Handgun while hiking

[Guest]

I am new to CA, does anyone know what is the law regerding carrying a handgun (pistol) while hiking?

Thanks.

[bu-bye]

Welcome.

As far as I know you can only carry in a Fed park. State parks are off limits unless said so by the park rangers. Personally I carry on every trip. I hike with my wife and two small kids. No way I'm going to let some guy in a suit behind a desk tell me I can't protect my family. I carry a 357mag revolver at the bottom of my backpack. Its there if I need it but well hidden.

[Guest]

I believe that you are allowed to carry in a national forest, but not in a state or national park (example: yosemite). I believe you can carry the gun disassembled and assemble it when you set up camp, because your camp is considered your residence. But don't take my word for it, search for it on google.

[MrTenX]

This topic was discussed quite throughly in the Outdoor forum some time ago.

http://calguns.net/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5126090881/m/7456065154

[Guest]

If hiking, say BLM land, can you carry a firearm in the back of a fanny pack and the magazine or clip in a zippered separate area?
Sean

[joel1316]

Interesting topic as I'll be going geocaching into the deep woods soon and would hate to be out there "alone".

[bwiese]

Originally posted by Jp.Cherokee:
If hiking, say BLM land, can you carry a firearm in the back of a fanny pack and the magazine or clip in a zippered separate area?
Sean

I believe CA CCW laws would still apply.

However open carry should be legal on BLM land though.


Bill Wiese
San Jose

[TrailerparkTrash]

Hey guys, it's very simple.

If you are in a Nat'l forest or BLM land in CALIFORNINA, you CAN carry a handgun on your person as long as it IS NOT CONCEALED!!!!!

Placing it in a fanny pack or in a backpack without law enforcement credentials or a civilian CCW permit makes it ILLEGAL. Period.

Have the gun in your car UNLOADED in a locked container of some sort until you reach your camp. Then in your camp you can carry your gun on your person or off on hiking trails.

Now that wasn't too difficult was it???

[Guest]

Can someone find some chapter and verse from the law to demonstrate that you can openly carry a loaded handgun in BLM / National forest land? Given that in the rest of California, carry (outside your own residence / business) is de-facto impossible, this sounds unlikely.

Could this be related to the fact (or rumor?), that in counties with a population less than 250,000 open carry of handguns is actually legal (I think you still need a CCW-type permit, but you can carry open)? I would venture a guess that all BLM / National Forest land is in those rural counties.

[Leo762]

i got a question about this, if the gun is in a holster and its not covered by your shirt or whatever, then is it or is it not concealed?

[socalguns]

Originally posted by treelogger:
Can someone find some chapter and verse from the law to demonstrate that you can openly carry a loaded handgun in BLM / National forest land? Given that in the rest of California, carry (outside your own residence / business) is de-facto impossible, this sounds unlikely.

I'm not going to quote you penal code,
but if the BLM, which owns all BLM land,
gives you permission to carry firearms on their land,
then it doesn't matter if you carry concealed or what.
But, you can't carry on all BLM land (BLM will tell you where you can't),
and all BLM land isn't exactly marked, so watch your step.

[socalguns]

Originally posted by Leo762:
i got a question about this, if the gun is in a holster and its not covered by your shirt or whatever, then is it or is it not concealed?

If the holster looks like a gun holster (or you can see the gun),
then no, its not concealed.

[Leo762]

ok because the one i have right now closes over the gun and you cant see it, but its pretty obvious looking holster