I'm going camping with the family starting tomorrow in a remote mountain region. Should I bring my .22 rifle?

Question

It's their first time camping, but I used to do it a lot before I became a dad. The only gun I have is a .22 that I use for target shooting every few years. I don't hunt. Should I bring it in case I need to scare off bears, hillbillies and such? If I were alone, I'd probably not bring it, but now I'm less sure.

Answer 1

Asking for trouble....I'm having visions of a good morning america special--a story of survival in the remote mountain region and the shotgun blast that almost claimed a life.  If it weren't for the two granola bars, one dry twig, and a pair of excessively thick glasses (creatively used to get that fire roaring), then all would have been lost.  

Hillbillies?  For real?  

The general noise that you are making--unless your are a ninja style silent camping group--will keep the animals away.  As for the hillbillies, perhaps he who engages in target practice with a .22 should not judge those who may use that gun for actual sustainance.  Let's not allow minds to be so narrow, yes?  Good lesson for the kiddies--trust your survival skills...you don't need a gun.

If you're super nervous, take a look at some resources in terms of how to camp without attracting bears and such to your campsite.  Keep track of your food--scent proof containment is most efficient.  There are bear proof containers for sale.  Clean up after cooking/eating immediately.  Take care of trash appropriately (using the containers is good).  Bears also like the scent of toiletries and pet food.  Just be aware.  They want to see you just as much as you want to see them...which is very little, I'm sure.

Answer 2

Depends on whether you as a Dad are comfortable having a rifle around your kids - and whether you can legally have a rifle where you are camping.  Merely showing off any gun, even firing it, may not scare off a bear or lunatic.  A .22 rifle is not an ideal choice for self-defense against bears or people.  A rifle may be hard to manouvere in the tent.  You may wish to get some "bear spray" (potent pepper spray in a large canister) for this trip.

Answer 3

"hillibillies and such"? Ha ha. If you are going to make an assumption that blatantly I wouldn't be surprised if you'd shoot at anything that'd move. No, you don't need a rifle, and a .22 wouldn't do jack to fend of a bear, cougar, or "hillbilly".

Answer 4

As the others have said, not the best plan, not only because of the small caliber and the limited self-defense value of a target rifle, but because you absolutely do not need it. The wilderness, away from people, is where you're the safest you could be, and the people who are out there are not the lazy urban dwellers who have the idea that whatever they can get their grubby mitts on belongs to them, but real honest, hard working people who respect each other as human beings. You can go out in the woods, set up your tent and leave your valuables inside and probably no one will touch it even if you leave for the day and go climb a mountain. In the lower 48 bears are a hugely exaggerated problem, and I've, in fact, only seen a couple, and they were more interested in getting away than getting my food. A bear canister is the only protection you need from bears most of the time. Exaggerating risks into irrational fear is one of the hallmarks of our wild ancestors that we'd do well to overcome. You have the reasoning ability they only showed a glimpse of and you have to use it. I backpack, in Yosemite and the Sierra, with a 5 year old and my wife, and we don't carry pepper spray or guns, for one reason: I don't think we'd ever need them. Maybe if I was hiking in some lawless third world nation I'd carry a Mac11 slung across my chest and a huge golok strapped to my back, but this is America, the land of civilization, where trust is the key to security. I don't need cameras watching me nor metal detectors detecting me to feel safe. All I need is trust.

Answer 5

a baseball bat would be better than a 22

Answer 6

i would you never know who or what you will have to shoot,,  

Answer 7

Your questions make me laugh, but I would be scared to camp in a remote area because you just never know what you're going to come up against. Sure, some wild animals can be scary, but weirdos scare me even more, and you never know where they could be. Yes, take it if it makes you feel more secure. It's better than not having anything along to protect you and your family from harm. Just be sure that you keep it in a safe place and that your kids know not to touch it. I know from your previous posts that they are old enough and sound mature enough to listen to you and not be tempted to play with it.