2 week long backpacking trip in Oregon mountains with a firearm can i do it?

[Navman]

I helped build several 7 mile sections of the Pacific Crest trail back in the 70's

We blasted our way thru the mountains and I operated a 2 ft wide backhoe called the "Morrison Trail Blazer" to make trail

One of the hardest we did went past Fish lake Resort across lava flows, went thru tons of powder

The one I'll never forget was the Windago Pass PCT, started low and built trail to higher elevation until we ran into patches of snow melting

Apparently mosquitos can breed in wet leaves or something, we had never seen anything like that in all our years of the PCT, it was insane!

They went right thru Deep Woods off and anything else we tried, finally we built a smokey fire and we just sat in the smoke to get some relief before we started killing each other with Chain Saws & Axes

Never seen anything like it and I grew up in the UP of Michigan

Head netting helped but they'd go right thru clothing, you could swat your thigh and kill 20 of them.

Be prepared, start out hydraded to fill yourself up with extra blood as you may be the only food they've seen in months!

 

[Slinkpumpkin]

This is NOT exactly true. You are NOT required to have a hunting license while hiking with a firearm. Only if you are hunting. IF you are seen shooting at game you better have one. There are regulations regarding not shooting in designated camping areas etc. Also, If you do not have an Oregon Concealed permit you HAVE to open carry. Do not put your handgun in your back pack. Kinda defeats the purpose anyway, but, there are people that do that.

Also, not much cell phone coverage in areas that are wilderness. I would suggest a "Spot" gps so people will know you are safe. You can text communicate with one in an emergency also.

Okay i will have to read into this a little more. so say i had a K-T su16A and it was not hidden. and no shots have been fired i will be questioned but i will not be breaking the law? i have decided to attempt to bring all the food i need over hunting for it. but i would still like to have a rifle for animal hazards and emergancys

 

[USMC1911]

This stove has been great for me on several trips and boils fast <broken link removed> if your not wanting to carry white gas. MSR stoves are good also.

 

[coop44]

when roughing it I ask myself 3 questions
1-Flush Toilets?
2-Casino?
3-What floor am I on?

 

[nwwoodsman]

Oklahoma man missing in Oregon was hallucinating, sheriff says | Fox News

They're still looking for him. Have a plan.

 

[erudne]

This stove has been great for me on several trips and boils fast <broken link removed> if your not wanting to carry white gas. MSR stoves are good also.

I had several stoves I could have taken on my trip and concidered all of them. I setteled of trioxane tabs that you find in any big store w/sporting goods dept.
using the tabs I did not need a stove, 3 small rocks that would support my small pot was enough for all my needs as I used pulverised freeze dried and instant potatoes for my food.
5 tabs to heat two mugs of water, enough for dinner and coffee/tea/coco. The tabs burn to an ash, they will burn when wet. No stove, no liquid fuel, no cans.

 

[PolishedBrass]

I have thousands of the Triox tabs ... and a bunch for sale ... I lovem too. (Shameless Plug)
Though my favorite thus far is still my Titanium ultralight. Weighing in at below an ounce ... plus a small bottle of everclear and Whiskey concentrate.

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/no...pec-trioxane-firestarter-fuel-tablets-$3.html

I had several stoves I could have taken on my trip and concidered all of them. I setteled of trioxane tabs that you find in any big store w/sporting goods dept.
using the tabs I did not need a stove, 3 small rocks that would support my small pot was enough for all my needs as I used pulverised freeze dried and instant potatoes for my food.
5 tabs to heat two mugs of water, enough for dinner and coffee/tea/coco. The tabs burn to an ash, they will burn when wet. No stove, no liquid fuel, no cans.

 

[Asavage270]

Enjoy your trip, but like others have said be very careful and plan ahead.

When doing this same "Survival Esque" trip with a friend in 2010, my friend and I nearly lost our lives due to consuming water hemlock, siezuring, and falling into a fire while unconcious.

One tip, Be 100 percent sure of plants before eating them. and then be 200% sure after that.

