hahahaha, perfect illustration of the point! ;)

Alot of stuff happens on the A/T that does not make the mainstream media. Granted I've hiked and camped on it many, many times without incident, but you never know. Ive also run into many people on it that have raised a flag and set off my threat possibility alarm.

Whether there are criminals in the parks or not, you are usually hours away from any kind of help, with no cell coverage and are pretty much left to the mercy of strangers. No thanks.

Yes. I'm afraid of a fire in my house getting out of control.
And it IS fear. You don't protect yourself from something you aren't afraid of.

So.... when a decade plus ago I was planning this trip... talking to locals who had lived in the area for generations (and many had served) and with whom I had gone hunting etc.. nobody deemed it appropriate to mention the what appear self evident risks of harm from others.. as opposed to falling and breaking a leg.. snake bites, deep cuts etc...which were planned for an accepted as part of the prep...

If now it is deemed 'good insurance' to be armed the fine..at the time it wasn't on the radar....

I carry wherever and whenever it's legal for me to do so....

It's got nothing to do with fear, it's about preparation.

Imagine living in a world so dangerous our nation needs thousands of ICBMs.

We've never needed them, so the US must be paraniod....right?

Snakes and mountain lions and bears alone is enough reason to be armed. That never occurred to a bunch of hunters and outdoorsmen?

What about that nutty Vietnamese dude a few years back that blasted a bunch of hunters with his AK-47?

"If there's one thing this past week has taught me, it's that it's better to have a gun and not need one, then to need a gun and not have one."
~Clarence Worley, True Romance

I spend a lot of time in upstate Pa at both my Uncles and old man's mountain homes, and in the past have done a good deal of hiking in black bear country (sadly not since my injuries)...always with a gun.

Speaking of which, i don't hike any more because i got ran down by a madman in a mini-van. Get a few felony assaults on your person under your belt, your attitudes change dramatically.

"fear" is when I'm not prepared to defend myself and my family. I prefer to prepare, just as I prepare my car before a trip or have a tested "good" fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

Exactly. I have about 12 fire extinguishers throughout my firehouse, as well as several fire/carbon monoxide detectors.

I am not afraid of a fire....i am prepared for a fire.

It was not even a year ago that a beautiful young folk singer was eaten alive by Coyotes in a forest. (In canada, i think).

YES, it CAN happen to YOU.

I am not afraid of criminals, i am prepared for criminals.

I am however afraid of Bears.... ;)

Ah Walmart.........


Sit back, relax, and enjoy, there's hours of Walmart pictures here:

Funny Pictures at WalMart

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1302015567.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1302015591.jpg


End of discussion.....







.

Exactly. You prepare yourself for a contingency that you fear. I have fire extinguishers in my house because I'm afraid of a fire getting out of control. I wear seat belts because I'm afraid of getting thrown out of my car. People carry guns because they are afraid. There is no logic in protecting yourself against something you don't fear.

[QUOTE=m21sniper;5944569]It's got nothing to do with fear, it's about preparation.

/QUOTE]

C'mon. Be honest. It's being prepared for something you are afraid of. You are deluding yourself if you think it's anything different.

Negative, you prepare yourself for contingencies that may occur. (if you are wise)

Fear is an (often) irrational emotional response to an external stimulus. Preparation is a reasoned response to a potential threat.

Got it?

Furthermore, criminals, or bears or coyotes or mountain lions don't give one damn about your sense of security or superior liberal values.

"Just git 'em right off."

Patrick, do you have a CHL? I thought you said you did in another thread. I know you are against any of your employees having one. I think that is a trust issue, but I digress.

Understanding risks and taking precations does not mean fear. This is a rational response, fear is irrational. We do not walk around afraid, able to do so only because we have a firearm. It is a "just in case".

Sometimes I do wonder about carrying for protection against wildlife. There really is no reason to shoot a snake for protection. If you've already been bitten, the damage is done. If you see it before it gets you, there should be no problem in going around it and leaving it be. Common handguns won't do much against anything bigger than an adolescent black bear, certainly nothing against a grizzly, brown bear or moose (more dangerous than bears). I see coyotes all the time and they are usually harmless. Mountain lions scare the piss out of me, but they are so rarely seen by people. Anyway, when I'm really in the bush and backstop and bystanders are no issue, I carry a .357SIG. That's the largest I'm comfortable carrying that could also stop most of what could hurt me.

Actually, many handgun rounds will easily kill a large bear- the question is- how long will it take. The answer is, probably not fast enough to save you from getting mauled. But it will definitely stop you from getting eaten.

Even in 9mm, there are rounds that will punch through 40+" of ballistics gel and that are designed to punch through heavy bone (Both Doubletap and Buffalo Bore make such rounds). That is easily enough to penetrate into the vitals of even a big Brown Bear from a favorable angle...but it will most certainly NOT stop one instantly.

And from all that i've read, it is black bears that are the much bigger threat when it comes to predation attacks. There are a lot of handgun rounds that will kill a black bear with a good clean hit to the vitals.

Coyotes are usually no threat. Usually.

Mountain lions are rarely seen and rarely attack. But rarely is not the same as never.

Clearly a handgun is not an ideal defense, but it is a hell of a lot better than harsh language...and they definitely work on violent felons, fugitives, rapists and all other manner of ne'er do wells..

Honestly, I think there is more of a threat from other humans then from wildlife.