pistol for backpacking

Guys I need some help. The more time i spend in the high country alone the more i feel the need to carry a small pistol. I have never owned one, do i need a concealed weapons permit? what caliber would you suggest? I just need a small gun, dont need to feed my ego, or weigh me down. Could i carry it south of I-80, say up Big Cottonwood? Thanks in advance for the help!
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9er
in order to carry a firearm while bow hunting, you do need your concealed permit!! as far as what caliber, depends on what your using it for. IMO a 9 will do ya well

i have not heard anything saying you cant carry up on the wasatch, maybe someone can confirm this for both of us

all i ask, is dont shoot me and i dont care if ya carry lol

9er
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zrider2
9er, do you have your CWP? If so maybe i'll just tag along with you, and let you do the shootin, and carry the extra weight.
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9er
"zrider2" wrote:9er, do you have your CWP? If so maybe i'll just tag along with you, and let you do the shootin, and carry the extra weight.
lets make a deal, ill get the permit and gun, ill pack the gun and one clip. All you have to do is pack is..... the box of ammo deal??

9er
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zrider2
I got a better deal, lets both go to the class, and you can still carry the gun, and 1 clip. Hopefully one of us can shoot well enough that i dont need to carry a whole box of ammo. lol
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9er
"zrider2" wrote:I got a better deal, lets both go to the class, and you can still carry the gun, and 1 clip. Hopefully one of us can shoot well enough that i dont need to carry a whole box of ammo. lol
LMAO if its me doing the shooting, you better have 2 boxes lol

9er
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AGCHAWK
You two are too much.

I can't speak to the laws in Utah regarding carrying sidearms while hunting. However, I do carry a sidearm while hunting here in WA and ID.

I have a few sidearms to chose from but to be honest with ya I normally just carry my .380. It's small, lightweight, and easy to handle quickly so I stick with it. It does not have a lot of "stopping power" but I can get to it and fire a shot more quickly than I can my 9mm or .45. Plus, because of it's size I don't even notice it while packing in.

I think a lot of it is personal preference more than anything. I have a lot of friends that don't pack sidearms at all while hunting.
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zrider2
AGC, thats kind of what i was thinking. A .380 would probably be enough. I mostly worry about the cats, but the moose can be pretty aggressive too!
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79Ford
zrider, I have a ccw and carry everywhere I go, well except for church. But i'd carry there too if it wasnt against the law. I dont see any reason you couldnt carry a sidearm on the wasatch. If your thinking about it being too close to houses and such then in theory it should be against the law for me to carry while walking down state street, yet it's perfectly legal. You'd just have to be careful about city limits and such when firing your pistol. In my opinion you should go take the class and get your ccw. As far as what gun to carry it all depends on what your comfortable with and where on your body you are going to pack it. Every time someone asks me about a concealed carry pistol I have to recommend them check out the Springfield XD. Thats what I carry in 40S&W. I prefer the sub-compact model (3" barrel) with a desantis inside the waistband holster. I can carry all day every day and nobody ever tell I have a sidearm. Personally I wouldnt go any smaller than a 9mm, but even a smaller caliber would work with a well placed shot. IMO if your going to go buy a handgun then you might as well buy the largest caliber you can get and still keep the frame size and weight down. For example if your debating between a 9mm and a .40 then go with the .40 because your getting more power behind a bigger bullet and basically keeping the frame and weight of the gun the same. It's all a matter of give and take and finding what is going to work best for you. Just my 2 cents.

