Firearm for lone female?

[PNWschusser]

Sorry for late replies, was at the mountain. Great insight, and all are very much appreciated. Definitely things to think about.

I also just got a Garmin 700i for tracking, navigiation, emergencies (SOS), and 2-way texting via satellite.

And yeah, I'd hate to get in a situation where I damn well wish I'd had a firearm. I'm pretty conservative, though, and am alert, aware, assertive, and never question my gut instinct. I'm pretty sure that in and of itself is a reason I've never ever in my 51 years have been in a scary situation.

[moorefc]

Originally Posted by 1der

Thank you ShuttlePilot!
Learning more on each post in this thread!

What does Bear Mace do to a Human?
https://www.defensiveplanet.com/what...do-to-a-human/

Spoiler: Not what you think

That article does not make sense....same active ingredient in bear spray and pepper, but more concentrated..in my logic and experience would be more intense....Also bear spray is "controlled" whereas pepper spray is not (thats part of why you can bring bear spray to canada, but not pepper)..Also keep wondering what happened to the capital police officer who succumbed afterwards...
I've taken bear spray to Canada and Mexico multiple times, declared it for Canada but had pepper spray confiscated at the Wa border. Here are the rules-
http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/...9-13-2-eng.pdf
Great comments on firearms....Many years of camping and wandering cities of the world and never felt the need for bullets...One more thing to go wrong in my mind...Have fun on your trip!

[TraceyAZ]

Im a firm believer in the old saying "an armed society is a polite society" With that said everyone should be armed and I go out to explore with the notion that anyone I meet up with on the road or in the woods is armed.
Yes get a gun, however I would first go to a shooting range that has many different guns to "rent" and pay for some good range time with a knowledgeable instructor. Not all guns are the same and you may find what one person says is the perfect gun is actually a unruly difficult piece of equipment to operate. Sounds a gun makes IE the chambering of a shotgun shell don't mean squat if you cant handle the kick of a 12 gauge. Then there is the question of what ammo type do you want for said shotgun.
A really good range with equally good staff will make sure you are given the correct info to make a wise choice in a gun that will work for you.
As for actually having to use it.....Its the last thing on earth I would ever want to do and 99.99999 of all gun owners think the same way. But, if its the difference between me, my family or a bad guy the choice is simple then.
Knowledge is power, educate yourself from good people on the subject before you purchase!

[JebTN]

Lots of good advice, I have nothing to add other than a good app to find out the laws in all states and if your permit is accepted. It is CCW at the Apple Store, not sure if they have an Android version. They update the app often, as laws change. You get 2 years subscription for the 99 cent initial purchase then you renew yearly.

[rpoole]

JWA, I'm very sorry for your experience and loss, and thank you for sharing and for a most thoughtful reply. I used to be a recreational shooter (mostly trap, and a little target pistol) and never felt a need to carry in all the years I've rambled around the country in the backwoods and backroads. Until recently... We had driven our van in and camped on the end of a dead-end six-mile mountain road. There are about a half dozen pull-in camp sites along the road/trail with shelters and no cell service. It was off-season and as it turned out we were literally the only ones in the area. On the turn-off road into the park, we encountered an individual parked in a truck who at the risk of sounding judgmental, "just didn't look right." He gave us a really hard look-over as we drove in but other than that I wasn't too concerned, but the radar kind of went off. At almost sunset I spotted him on foot down the road from our campsite. My wife and I are fast approaching 65 we can't "fight or flight" like we used to. Something clicked like a mild panic in my head realizing I had nothing better than a kitchen knife and BBQ tongs for defense should trouble show up outside our van in the night. It was a scary thought I've never had before. We continued to make camp and complete our dinner ritual but as it got darker, we agreed we should bug out and as we did, we found the guy in his truck sitting in the road just out of sight of where were camped. I have no doubt he was stalking us. There was absolutely no reason for him to parked 5.5 mile up a dead-end road in the dark and not be in a campsite. I was so rattled by the experience it kind of ruined the trip. I came home, took the CCL class, bought a pistol, shot it enough to qualify and then put it in storage. I'm not yet ready to carry one on the road.

[Spr]

Great thread….I Love everything everyone has to say. We just started carrying on our last couple trips and I like the peace of mind it offers. It was an internal argument in our house that was based around my thought of I would rather have it and never need it VS my much better half “thinking” we would never need it so “what’s the point”. After the first trip of carrying she agreed that it is nice knowing protection could be an option if needed. There are a couple things worth noting that still make me hesitant on carrying with the first and foremost that you WILL without doubt go to jail in the event you ever need to protect yourself and you will stay in jail a long time if you cant prove beyond reasonable doubt the person or people you shoot were trying kill or cause serious harm to you. Also, as mentioned above I wouldn’t just get a gun and take it with you. You should get a carry permit and know what states allow what kind of carry, transport etc. As an example to how crazy some of the rules are I just found out that Arizona is an open carry state without any permit needed but because I reside in Illinois and have a concealed carry permit I cannot open carry in AZ (not that I want to but that seems weird). And things like knowing the rules for if you have a drink or 2 out at your camp fire, carrying and transporting in state parks or national parks etc etc etc etc etc. After spending time reading through the rules you realize that its best to simply avoid using a gun at all costs because the legal ramifications can get nasty. The app mentioned above is going on my phone now.

