Carrying a Firearm While Camping

Camping in any sort of wilderness environment can be a lot of fun, especially when you are with others.
What happens though, when you are alone and presented with a life or death situation?

Thousands, if not more people go camping every year, the hard core ones go even in winter, and have been doing so for decades. The environments vastly change from state to state, and some include dangerous wild animals, and perhaps even dangerous human beings.

Any camper needs to be prepared for all aspects of camping, including safety kits, first aid kits, etc., but I think one of the top five most important pieces of protective equipment a camper can carry is a firearm.

A camper carrying a gun can protect themselves from various dangers, mostly being animals such as bears and wildcats. Although rare, animal attacks on campers and hikers do happen, often with tragic results. All states have various laws regarding firearms carry, but most are obliged to permit law abiding citizens posses a gun.

So the question now is what firearm would be the ideal choice, as an all around self defense weapon for all situations, from a bear to a possible homicidal lunatic who stumbles upon your campsite while you are asleep in your tent? The choices are almost in the hundreds, but there are a few top ten that are easily picked.

A sidearm is most campers choice, as it is sometimes concealable, depending on it's size, and lighter than a rifle or shotgun. Nowadays the handgun calibers offer much larger calibers to suit a variety of needs. The next question a camper may ask themselves, is to choose between a revolver or semi automatic handgun. The semiauto category is somewhat limited in it's larger caliber selections, as defense against bears, and other large predators just wouldn't be safe, or ethical. That leaves the revolver, a tried and true carry gun for almost any situation, but most importantly, a camping trip.

The revolver is chambered for a number of calibers, from the plinking twenty two, to the arm breaking four fifty four Casull, an five hundred Smith and Wesson. So what should you choose as an all around camping caliber?
I am a firm believer in being over prepared, so therefore I choose the three fifty seven magnum. This caliber offers more than adequate power for self defense against human attackers, and adequate power for large type predators, such as bears. The recoil is a bit stout, more so with a short barrel revolver, but not unmanageable. With a little practice, you should be a halfway decent shot and at least hitting paper at twenty feet. This length is actually generous, as most animal and other attacks occur at a much closer range.

In summary, camping can be a fun, educational, and even exciting activity. However, the world isn't as safe as it once was, and camping safety involves all aspects of preparedness, including self defense.