He's comming right at us, SHOOT HIM.

Out of all the gun deaths in the USA how many happened on the trails and summits apart from those who get shot mistaken for 500lb black bears? Point is muggers and bad people tend not to backpack in remote places and climb mountains to attack people. Tend to find them in cities and the like.

deleted

Edited by oware on 03/26/2009 18:57:11 MDT.

Up here in WA we just had two 14 year old kids bear hunting "accidentaly" shoot and kill a female backpacker wering a bright blue sweatshirt. They said they thought she was a bear. Sad :( Ali

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008094528_hunting06m.html

Edited by barefootnavigator on 03/18/2009 17:28:43 MDT.

"And I quite like the English (Pommies)!"

I think at one time or another darn near every people on the face of the earth had a substantial portion of their population designated P.O.H.M.ies. The sun never set on the British Empiah, the saying goes.

do

Edited by oware on 03/26/2009 18:56:40 MDT.

"Are there any countries other than the US where hikers regularly carry guns?"

Sure, Ashley. Afghanistan, for starters. Darn near everyone "carries" in the backcountry over there. I think the locals are some of the early pioneers in the art of UL backpacking while "carrying". At least since Alexander the Great passed through.

Edited by ouzel on 03/18/2009 18:57:30 MDT.

do

Edited by oware on 03/19/2009 17:01:03 MDT.

What does he say about a need for protection, and the inability to feel safe without a weapon ?

lol. I forgot Afghanistan. Pakistan border region too. I believe there are some towns up there whose sole industry is making guns, and of course everyone is armed to the teeth. Kinda like the wild west on steroids.

Edited by ashleyb on 03/18/2009 19:04:21 MDT.

Methinks Freud spent too much time holding his own weapon.

One of the most screwed up psychiatrists in the history of the game. A fear of a weapon being carried or wielded by someone else is common sense. A fear of the same weapon in your own hands is nutso. It's all about the situational content. As posted in the newest weapon thread in the gear forum, this is my weapon of choice:

I am licenced and trained in the use of it. It's called a "HeLicks" because it will lick anyone to death if they get too close to me, even a bear, but especially humans, cats and dogs. It is SUL (does not contribute to my skin-out weight except for a bit of food). It requires regular maintenance to get the best performance out of it though, but works even when soaking wet. I don't have to carry it concealed except in a few regions where they are strictly forbidden.

Edited by retropump on 03/18/2009 19:09:09 MDT.

Me and some friends "hiking" in the middle east. As Tom pointed out, the need to "carry" is clearly dependent on the trail.

Edited by pbrown19 on 03/18/2009 19:49:29 MDT.

Since we are way OT now, I would like to have a definition of 'hiking'. To me it's a recreational activity I do for fun and relaxation. I don't think many afghanis or anyone on active military service in a hot zone would consider it fun or recreational, but I don't have personal experience here. I have spoken in depth with a woman from Zimbabwe who was befuddled by us Kiwis going backpacking or hiking. She was clear to point out that the only time most Zimbabweans walk anywhere is if they have to to survive. Otherwise they conserve their energy and try to stay out of the firing line! Hiking as a recreation was entirely an alien concept to her. Shame really, as in the last 5 years she's lived in NZ, she's never seen any of the highlights this country has to offer that are only accessible by foot :(

Please move this to Chaff. I am sick of this topic.
Once and for all can we all just agree to disagree.
Brian, Nathan and Ami
The US Constitution and Bill of Rights do not GRANT rights.
They Guarantee rights. I know this sounds petty but it is not think about it.Everone is born with thier rights goverments just take them away if they can. This was drilled into my had one day in Constitutional Law class and it totally changed how I looked at the world. I used to be a leftwing liberal. I am now a minarchist libertarian.

You are a little behind - it is in Chaff.

" Kinda like the wild west on steroids."

Yup. I think Kipling said it best:

When yer lyin' there wounded on Afghanistan's plains
And the women come out to cut up what remains
Roll oer' to yer rifle and blow out yer brains
And go to yer God like a soldier

The original "Wild Bunch"

Not sure on the spelling above, but it's close enough for a "carrying" post.

John,

"Trying to talk to you yanks sensibly about guns is like trying to describe blue to a colour blind person."

Hey -- please do not lump all of us together.

"I don't need protection on a hike, because I don't feel threatened, so I'm not carrying anything- the thought hadn't ever crossed my mind."

Agreed -- until this thread, it never even crossed my mind that some of the folks I run across in the mountains would be packing (other than hunters, of course).

-- MV

This thread is ridiculous.

Dave T- re Haute Route- I plan to do some sections this summer, health permiting. I currently have pneumonia (hence the time to spend here). Please be in touch if you are in my neck of the woods, or need some tips on the Pyrenees. I generally find earplugs are all the protection I need from crazy French hikers with radios. Either that or join them, which can be fun too.

Sorry to be so general about the colour analogy, there are some great Americans out there, of course. I happen to have 150 American students at the moment, and can vouch for their enthusiasm, curiosity and good spirits.

Dave Olsen- the 'swearing' you mention is an old slogan from the anti war movement- we are all adults here, and I would have thought you were familiar with the slogan. I thought it was sufficiently well known and accepted in internet forums to disguise naughty words in this way, by bad, I guess- nobody else compained.

Apologies if I offended you or anyone, it was never my intention.

By the way, I live in an apartment, so I don't have a backyard.

And to think I nearlly bought a tarp from you this Xmas...
Do you accept returns on philisophical grounds?

Just winding you up- chill out mate, it's a hiking forum.

cheers,
fred

PS, this is my last post (cue trumpets)- I'm moving back to the G Spot

sorry I asked.

I live in a place where we don't have violence and the need to really carry. But I bet you we have more guns and more CWP per captia then the big cities where you do need protection.

But even so, we do have our problems. Last year there was a big fight and stabbing on a popular canoeing river stoping point. Beer involved, and some drunk was looking for trouble. My kids are getting old enough to start taking them on such trips and yes, I do consider what would I do in such situations. Its not a case where you can easily leave or avoid. Incidents like that happen every 10 years, if that often. But what if I'm out there with my wife and young kids and hit the lottery? Some drunk who wants trouble and looking for an easy target.

Earlier this week there was a post on a local fishing forum about some "pirates" who where trying to forceably stop another boater. Again, not much the other guy could do to get away.

Just got me wondering about the backcountry and how often stuff occurs. If you do come across a physco or drunk looking for trouble, what are you going to do? You can't just leave if they are intending on trouble. And with a 7 yr old, you really can't just leave.

I realize this is a UL backpacking forum, but even so, don't you have to consider all the possibities of what you might need and then consider if hte probability warrants carring the equipment needed? That was the purpose of my question.

And in all honesty, people on here discuss what kind of camera to take. Now tell me, if you are complaining about why someone would consider carrying a heavy weapon on a UL backpacking forum but not complain why someone would carry a totally unneeded camera, whats the deal?