 

[erudne]

I helped build several 7 mile sections of the Pacific Crest trail back in the 70's

We blasted our way thru the mountains and I operated a 2 ft wide backhoe called the "Morrison Trail Blazer" to make trail

One of the hardest we did went past Fish lake Resort across lava flows, went thru tons of powder

The one I'll never forget was the Windago Pass PCT, started low and built trail to higher elevation until we ran into patches of snow melting

Apparently mosquitos can breed in wet leaves or something, we had never seen anything like that in all our years of the PCT, it was insane!

They went right thru Deep Woods off and anything else we tried, finally we built a smokey fire and we just sat in the smoke to get some relief before we started killing each other with Chain Saws or Axes

Never seen anything like it and I grew up in the UP of Michigan

Head netting helped but they'd go right thru clothing, you could swat your thigh and kill 20 of them.

Be prepared, start out hydraded to fill yourself up with extra blood as you may be the only food they've seen in months!

I spent 28 days in the Alaskan wilderness near Mt Mckinely, I thought I knew mosquitos but one spring I went to Indian Heaven and got over 100 bites in 15 minutes! IH is on the PCT but in Wa State, NE of Carson

 

[RVTECH]

my friend and I nearly lost our lives due to consuming water hemlock

Excuse me in advance but why were you even eating plant material? #1 rule of survival - NEVER eat plants and then if you must only if you see wildlife eating it - typically most animals avoid noxious plants and then always look for dead animals around the area. Only two things you eat while in survival - that of which you kill on land or fish out of the water.

 

[Archer762]

I recommend hiking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, and pack enough food for the number of days you'll be out there.

Hiking long distance from point A to point B, and living off of the land are two DIFFERENT things.

Native people found a source of food, and then they lived by it in shelters. The only nomadic people followed herds of large animals, which is not possible anymore. You either pack what you need to travel, or you stay put where there is food. You don't travel without enough food expecting to find it in a location you've never seen before.

 

[Sun195]

I spent 28 days in the Alaskan wilderness near Mt Mckinely, I thought I knew mosquitos but one spring I went to Indian Heaven and got over 100 bites in 15 minutes! IH is on the PCT but in Wa State, NE of Carson

I spent five weeks working in Indian Heaven one summer - the mosquitos are brutal. On the first day, I thought that I'd just tough it out and not wear bug repellant - big mistake. After that, it was DEET, long-sleeve shirts, pants and mosquito net over the head.

 

[PolishedBrass]

Yeah ... it is one of my 2 green ... water area favorites. (Lotsa water, game and mosquito's)
Last time I went up there was great.
Nice hike. (Saturated in Deet mind you)

Ran across a guy and his kid hoisting their food way in a tree from bears.
Guy looked as though he had a hairy back. (It was a nice mesh tank top so loaded with mosquito's that it looked like he had back hair poking thru.)

I told him he should look into that and put some repellant on ... but it seemed he wanted to be manly and kindof brushed the idea off.

Damn hope the guy made it out alive. He had to have had "at least" 300-400 bites just on his back alone.
( never heard of fever/shock/coma from mosquitoes ... but dang.)

We had full strength deet and we both had a few bites.
Skeets drove us along our hike from that lake area pretty fast.

They were very hungry ... http://youtu.be/GZbCzzZqZ9g
I bet if they didn't have fresh yuppy they would have dove through our deet for dinner.

Thank God survival often provides an alternate food source for the prepared.

Great area though.

I spent 28 days in the Alaskan wilderness near Mt Mckinely, I thought I knew mosquitos but one spring I went to Indian Heaven and got over 100 bites in 15 minutes! IH is on the PCT but in Wa State, NE of Carson

 

[razormanxx]

Sounds like a great adventure, pick up a guide on edible and medicinal plants of oregon, chances are finding berries and plants to eat would be easier than hunting, fishing would also be easier, screw following a trail go get lost in the cascades, pick up a map from odf (oregon department of forestry ) , or blm ( bureau of land management ). I'm sure you would know what to pack for basic survival. Have fun.

