Aaron,

Welcome to the forum. The L framed 686 is a nice "carry" gun and IMO you cannot go wrong with it. But don't limit yourself to it, as there are ALOT of good choices to pick from.

If you are looking at a backpacking or hiking gun, some would argue that you need an N magnum if you are worried about larger animals while others standby the fact that a nice L frame with 357 +P loads are more than reasonable for defense in the desert or mountains.

Barrel length is also a factor, the 2.5" is a fairly up close barrel length and you may want to consider a 3" or 4" barrel for a nice balance between concealabilty and longer range.

That being said, here are pics of my L and N frame carry guns while hiking. some more comfortable to carry than others......


625 3"

629 3" Backpacker

629 3"

686 2.5" sold to member here

625 3 " sold to member here

686 PC in 2.5"

686 2.5"...the one that started it all

629 Jovino Effector