Self defense while traveling

Is it that dangerous to travel in the US?

Knock on Wood!!! We have never been in an unsafe situation while rv, ing. That being said, we do alot of hiking and I think it is time to buy a couple of cans of bear spray that could have the same type of protection without the hazards of a handgun.

If you don't use a gun a regular basis, you're a lot better off with the bear spray.

Bill

Best place I have found for self defense products - www.innercirclepersonalsafety.net

owenssailor wrote:
Is it that dangerous to travel in the US?

My first question too. We have traveled in the U.S. and never felt the need to pack a weapon but I suppose there is a first time for everything. Judging by the number of gun threads on these forums paranoia seems to be common.

Its always better to have and not need than to need and not have. It only takes once and luckly that once will never come. You read every day some good guy with a gun kills some bad guy with a gun. Im just saying

Don't take a handgun since possession laws can land you in jail. Instead, take a 12 gauge pump shotgun. You don't need a license. Everyone, especially a potential crook, knows what a pump shotgun sounds like when a round is loaded. So, the sound will scare him away and you won't have to expose yourself or fire a "warning shot". That way, you won't have to explain anything to the police and you'll be safe.

In over 20 years of RVing, we've only been "approached" once and he moved on once we told him we didn't have what he wanted. (I think he wanted a sandwich, or something like that.) I spoke thru the windows, and not at the front door. I kept out of sight. This was in the parking lot of a closed Wal-Mart. We've never had any other incidents. (This may sound cruel, but he didn't appear to be interested in getting a sandwich, but rather in casing our precautions. It was around midnight or a little later.)

romore wrote:

owenssailor wrote:
Is it that dangerous to travel in the US?

My first question too. We have traveled in the U.S. and never felt the need to pack a weapon but I suppose there is a first time for everything. Judging by the number of gun threads on these forums paranoia seems to be common.

No, it isn't that dangerous to travel in the US. Many Americans have the "I'm going to get them before they get me" mentality which results in wanting a gun for the rare chance that something could possibly happen at some point in their lives and they need to be prepared for that chance no matter how unlikely it is.

(I'm not being political or mean, but this IS the basic underlying reason why most Americans indicate they want a gun.)

toedtoes wrote:

romore wrote:

owenssailor wrote:
Is it that dangerous to travel in the US?

My first question too. We have traveled in the U.S. and never felt the need to pack a weapon but I suppose there is a first time for everything. Judging by the number of gun threads on these forums paranoia seems to be common.

No, it isn't that dangerous to travel in the US. Many Americans have the "I'm going to get them before they get me" mentality which results in wanting a gun for the rare chance that something could possibly happen at some point in their lives and they need to be prepared for that chance no matter how unlikely it is.

(I'm not being political or mean, but this IS the basic underlying reason why most Americans indicate they want a gun.)

I agree.

But, if you MUST have a gun to travel with--- unless you are a well-trained person who is willing to shoot a lot, you are better off with a shotgun.

There are better forums than this one for discussing self defense issues. I suggest you ask elsewhere if you're serious about having deadly force available in your vehicle or RV. Here, the debate will be more about whether you should or shouldn't with opinions polarized one way or the other.

Search for forums using key words defense, firearms, carry, etc.