However if weight and size weren't an issue i'd be carrying a 44mag with me in the hills.
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I dont think i can be of much help with ur question but i have one of my own. I have a walther .22cal pistol i bought to carry out hike'n cause it is light and so is the ammo, i bought it more for survival situations than defense cause i hike mostly in remote areas of utah. Q; is it illeagle to carry the gun in one pocket of my pack and the clip in a seprate pocket without a ccw? or would that be considered consealed? I do NOT want to get my ccw and i carry the gun this way now and probably will continue to do so but it would be nice to know if i'm break'n the law? I'm not try'n to break the law this is why i seperate the gun and clip but it is the most comfortable way to pack it.
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9er
"BigBoneZ" wrote:I dont think i can be of much help with ur question but i have one of my own. I have a walther .22cal pistol i bought to carry out hike'n cause it is light and so is the ammo, i bought it more for survival situations than defense cause i hike mostly in remote areas of utah. Q; is it illeagle to carry the gun in one pocket of my pack and the clip in a seprate pocket without a ccw? or would that be considered consealed? I do NOT want to get my ccw and i carry the gun this way now and probably will continue to do so but it would be nice to know if i'm break'n the law? I'm not try'n to break the law this is why i seperate the gun and clip but it is the most comfortable way to pack it.
 as far as i understand, while archery hunting, no firearms are allowed in camp, truck, pack etc with out your concealed carry permit

9er
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DeadI
9er,
Your correct the only way to have a firearm with you will archery hunting is to have your CCP. If your just out backpacking or hiking then you don't need the permit.

Someday when I can get me a pistol to carry other than my heavy .357 S&W Revolver then I will probably be going with a .40 cal Glock 23 this is the mid size pistol it is not the sub compact but the regular compact wich fits my hands a little better, the magazin carries 13 rounds and has enough power behind it for anything that i might need. And yes I have my CCP.
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AntlersOutWest
I pack my .357 while hiking. I always go alone and live in lion country so I pack it for protection. I always come across fresh tracks and get in some leary places but I have never came across a lion or bear.
The size doesnt bother me but I want to buy a smaller compact pistol to carry while on the hill, I am also on search and rescue and have my cwp and need to carry it concealed on searches.
I have priced out a few guns but im set on another .357..
Found one for about $200. You can read the reviews from other buyers also.
I found this website if it helps.

http://www.concealgun.com
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I'm not talk'n bout pack'n a gun during archery hunt'n, just while out backpack'n. Is it considered conceled if a gun is in my pack in one pocket and the clip is in another pocket? I'm sure it would be if the clip and the gun where together and in a pocket, but seperate??? And you are correct about the archery hunt you do need a permit, but what about a hunt that overlaps?? The archery season and the grouse hunt overlap??
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Kemo Sabe
"BigBoneZ" wrote:Is it considered conceled if a gun is in my pack in one pocket and the clip is in another pocket?
 If those pockets are "readily accessible", yes. And if the gun isn't readily accessible, why bother? Trouble won't necessarily wait for you to dig it out and load it.
"BigBoneZ" wrote:And you are correct about the archery hunt you do need a permit, but what about a hunt that overlaps?? The archery season and the grouse hunt overlap??
 If you aren't a bowhunter or with a bowhunter, the regulation requiring a CFP doesn't apply.

I strongly suggest a .45 or bigger for mountain defense. I carry a S&W .44 Mag 629 with 2 1/2" ported barrel. (If I get to fire a warning shot, it WILL get attention.) It isn't about being macho; it's just being sensible.
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The only reason I bother is for survival purposes not defense so it matters none to me if its accesible or large thats why it's only a .22cal. The only other reasons i can even see to pack are to kill something such as a person, black bear, cougar, or food. If history in the area i'm in is any indicator or the chance of any of theses being a threat then it seems like alot of wasted energy to concern myself with these except food. I do not know or remember any robberies, or killings. Black bears are scared of people and a lion will do everything it can to stay away from you. There is always a chance but if I go out for a hike and dont come back so be it guess i'm just the odd man out. But i do see where you guys that live in more populated areas are coming from and i know S&W makes a sweet compact reliable LIGHTWEIGHT revolver in .357, i belive it's called a moutainlight. Thanks for the info on the legalities.
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79Ford
Just because bears and mountain lions are typically scared and stay away from humans doesnt mean you'll never run into one. The way i look at it is the good old boy scout motto "be prepared". I'd rather carry my handgun every day of my life and never need to use it than leave it home one day and need it. Same thing goes with packing heat while out hiking. I'd rather carry my .40S&W and never need to use it than carry a .22 and piss off a bear....... :-k
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If you are worried about a cat or bear, I would personally carry a .45, the recoil isnt bad at all. I have fairly weak wrists and have no problems at all shooting a tiny pistol (Para Ordnance Warthog Pistol 45 ACP). A 22 will just piss off just about anything, and soon in Utah, we will have to be worried about wolves as well, even though there are very few (if any) wolf related deaths.
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I have seen lions and bears in the wild in Utah a few times and the only thing they want to do is get away. I have also been with guide friends that i know on hunts and they walk up to the lions and grab them by the tails and pull them out of the tree just for fun, they say you can beat them away with a stick, but any way i do not pack the .22 for anything other than if i get stuck out for a few days and want steak for dinner instead of grass. I'm not worrie bout the lions or the bears where i live. But the wolves?? Ur right, What the _ _ _ _ is the state of utah think'n? (???) Our ancestors woked hard to extinct these beasts too bad they did not suceed all the way. Have you ever seen these things in action? Go to the channel 2 web page and then the "rough'n it outdoors" part then look for the video clip of the wolves kill'n elk in yellowstone. It will make you sick to ur stomach.
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And i do not always pack when i go out but if i was in a diffrent area or situation i would for sure and i see why ya'll want to. And i know that every sitution and person has a diffrent gun that works for them and i hope you ya'll find the most efficent one for ur own.
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79Ford
You go pulling on as many cougar tails as you want. Just dont call me to come bail you out when you realize there ARE situations where a cat or bear decides they just dont like the way you look or smell.
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best is for me a better plan of action. Hope your Walther P22 serves you well and you never need to use it.


