I will be going backpacking / hiking in the Olympic National Park as well as the Olympic, Wenatchee and Okanogan National Forests in the coming weeks. The state of Washington clearly permits open carriage of firearms. As long as the gun owner can "ascertain when the carrying of a particular weapon would reasonably warrant alarm in others". This relates to carriage in a public place, such as a city street but also covers the entire state.
Additionally, in accordance with RCW 9.41.060 (8) you may carry concealed without a license (I have one) if you are "engaging in a lawful outdoor recreational activity such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or horseback riding..."
My question is this:
While hiking, is it then "reasonable" to carry openly on the trail, in camp, at the trail head (parking lot) in such a way that the weapon is holstered in a closed thumb break, on my belt so that it is immediately accessible without having to remove my pack and open a compartment?
In the summer months it is quite warm in these areas of Washington. This is part of my point in that if I need the weapon, I'm not going to have time to dig through my backpack. Additionally I'm not going to be wearing any garments able to conceal the pistol on my belt (such as a jacket, sweatshirt, vest, etc. I simply want to be able to wear a t-shirt/field shirt and have a gun on my belt for self defense.
Any input and "what would you do" would be great!
Additionally, in accordance with RCW 9.41.060 (8) you may carry concealed without a license (I have one) if you are "engaging in a lawful outdoor recreational activity such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or horseback riding..."
My question is this:
While hiking, is it then "reasonable" to carry openly on the trail, in camp, at the trail head (parking lot) in such a way that the weapon is holstered in a closed thumb break, on my belt so that it is immediately accessible without having to remove my pack and open a compartment?
In the summer months it is quite warm in these areas of Washington. This is part of my point in that if I need the weapon, I'm not going to have time to dig through my backpack. Additionally I'm not going to be wearing any garments able to conceal the pistol on my belt (such as a jacket, sweatshirt, vest, etc. I simply want to be able to wear a t-shirt/field shirt and have a gun on my belt for self defense.
Any input and "what would you do" would be great!