After reading through this thread I went ahead and ordered a couple bottles of Sabre pepper gel mentioned in one of the posters threads and found here and on sale https://www.amazon.com/SABRE-Red-Pep.../dp/B004NKSPR8 . We both plan on having this on us at all times while at camp. I will still carry a gun for the “you never know” factor and I like the peace of mind of knowing it is next to me while sleeping in the van. You can never predict a situation and I pray to god none of us are ever put in a position to feel like we need to defend ourselves or our loved ones, but If you are put in that position and a situation arises that warrants self-defense giving the person a face full of pepper gel first could be a good way to deter an attacker long enough to get the heck out of there and if that doesn’t stop them and you do have to shoot them I think you will have a stronger court case proving there was an imminent threat against you if they continued attacking with a face full of pepper gel.

I loved the post about a single camper using 2 chairs at the site. That is genius. One thing that we always try to do (when possible) is point the van towards our exit and be fully cleaned up and self-contained before going to bed every night. This way there is nothing for anyone to steal and If we wanted/needed to get out of a spot for whatever reason I can just put the van in drive and just go.

The thought of all of this is terrifying but the thought of something happening and having no defense at all is even more terrifying. Stay Safe everyone! Use your best judgment and as so many have already said trust your instincts....Nice move Rpoole!! When in doubt just get out of there.

[LosAngeles]

my 2c to add to this:

I dont carry a gun, ever

however when traveling in the USA ZI almost always have this $8 pepper gel -

has huge advantages over bear spray

far less likely to blow back into your own face with a wind (as a gel stream)

like silly string so you can aim it

will red dye stain the bad person

should stop the bad person

wont kill a person (maybe they are drunk and being horrible and they need to be stopped, but maybe not die)

https://www.amazon.com/SABRE-3-Peppe...007VM8UC/?th=1

so cheap you could buy a few - one for car, one for belt, one spare....

and as an aside.... i think most violent crime is in busy cities... not out camping. yes there are some bad people everywhere.... but very few reports of bad things in remote places.

statistically you are far more likely to be hurt in a car crash of some sort, i think, when traveling

just my 2c. hope this helps.

[JRO]

I’m not a gun nut but playing bang bang is fun. That’s the only reason I own guns and rifles. I kill cans for fun. If I’m not going out to kill some cans or clay pigeons, my weapons are locked up. There were times I was hiking around when I thought about cougars and bears… But what are the odds? I make noise. I believe the odds of me being killed are greater when I’m carrying weapons. I’d rather carry an air horn for personal protection if I was generally paranoid of anything, which I never am. Your odds are better unarmed from my perspective.

[This old va]

3 times in my life, I "would have" needed a gun to protect/save myself.
Twice by myself one walking in a nature park w my wife.
Each time circumstances arised that left me/us a safe exit..
ONLY LUCK AND CHANCE preventing each situation.,I'm just lucky.
As far as I'm concerned there WILL NEVER BE A FOURTH time.
Ones luck can only go do far. I carry ad often as possible..regardless and carefree if any law or possible repercussion. Anything beats being dead or severely hurt.

Watch out for people in pairs or threes...they feel empowered in numbers.

Trust no one

Be safe or use your 1st instincts and Avert any odd situation you can perceive.

[bcrittendon]

I recommend you carry a handgun, and get a ccw permit. In Michigan and other states i can not transport a shotgun unless unloaded and the only to and from hunting or a target range. There are valid arguments that allow you to carry any weapon in self defense. But if you want it loaded all the time, it better be a handgun and you better have a permit. Its going to be difficult to keep a full size weapon with you. if your going to carry, carry all the time. I have scared off intruders by racking a shotgun. But I prefer a loaded and ready weapon. i don't always want t give away my position. There is a YouTube channel, "ACTIVE SELF PROTECTION" watch a few videos, Don't buy a gun without trying it first. I've been shooting since i was five (almost 60 years now) I still find an occasional gun I think I will love but it just does not fit me and I have to work far to hard to hit with it. The ability to carry legally in the most places is the best argument I can give for a handgun. An sbr would be more effective bit it is not worth the hassle for most to own and you cant take it everywhere. In my home a shotgun beats a handgun but i live alone and can keep what I want where i want. Any gun you buy is a compromise, there is no one best weapon for all purposes. Get something YOU are comfortable with and can shoot, OR YOU WON'T CARRY AND HAVE IF/WHEN YOU NEED IT.