 

[nwbobber]

This is my favorite piece of camping equipment. Set up right, you stay dry no matter what. No need to find flat ground, clear sticks, rocks or what have you. And it is more comfortable than the bed at home.

 

[nwbobber]

Gotta add my Indian Heaven story. We went to deep lake mid July (I tried to talk the trip planner out of it, they wouldn't believe me about the skeeters). I brought five extra mosquito nets for the denyers in my group, figured I could sell em for whatever they had. Anyway I was the straggler, the rest of the group got there the day before, and I can tell you they were glad to see those nets. They told me to head on over to a camp on the other side of the lake with one, there was someone in distress. When I found her, her face was so swollen, I know I would never recognize her if I ever saw her again. She was in misery, I gave her a net, but I fear it was too late. They hiked out next day.

Even with the nets, they would find any exposed skin, or thin spots in you clothing. We tried swimming, and you had to take a breath, swim underwater 50 feet, then you had maybe a minute before they would find you again.

I just wait till after a freeze to go there, or go when there is still plenty of snow on the ground.

 

[3MTA3]

I always used to take a Ruger Redhawk stainless .44 Mag, 5 1/2 inch barrel for backpacking. First two rounds were snake shot, last four were heavy FMJ's loaded hot for bear. Also, one speed loader of HP's for two legged varmints in the side pocket of my pack where I could reach it with my right hand.

Also, NEVER backpacked without a mosquito hat after getting caught about four miles from the Devil's Lake trailhead one trip. We couldn't breath or even keep our eyes open without constantly waving them away. They forced us to leave and followed us almost all the way to the trailhead, ruining the last night of a multi-day backpacking and mountaineering trip.

 

[xlsbob]

Hunting your food with a .22 limits you pretty much to grouse or squirrels depending on the season. A fishing pole will more likely feed you better. I've done a lot of hiking over the years and I only carry for personal protection, plan your food and water ahead. A good water filter can save a fun trip from becoming a horrible experience, nasty little things can live in seemingly clear water. Plan ahead, be prepared , and have a great trip.

 

[RVTECH]

A fishing pole will more likely feed you better.

I agree completely. AND even if you are in an area where that might have an open season on a particular species you might find those animals few and far between, especially if the trail is popular and heavily used. As mentioned by XLS above (and you can check the synopsis for more information) there is not much in the way of 'seasonable' small game. A few birds, Silver Grey squirrels and possibly a couple varieties of rabbits are about it. Those that are not given a season might be protected. Those that are unprotected or considered varmints I wouldn't eat unless it were a dire survival situation.

 

[lucky guy]

One thing to keep in mind: the Rangers that patrol Wilderness Areas are Law Enforcement Officers and if they see a firearm will demand a hunting license, the results of not having one will be the lose of your firearm and never being able to Hunt in OR again
The Wilderness areas are over run with collage kids in the summer and they will turn your *** in via cell phone. Eastern OR has some big Recreation Areas that are gun friendly

No disrespect intended but that is not correct. I've lived here for many years and you may carry a firearm most anywhere in Oregon, certainly in any wilderness are and no hunting license is needed. You just can't be hunting without a license. Let the kids call it in, tell them to pound sand.

There is still plenty of wilderness, a 2 week trip from say Crater Lake or Diamond Lake north to Highway 20 or Mt. Hood would work. Your biggest concern is mexican grow operations, particularly in the southern part of the state. I'd go with a buddy, and don't wander real far off the PCT. Again, no disrespect intended but you sound pretty inexperienced. Don't let your plans get ahead of your experience level. You might start out with a weekend trip and work your way up. And take food anyway, you might just need it. LOL. On the weapon, if you're looking at a 22 you might consider a nice 4-6" 22 pistol. I like the S&W 422 but there's lots to choose from. Very accurate, lighter, way easier to pack along. Carrying a rifle on a long backpacking trip is a major deal and unnecessary for your purposes.

All in all I'd say come on out, you got your eyes looking the right way (uphill!), I like the enthusiasm, just take it one step at a time!