This was from last year but i just wanted to share what I learned from my first backpacking trip. To start this was Granite Peak in Montana. I packed fairly heavy as a lot of first timers do. My pack weighed 29lbs when i left the house and yes i knew that was a lot and needed to shed some weight. I didn’t have a ultra light weight tent but we split in up between 3 of us since it was a 3 person tent. I shed some weight at the truck and accidentally left all my clothes at the truck and turns out you don’t really need spare clothes for a 2-3 day hike. I do wish i had spare socks but i let them dry after getting wet the next day. I won’t be bringing a camel back next time because that was unnecessarily heavy compared to two smart water bottles. I brought a decent sized bag of trail mix expecting to share it with friends but didn’t get to it cause i had plenty of food to begin with so that was a mistake. I left my go pro at the truck to shed weight but wish I brought it and left the trail mix cause they were about the same weight. I brought electrolyte mix which was a good move cause I definitely needed it when hiking 10+ miles a day. I had a giant bear proof container that i wish I didn’t have. It was necessary cause there were no trees where we camped and i was the only one smart enough to bring a bear proof container lol. I just had to take one for the team and carry it for everyone. I won’t be bringing that next time and will buy something lighter for sure. I brought my bear gun (glock 40, 10mm) with a drop holster and definitely regretted the drop holster. I should’ve got a chest holster but I don’t regret bringing the glock cause it’s bear country of course. I didn’t bring mosquito spray or deodorant and definitely was worth it cause it’s not necessary. Didn’t bring tea or coffee or a cup and definitely don’t regret that cause i didn’t even need it. Didn’t bring sun screen cause i wore light weight long sleeve, pants and a hat. I also trained for this trip for about 6 months to prepare myself and it honestly was easier than I anticipated but i also lived in Montana at the time and was acclimated. Post is running kind of long so I can answer any questions in the comments about other things i brought or left behind. 10/10 on this trip if anyone else wanted to hike it. Also the hike was 23 miles with 7,600ft elevation gain and the peak was 12,800ft via all trails.
Preciate it. That makes me feel a little better about the trip. I thought I brought too much but mostly cause my buddy who backpacks was living pretty minimal besides the beer he brought up. I thought that was kind of funny he hiked with a beer just to say he drank it at the top lol.
29 pounds including food? Water? 29 pounds is not ultralight, but I also don't think it would be considered heavy (especially for a beginner). Most stories of beginners that i've heard or witnessed inclusive packs into the 40 and 50 pound range. Especially if you had a gun and holster in there and were still at 29lbs, that isn't bad at all for a first trip.
First time I went on an overnighter, my pack legitimately weighed 71 pounds. I was absolutely clueless about ultralight gear, didn’t have a whole lot of money to drop on new gear, was using my parents old camp gear that was meant for car camping, and worst of all it was all for just one night.
I think I gave myself permanent back pain from doing that. It was basically a vertical hike (not really, no serious scrambling), just a 1,000m elevation gain over a 4 or 5km. The absolute worst though was coming back down. Never again.
That was a long time ago and now my new pack and gear has been shaved down to 21-25 pounds depending on how much food and water I’m taking.
Good ultralight gear is expensive, but Jesus Christ is it worth it if you’re serious about backpacking.
I didn’t include what i had in my pockets or my pistol and holster. I just had a luggage scale I brought with me to the trail head to get a loaded weight. It wasn’t super heavy by any means but my buddy had an 18lb pack and he made it seem like mine was too heavy but it didn’t feel that heavy on my back.
I’m sorry but i would have to disagree. I lived in Montana for 5 years and my wife worked for fish wildlife and parks. I would volunteer there from time to time and got to know all the game wardens there. They are the ones who see how wildlife really can be, and they carry in the woods on and off duty. I’ve heard a lot of stories about bear encounters and attacks from those guys. I would still never go without bear spray because I’m not going to harm or kill an animal if I don’t have to.
Endangering your group? I think that’s a stretch if they are a responsible owner. You can be anti gun in general, that’s fine, but I would consider this an acceptable safety precaution in bear country. No need to shame OP.
Its a religion and he must evangelize
We will have to agree to disagree. I won’t even deny that there is no risk at all, because there always is with a weapon. And we can wax poetically about linked studies someone wrote, but I certainly won’t shame someone who wants to have a weapon in grizzly country. We can make all the arguments in the world about how bear spray is hypothetically the best solution but a paper someone wrote is very different from seeing this firsthand in the wild. One can also make a convincing argument, and there are documented cases (granted very rare), of a weapon being the only reason someone or a friend even made it home alive. This is not a one size fits all answer either, I’m taking about people with experience using said weapon but not recommending everyone handle it this way. For me I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it, especially when Cubs are a factor or during breeding season.
