Should you carry while you're camping?
Pros, cons, and things you should know before you make the decision.
America can be a frightening place. Despite the national U.S. crime rate dropping for the third consecutive year, the FBI still reported 1,203,808 violent crimes in 2019. I’ll do the math for you; 3,298 per day. Compound that with what we do, which is escape into the wilderness where apex predators reign supreme. The world can truly be frightening and dangerous. The “it won’t happen to me,” mentality is an extremely dangerous one to get into, especially in the brush. This is one of the reasons why many explorers carry a sidearm.
Firearms are a hotly debated topic in this generation, but the reality remains that we have a Constitutional right to defend ourselves. That is simply a fact. Getting into the minutia of the 2nd Amendment is not the purpose of this article. I’m here to discuss the nature of carrying, and carrying in the wilderness. This is one of the longest articles I’ve ever written here on this website, so strap in for a ton of information and things to consider as you make your decision.
Should you carry?
The quick answer is, “Does your state allow you to?”
Although we have a Constitutional right, there are some municipalities, counties, and areas which prohibit daily carry. While their local laws cannot override the Constitutional ability to own firearms, certain places have laws that prohibit physically carrying one on your person, or have restrictions in place to make it more difficult. You may disagree with this, but until you vote to change the restrictions, they remain laws that you must abide by. Assuming that your state and area you live/adventure in allows it, let’s continue with the psychological aspect of it.
Something that every person who carries needs to face right up front is the responsibility you’ve just accepted. Not only do you have the responsibility to protect those around you, but you also have the responsibility to make an ethical shot. You have the responsibility to train and hone your purchase, draw, target acquisition, and follow up shots to a razor sharpness. The mechanics from holster to ‘ready’ position need to be so rehearsed that you can line up a tight grouping of shots with minimum variance from one draw to the next in microseconds. The consequences of negligence could mean you’re too late on the draw, a stray round hitting an innocent bystander, or even worse, hitting the very people you’re attempting to protect.
Another aspect that people need to be able to confront before making the decision to carry is somewhat more spiritual and emotional. When you load up your magazine or cylinder, you load it with the understanding that each individual round has the capacity to bring destruction on a human being. Each round can mean the end of someone’s life. Obviously, this is the point; to neutralize a threat that’s attempting to bring harm to you or your loved ones. But a carrier needs to remember that however vicious they might seem, the attacker is still a human life. Squeezing that trigger ends a violent encounter, but it also ends their life. All of their dreams, ambitions, future memories, all of that is gone. This all has to be something you consider before you begin carrying; you will not have the time to think during an encounter. If this responsibility is not something you can handle, then you simply shouldn’t carry. It’s a balance of not being cold or heartless, and not being too lenient or hesitant. This goes hand-in-hand with something that I have heard most carriers and almost all law enforcement say; if you’re going to be armed, you also have to be proficient unarmed.
This doesn’t just mean that carriers should also practice their empty-handed skills, which is something I highly recommend (jiu jitsu, muay thai, krav maga; there’s a load of gyms which train various self defense popping up all over the place). It also means practicing the art of “verbal judo.” When people say this they’re usually referring to verbal de-escalation. You have that weapon as a backup, but you lead with your words. I strongly advise against warning shots, so you do everything in your power to not have to draw. But if you do, you draw with force and with authority. You don’t draw to intimidate, you draw to open fire.
If you explore in places where there are apex predators, I highly recommend having a sidearm in your group. Pack the bear spray, too, but make sure you have a backup in case the spray doesn’t stop the animal. If you’re hunting, it’s almost a must that you carry, especially if you’re after medium-to-big game. After you take your deer its scent will alert predators for miles around that it’s chow time.
So should you carry? It depends on your psychological maturity, emotional strength, and area you’re adventuring in. And when you’re carrying, you have to turn your kindness to 10, your patience to 11, and your situational awareness to 12.
Which weapon should you carry?
The question of which brand to go with is not a question anyone can answer, because different guns are good for different people. It’s going to require going into gun stores and simply finding out which frame size, layout, barrel length, and grip style is going to fit in your hand best. It also matters which features fit your defensive style and needs. A full-sized Glock frame might feel fantastic to one person, but you might find it too blocky in the hand and prefer a more rounded frame like an S&W or Ruger. Various things affect the weapon you would want to carry, including your physical size. A full-sizer might be too big for a smaller person, and a subcompact might be too small for a larger person. A high-feature FN with a Burris red dot sight is useless if it doesn’t feel good in your hands. Never feel like you’re “settling” if a less expensive firearm simply fits in your hands better. If a $300 gun feels more natural than a $700 gun, buy the less expensive one and put the money saved into ammo and range time.
