When my wife and I go camping/hiking I have this fanny pack with a quick to get at pistol pocket. I used to carry a 3 1/2" Cimarron Thunderer 45 but now use a S&W 13-3 3". Stock with a T-grip. I love this gun. When we travel the gun is in my bag within reach. It just seems like a natural thing. It's just an automatic thing we do. I'm not paranoid but it's always within reach when we're in this situation. We were hanging out with my ex wife and her husband partying in there hotel room once and sitting there on the nightstand was his holstered AMT 380. Just in case. Friends of mine who aren't into guns would trip on this as weird. As opposed to a concealed carry gun, what do you use for the purposes mentioned? I'd ask you what you thought of my choice but I already know the answer to that.

When my wife and I go camping/hiking I have this fanny pack with a quick to get at pistol pocket. I used to carry a 3 1/2" Cimarron Thunderer 45 but now use a S&W 13-3 3". Stock with a T-grip. I love this gun. When we travel the gun is in my bag within reach. It just seems like a natural thing. It's just an automatic thing we do. I'm not paranoid but it's always within reach when we're in this situation. We were hanging out with my ex wife and her husband partying in there hotel room once and sitting there on the nightstand was his holstered AMT 380. Just in case. Friends of mine who aren't into guns would trip on this as weird. As opposed to a concealed carry gun, what do you use for the purposes mentioned? I'd ask you what you thought of my choice but I already know the answer to that.

My bride and I like to camp, usually Sunday through Thursday to beat the crowds. We are often in camping areas far from the so called civilized world (I use the term loosely)all by our lonesome. Cell phones may not work and if they do in an emergency/scary situation, when seconds count, help will be minutes away (if we are lucky). I like to carry my MP9C. It fits in the fanny pack or on my hip and even with a couple of extra mags isn't all that heavy or bulky. I shoot it often and consequently well. Second choice is my Bersa .380 CC model for the same reasons.

Any .357 and above should do.

Well I don't party, but my hotel gun is the same as my concealed carry gun, either a Glock 27, 23, or Govt. Model 1911.

I always keep a 45-70 lever gun with me too, in town or traveling and camping.

Hope this helps,

Emory

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Hard To Kill

Camp pistol.

It's a Swock .40 S&W. Nothing fancy, but it'll
do for most potential problems.
Most of my camping is on private property,
so I'm usually wearing it if I'm tromping
around. If I'm at my place, I'm usually alone
and I don't want the bugger man to get me,
so camp pistol is never far, if not on my hip.
Usually a .22 rifle too.. But the pistol is the
go to gun if a serious ruckus starts.
If I were to need it, it's more likely to be
an animal than a person.
But there are a few crazies that prowl the
backwoods at night around there, so it adds a
warm fuzzy feeling when I'm sitting out there
by myself.
I have a cell phone, but by the time a sheriff
got there, it would be all over. And I'd
probably have to direct them in on the phone
unless they are familiar with my area. The
roads are about like a maze getting in there.
Lots of turns. I wouldn't even know what address
to give em, as basically I don't have one. :/

Glock 27 on my hip and at night it's in the bag with me.

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NRA Endowment Member

I do not camp any more.
When I'm in the woods hunting or fishing I carry one of my pocket guns, either a Smith M38, or an M649.

When fishing I will often carry my M28 in a Milt Sparks holster, or one of my M57, or Blackhawks in addition to the pocket gun.

In states where I can't carry I usually have a long gun in the hotel/motel. I have brought an M1 carbine quite often.

A nice model 34, 63 or 22/32 kit gun should do nicely for camping. Of course, any K-22 would work just as well.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

Glock 27 with a 23 mag.

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Creede Kid

My Bersa Thunder .380 is my 24/7 gun ... when I'm going to the woods I swap that for either my 1911 Gov't stoked with 165gr HydraShocks, or my 21-4 with Keith loads. Which one depends on my mood and what I'm doing. Just camping, it's usually the 1911, since HydraShock is nice for social purposes. Hunting, almost always the .44.

When I travel, I have a small OD green shoulder bag at my feet. It contains a .45 ACP M625 Mt Gun, a Browning High Power, extra ammo, a GPS, a Surefire light, a camera, a Leatherman tool, and cash. In my pocket is a Colt Agent .38 special. A .308 jungle carbine is nearby as well.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

44 Mag Redhawk 5.5" or 45 Ruger B-hawk 4 5/8" when in big bear country. Mod 66 when out and about normally though a 9 has followed me around at times.

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Front sight and squeeze

I tend to take a rifle or shotgun with me. When I had to come out here from WA, it was a simple Mossberg 500. In the past I used to take a Commie Model 44 MN for the simple reason that it was cheap and I didn't care what happened to it. It was loud, kicked like a mule, belched fire and had a bayonet in case all else failed. That's in addition to handguns (yes, plural) of course.

I've always been partial to a 3" wheelgun... usually the S&W Model 13 roundbutt. It fits well in a fanny pack or rides quite comfortably on my hip.

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A closed mouth gathers no foot

Sig 229 40 S&W
The gun may not be a Smith, but at least the caliber is

Usually a 3" SP101 for seakayaking/island/beach camping. It is as close to a diving knife for construction and utility as a gun can get. and it works better on pirates than firehoses .

Upland, it depends...sometimes a 457S, sometimes a 651. If I really feel the need for something big, I'll take a 4 5/8" SS Super Blackhawk with megaRuger 300gr loads, as close to a perfect packin' pistol as they get.