I don't know a Montanan who hikes without bringing a gun. That was something I had to learn when moving from Oregon to Idaho. The black bears aren't anything to worry about, but once you're in grizzly country it's a totally different ballgame.
It's grizzly country my friend. Different rules out here. I personally backpack and hike in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming with bear spray only, but I'm in the minority. And quite honestly, I'm considering getting a 10mm for the extra piece of mind. The thought of relying on bear spray against a pissed off grizzly on a windy day just seems a bit half-hazard, IMO.
I'd say at least 99% of Continental Divide Trail thru-hikers only have bear spray.
It hasn’t been studied enough to be conclusive. The overwhelming majority of grizzly charges are bluff charges. It’s impossible to know whether the spray impacted the bear or not. Again, I take spray over a gun, but I’ve also tested both out extensively. You’d be stunned by how little time and range you get from bear spray. I’ve also tested spray in the wind and it is completely ineffective. I will always carry spray as a first measure but having a gun as a backup in grizzly country is smart, IMO.
So is bringing a knife camping a hazard to my group and I shouldn't bring a single object that could bring harm? Any single thing in your back could be used in a dangerous way. Yes a gun has the potential to be dangerous but the same goes for everything
All I'm saying is it's stupid to say that just because someone has a gun they are a danger to the group. Yes guns are dangerous and it's a lot easier to make a very grave mistake with one than a knife. But if it's in the hands of someone who understands that I say it's no less dangerous to the group than a knife. Any responsible gun owner knows their weapon and knows the damage it can cause.
Thank you for the info you shared. I did take it into consideration that the gun was only for last resort because bear spray is the best deterrent most of the time. The likelihood of a bear encounter decreases by the amount of people in your party. As long as you make sure to leave no trace and keep food in a bear proof container at least 100yds from camp. I never took my gun with me until i knew i was an accurate shot with it. I would never go out in the backcountry with something that i wasn’t comfortable with. I practiced every weekend with it before the trip. I am a great shot with it, and know how to work a firearm and know firearm safety better than the average person. I took all necessary precautions to make sure I didn’t encounter a bear but that doesn’t always work because we did see a bear when we were there. Granted he was at least 300 yds away and ran when he saw us. We played music on the trail and not in an annoying way. We had a bear bell and were talking the whole time between 4 of us. I did a ton of research on backpacking, leave no trace, and how to avoid and deter bears. I was in no way a noob by the amount of information i knew and learned before the trip besides the fact it was my first time backpacking.
If you don't trust your friends to be responsible with a gun you probably should not be friends with them in the first place. Most people that carry actually know what they are doing and don't endanger their friends
I'm also lost how a gun is necessary for bears but the bear canister is not? OP never mentioned hanging a bear bag as an alt. If a person is sleeping and a bear comes to the tent smelling food I don't think you're waking up, grabbing said firearm and discharging it successfully in time.
Lmao you’ve obviously never had anyone try to kill you. No one cares about your opinion and I’ve successfully defended myself against 2 dogs with a firearm. People aren’t always on the trail with good intentions. Some girl was brutally murdered where I live on a trail she frequents in broad daylight. Guy had a knife she had nothing. She fought back and still died horribly. No one gives a damn about your silly statistics. His safety is up to him not you or your naive opinion. Hopefully you never need a gun to defend yourself because if you do you’re gunna regret it
Like I said man, you’ve never experienced someone actively trying to kill you. Ya, maybe your statistics are on the money as far as defensive gun uses against bears go but with other people in this world looking to harm others for no reason other than their own delusions, I’d advise you to put your defense in your hands rather than someone else’s. Not saying this will happen but what would you do if someone charged you with a knife or a blunt weapon? Let’s say you run but can’t run fast enough, what then? If the best you can hope for is to fight back with bear or pepper spray which doesn’t always work-I’ve sprayed people as an armed guard and it’s either worked well or did nothing at all-then you’re in a jam if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
I believe NPS actively discourages people from carrying, although that might be because firearms are banned on NPS land. I do know that many ranger stations in grizzly territory display data that shows that hand guns are likely to make an encounter worse, and are less likely to end an encounter compared to bear spray. I think their data basically shows that your chances of incapacitating a grizzly are pretty low with a handgun, and you get a toss up whether the bear is going to say "hey that hurt I should leave" or "hey that hurt I should kill this thing that hurt me". Bear spray though creates a large enough cloud that it will hit it's target (eyes/nose/mouth), and affects the bear strongly enough that it doesn't want to continue the engagement.
