Open Carry Experience

I posted this on my other forum but figured I should share it here as well...


Went backpacking in our beautiful mountains with a friend and had several experiences and some non-experiences.

We started by parking in a busy campground parking lot, and decided to use the outhouse before heading out.

Due to our large packs covering our waists, we had to carry on drop-leg holsters, so we both had our Glocks on our legs which were rather hard to not see. We were approached by several people and had nice conversations with all of them. The parking lot was rather busy since there are several hiking trails in the area. Out of all the people we educated on carrying guns, only one family did not want to talk. When we walked by they rolled up their windows as they sat in their car.

We also talked to 2 forest service rangers who were fellow gun owners and were not bothered at all by our guns.

After several pleasant encounters, we went back to the car and got ready to head out. I carried my Bushmaster M4 on its sling, and my buddy carried his shotgun. These guns were impossible not to see. Once again, a few people wanted to talk guns with us but nobody seemed to care about these rather large, "dangerous" looking guns hanging on us. On the trail we passed many people. All of them were pleasant encounters, and surprisingly, some people didnt even seem to notice the large guns hanging off us.

All in all, it felt great exercising our rights, educating others, and shattering the idea that only cops carry guns.

Sounds like good experiences. I'm curious as to why carry the "big guns"?

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1supra said:

Sounds like good experiences. I'm curious as to why carry the "big guns"?

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Same here. I've done a fair amount of backpacking in grizzly country, and the most I ever needed/carried was a .44 mag Ruger Super Redhawk.

Were you hunting? Doing some target shooting while out camping?

I'm an avid hiker and camper, and when I'm out in the forest I see quite a bit of armed folks out there with a sidearm strapped to their side or a rifle or shotgun slung from their shoulder. I see far more open carriers in the forest than I do in the city. They are friendly folks and we usually have a chat about our firearms and even sometimes shoot each others guns. I've made quite a few friends up there and they regularly visit the places we tend to go to a lot. I've never had any issues other than a few folks who were disturbed at the sight of our guns in the parking lot that they just gave a stink eye and left without even getting out of their cars. Most folks up there are respectful of our right to keep and bear arms. I particularly remember an older lady and her dog while on a hike with my brother in law, who was OC'ing too. She told us she felt protected and we ended up hiking together for about an hour or so and chatting away. Great post, gotta just admire when folks are curious and supportive of OC!

I didn't know you were a member here DE. Good post.

Tell me more about your drop-leg holster.

That's the one accessory I still need for my Glock.
Which do you recomend? What do I look for in a good one?
What are the down sides?

1supra said:

Sounds like good experiences. I'm curious as to why carry the "big guns"?

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We carried our big guns for protection, and because it feels great to exercise our rights. I didnt buy my M4 so it could just sit in a safe all day. I like to get it out as much as possible. Also, imagine how pathetic it would be if I got killed by a 2 or 4 legged critter because I chose not to carry my most superior rifle. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it! Im sure you can agree with that.

If you want more motivation to carry a rifle when backpacking, check out the creepy stories thread on survivalistboards.com Turns out that even if you havent had creepy experiences, other people sure do!

tcox4freedom said:

I didn't know you were a member here DE. Good post.

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I sure am! Thanks

JamesB said:

Tell me more about your drop-leg holster.

That's the one accessory I still need for my Glock.
Which do you recomend? What do I look for in a good one?
What are the down sides?

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I wish I could tell you more about them. I just went to my local army surplus store and bought the only one they had for like $30. I would recommend you only buy one if you see a need for it. In my case, I needed it because my backpack covered my waistline. The holsters are definitely bulky and hang off your leg, and are not comfortable in a car. Couldnt tell you specific models but if you want one, just go feel it and make sure its not crap.