Anybody pack "heat". . .

[JohnF]

Carting a gun gets you into the mindset of guarding your stuff

I don't think this is true. In class I opine that a gun is not for protection of "stuff" and the lawyer that does the legal part usually advises such. It is kind of a rare case that I hear someone talk as if this were their intention, but I have.

I, too would be more worried if I used what passes for a "campground" these days.

Interesting. Serial murderers seek targets in places where they are comfortable that they will not get caught and this can often be in the way outback. Of course there aren't very many people like that. Kind of a really rare cat. The idiot that doesn't know how to safely handle a gun and might get someone hurt is far more prevalent and likely will hole up in a campground. ...or run you over with their ATV...

 

[masterplumber]

I have had a CCL since 1996 and have carried either on my person or close by most of the time since then. My reasons are personal (to exercise my rights mainly). I have also worked security for a private school as part of my current job as a facility manager for some properties. I have carried in town, out of town, in the wilderness, while riding my dual sport and passing Harley riders on their way back from Sturgis, etc... There as been only one time in all those years that I thought I might have to draw my weapon. I was involved with the police trying to track down a hot head who threatened to bring a gun back to the school and shoot everyone. Even that ended with him running to his house nearby and the police apprehending him without incident. Most people will return respect if you treat them with respect, even in a tense situation. The type of people that won't,you shouldn't find yourself in their midst anyway if you are paying attention to your surroundings. And finally, don't even take one round of ammo into Mexico, if found at a check point there very least that will happen is you'll be detained for awhile and you could go to jail. Far better to spend your time enjoying the good people of that country.

 

[Ted]

And finally, don't even take one round of ammo into Mexico, if found at a check point there very least that will happen is you'll be detained for awhile and you could go to jail.

My Father didn't own a gun but he would bring shells into Baja to trade with the rural locals. His logic was that they have rifles to hunt with but not ammo. He thought this gave him a bartering edge. I would add to masterplumber's comment that it will also get your vehicle stripped as the look for the gun that goes with the ammo. We're talking door panels removed, etc. When they are done and haven't found anything, you are free to go. Up to you to recunstruct the vehicle.

 

[craig333]

I lock the door of my camper at night. Its just instinctual. <drum roll> Although many I've gotten up and the key is still the lock

 

[WaltK]

I don't think this is true. In class I opine that a gun is not for protection of "stuff" and the lawyer that does the legal part usually advises such. It is kind of a rare case that I hear someone talk as if this were their intention, but I have.



Interesting. Serial murderers seek targets in places where they are comfortable that they will not get caught and this can often be in the way outback. Of course there aren't very many people like that. Kind of a really rare cat. The idiot that doesn't know how to safely handle a gun and might get someone hurt is far more prevalent and likely will hole up in a campground. ...or run you over with their ATV...


Just how many serial murders started, ie they grabbed their target in the outback? Yes they may do the final killing out there sometimes, but they grab where people are. Even if that is along a major highway it's still far from the outback. I was doing field research in the Issaquah area when Bundy did his thing there, grabbing the women he killed from a very busy state park. And barely getting out of sight to kill them.

My wife and I do our photography forays on a year round basis. The most dangerous time we have out there is hunting season, not some serial killer or such. And the most dangerous part of that is folks who are not really hunting but just amusing themselves firing the gun they brought along, often at no target, just firing endlessly "out there somewhere" Hole up just in the campground? Those folks blast away anywhere. They are attracted to shooting from high places, or across lakes, meadows and such, where they have no idea what's out there. Around here such folks don't just confine their shooting to hunting season either but it's definitely more common then.

Slowly around here ATV misuse is getting them banned from more and more areas. The real hunters using ATVs here are pretty safe to meet, but not the ones just out to tear up countryside.

Police associated folks are hardly unbiased in what they say and they greatly exaggerate. Far too prone to resort to guns and abuse ordinary people and think they are a special class. A kid who is trying to bring a gun into school is hardly out in the outback we are talking about. In our forays to listen to the police is to believe there is a gun toting drug dealer behind every bush just waiting to shoot at us. The drug dealers I've seen meeting out in the woods definitely did not want to be noticed, which shooting would have done.

Even in this thread how many gave as justification of carrying that they did it to prevent being robbed? Yes a lawyer will tell you it's very poor reason legally but it's probably the most common reason folks carry.

 

[riz]

I've always felt that there's no situation so bad, that it can't be made worse with a gun.