Honestly from what I've heard most game warden / DNR type folks carry because they are likely to run into *humans" behaving badly in the wild. But, hey, I'm not gunna tell someone who wants to carry not to carry. Just that there's a decent chance that choosing bear spray over a pistol might be more beneficial for you than it is for the bear.
I always carry bear spray
Yes, sorry, I did catch that in your previous posts. I just meant that, you seemed to be implying that you carried bear spray because you didn't want to have to shoot an animal. I'm just saying that if the data from NPS Rangers is to be believed, using bear spray instead of the hand gun is not only safer for the animal, it is safer for you, as well.
The point of carrying is for that small chance that the bear spray doesn’t work. It’s not a very high chance of that happening but I would rather have it and not need it than be in a situation where i wish i had another form of protection. The only reason a gun would not be a good option is if the person isn’t a competent shooter and doesn’t train regularly. It’s sad to think that some people who carry do not practice enough which can lead to an animal harming them or wounding the animal if it does choose to turn away. Bear spray is always the best and my first option.
When I go to the desert my pack will be 60-70 pounds easily. 29 is nothing
Yep. My first pack was 45 lbs
Well done 👍🏻 #MTlocal
Your first backpacking trip was Granite Peak??!? Holy shit. Respect
Yea my buddy backpacks quite a bit and talked me into it lol. I figured it couldn’t be too bad if I prepped for it. Man if I didnt prepare for that hike it would’ve been a tough time for sure.
how do you prepare for the first time? Especially if i know nothing about backpacking/wilderness in general?
I would start by finding somewhere to hike and some friends to go with. Then what i did was watch some YouTube videos to figure out what i needed. I’m pretty sure you can rent some of the stuff you might need like a tent, sleeping pad, and maybe a sleeping bag. I know there was places I could rent that stuff in Montana but i had my own stuff and use some of my wife’s things. There are a lot of posts on reddit about all the things you need or you can just find what some more experienced backpackers take. The main thing I found out is that you only take what you need. If you can live without it then you probably don’t need it. Like coffee for example, you can bring it but it’s not necessary and adds weight. The food is the trick im trying to figure out. I was told by my wife who backpacks, is that you probably need to go one time to figure out how much you will eat in a trip.
I also just went backpacking for the first time and I felt I learned a lot by watching youtube videos of people backpacking in the same location I planned to go! Every area has different needs and hazards
See if you can locate a copy of The Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher. It is an older book, but will give you everything you need to know about paring for weight. Every ounce counts!
I’ll have to check that out, thanks!
Beautiful spot for your first trip! Looks like you had excellent weather too. I lived in Alaska for a long time, so I’m used to people hiking around with firearms, but I suggest at least considering bringing bear spray instead. It’s light, safer, and much more effective at deterring bears. And you don’t have to kill or injure a wild animal. To illustrate, the first summer I spent in Denali National Park, I was working in one particular area. I got to know a local sow and her cubs. We would see each other every few days and leave each other alone, and I got to witness her cubs growing up that summer. The following season, someone was hiking in that area, shot and killed her, because they encountered the sow and got scared. The bear had not charged and the death could have been avoided had the hiker been carrying bear spray. I know I’m just insufferable peace-loving hippie, but please consider bear spray ✌️
I actually did bring bear spray and one of my friends carried it. I would never shoot first. I would always try bear spray first but it doesn’t always work. I saw a video of a guy that used bear spray and still got attacked by a bear. He might have used it wrong or had an expired can or something but i bring a gun just in case.
Another thing people never seem to consider in the whole spray vs gun debate is wind. I’ve backpacked in GNP with a gun and spray, and had very windy days. I was happy to have my 10mm at those times. Funny if you read the instructions supplied with the spray they specifically state “try to be upwind from the bear” 🤣😂 ok sure… best to be prepared and trained with both IMO, as neither is foolproof.
Yea I didn’t even think about wind good looking out👍
Pretty awesome first experience!
Beautiful photos. I used to live in Montana and backpacked a lot in the summers. In my experience unless you're really trying to go ultralight, 29lbs is not a particularly heavy pack for 3 days, especially if it includes all your food and water. And yeah, the weight of a bear canister sucks... I prefer hanging but also sometimes it's unavoidable, and it sounds like you did your research and realized there wouldn't be good trees to hang from! I understand wanting to ditch the camelbak but one argument in favor of keeping it is that you've got the hose to remind you to keep drinking water. Personally my pack side pockets are not accessible enough to easily reach a water bottle. Don't get dehydrated at elevation like that. Also ditch your gun for bear spray.
