First, the disclaimer: I am NOT advocating that anyone carry a weapon without being aware of and following all applicable laws.

Now, the dilemma: Like many of you, I live and work in an urban environment but often enjoy spending free time in mountain, desert or wilderness areas. Therefore my B.O.B. is not static, it changes to reflect my expected needs (and budget!). My problem is never what to pack, it's what Not to pack! I know that if I give in to the urge to throw in that chrome plated, solar powered, liquid filled, extra fiber, 4 season espresso maker, my bag will soon become so heavy that I won't carry it anymore. One non-negotiable item is a gun (see disclaimer above). Why, you ask? For wild animals... the two legged variety, not the four.

Now, having followed several recent posts about guns and caliber, I'm not about to re-open that whole can of worms, but to quote a couple of wise sayings: "The best gun is the one you're carrying when you need it." and "The only thing scarier than 500grs. whistling past your ears is 30 grs. passing between them."


So, what's my solution? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the mighty .22!











As you can see, it's small, light, dependable (it's a revolver!) and it chambers a readily available, inexpensive round. I can throw the weapon and 100rnds of ammo in my B.O.B., and scarcely feel the gain in weight. Since the ammo is so cheap, I am able to shoot it often enough to stay proficient and hopefully achieve that, "oh so important" shot placement.

Yes, in the perfect world I would be carrying the [Fill in the name of your favorite gun here], but I have one of those and I know how heavy it and 100rnds of ammo get after lugging it around everywhere, so thank you very much but at the end of the day, it's the .22 that goes in the bag.


Now I'm certain everyone here agrees with me, but in the slight chance that there's any differing opinions (not on this board! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />), I'm open to suggestions...