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" I said, good DAY! "

In my pickup truck camper I keep my CZ-75 with two loaded 15-round mags plus its 22 Kadet Adaptor with its two loaded 10-roiund mags. This all fits into the plastic carrying case that came with the pistol. I also carry a big coffee can full of my 9mm reloads plus a 550 box of Bulk Federal 22s. Although I can get it in a hurry, I've never needed to. I have, however, stopped at a few ranges while traveling to have fun plinking a little.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It carries nice in a Tommy's Gun Pack (large size).

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NRA Life Member

As loud as my 460V is, pray you never have to pull the trigger on that without hearing protection. You'll kill the guy and your hearing at the same time.

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NRA Endowment Member

I can make a case for about every one of 30 + handguns I own. 22 lr through 44 mag and 45 colt. I think you have to basicly look at the probable most likely situation you will be going to. Obvisely if you are going to alaska its the biggest you have. Other places a itty bitty .22 will do to dispatch a snake.
If you feel the need for a good defendse gun at home in your bedroom, truth is you are more apt to want one in the boonies for looneys.
Personaly I like one that is big enough for defendse.
You mentioned going with a wife. Thats great. In that case I would take the defendse gun, and have her take the .22. Now you have both bases covered and can plink or target shoot for fun.
A neat little gun that I have and plan to start carrying a little more is a ruger single six in .32 H&R Mag.
Here in utah I and the wife like to get out on our ATV far out in the boonies. Truth is since we are rideing a huge two seat quad with a big storage box, I could and do take any gun I own or a couple of them. However I still like wearing it and not have to dig for it in the travel trunk when I want it. That happened three times last year alone. Twice with big rattlesnakes and one coyote. Once we stopped the quad for whatever reason and the wife screamed at me to take off! One of the biggest rattlers I have seen was about waist high on the trail embankment under a rock, a couple feet from where I stopped. I pulled ahead a few yards and with the wife pointing I still had a hard time seeing it for a minute! In fact I still didnt untill it moved for cover in a hole.
My revolver being in the scoot boot and not on me saved his life.
A few years ago a deputy friend of mine showed me some pictures of a guy with his bare back bone exposed where a timber rattler had hit him. I never would have belived those pictures he took of the body. Made a beliver of me! The guy sat down on a embankment or hill and the rattler got him right in the cross of the neck and shoulders!

Model 396, .44 special Mountain Lite.
So light, I don't know it's on when hunting/hiking, and I'm all about lessening the weight.

To me, that's it's perfect use.

Munster

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GO NAVY!

If bears may be a problem, it's a 629 with XS Big Dot night sights. Otherwise, a Glock 21SF (.45ACP) with night sights and Surefire weaponlight. We're experiencing a rabies epidemic. Skunks, foxes, and other small, nocturnal critters are vectors, and common in most areas where I camp. I've been thinking about adding a shotgun to my camp kit for eliminating these potential threats. Anywhere along a smuggling corridor, some sort of EBR with nitelite is part of the kit, although anymore, I just try to avoid camping in remote rural areas where this is an issue --- venturing into these danger zones while awake and alert and well-armed is one thing, falling asleep there is another matter...

It sounds like your choice of your .357 is a sound one Wyatt.

Lots of cops went into harm's way toting that wheelgun as their primary "back in the day."

Me?

I've toted my M65 3" a lot in past years in the deep woods hiking and such. Ditto with several .45ACP handguns too . . . a full size Colt Combat Elite, or a Para 14.45 Limited LDA . . . or a Kimber Ultra CDP (lightweight officer's sized) . . . or my chopped barrel 3 1/4" M25-2 revolver.

Sometimes . . . just a belt-holstered M36 backed by my pocket holstered M37.

In the pocket? Always the trusty M37 Airweight!

During small game season, my belt holster carries a Ruger MkII Target model .22LR, topped by a Holosight and riding in a modified Uncle Mike's belt holster similar to the rig shown below.

Sometimes it simply depends on the weather, the terrain and weight . . . or the mood!

If in areas with threat of bears . . . the belt holster holds my 6" barreled M29-5 topped with a Holosight. On moving game such as deer this outfit has consistently proved to be quite effective in hitting the vitals and taking down the game instantly . . . with my preferred 300 grain, hard cast flatnose lead bullet.

In this modified Uncle Mike's holster, it is as fast clearing "leather" as a competition revolver, yet it has been up trees in many a ladder stand and climber through the years with no mishap . . . and taken a ton of deer too. No handgun could be any faster either for reacting to a charging bear . . . or better suited to aim the red dot as the animal went through the thickets!



T.

OOO!! A chopped 25-2! Better than viagra.

Yes it is!!!

And my deep woods holster for it is a Bianchi Cyclone II Nylon (long discontinued) that was made for a 4" K frame. This N frame 3 1/4" gun has "moulded" and adapted to that holster PERFECTLY!!!

It is so fast from that holster that I hold a range competition record in our area of drawing to the reaction time of a random start electronic timer (from the "surrender" position w/thumbs touching the hear muffs) and hitting the A zone of an IPSC target at six feet . . . in LESS than .80 of a second. .77 seconds to be exact. Not too shabby for a guy in his 50's.

Some hotshot at a practical match there hear about the record once, and he tried so hard to beat that time with his trick competition-only skeletonized holster for his 1911 race gun . . . and couldn't beat it. The range charged $5 an attempt (best of three draws), with the money going to improve the club.

Here's the gun that's better than Viagra. I'll be shooting it in the morning too! Frankly, it's my favorite woods revolver anyway . . . it balances so well and is super accurate . . . and only weighs about the same as a 5" 1911.