Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns AT Hiker Killed with Machete

For those you would say there is no reason to carry a handgun while hiking, one hiker killed and one wounded by machete attack on Appalachain Trail in Virginia.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...attack-leaves-one-hiker-dead/1184619001/

I start the rhetoric, Glock 23 with 180’s😂

I'll add P226 40 cal with 200gr XTP's, so many guns, so little sense.

My wife and I hiked portions of the trail in every state except Georgia last year and made one of the most difficult hikes I have done in a long time to the top of Katahdin. I carried my Kahr CM9 the entire time. We encountered a lot of hikers, both in groups and loners and never felt uncomfortable except for an encounter in Vermont at a secluded scenic overlook with two dude who gave me the feeling they were wolves looking for sheep. They appeared to be sizing us up and made the little voice in my head scream "Danger Will Robinson, Danger!" They seemed to change their demeanor once I moved away from the edge of the cliff and oblique to them, slipped my hand to my waistband under my shirt and gave them a hard look. They decided they had a better place to be and headed up the trail. Maybe they were just trail weary and wanted the place to themselves, but those dudes looked and felt like trouble and I was glad I had a gun.

Perry

I always carry a J when hiking. I got that "danger" feeling once and was glad I had it with me, although I didn't have to pull it.

There is a lot of the AT in "No Gun Zones" where something like a NAA Mini Revolver or KelTec .32 could be hidden without much worry of being found but there when needed. There have been a lot of rapes and murders along the trail that never make it to the press as the locals don't want the area to get a bad name....

Many people carry OC...any woman who hikes with no gun or at least OC is out of their minds....(see my signature line)

Bob

Wow! I didn't know that there were "no gun zones" on the trail. Was the attack in one of those?

you run into some strange people from time to time, I have run into a couple of them over the years, no problems so far but I don't look or act like a sheep.

I believe that he was referring to it running through MD, NJ, NY, CT and MA.

Oh yea, I forgot about that. Living in Oregon I forget what the eastern US has to put up with.

It's no better out there. You have CA to the south and Oregon doesn't recognize any out-of-state carry licenses.

Oregon is a picture of a gun freedom loving state!

What's crazy to me is that I dare say, most, hikers are so against guns that they would almost rather be raped or chopped into pieces than carry a firearm for protection.
Foolish in the extreme.

I don't think I've ever not been armed hiking/backpacking. Just one of those basic things.

This occurred in Virginia. No excuse for not being armed.

Agreed, it's crazy, that said, I'm no Yule Gibbons corn nut eating hiker, but damn, I pack more for two legged vermin than four leggers.

Same here. And if my permit was not recognized, well, concealed is concealed.

Ever see videos of someone being chased on a street by someone wielding a knife?

Arm yourself.

I would love to run into the likes of a "Sovereign" in the woods. [bleep] came from taxachuchitt , who would have thunk.

Over the years I've warned quite a few people about hiking in the desert: enough water and a firearm. Some listen.