I know this will generate alot of comments that I do not need a gun, so lets just skip all that and get to any useful suggestions. Let me start by saying that I am an ole country girl I currently own a single shot 410 shot gun, and have owned both a .357 snub and a 40 cal in the past. I am not a crazy emotional gun happy female and I believe in safety above all else. I am not worried about 4 legged creatures, I am more worried about the two legged ones. I am looking for suggestions  about a light weight pistol that would be easy to carry in a thigh holster for the long over night trips.

I am a 5'2" female and I almost always go on my overnight trips alone (my friends are lame). I used to feel pretty safe with my pepper spray and my dog but now my dog is 13 and she is not able to go with me on my long backpacking trips. I know that it is unlikely I would have any trouble way out in the woods with the type of folks that are usually out and about but wouldn't it be stupid not to do all that I can to ensure my own personal safety?

 

After what happened to that poor woman hiker in Georgia, I don't think your fears are unjustified. Something like a small  .22 or .25 or 9mm should work. Smith & Wesson makes a LadyS&W line.

Maybe anti-bear pepper spray would work.

 

I was out camping a few days ago when some folks tried to come visit with me and my brother at around midnight. I pulled out my bear spray and felt perfectly at ease. Fortunately there was a creek between us and they couldn't seem to cross it in the dark ( I think they were likely drunk ). Also I have noted on my bear spray it says not to use on humans. Does anyone know why ? Is it possibly lethal ?

I have often thought of getting a gun to carry with me but not because of humans. In Alaska we would never consider a wilderness trip without a few armaments it would have been stupid.

This does bring up a question for me. Is bear spray effective against a cougar attack and if not what is the best defence ? I like to hike up around Stehekin and they have cougar warning signs all over the place. I have seen a lot of cougar sign but never met one while on foot. I saw one wile driving around where I had hiked in northern California and it was HUGE and not afraid of me or my car in the slightest.

---

Everybodys got somthing to hide......Except for me and my monkey!

I also go armed into the backcountry. I usually go solo on my forrays into the wilderness. I prefer to carry a Rugger GP 100, a full size .357 six shooter, or my Sig Sauer P229, semi-auto .40cal. If your looking for light weight I would check out the Rugger GP 101, 5shot wheel gun .357, it is a good reliable weapon but it does kick like a mule. Also check out what Taurus has to offer. I seem to remember that they make some pretty light weight wheel guns. Another option is an auto-loader that is half composite and designed for concealed carry. I would rather carry a revolver personally just because they tend to be less finiky but Glock and Sig both make outstanding and reliable firearms. Whatever you decide to go with just make sure you practice practice practice. Also ammo is going to be a consideration. I prefer to go out with .357 loaded with flat point XTP bullets. I'd recommend going out to several gun shops and talking to the folks. Everyone has an opinion on the subject. I definately wouldn't go with a 9mm or anything lower. They just don't have the stopping power needed for anything that may go wrong in the wilderness. Hope you found this useful. If there is anything I can do just msg me. Have fun in the bush.

Jason

I also go armed when I'm hiking. I carry a 9mm compact. That's good enough for the 2 legged varmints. But if I went into the deep back country I would also carry a large canister of bear spray. The larger caliber weapons that will stop a bear are generally too powerful kick wise for a smaller female. 
 If you've had success in the past with a 40 cal. or 357 magnum then go with that, but you really don't need that large of a caliber. I would go to a few gun stores and tell them your needs and handle a few pistols and then make your decision.
By the way, you don't have to preface your comments by stating you are not crazy or emotional just because you want a pistol to defend your right to self preservation. You are a wise women to seriously consider self defense when out in the back country.

---

"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way"
Juan Rámon Jiménez

    I had an extremely close call one time when out alone in the gorge with the two-legged types that made me seriously consider carrying, and henceforth I have done a lot of research into the topic.  I eventually decided against the idea, but here is what I learned.

- The glock line of pistols is probably your best best, the use of a lot of composites make them light and they are among the most reliable out there.  They make a line of smaller, shorter barrel pistols which I was considering.  These are lighter but still availible in serious calibers like .40 S&W

- I found nothing that really competes with the glock's features and repuation in the price range.

- If you are on a budget, the Bersa Mini Thunder line is good, however, it is hard to find one in a caliber bigger than .380, which is just a tad smaller than 9mm.  Persoanlly, I think smaller calibers are adequate.

- The bulk of my reaseah went into looking at what bullets/calibers I should consider.  One of the newer calibers out there is the .357 sig.  Needless to say, compared to others, it has a generally smaller bullet size, but an extremely high velocity.  And velocity, due to sonic booms, means noise.  A .357 sig bullet will likely be breaking the sound barrier much longer after being fired than most competitors, which will be VERY useful in the situtation you may be attempting to signal with the weapon, which is another useful feature of carrying a firearm.  The increased noise is also more likely to scare off wildlife.

In the end, no weapon is useful unless you practice, shot placement is far more important than what gun, what bullent, and how many.  Plan to spend some hours at the range!

I am by no means an expert, this is all info I gleaned off the internet, the best peo[le to ask will likely be in the store, good luck!

---

Andy

    I should add that I decided against carrying because I found bear spray can be extremely devastating to any mammal. 

Why not spray at humans - you can cause extreme, permanent eye damage and sinus damage to those a bit more sensitive to the stuff.  In a large enough dosage, bear spray can kill someone, you will be charged with (in)voluntary manslaughter (this is what an REI sales rep told me).  I saw someone get a tiny spray of it on the thigh one time in americorps (they didn't secure the can properly) and they spent over an hour in a glacial stream trying to wash the stuff off, man they were miserable. 

