Years ago, I was at a point in my life where I felt like something was missing. I didn’t have any great stories to share in group discussions, or so I thought, and figured I needed to have some adventures. I started looking into backpacking and even took a solo trip that was, frankly, a bit of a disaster.
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While learning about backpacking, though, I saw that a wide variety of people were interested in it, including quite a few “crunchy” types that might as well refer to the trail as “Mother Gaia” or something.
A lot of them, really.
So when I saw the website Gear Junkie had a piece about the pros and cons of backpacking with a gun, I kind of braced myself. After all, knowing those “crunchy” types, I just knew it was going to be filled with anti-gun rhetoric.
Was it?
A few years ago, I was on night two of (what was supposed to be) an 8-day solo backpacking trip on the Collegiate Peaks Loop in Colorado. I had set up camp near a high alpine lake, sheltered next to a few trees. I settled in for the night, but was awakened around midnight by heavy footsteps around my camp. A large animal was lapping water from the nearby creek, and I heard a low purr that made my skin crawl.
Although I admit I never saw this mountain lion — I was not about to shine my headlamp into the darkness and startle the big cat — it didn’t leave the site until the sun started rising over the peak. For hours, I lay in my tent, wide awake, with my inReach in one hand and a very small knife in the other.
I almost always adventure solo, whether traveling internationally or backpacking. But since that trip (which I promptly bailed out of and hitchhiked into town), I have been hesitant to head out alone.
More than one person has recommended buying a gun. I’ve never owned a firearm and honestly didn’t think I’d ever really consider owning one. But as I’ve felt my fear hinder my drive for adventure, I’ve started to consider it more and more.
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OK, I’d argue that hitchhiking into town was probably as dangerous, if not more, than the mountain lion, but let’s assume the author disagrees because, well, she did it.
But that’s neither here nor there. What about the gun stuff?
It’s clear the author is weighing the decision, which I think is a good thing, and eventually, she comes to a series of pros and cons broken down in bullet points.
- Carrying a weapon can provide a sense of confidence, safety, and general peace of mind. Even if you don’t fire it, you might feel more comfortable standing your ground.
- A firearm could be a more effective defence against much larger and more powerful threats than an airhorn or bear spray.
- Perhaps you find a new hobby in target shooting at your local gun range.
- You are now carrying a lethal weapon, which carries serious responsibility. You must ensure it’s both secure and safe at all times.
- It’s more expensive than alternative deterrents.
- Guns could make fellow trekkers uncomfortable if they know that you’re carrying.
- A gun, no matter the size, plus ammunition, adds a lot of weight to your pack.
- If you make a mistake with a gun versus bear spray, the consequences can be far more serious.
- You will not be able to enter many establishments or use most public transportation while carrying a firearm.
- Some states have restrictions on open firearm carry.
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These…aren’t wrong.
I get that there are more cons listed than pros, and that might look particularly negative, but for some people, that’s not a big thing compared to the fact that a gun can and will be more effective in situations where other deterrents don’t work. If a gun doesn’t work, you just keep pulling the trigger until it does–though, admittedly, depending on the threat and your gun, it might not be enough–while bear spray or an airhorn that doesn’t work right then are far less likely to work in a few seconds.
The author does talk about proper training, which can mitigate some of the cons, particularly those regarding mistakes, but all of these are legitimate cons to carrying a gun while backpacking.
Backpackers are almost obsessed with the weight of their packs. Mine was seven and a half pounds, not counting food and water, which is ultralight. Most backpackers consider grams. They might cut most of the handle off of their toothbrush to save a few grams, for example. A gun and ammo can add a lot of weight, relatively speaking, so that’s a legitimate concern.
As for entering establishments, I’m just going to say concealed is concealed, which also mitigates the concerns about fellow trekkers, too.
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Still, I thought it was a pretty reasonable piece looking at guns for backpacking that lacked any real animosity toward the right to keep and bear arms. I think it’s nice to see, for a change.