Failure to Prepare is Preparing to Fail - Benjamin Franklin
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The best thing to do for survivel is to learn about the edible plant life in your area. Learn and practice on snares and dead fall traps. They are silent, can be placed in multipul places and won,t scare off the rest of the little creatures in the area in case you want seconds or in my case thirds. Find out what bugs are edible in your hunt area. A gun really doesn't come into real survivel, except maybe to signal. Hand guns in my opinion are for protection. Big cretters require big calibers to stop before they hurt you. In this case carry big or stay home. Water is the single most emportant thing in servivel. In the continental U.S. no matter where they drop you, you are never more than three days from a road of some sort.
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AntlersOutWest
I agree a .22 is going to be worthless if you are trying to defend yourself against a lion or bear.. Bigger the heat the better. I pack my bulky .357. once your hiking you hardly ever notice it. Its really not that big of a deal.
When I shot my bear it took 6 rounds from a .357 to finally kill him and 4 of those shots were lung and heart shots.. They are definably tough animals..
I know there are wolves in Utah already I sure hope I see one but you need to be prepared. shootshovel and shut up..
"BigBoneZ" wrote:Our ancestors woked hard to extinct these beasts too bad they did not suceed all the way. Have you ever seen these things in action? Go to the channel 2 web page and then the "rough'n it outdoors" part then look for the video clip of the wolves kill'n elk in yellowstone. It will make you sick to ur stomach.
Its too late now, were in trouble.. Thanks peta...

Yummy… Bugs I think I stand to go hungry for a few days lol
No, it would be nice to know just in case, I watched survivor man the other day.. He said stay away from any bright colored bugs.. and he made it known you can eat a skunk.. your eyes will be swollen shut for 2 days from the spray when you tackle it but he said it tastes like chicken if you can get past the smell
lol
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Dumb question- Can a non-resident get a carry permit and if so, does anyone know which states do allow it an how do you go about getting the permit? Thanks
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"jerseyelknut" wrote:Dumb question- Can a non-resident get a carry permit and if so, does anyone know which states do allow it an how do you go about getting the permit? Thanks
 Many states have reciprocal agreements with other states so depending on the state you live in and if you can get one there it may be recognized by Utah. I know Florida lets non-residents apply for cc permits by mail and they have reciprocal agreements with many other states, but I believe you have to already have a permit from the state you live in. I don't know of any states that let non-residents get permits without already having one for their home state(except VT), but there may be some, although I would assume they make come and take the class in that state. I'm sure someone on here knows more about this than me though.

edit to add: I was talking about concealed carry permits.
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In CO. and NM. You can carry on public land even while bow hunting as long as it is in plane site. Florida varies you need to talk to fish and game in the area you plan to hunt. I don't know about the rest of the states.
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