AT Attacks

9outof10mms said:
I simply wear a Galco holster with a dish towel draped over it.
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These days, I pretty much just open carry while fishing or hiking. Very few notice, and those that do either don’t care or don’t say anything.
 
My hiking pack has stretch material pockets and I just slip my an airweight J frame in its pocket holster in that for a quick cross draw. My fixed laden knife is always on my hip also
 
Millie said:
And this is exactly why I don't get why my family/friends are thinking I'm paranoid for wanting to carry a gun and have them stashed in several places in the house!! LoL. Guess they don't watch/read the news?
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Normalcy bias/denial. People don't want to believe their lives and way of life could be so easily threatened. They don't have the skill set to deal with it, so it's to traumatic to consider. While some of us are determined to develop that skill set.
 
Not sure yall have done a lot of sectional or longer hikes but you feel EVERY once of weight. I once threw a pretty nice fix blade knife in the woods because the weight was making me cry. I would never carry anything as heavy a a gun and ammo on a long hike. A small can of bear spray but no way a couple pounds of firearm. I also remember throwing away a buddies nice sleeping pad someplace in Virginia cause it was just too much. I bought him a new one when I got back.

Sure, day hike I can see carrying. No way on a through, or week long or longer hike through the North Carolina/Vaginal mountains.
 
Goofyfoot2001 said:
Not sure yall have done a lot of sectional or longer hikes but you feel EVERY once of weight. I once threw a pretty nice fix blade knife in the woods because the weight was making me cry. I would never carry anything as heavy a a gun and ammo on a long hike. A small can of bear spray but no way a couple pounds of firearm. I also remember throwing away a buddies nice sleeping pad someplace in Virginia cause it was just too much. I bought him a new one when I got back.

Sure, day hike I can see carrying. No way on a through, or week long or longer hike through the North Carolina/Vaginal mountains.
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I'd be going without something else. Skivvies can be re-worn and aired on the back of my pack along with socks.

...and this coming from the undisputed International Champion of Heavyweight Packing. I can overpack/overweight like it's a challenge, not that I'm proud of that. But my gun is always part of the rig. Granted, I've not done a sectional/through hike. But I've put in some grueling elevation climbs with some good mileage without once thinking "wish I didn't have my piece." But to each their own. I'm not gonna knock you. I might even shoot Mr. Axe Rapist for you if he's got you over a log making you squeal...I'm >that< nice of a guy.
 
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I carried a a 45 lb pack for a week in RMNP. It didn't bother me that I could have reduced that by 2 lbs. I'd rather have that sense of security.
 
Goofyfoot2001 said:
Not sure yall have done a lot of sectional or longer hikes but you feel EVERY once of weight. I once threw a pretty nice fix blade knife in the woods because the weight was making me cry. I would never carry anything as heavy a a gun and ammo on a long hike. A small can of bear spray but no way a couple pounds of firearm. I also remember throwing away a buddies nice sleeping pad someplace in Virginia cause it was just too much. I bought him a new one when I got back.

Sure, day hike I can see carrying. No way on a through, or week long or longer hike through the North Carolina/Vaginal mountains.
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100 miles, 100 pounds, with deuce gear, body armor, helmet, M4, Sierra Nevadas. If I can do it, anyone can do it. To @Combat Diver point, rucking is the ground-pounder's way of life.
 
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My brother and I hit the trail for a long weekend back in March. Gearing up early that first morning, he was adding snacks to my backpack and saw a pistol in there. He's not a gun guy by any stretch of the imagination, and with a touch of condescending tone said, "Dude. Bear spray is way more effective for bears than this."

I smirked, walked up to him and replied, "Dude. Who said anything about bears?"

Always be prepared.
 
chiefjason said:
The reason that LE let him go is no one could stay around for a few days to testify. Not sure why you can't take statements and make an assault charge stick. And expecting these folks to throw a multi day stop into their trip unplanned is likely not going to happen.
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It's a basic Constitutional right to face your accuser. No court case could proceed if the victim couldn't be bothered to show.

There's no time in history that the forest has been considered safe. It's a shame that there are people who think we have evolved past that.
 
fieldgrade said:
Jason posted a fairly plausible reason. Why do you insist on perpetually injecting your favorite flavor of snark to your posts?
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Sorry, I didn't intend to impart judgment there, it just came out.

The thing is that people get down on the judicial system for not following through but a lot of the time the break down of justice is due to the victim not being a good, or even a witness for the state.
 
The vast majority of hikers I've run into have been the Very Far Left political type and they are just willing victims in my opinion.

I've ran into very few better informed and better prepared hikers, but they are out there. I've always been armed, just in case.
 
Pretty good run down of events here.

https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/armed-man-sought-threatening-hikers/


April 21 Unicoi TN Sheriffs Dept are looking for him. This is after he assaulted hikers in Madison Ct NC and Devil's Fork Gap. Both he Sheriff's Dept and USFS had gotten calls about him and he was ID'd by his trail name with a description.

April 22 Madison County Sheriff's Dept makes contact, determines he's not a threat, and releases him.

April 23 Unicoi Sheriff's Dept arrests him for assault and drug charges after what looks like 2 more incidents in TN on Laurel Rector Rd and Sam's Gap.

April 26 he pleads on criminal impersonation, drugs, and public intoxication. Fine, probation, and released.

May 11 he is arrested for murder and attempted murder in Wythe County VA.

They are still investigating whether there were more incidents. As tight as the hiker community is, I doubt there are other victims. At least not on trail.

So the tally is 3 Sheriff's Depts and the USFS get calls about this guy and I'm guessing most of this happens in a vacuum with little to no communication of it to other agencies. Dept 4 ends up with a murder and attempted murder in their jurisdiction. As an average citizen it makes me scratch my head how this guy bounces around causing these issues with nothing more than a fine and probation to show for it. Damn shame as far as I'm concerned. If the guy snapped one day and did it, I might be able to chalk it up as people need to just watch out for themselves. As it stands, it's a testament to the slow nature and lack of foresight of the system that you don't need to be counting on. When a guy spends a week threatening and assaulting people it should really be more of a red flag. Yes you need to take care of yourself, but let's face it, the media and a lot of LE have done a good job of communicating that it's their job even if they can't possibly do it. It's no wonder people expect them to be there. They say they will be.
 
I carry everywhere! Period! I carry at my cabin in TN. It’s just off the AT a mile or 2. You never know what’s out there in the woods! I keep the bear repellent (M1a 7.62) sitting by the back door. The state has been bringing bears and dropping them around our place. Hunters come up my road all the time and if it wasn’t for my GSD, we’d never know they were there. I carry NVGs with me also and a 2000 lumen flashlight. I carry my full-size side arm up there, either a 1911 or my G21 or G17. I also keep my Ar pistol close at hand. I’m not paranoid, I’m prepared!
 
I carry everywhere! Period! I carry at my cabin in TN. It’s just off the AT a mile or 2. You never know what’s out there in the woods! I keep the bear repellent (M1a 7.62) sitting by the back door. The state has been bringing bears and dropping them around our place. Hunters come up my road all the time and if it wasn’t for my GSD, we’d never know they were there. I carry NVGs with me also and a 2000 lumen flashlight. I carry my full-size side arm up there, either a 1911 or my G21 or G17. I also keep my Ar pistol close at hand. I’m not paranoid, I’m prepared! If I’m in the Jeep riding trails, I’ve got my G43 concealed, my G17 close to the console and my AR pistol laying in the passenger seat. I’ve come up on moonshiners, dope growers and just freaks out in the woods and I don’t plan on being a statistic!
 
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