Are The Hiking/Camping Types Liberals?

[MadMonkey]

When it's wintertime, even in Texas, you need to dress for cold weather. Whenever I see idiots like that guy who are
wearing summer time clothing when the wind chill is able to kill you, I always ask myself this question:
Are these native Texans who just feel entitled to always wear a T-shirt and shorts, no matter the weather,
OR Are these Yankee transplants who are going to show everyone how tough they can be?

I generally keep a coat in the car, but rarely wear it unless I'm going to be in the cold for an extended amount of time. About 95% of the time in the winter I'm wearing t-shirts and shorts like I do in the summer, because cold doesn't really bother me.

Guess I'm an idiot

[fulano]

.........As for weapons, a survival weapon is a good idea. You may need it for long term survival to take small game, but that 10mm is not a bear gun. As they used to say on NYPD Blue, "be careful out there."

I'm not sure there is any pistol that could provide a bear defense. For me the G27 if (a big if since I don't want to be across the table from a warden splanin an animal's death) used on an offending animal is for wolf, coyote (that my threaten my dog) or perhaps a large cat (though cats give me the willies since they are so stealth and I can't imagine seeing one in time).

Bear, moose, etc are best avoided; my dog has helped with avoidance. To avoid bears I also even put the wrappers and boxes of any trail food I carry in a ziplock to try and stifle the scent of food. I also drop by the forest service to get the latest gossip on active bear issues in the area.

Roaming the back country is fun for me because it reminds me of the significance of other creatures (I'm sure the runner's high thing is at play too) and balances my ego.

[karder]

I can't say that hiking/camping folks are predominately liberal or conservative. I have run across both the tree hugging naturalists and the gun toting, God fearing, big game hunters, and in all these cases, the folks seemed to be experienced, equipped, and knowledgeable. I don't think political affiliation has anything to do with wilderness capability. It might be true that extremely liberal and extremely conservative types are more likely to be outdoorsmen than moderates. I don't know if that is the case, but I suppose it could be possible.

I have also run into folks who were unprepared and in trouble. In all these cases, they were younger, college age kids who had no wilderness experience and had become lost and dehydrated. Some had very nice northface gear, some had t-shirts and shorts, but they had no bushcraft skills. I could not tell you their political affiliations.

Last March I was hiking and came across a young couple visiting from Mexico. They barely spoke english, and the man was casually trying to ask me if I knew where a certain trail was. He was playing it cool, but seemed extremely stressed and nervous about me (I was very scruffy and sporting the mountain man look). It was clear from his questions he was completely turned around. I offered them some water and the girl almost tackled me to get at my camelback! Turns out they had been lost since mid morning and finally just sat down by the trail hoping someone would come by (it was a couple hours before sunset). They were only about 3 miles from where they had parked, but they weren't getting back without help. They were young, healthy, and fit, but did not have the basic navigation skills they needed to be wandering around the wilderness. These are the types of people who get hurt and die, not sure about their political affiliation.

I always carry a gun when I go out into the wilderness, and like TAM said, it ain't for the animals, it is for any two legged predators with unclean intentions. Fortunately, everyone I have ever met while out in the bush have seemed like good folks, both the tree huggers and bow hunters.

[C-dub]

Anyone can be ignorant. And then you always have the "It won't happen to me" bunch. I was talking to my sister about motorcycle riders the other day. I rode over to visit and when getting ready leave began putting all my gear back on she asked me if all that stuff was hot. I said, yup, but only when standing still. It's really not that bad while moving, but I'd rather have it on than not when I need it. Sound familiar?

She mentioned that she sees people riding around in shorts, t-shirt, and even flip flops occasionally. I told her they just haven't hit the pavement yet.

My one time backpacking in the mountains of Colorado was with a group of experienced guys. We had all that safety stuff, but I was the only one armed. I just had my G27 with ball ammo. I tried to get my Henry in the pack, but couldn't fit it in with all the other stuff I needed. Even if I could have I couldn't have gotten to it when needed quickly enough and I didn't want to carry it openly. None of them were libs, but they weren't really gun friendly enough for that.

[CC Italian]

Well I just got back from a two week hiking/camping trip and I am defiantly not a liberal in the stereotypical term. I really don't fit into any political party as a whole but several like many of us. Let me put it this way; I have no loyalty to any political party!

Anyways, I was at a national park and a park ranger came by and told us and other campers about the local bears and how they have had a problem with one. After the park ranger left many of the more typical "liberal people" if you can call them that talked about what they would do if a bear came into their tent and asked what would I do? Well I didn't give them an honest answer considering I was carrying my 10mm, bear mace and a very loud marine air horn which I know from backpacking in west Texas will scare off mountain lions and coyote.

Now saying that these people were more liberal was just my observation to what they were saying about personal protection and where they said they were from. Several were from California and they obviously didn't carry firearms from their demeanor. I was kind of joking the whole time and told them to just do what the park ranger said and wished them a good night and hoped Smokey, Yogi or Boo Boo didn't come to visit them.

They looked at me with a stare like "what a sick joke" and then asked where I was from. I said Texas and then one lady who was sleeping in a VW van with all her food said, “I know whose tent I am running to if a bear comes". I just laughed and said have a good night and my guess was they assumed that all Texans carry guns even though we know this is not true. I also thought this was a little funny because the lady started off her conversation by telling me they have bears in Sequoia national. She had encountered bears before but still didn't take necessary precautions?

On a side note there were many people who were going down trails without enough water or were obviously physically to unfit and several turned around after 2-3 miles because they got to tired or realized they didn’t bring enough water or they brought too much and their packs were too heavy. I never got their voter registration card so I couldn’t tell you if it was stamped one party or the other. LOL

I think it has more to do with prepared and unprepared people then liberal or conservative or whatever name you want to put on it.

[quidni]

BTW cell phones have a nasty habit of not finding service in mountainous areas that can consume a human.

Radio. And a compass (with the knowledge how to use it) or at least a GPS that can "backtrack" for you (make sure your batteries are good/carry spares).

[The Mad Moderate]

BTW cell phones have a nasty habit of not finding service in mountainous areas that can consume a human.

Radio. And a compass (with the knowledge how to use it) or at least a GPS that can "backtrack" for you (make sure your batteries are good/carry spares).

And spares for the spares wherever possible. On my last backpacking trip (4 days through Colorado) I had 1 main falsh light and 2 backups all which took the same batteries. I also had a "survival kit" I took with me when venturing out when nature called that included matched a compass and other gear able to fit in a small bag.

[texanron]

There is a group of chracters in the mid-Atlantic region that like to test their survival skills by just hiking into the mountains with very limited supplies strapped to thier backs.

As they used to say on NYPD Blue, "be careful out there."

Not to nit pick...but....I think this is what they use to say on Hill Street Blues.

[G26ster]

There is a group of chracters in the mid-Atlantic region that like to test their survival skills by just hiking into the mountains with very limited supplies strapped to thier backs.

As they used to say on NYPD Blue, "be careful out there."

Not to nit pick...but....I think this is what they use to say on Hill Street Blues.

Yikes, you're right! Oh well. I'm old and nobody cares what I say anyway