent it home with a friend. Never missed it the remainder of the trail. When I flew home from Maine, I didn't have to worry about shipping the gun. My issue was keeping the gun dry, meant that I kept it in a ziplock bag in my pack. Invariably, it ended up at the bottom of my pack, where it would be of little use if needed. My other concern was how to secure the gun when I was away from my pack getting water or in town. I think there is a real liability risk of having a loaded gun and not being able to secure it.

[Nooga]

I forgot to mention that I have a TN carry permit. I would not have been legal in Maryland, NJ, NY, CT, MA, NH, or ME.

[Turk6177]

I carry a gun every day in my non-hiking life. That being said, I have never carried a gun on the AT. For me, when I hike on the AT, I surrender myself to the theory of "what happens, happens." I hike to reestablish my belief in the goodness of humanity, and I have yet to be disappointed. I hiked with a friend who did carry a gun, and it just became a hassle. One of us always had to stay near his bag so no one would steal it, etc. I am not opposed to anyone who feels the need to carry a weapon. I just personally believe that the goodness in the woods outweighs all my reasons of why I carry when I am not hiking. Believe, me, I am a pro gun guy. But for me, I have found that the AT is one of the few places I have been where I don't feel I need to carry a gun.

[RED-DOG]

I don't carry and i don't hike with people that carries, If i do find out that some one is carrying a hand gun around me I tell them to hike on or i will hike on, Personally I think it's stupid and an very stupid item to Carry.

[vamelungeon]

I carry a firearm every day, hiking or not.

[Sarcasm the elf]

just wondering
with a valid concealed weapons license of course

The straight forward answer is that the vast majority of hikers dont carry, but a good number do choose to. Many people on this site would be surprised at the number of people that do carry concealed while hiking, those that carry just know better than talk about it with people they don't trust. That said, while I am an admitted gun nut, I dont carry while i hike because i dont find it necessary or practical.

You will also find that more section hikers carry than thru hikers, mostly due to legal and logistical problems that have been mentioned in previous posts. Thru hikers have to hike through 13 states with a nonsensical web of conflicting laws, it's impractical/impossible to get permits for all of the states that the trail passes though.

[Mr. Bumpy]

Hiking the woods with a gun?
Me think it would take away fun
Just be aware
If anyone dare
My fight skills will scare you, Just run!

[bfayer]

The straight forward answer is that the vast majority of hikers dont carry, but a good number do choose to. Many people on this site would be surprised at the number of people that do carry concealed while hiking, those that carry just know better than talk about it with people they don't trust. That said, while I am an admitted gun nut, I dont carry while i hike because i dont find it necessary or practical.

You will also find that more section hikers carry than thru hikers, mostly due to legal and logistical problems that have been mentioned in previous posts. Thru hikers have to hike through 13 states with a nonsensical web of conflicting laws, it's impractical/impossible to get permits for all of the states that the trail passes though.

This is probably to most correct answer anyone will ever get to this question.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[The Solemates]

Please folks, let this thread die without comment.

You serious? I hope not, I'll just chalk this up as being naive

Come on guys. This is an obvious attempt to start a fight on Whiteblaze. The OP is not serious. Putting on ignore. Don't care if my post gets deleted. Don't feed the jollies of this troll post. Putting thread on ignore.

These responses are hiliarious to me. I don't quite understand them, but then again I am from a different world than you guys. In my world people carry all the time and no one ever thinks anything of it. Its just part of life, like old men talking about the weather.

[Dogwood]

Very few! I know 100's, if not a couple 1000, of hikers. When I do carry it' s a sawed off 12 g. that is disguised as a trekking pole. But I got skills, Fightin skills. Tae kwon do, Brazilian Jujitsu, hand to hand. I've worked as an alligator wrestler. I also carry a knife that makes Rambo's look like a toothpick. I know how to use it too. Ex military. All is true except for the shotgun. Not needed and too heavy. Hmm, maybe I should saw some more off?

[Drybones]

I don't carry and i don't hike with people that carries, If i do find out that some one is carrying a hand gun around me I tell them to hike on or i will hike on, Personally I think it's stupid and an very stupid item to Carry.

I don't have a problem with someone carrying if I never see it, it's the cowboys with a gun strapped on their side I'd worry about. I have a permit to carry but never do, I have no safety concerns on the trail but would probably carry just because I have it if not for the weight.

[Drybones]

These responses are hiliarious to me. I don't quite understand them, but then again I am from a different world than you guys. In my world people carry all the time and no one ever thinks anything of it. Its just part of life, like old men talking about the weather.

Guns is kinda like dogs, people that don't know anything at all about them are freightened by them.

[rickb]

The actual number of people who carry is also probably lessened by the advice of Trail Organizations, and the way Law Enforcement reports the limited number of crimes on the Trail.

When section hiker Scott Lilley's body was found partially buried along the AT two years ago, the authorities were quick to tell hikers there was nothing to worry about (use normal precautions) and would not even confirm the death was a homicide until required to by statute-- the coroner in that county was required to publish cause within 6 months.

The ATC will always follow up these events with a reminder that millions use the Trail every year, and that the history of 5 thru hikers and 1 section hiker getting killed on the AT requires perspective-- as if that is what should be expected.

On the net this sentiment is reinforced by those who are male, hike during the traditional season and/or with a buddy, and have not had any problems themselves.

Its an emotional topic, which further keep most of those who carry silent. Not everyone e is as open with their choice as one of this sites more pithy members.

Bottom line, if you want to be one who does, discretion is a good way to go.

[max patch]

Remember Carl Rowan? What a F'ing hypocrite he turned out to be!

[Nutbrown]

I don't, but my husband does. Most I hike with don't.