Southern Appalachia Trail and Open Carry

Merad said:
Your info may be out of date. SC is listed here: http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/new...led_carry.html
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My information is not out of date ... I am not a Florida resident.

Something like 32 states recognize a Florida non-resident permit, but the state two states to the north doesn't. Of course, Florida doesn't recognize SC non-resident permits, either. The south is really not anywhere near as "gun friendly" as many southerners would have us believe. Driving from Virginia to Florida you really have to stay on your toes about what state you're in, and what rules they have that the last state didn't.

But -- back to SC -- I can carry all the way down I-95 from Virginia to Florida on my Florida non-resident permit ... except in South Carolina.
 
I wasn't trying to insult southerners, I was just surprised. I've always thought that the southeast has a lot in common with the rural Rocky Mountains. I guess they do. There are exceptions in both regions: South Carolina and Colorado.

Wyoming isn't quite gun friendly enough for me. When I moved here I had to OC for a year because they don't allow non residents to carry concealed without a permit. Now Alaska, that is one gun friendly state. I miss it.
 
I hiked the AT and the only times I ever wished I was carrying were for 2 legged critters, usually when staying the night at a shelter near a road crossing. If you encounter bear or rattlesnakes, consider yourself lucky. Plenty of them around, but a well traveled trail isn't the best place for an encounter. I got asked a number of times if I carried, usually followed by "but aren't you afraid of the bears?" "Nope, I'm afraid of the skunks, I gotta carry this pack all the way to Maine". The smokies are pretty well bear polluted though and since there isn't hunting in the park, they aren't as fearful as bears elsewhere. The shelters there all have chain link fencing across the front and bear boxes/poles for food storage.

If you go in the smokies, road access is limited, going in the central road may be your best bet. Clingmans Dome is the highest point on the AT and Charlie's Bunion has some great vistas. It's also worth checking out some of the southern balls (goggle Appalachian trail balds and you can get a list of them). Roan mtn is pretty cool area, as are the Grayson highlands over the border into Virginia.
 
Getting your Wy CC permit would be the best way to go. Also, I don't know if you've done much hiking but a full-size piece gets heavy real quick. OC or CC, give some real consideration to how you're going to carry. It's easier said than done with a full pack, if you want easy access to it.
 
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I've done my fair share of hiking. Mostly with a rifle in hand; USMC, hunting and mountaineering WY, same thing for AK.
I'll be ok, though I appreciate your concern. My house sits higher than the highest point in NC so I'll feel turbocharged... But hot.
 
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