How do you get over the fear of camping by yourself?

[Tokwan]

Back to Hunter's main question..the only way I overcame fear is to face it..repeatedly..I have a fear of being alone, of waht's in the sea...that is why I camp and kayak solo...now...its a norm.

[wilderness medic]

I think the turning point for me was hiking the John Muir Trail and asking a question to other hikers on an internet page about bringing a gun. I got bashed like no other, ranging from why bring the extra weight, to you're a pants pooping coward. At first i seemed uneasy, but after a few nights it seemed most of the fear was in my own head and breaking out of normal. Not to sound too hippy but go with the flow. If some very rare thing like a bear or mountain lion attack is going to happen, it's your time. Like sharks in the ocean. Over played and dramatized. I'd rather not live in fear an accept my fate and time is not up to me.

I also don't feel the need to carry a gun EVERYWHERE I go anymore. Some places, yes. But I don't need to pack up every time I step out my door.

[Rick]

That's a bit like saying the shortest way off this cliff is straight down. If I die, oh well. My carry weapon goes everywhere with me. Not only every time I go out the door but I've been known to carry at home as well. To each his own.

[BENESSE]

Never did it, never had the need to go off by myself and spend a night or more in the wilderness. I would consider it though, if I positively knew there were no humans around because those are too unpredictable for my taste. Critters of any sort I can deal with all day long.

[hunter63]

Never did it, never had the need to go off by myself and spend a night or more in the wilderness. I would consider it though, if I positively knew there were no humans around because those are too unpredictable for my taste. Critters of any sort I can deal with all day long.

You feeling are pretty much right on.....in my opinion.

[wilderness medic]

That's a bit like saying the shortest way off this cliff is straight down. If I die, oh well. My carry weapon goes everywhere with me. Not only every time I go out the door but I've been known to carry at home as well. To each his own.

Pretty much. Do you live in an urban ghetto...?

How many times have you actually had to draw your carry weapon? Or actually fire? To me there's a point where it's living too much in fear. The odds of needing it are very slim. Yes, better to have and not need. But i'm not going to sit around my house afraid to go out without a gun. You're more likely to get killed by a drunk driver slamming in to you than getting shot, and there's no safeguard for that besides staying home. So stay home or live life?


Our CCW instructor said out of all the people he's trained and had the IA permit, only 4 times has one of them had to draw, and only once did someone fire. Out of thousands of people x thousands of days, those are pretty slim odds.

[kyratshooter]

All it takes is once.

One encounter, one wrong turn off the wrong freeway ramp, stopping for a meal at Lubby's on the wrong day.

And your California logic is showing. Taking proper steps to insure adequate self defense, or even avoiding trouble because you have the "right" to be where the trouble is, does not place one in the realm of lunatic fringe.

I do often "stay home" to avoid drunk drivers, especially on Holidays.

I also attempt to stay home between the hours of 3-12PM on Friday night, when statistically 1/2 of the traffic accidents in our nation occur.

I also stay out of specific bars and clubs where I could get killed in the blink of an eye.

I also eat healthy, exercise and avoid fatty foods due to risk of heart attack. Well sort of, the bacon is a challenge.

But if I am called to visit one of my friends in a downtown hospital, and most of them are located on "Crack Alley", I do not hesitate to park in the underground garage and walk the dark passages as I did before obtaining my CCW. Before, if I shot someone in self defense I had legal issues galore. With the presence of the CCW part of that is eliminated.

The truth is, I did carry a firearm on those trips before the CCW, now my state has simply made what I already did, based on common sense, legal.

And the answer to "have I had to draw my weapon" is YES. The presence of my weapon has ended several potential conflicts over the years.

Even as a small homesteader I find instant access to firearms mandatory. Hardly a day passes that I am not required to grab the shotgun and confront some varmint, kill a predator or pot some small game for supper.

The presence of the firearms is so fundamental that they sit in the corner by the door or on the shelf and I am not even aware of their presence until I reach out to the place where they live as the need arises.

At this moment I am within reach of a 12 gauge pump shotgun, a 9mm pistol and a .44 magnum revolver.

What am I scared of?

Not one damn thing!

[wilderness medic]

That's like not getting in the ocean without spending hundreds of dollars on a "Shark Shield" despite the extremely low chances of getting bit. More likely to get hit by lightening I believe? All it takes is once. Same with the drunk driver hitting you.

Don't get me wrong. Mine goes everywhere with me it can. But even with a CCW you can't carry on a plane, federal building including VA and post office. Would you avoid medical care, a post office, and traveling because you can't carry? How did you get by before carrying, or have you carried your whole life?

