Wilderness safety: 5 Reasons to bring a gun while camping and hiking

Going hiking and camping is one of the most fun experiences you can have outdoors; however, you never know what dangers are lurking around you in the wilderness. This is why it’s important that you bring a gun with you while you’re out camping or hiking.

It’s unlikely that you will ever need to use it, but on the off-chance that you do, it’s always good to be prepared for worst-case scenarios where your only choice is to use your gun.

Here are five reasons why you need to bring a gun when you’re out in the wilderness. (h/t to ThePreppingGuide.com)

Wild animals

Statistics show that around 11 bear attacks occur in North America every year. If you’re following a trail at a park, your chances of running into bears and other predatory animals may be lower, but the threat is never going to disappear completely.

A knife or another kind of camping tool is not going to be enough against bears, mountain lions and other dangerous animals. You will need a firearm. Not only will you feel safer with it, but the predator might even be scared off if you fire a warning shot.

Criminals

Wild animals aren’t the only things roaming around the wilderness. If you do happen upon other people while hiking or camping, more often than not they will be good people who you do not have to worry about. However, there is still a chance that one of the people you meet has ill intentions.

It doesn’t help that, while you’re out on a secluded trail or camping spot, you may be very far away from any authorities who can act as proper deterrents for criminals.

If you do encounter someone threatening and you know that law enforcement officials who can come to your aid are hours away, your firearm might just save your life.

For being rescued

If you ever get lost while hiking, your firearm may come in handy. Regular firearms can produce anywhere between 140 to 175 decibels of sound. This is louder than a thunderclap and equivalent to aircraft taking off. If there is anybody within your vicinity, they will hear the noise and be drawn to it, helping you find your way back to safety.

For finding food

As a prepper who’s going for a hike or going camping, you should remember to bring enough food for your entire trip. Accidents can happen, however, and if you suddenly run out of food you will have no choice but to forage for it. If you brought a firearm, you will be able to hunt game.

If you brought a hunting rifle and you’re experienced enough with hunting, then you shouldn’t have too many problems. Pistols and other smaller firearms should work well enough provided that you can close in on your game and your shooting is accurate.

Boosts your confidence

Thinking of the many dangers that you could come across while camping and hiking can heighten your stress and anxiety and be ruinous for your morale. If you have a firearm with you, you can feel more confident because you know that anything that comes your way can be overcome. (Related: Rainy day blues no more: Tips to enjoy hiking and backpacking, even during the wet season.)

Use a secure holster that will significantly reduce the likelihood of misfires. If your main concern is other people, bringing a handgun should be more than enough. If you’re worried about wild animals, bring a hunting rifle.

But before you run off to bring your guns to the trail, look up the laws in the area you want to go hiking in to make sure the open carrying of a firearm is legal.

Sources include:

ThePreppingGuide.com

CowboyStateDaily.com

GunGoals.com

ASHA.org

Chem.Purdue.edu