Sig Sauer Elite Performance “V-Crown” in 9mm, showing off its hollow front cavity.
Depending on if you’re looking to defend against human assailants or hungry predators, there are various different weapons platforms you might choose. Pistols and revolvers come in all shapes and sizes these days, so let’s start with pistols. Please note that absolutely nothing about this article is paid promotion, and I’m name-dropping these manufacturers and models based on my experiences and preferences.
If you’re a smaller person looking to defend against human attackers, I might recommend a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard or a Ruger LCP II. Both are inexpensive (usually sub-$300), easily-concealable, microcompact pistols that carry 7+1 rounds and are chambered in .380 Auto. .380 earns some flak from the community due to being smaller, lighter, and slower than most other calibers. However, a good hollow point and good range time will make it a powerful tool nonetheless. Slightly larger but massively more capable are Sig Sauer’s P365, Springfield’s Hellcat, and Ruger’s Max-9. These are subcompact pistols with full-size capacity; 10+1 with the stubby magazine and 12+1 with the extended magazine. In the world of mid-size and full-size pistols there are far too many to name, so I’ll give you a few options from my personal favorites. I personally have no preference of 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, or .45 ACP. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but with the right ammo and range time, none of them will leave you wanting the other. Ruger’s Security 9 is a fantastic budget 9mm that can be found usually for less than $325. S&W’s M&P line is outstanding, and the Shield 2.0 offers a single-stack variant that makes it super thin and easily concealable even for small people. Sig Sauer’s vaunted P220 and P320 are worth a look as well, with legendary durability. I personally carry a standard frame Sig Sauer P365 with night sights and no optic, but I used to carry a Walther PPQ. I’m a smaller man so the relatively large Walther took some getting used to, but training and time smoothed the curve out and it still feels remarkably natural. I switched to the Sig once I got my concealed carry permit. The P365 also has one of the lightest and most crisp triggers among subcompacts at only 6.6 lbs. This lightness helps minimize the body’s natural inclination to jerk, making sure that first critical shot is as accurate as possible. About the legendary Glocks you always hear people hollering about: I was never a Glock fanboy, and always found them blocky and uncomfortable. Their sights and durability is fantastic, but I always preferred other weapon systems. I’d shot a 17 and a 43 before, and just never left impressed. The Glock 19, though, is a perfect fit for smaller people. It fits in my small hands just as perfectly as my P365, and it’s definitely worth a look for you.
If you’re looking for a pistol to defend against large animals, there’s really only one option: 10mm. Sure, .45 ACP and .357 Sig can come close, and I’ve seen articles of people taking deer with those calibers. But for a security measure? Mountain lions? Bears? You need something hotter. 10mm. is a handgun cartridge that packs a ton of energy and muzzle velocity into a relatively small package. The vaunted Glock 20 holds fifteen rounds of bear-blasting hard-cast 10mm, plenty more than the 5-shot cylinders of big-bore revolvers. That’s a lot more opportunity to put shots on target when ole’ griz’ wants to charge. I personally carry a 1911 in 10mm because frankly there were no G20s available when I started looking. The vintage 1911 has an undeniable cool factor and feels fantastic in the hand, but also carries an undeniable weight with the all steel frame. I highly recommend a chest rig, drop-leg holster, or a higher quality belt rig for lengthier trips into the forest. While the 1911 doesn’t hold a candle to the Glock's 15 round capacity, it still manages to squeeze 8 with an Ed Brown magazine. That’s only three more than a big bore revolver, but more is more regardless.
Two jacketed hollow point defensive rounds. Barnes Vor-TX .357 Magnum (left), and Sig Sauer V-Crown 9mm. Note how the two are identical in diameter; the difference is the .357’s taller case allowing for a larger powder charge.
Speaking of revolvers let’s talk about using them defensively, which is a bit of a hot topic amongst gun enthusiasts. On one hand, people feel the aforementioned abysmal ammo capacity, long and heavy trigger pulls, and massive recoil from a high barrel axis is a huge detriment. On the other hand, people love the simplicity, the big and powerful chamberings, and the near-zero chance of malfunction. They’re tough, beautiful, and time-tested. The first weapon I ever purchased was a subcompact Taurus 605 revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. .357 is a pretty hot round to send through a lightweight snub-nosed revolver, but the recoil wasn’t overwhelming. Follow-up shots were the biggest difficulty. Other mid-size wheelguns worth a look are Ruger’s SP101 and GP100, and S&W’s 686 family. I highly recommend .357 Magnum due to it being a hefty round that packs a punch with vastly greater muzzle velocity and muzzle energy than a 9mm. It’s just a big heavy round that packs a wallop. The other benefit is that weapons chambered in .357 Magnum will also chamber .38 Special, which is essentially a shorter casing of the same round with less powder. Recoil management is easier with a .38, and it can usually be more plentiful on the shelves. FBI statistics show that the majority of violent encounters happen between 3-7 feet and engagements last less than 5 shots. For many people, six rounds of good .357 defensive load is more practical than 15 shots of relatively weaker 9mm, because you’re unlikely to use the whole magazine anyway.