[kyratshooter]

You are being facetious at this point.

You will but you won't, you do but you don't!

Would you believe that I chose the state that I live in based on the firearms laws? If my present state changes their firearms laws I will move SASP.

Yes, there are places where I leave the weapon in the vehicle. I do not like to, but they have metal detectors and a legal precedent which might not be right, but is compelling and I only go there if I absolutely have too.

There are also places that demand that I disarm and I ignore them because they do not have the right to deprive me of my right to life (self defense).

I carry concealed and concealed means unseen. I have never been asked if I am armed and I do not advertise that I am armed.

Even this past weekend while we were camping I was armed, as were others. We were in bear country and there were other campers around who we did not know. I did not see anyone's firearm and they did not see mine. None of us felt compelled to drag them out and show them off. The camping experience was the center of our focus, not the firearms.

Have I always carried?

Yes, from the time I was 16 and went on my first solo camping trip. That was shortly after I got my drivers license and had access to a vehicle.

The laws were different back then and a 16 year old could walk into any hardware or country crossroads store and buy a firearm.

Additionally, most people considered it only good common sense that if you were out in the woods you needed a firearm.

The words "do you have a gun?" did not mean do not take one, they meant you needed to have one!

I also ran several small businesses on the side for most of my life and it was anticipated that business men would be armed when they made their bank deposits no matter what the law proposed.

We had a saying; "Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6."

But that was in the rural southeast, where we slept with our doors unlocked, the keys were left in the ignition of the car overnight, no one but an idiot messed with you or your stuff and the jury was not an effort in social engineering.

If it weren't freezing outside I would not be having this conversation.

[wilderness medic]

Well after I posted you added 95% more text to your above post.

No I am not being facetious. I made a pretty clear point, no wavering. My gun goes with me everywhere it can. But if I can't I'm not going to lock myself in a room fearing the big bad outside world. California logic? LOL I was waiting for a jab about that. Has nothing to do with it. You associate my personal opinion based on my geographical location? I must be a homosexual too right, I'm from ca after all...fruits and nuts.

Take proper steps. Just don't be so drastically worried when you are unable to protect yourself. You can't prevent everything bad from happening no matter how much you prepare.

Yes it only takes once. A lot of thing only take one slip up or mistake, that doesn't cause me to hide from life and never attempt them. If you can carry and do so everywhere, great. I don't blame you. But avoiding a simple trip out your front door out of fear is not a way I'm going to live. If you need a gun in the shower to feel safe, carry one.

I have a buddy who is a sergeant in the police department. He no longer carries off duty because it was not worth the hassle for the small chance of having to use it. To each his own, maybe you live somewhere it's much more dangerous or violent.


I'd rather live life to the fullest and take risks than live afraid and avoid things.

[hunter63]

Wisconsin changed it's CC and Castle laws recently......
Just made a lot of people legal...................

[kyratshooter]

Wisconsin and a lot of other states Hunter.

Even the National Forest Service and the National Park Service decided to legalize all the campers and hikers that were already carrying as a common sense precaution during outings on Federal land.

It's not a case of "living in fear", it is a case of use of the resources and equipment one has available.

I have a few friends that refuse to wear seat belts in a car too.

[Wildthang]

Having a gun makes me sleep good out in the woods. It gives me the ability to at least have a fighting chance to deal with anything that may want to harm me, that in itself helps me sleep like a rock!
Anybody that tells me to go camping without one can kiss my patootie!

[BENESSE]

At this moment I am within reach of a 12 gauge pump shotgun, a 9mm pistol and a .44 magnum revolver.

What am I scared of?

Not one damn thing!

Honest to God, I live for being able to say this, whether I need to or not.
Just ax Mr. B. He's getting tired of hearing it.

[Batch]

Even the National Forest Service and the National Park Service decided to legalize all the campers and hikers that were already carrying as a common sense precaution during outings on Federal land.

It's not a case of "living in fear", it is a case of use of the resources and equipment one has available.

I have a few friends that refuse to wear seat belts in a car too.

Yeah, the NPS changed the rule to basically adopt the rules of the state(s) that the park is in. Before that it was unlawful to carry except while hunting. But, lots of people carried and the park service mainly looked the other way.

I even know of an incident at Bear Island in Big Cypress National Preserve where a group of idiots were discharging a hand gun in camp. Someone called the park service and they sent a ranger out. They said before we get started does anyone have a gun on them. They said go put it in you tent now.