---

Andy

airdrum:

    I should add that I decided against carrying because I found bear spray can be extremely devastating to any mammal. 

Why not spray at humans - you can cause extreme, permanent eye damage and sinus damage to those a bit more sensitive to the stuff.  In a large enough dosage, bear spray can kill someone, you will be charged with (in)voluntary manslaughter (this is what an REI sales rep told me).  I saw someone get a tiny spray of it on the thigh one time in americorps (they didn't secure the can properly) and they spent over an hour in a glacial stream trying to wash the stuff off, man they were miserable. 

In the unlikely event a human was going to injure or kill you wouldn't it be better to pepper spray them?

Or maybe this is so unlikely that it's ridiculous to worry about.

And the same thing for animals in Oregon and Washington - it is so unlikely that an animal would injure or kill you that it's ridiculous to worry about?

The ranger at Olympic National Park said they never had bear or cougar injuries to humans except hunters that had cornered an animal.

If you choose to arm yourself with a gun, you also need to (a) carry it where you can get it quickly, (b) be prepared to fire at a human being, point blank, and (c) aim to kill. Otherwise, you're putting yourself at greater risk than not carrying a weapon at all.

I'm personally not prepared to do that - not trying to talk anyone out of it, but a gun discussion should never happen without putting these considerations out there.

Tom

I've explored this myself. I would strongly suggest the Clackamas County Public Safety shooting range for their basic handgun class. It is a 9 am to 7 pm  session and provide you with guns to use. Once you learn proper gun handling you are far better equipped to make a proper decision. They also have a large selection of handguns that you can rent for a while so you can make choices based on you.

In addition they have classes you can go beyond that instructs you on defensive handgun handling. A whole different way of thinking than picking up a gun and pointing it at a target.

They have good people there.

---

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”
~John Hope Franklin

Safety is important, but pistol packing changes you.  For two years of my Army time I had a loaded pistol at hand and it is different in many ways.  Waffle Stomper and Splintercat bring up good points that anyone thinking about this should consider carefully.  The Army in boot camp trains you not only how to shoot but prepares you for it in ways that going down to the gun shop and buying a pistol can't.  Perhaps one should start with a self defence class and then move on to something like the Clackamas program.  I do not look forward to going into the woods with everyone armed and fearful.

If pepper spray is anything like tear gas then it can stop and incapacitate without lethel force.  We are talking about being a long way out there and too many people shoot themselves by accendent.  I have heard it said that on the Oregon Trail more people were killed by accendent than by the dreaded Indians.  The first thing I was taught about guns is that they are always loaded, treat them that way, it will save your life.

If you do take a gun you most likely will shoot it, at nothing we hope.  Think about the impact of the noise and where the shots can end up.  There are people- maybe and animals- yes, is this zero impact?  And pick up the spent shells, it's litter too.

Bill

I strongly endorse the program with Clackamas County Sheriff's Dept. There is nothing taken lightly in the courses. Regarding pepper spray, that can be dangerous as well if you don't know how to use it properly and you can become a victim of it too.

Although, I am not carrying a handgun, I do have one. Even if I carried, I would never shoot it for the sake of shooting it outside of  a range and think very poorly of anybody who shoots up trees, signs, or kills anything outside of legal responsible hunting.

 

---

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”
~John Hope Franklin

Do you have an Oregon Concealed Handgun License?  It would not be needed for open carry in the backcountry, but it is a good thing to have anyway.  You are responsible for your safety, in the wilderness or in the city.

All of the normal use or force rules apply in the wilderness, make sure you are familiar with them.  Many people who do not take responsibility for their own safety do not understand these rules, but do not let them discourage you.

From a legal standpoint, bear spray/pepper spray/stun guns are considered a deadly weapon in most states.  Using it when you are not justified will get you a prison sentence as quick as pulling the trigger on a gun.  It is also less effective if you really need it and are justified in using it.

It sounds like you have at least a basic familiarity with firearms.  If you wanted to brush up on your skills there are some excellent classes at the Firearms Academy of Seattle (http://www.firearmsacademy.com/) - which is actually in Onalaska, WA, about 80 miles north of Portland.  They teach marksmanship, tactics, judicial use of force, and all of the accompanying gun handling skills.  It is some of the best firearms instruction in the nation.

As to firearm selection, a small polymer pistol may be best.  Glocks and Springfield XDs are light, simple, reliable, corrosion resistant, and drop safe.  All of which are needed when carrying in the wilderness for many miles.  XDs tend to be a little less expense than Glocks, but are very similar.  A 9mm with good defence ammo (modern high velocity hollow points) is enough to deal with a two-legged predator.  A .40 would also be a fine choice if you found a pistol in that caliber that fit you well.

Always carry a spare magazine.

A friend of mine with small hands is very happy with her Springfield XD 9mm sub-compact.  It is light, has a small grip, and had been very reliable.

Spend some time in a gun store or at a range and see what fits your hand.  Then make sure you know the gun well and can manipulate it in the dark, with wet hands, in a hurry, with the a backpack/gear on that you will be using.

Also spend the time to find a good holster.  The pistol will do you no good if it takes 30 seconds to get to it, or if it comes loose in the holster and falls out on the trail.  A good holster will not be cheap, but it is worth every penny to get a good one.

I never go into the wild unarmed, whether hiking or backpacking or just scouting forest roads. I don't have the least bit of worry about the 4 legged critters but there are enough crazies out there on two legs that it warrents having the ability to defend yourself.  If you do carry concealed, make sure you have a concealed carry permit. Also if you carry concealed make sure your firearm is easily accessible and that you are comfortable using it.  Oregon does have a open carry law, however carrying concealed might put your fellow hikers or backpackers a bit more at ease.