Wheelguns for large animals is a tricky subject. On one hand, the massive and powerful projectiles fly incredibly flat, hit hard, and penetrate deep through muscle, fat, and bone. On the other hand, those revolvers kick like an angry mule, and the physical size of the weapon itself is massive and heavy. An unloaded 10mm Glock 20 weighs around 30 oz. An empty S&W 500 Magnum can weigh over twice that at 70 oz. Ideally you’d like a longer barrel to build up some muzzle velocity, and that makes the gun even longer and heavier. It’s wholly impractical for a small man like me to carry one, and even a larger person would feel it during a long ruck in the backcountry. The popular chamberings for bear rounds are .460 XVR, 500 S&W Magnum, and .454 Casull; all of which are in essence outgrowths and magnumized versions of a .45 Colt. But before you even consider carrying one of these in the brush, I recommend going into a gun shop and holding one next to literally any other handgun in the store. I’m not kidding when I say it’s a hoss.
A classic Ruger Blackhawk in .357 Magnum might be a beautiful gun to add to the collection as a range toy, but a single action is wholly impractical for modern personal defense.
The last thing I recommend looking into is a good set of night sights and/or a flashlight. Almost all sidearms these days can be equipped with high-visibility sights, and if you decide on a pistol with a rail then a weapon light should be the next purchase on deck. If you can’t see what’s aggressing you, you can’t shoot it very well. Personally I’ve had great experience with Streamlight’s line of products. They make several variations from simple flashlights, to high-lumen lights with strobe settings, to combination lights with red lasers. Shop around, find what’s in your price range, and see what will work best for your needs.
Which ammo should you carry?
What you load your weapon with is as important as the weapon itself, and once again it comes down to the intended application. For human assailants, a good jacketed hollow point is hard to beat. Speer Gold Dot, Sig Sauer V-Crown, and Federal Premium HST are among the most popular choices. I’ve even been impressed with less household names like Barnes’ Vor-TX. The point is you need a hollow point for a defensive load because you need the bullet to expand once it penetrates. A cavity at the tip of the projectile with skives in precise locations causes it to mushroom out and expand at a controlled rate. This creates a larger temporal wound cavity and larger exit wound, which deals more damage to the assailant and adds up to more of that arbitrary descriptor we call “stopping power.” At this point, the round has expended most of its kinetic energy, and upon exit it’s moving so slowly that it won’t overpenetrate and hit an innocent bystander. Contrast this to regular full metal jacket ammunition, the go-to target ammo for its low price. FMJ ammo is a solid piece of lead with a metal sleeve encasing everything but the base of the projectile (ammo encasing the base as well is Total Metal Jacket). Because the projectile is round and smooth at the tip, there’s nothing allowing it to deform in a controlled fashion, so it tends to form a small, less-intrusive wound cavity and rocket on through to potentially hit a bystander behind the target.
Jacketed hollow point (left) and full metal jacket (right). Note the scoring marks lining the cavity; this is what allows the JHP to expand in a controlled shape.
My personal choice for defensive ammunition is Hornady Critical Defense. Critical Defense uses what Hornady calls “patented FTX bullet technology.” Hornady fits a polymer tip inside the cavity where a normal hollow point would be, well, hollow. What this tip does is prevent the hollow point from clogging and expanding prematurely, something that can occur when shooting through barriers, automotive glass, or heavy clothing. The FlexTip polymer insert fills up the hollow point’s cavity, and controls the timing at which the round will begin to expand. The casings are also shinier and polished to aid in low-light chamber-checks, and the powder is a mixture with low-flash propellants so firing in darkness won’t ruin your night vision.