They warned them not to discharge the firearms or have them under their control when drinking. But, the law was very clear that it was illegal to possess. We all carried and we went to the rock pile and shot guns long before the NPS got some sense.

I had an employee working the night shift car jacked a gun point two weeks ago. I have pulled my handgun in self-defense.

Skinny thugs use guns to over power strong person. A strong person should find a firearm they are strong enough to carry to protect their family, friends and self. A good person can stay out of bad places. But, you can't keep bad people out of the places you feel safe.

I hope I am never struck by lightning. But, I have been close to lightning strikes. I am concerned. But, I go to swamps where if you are on dry land you are on high ground during times where we have daily storms. I mean come on what are the odds?

Like Kyrat said what are the odds you would leave your gun in the truck on the day that fate chose you to walk into the restaurant that a mad man decided he would vent his hatred for the world. she could have at least tried to stop the man.

[Rick]

No, I don't live in a ghetto. Yes, I've drawn my weapon before and had a person at gun point. They lived but got arrested. I don't walk around in fear. I don't need to. A good 50% of the folks in this state are licensed. Do you think everyone is walking around afraid? Of course they aren't. As you said, it just takes once. When it happens, if it happens again, I want to be just as ready as the first time. I subscribe to awareness and avoidance being my first line of defense. But that doesn't always work.

[hunter63]

I have to say that a blank pistol got my butt out of a bad situation, that took a wrong turn to get into......long time ago.
It was a blank pistol, and empty.....asshat the was fixin' stomping me till I stopped him with a barrel pressed between his eyes....had the balls to call the cops, the next day....they came out and we had a conversion.

They ask where it was, said in the car...showed it to them....they kinda laughed and handed it back......But with some advice.
"I you pull a gun, be ready to use it before the other guy.....and if I were you get a real one and keep it loaded."

That was in 1969.........

Mostly when camping I have followed that advice....but more for asshats then bears and strange noises in the night.

[wilderness medic]

No, I don't live in a ghetto. Yes, I've drawn my weapon before and had a person at gun point. They lived but got arrested. I don't walk around in fear. I don't need to. A good 50% of the folks in this state are licensed. Do you think everyone is walking around afraid? Of course they aren't. As you said, it just takes once. When it happens, if it happens again, I want to be just as ready as the first time. I subscribe to awareness and avoidance being my first line of defense. But that doesn't always work.

No I don't think everyone walking around is afraid. If I did I would categorize myself in that group for having a gun with me. It's the ones sitting in their house not going outside because they can't carry who would appear to be afraid. I wasn't arguing that you shouldn't carry as much as you can. I wish more people would carry, and silly laws would go away. I was simply stating my personal feelings. I can walk into a post office where it's illegal to carry a gun without one and feel safe, knowing there is a 99.99+ chance I won't need it. One time in how many years Rick?

I don't like breaking the law. Better to be judged by 12 than carries by six. Great, but if you're breaking the law there's a lot higher chance you're going to be judged than carried.

I get it. Murphy's law. The one time you don't etc. This was just my personal feelings. I don't need to stay at home when drunk drivers are out. I don't need a gun on me 24/7. I felt that Way for a while when I got out of the military. Not anymore. I accept today could be my last, and am ok with that. That does not mean I won't do what I can to take measures to help extend that. However there is a point where it transitions from common sense to silly overprotective worrying. Our points are different, and that's fine. But I'd hardly say not needing a gun on me 24/7 is the equivalent to jumping off a cliff for the fastest way down. A bit of a far stretch there wouldn't you say.

[natertot]

I am in agreement with KyRat and Rick and pretty much practice the same ways.

Wilderness Medic, You seem to focus on having to use a firearm against people and don't really think about other uses of them. I live in a subdivision, but is out in a semi-rural area. I have two young kids, both weigh less than 50lbs. I constantly see coyotes around and if one went rogue, I need to be able to handle business. Not to mention many of the dogs that tend to get lose. I have had to draw down on a German Shepard and the owner was able to call it off a millisecond before I fired. This was in my own front yard!!!!! I have also had aggressive solicitors come to my door. One got kinda mouthy so called the police on him. Turned out he was a convicted felon and had a warrant for criminal trespass with a firearm! So yeah, if I am not carrying in the home, I still have one within reach.

I carry as often as I can.

[Winnie]

Since getting back in to camping nearly all of it is done solo. I never even give it a thought.
Oh and the most lethal thing I'm allowed to carry is a spoon! I'm pretty darn good at a thwack upside the head with the flat of the bowl.