 

[M1010 Mike]

I believe in the "I rather have it and never need it then need it and not have it".

 

[JohnF]

Just how many serial murders ...


Hey, I wasn't trying to make this a discussion of serial killer psychology or anything but to point out that bad people intent on doing bad things pop up anywhere. Anywhere. And that sometimes their reasoning makes sense for what they are doing. How you decide to mitigate risk in life is up to you.

Then I threw in the idea that it is probably riskier to be in a campground where someone might operate their tools in an unsafe manner. A gun will do you no good in these instances.

I don't know the point of the cop stuff in this thread. The OP is trying to decide how he is going to mitigate risk in his life. A discussion of risk assessment, probabilities, effort involved, legalities are good for these sorts of discussions. For example, one might read the first two paragraphs above and conclude that in the bush away from campgrounds the probability for the need for a gun for self defense increases.

I am well aware that a lot of people think that, or say that, they will protect stuff with their gun. If you (anyone reading this) are one, then it behooves you to understand the ramifications legally. I would in very specific circumstances. Circumstances that are always in the defense of life.

 

[Barko1]

I believe in the "I rather have it and never need it then need it and not have it".



+1 I'm not obsessive about carrying but have taken the course and often will have it in the truck when on the road. Thought I was going to have to take it out once after I passed a vehicle that was way under the limit and they must have taken offense. They passed me back and started slowing was down and I thought if they stopped and started coming towards me I'd be ready. I live on the edge of public lands and at time such lands attract individuals who have ingested too much of something. If a crack head wants to mess with me or my family it would take the Sheriff too long to get there. I know that by having called them when some drunks busted through my fence in an attempt to turn my property into their road. When they finally got there I told them I had already gone and checked on the individuals and the first thing he said was "I wouldn't do that without a weapon" and I told him I had one.

A couple months ago I took the camper on a trip East and ended up at First Landing State Park in Virginia for a night. My wife walked to the RR in the AM and saw a stranger that set off her alarms and she hurried back to the camper. We later were told the park rangers were aware of some armed transient that had confronted others staying there. The park is right on a busy highway and access was easy so the park suspected he just stopped along the highway and found a good resting spot. Of course they should have informed us or posted something but that sort of situation can occur anywhere. I remember the ranger near Moab that was nearly killed last year. Frequency/odds are very low but I like being prepared. Hell I was a Psychologist for over 30 years and have a professional knowledge of who is out ther

 

[M1010 Mike]

I always keep in mind, there is no 911 in the middle of nowhere. We typically camp WAY off grid and even if I had cell coverage, it would take hours for any help to show up. There is an old saying my dad always told me, "it's better to be judged by twelve, than carried by six". Words to live by, literally.

 

[WaltK]

Gotta remember that anytime I see a FWC it may be occupied with someone who is armed and who's wife may not like my look. And they most certainly will open fire at anything their wife does not like the look of.

One more reason why I don't camp in places along busy highways called campgrounds and my wife and I prefer stealth camping. Don't meet as many folks out "protecting" their wife. Or other similar excuses. Giving the government more excuses to end the 2nd amendment's effectiveness.

For most of my life there was no 911, wonder how we were safe then. How as kids with roamed all over, even far from home with no armed thugs "protecting" us. All ages, both sexes of kids did this.

I did at times, lots of time, "pack heat" hard on rats and such like. Protecting crops, grain in storage and all the rest. That's what country life was like before armed city folks started going into the country.

 

[mtn-high]

.......


I like your style of thinking, Walt.

 

[M1010 Mike]

Keeping in mind, not everyone lives away from the border. Here in SoCal, many trips are within a few miles of the border and there is a lot of drug running and illegal migration that happens. We have had Border Patrol agents shot and killed along these areas. I rather give myself a fighting chance "should" anything ever occur. The further from the border I get, the less I worry. Up in Mojave or Death Valley, I really don't ever think there will be a problem but along El Caminio Del Diablo, it's much higher in my mind.

I agree, most of my life I never felt any need (though I have been shooting for more than 35 years) to take protection on camping trips but the world of today is much different than of yesteryears. I remember being a kid and in later years seeing kids out playing on the streets, having fun. Today I see almost zero kids out playing. Too many wack jobs adducting kids it seems.

What has happened is we have allowed crime/criminals to shape our world. Try to get on an airplane without a TSA check.