For big animals, once again we go to a hefty 10mm or big bore revolver. All of that muzzle velocity and muzzle energy needs to be put to use, and because in the wild you’re not worried about firing with a backstop of innocent bystanders, those rounds need to be capable of maximum penetration. Hollow points are absolutely off-limits in this kind of defensive load. Those kinds of rounds would expand in the thick fur, hide, and fat of a bear and not even make it to vital organs. What you need is a solid piece of hard-cast lead that will saw through muscle, crunch through bone, and rip through vital organs to do as much damage deep into the animal as possible. If an 11 foot tall Kodiak is rushing you, you’re probably not going to get many shots off, so each individual shot you take has to be devastating.
How should you carry?
Holsters are just as diverse as the guns they hold, but there’s really only two materials that are worth considering; Kydex and leather. Nylon holsters can be good budget holsters to start with, but you’ll eventually want something a bit tougher. A good leather holster can be stylish and functional, but over time the leather can tend to polish away the finish of the weapon. Also, several leather holsters rely on a snap strap to retain the weapon. This is because the flexibility of leather doesn’t hold the gun as securely on its own. Kydex is an acrylic based polyvinyl that has a hardness similar to plastic, but is very tough and lightweight. In form-fitted Kydex holsters, however, the material has a tendency to scratch the finish of the gun over time.
The holster must retain the weapon securely while also allowing a comfortable draw. Your holster is no good if it allows the weapon to fall out when you roll or jump, or if you’re grappled before you can draw. But likewise, it’s not very good if you have to yank on it just to get the weapon out. Blackhawk’s Stache IWB holster is a perfectly good option for my Sig P365. It’s tiny and easily to conceal, comfortable, durable, and retains the weapon while allowing a quick and smooth draw. I often carry my Walther in a leather holster at 4:00 position, which is a great option for smaller people looking to conceal a full-sizer.
When in the wild, though, I usually have a backpack on. Carrying my full-size 1911 at 4:00 position in the small of my back doesn’t leave any room for the pack, so in the brush I carry a Blackhawk Serpa holster at the hip. The Serpa has earned some deserved flak for its retention mechanism; the weapon is released by a button that is directly over the trigger, and it’s easy to have a negligent discharge into your leg because of the mechanics of the release. I’ve trained relentlessly with mine, and haven’t had an issue. If you carry a Serpa, practice making sure your trigger finger immediately moves away from the weapon after you punch that holster button and doesn’t come inside the trigger guard until you’re already presenting the weapon. Train, train, and train some more, and you’ll be fine.
I have carried my PPQ during adventures as well, and for that weapon I use a slightly different holster system. At around $60, the Blackhawk Omnivore is on the pricier end of mid-range, but the retention fixture mounts onto the rail of a pistol rather than the holster grabbing the gun itself. This means that any midsize or full size pistol with a rail will fit perfectly inside the Omnivore, albeit with some wide empty spaces around it and looking a tad bulky with some weapons. The clip requires the push of a thumb button to release the weapon, making it incredibly secure.
Final thoughts.
Something that police who carry tasers, rubber bullets, or bean bag guns are trained in is to never draw nonlethal unless they have lethal cover. This means that officer A should not draw their taser unless officer B is covering them with a pistol. Tasers aren’t very efficient; barbs can fail to penetrate deep enough, they can snag in clothing, and they can miss entirely. The pertinence to our article is that if someone is raising their bear spray when ole’ griz’ is charging, make sure someone has the 10 mm. at hand, as well.
Being the world we live in today, there are many people who oppose the idea of civilian gun ownership in its entirety. Remember that they are entitled to that opinion just as much as you are entitled to carry, and if you’re ever verbally confronted in a hostile manner, remember to simply keep your cool. Be patient and gracious, but stand firm. There are some tips to avoid an encounter altogether, though. Conceal when possible; carry in a leather, less ‘tactical’ holster; amp up your kindness and friendliness; and carry your phone, wallet, and keys in your opposite pockets. If you carry on your right, keep everything else in your left pockets.
Despite your right to defense of life, there are powers at work these days that seem to be trying to wear away at that. The battle isn’t on the streets, it’s in the courtroom. There are several great insurance companies that specialize in legal defense for firearms owners, making sure that the jury hears the truth and justice is served. You need an attorney who is rehearsed in firearms law, defense law, and criminal law; these companies provide that.
The last thing I’ll mention is to train. Train, train, and train some more. Don’t just practice your draw, practice your draw with your heartrate up. Do some basic exercise to raise your heart rate and watch how your shot grouping changes. Shoot the ammo you’re going to carry, not just target load. Different ammo performs in different ways. And always train yourself to practice safe gun handling, no matter if you’ve been shooting for forty seconds or forty years.
All guns are loaded, even when they’re not.
Never muzzle anything you do not intend to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
Be sure of your target and everything that lies between and beyond.