trippy paws
Why would you subject your pet to the dangers of protecting you? I hear this so much - my dog would protect me from a bear - how by giving up its life? I knew a guy whose dog saved him from a grizzly, dog died of course...

I've maybe seen one or two really pretty girls on the trail with their dogs (in wilderness) and they were friendly and every guy who came by stopped and said hi and offered any help or assistance. If you are uptight, wearing boys clothes and acting like men are gonna attack you, they will sense it. You won't have a good time. You'll be way too scared and uptight. Better would be to meet up with two guys and ask if you can hike/camp with them for safety. But be friendly to them as you may need their help.

If it bothers you that much, stay home. A gun will not help, it will only make things worse. Finally, do you know how to use a gun? And why concealed? If you're that uptight, cary in an exposed shoulder holster.

A wise person once said "Those people capable of hitting a running bear or lion in the ten ring already own their gun and are allready experts. If this does not describe you, do not carry a gun for selfdefense. There have been a lot of threads on the subject, our police/commando members ask - could you react correctly and pull the trigger in a combat situation?

Jim