I had bear pray and a gun but i was not the one carrying the spray so I didn’t mention it. Yea there was no trees close to where we camped which i knew that going into it. I did like the the hose for the bladder but I’m not going to bring it on my next trip in a couple months and see how it is without it. I’m pretty good at remembering to drink water since it’s pretty much a habit daily.
Sorry, going to be that guy. Take your gun if it makes you feel safer. I got no problem with you carrying. But a dangerous bear encounter is almost always going to be because you startled or antagonised a bear. Unless you are a real good and fast shot, it is unlikely you will drop a bear that is attacking. Bear mace is considerably more effective. It is likely to start at real close range and happen very quickly. Also, if you are that concerned about bears, you should carry a can.
Your starting weight wasn't bad at all even if that was base weight. I think my first trip I was around 40lbs base. My gear sucked and I way overpacked. I even took a hatchet. In the summer I can do around 10-11lbs now, so just over the conventional ultralight definition. But that was expensive. You're already learning what you and don't need, so that is awesome. You made a lot of good choices.
I totally get where you’re are coming from and lived up in bear country for 5 years. I practiced with my gun quite a bit and feel pretty confident with it at close and medium range. I knew what to expect from bears and there was 4 of us so we definitely weren’t quiet and i had a bear bell. I brought some bear spray as well and my buddy carried it. I showed him how to use it and how angle the spray if he needed to use it.(Never spray directly at the bear cause it travels up, always aim a few feet in front of the bear at the ground). My wife use to work at fish wildlife and parks up there and i use to volunteer there from time to time so I learned a lot from them about bear encounters and what to expect.
That's cool. If the gun is worth the weight to you, carry it. Psychological comfort is a big part of a successful backpacking trip. I always take my old kindle because the battery lasts forever and I like to read once I'm set up in camp occasionally. I don't need it, I could use my phone. But I have a hateful relationship with phones due to work and only pack it to avoid it getting stolen from my car. I know other people that have to have coffee. If I carried a gun, it would be for people. I'm pretty sure if a bear wants to kill me, it is going to succeed. So I don't worry much about that.
Good thing kindles are pretty light so it’s not a hassle. I’m definitely a coffee and tea person and I almost brought it but knew I didn’t need it so i left it behind.
Bring both. Guns good for signaling, hunting, multi use if you get lost- it’s a tool. Bear mace is excellent against bears, but generally only a 1 time use.
Guns aren't multi tools. A glock 40 10mm is pretty shitty for hunting. They aren't good for signaling at all. No visual and it is hard to tell the direction of the sound unless you are real close or it is super flat terrain. Gunshots echo a lot. And if a bear is trying to kill you. Everything is a one time use. So the more effective the better.
Better than nothing
Did I say they shouldn't carry anything? I even recommended bear mace, and it turned out OP's group did have that. For signaling you can use a whistle, smoke device, flare gun. I'm not opposed to OP carrying a gun at all. If they wanted to hunt, carry the appropriate rifle, shotgun, or both.
You use the right tool for the job. You don't try to drive nails with a screw driver.
I never explicitly said that OP was hunting and I too recommended bear mace. I’m just simply stating a gun is a multi tool and doesn’t hurt to carry to which you objected. I agree with your statement that you’d carry it for people in another comment, but you can’t not say that a gun can not be used for other purposes, whether that be a back up fire starting source (gun powder), hunting if need be if you are lost, firing a couple shots for signaling, or as a backup. It’s a sidearm, and a Glock 40 is pretty light weight for a little versatile piece of mind.
He wasn't carrying the pistol for hunting. It was for defense. With good shot placement and a good ammo, the 10mm is a fine weapon. It is a good choice to carry. If a bear were to attack I would rather have a chance to stop the attack instead of becoming bruin breakfast. A one shot deal? Maybe. Those triggers can be pulled pretty darn quickly and most people would and should place as many rounds into the most vulnerable spot available. I don't easily take any life, but I don't give up mine easily, either.
I know OP isn't using the gun for hunting. The person I was replying to with the comment you just replied to said hunting. OP is good. They explained further and are doing all the right things.
Pulling the trigger isn't the problem. You have to draw, grip, stance, aim, and make a nearly instant kill shot. You have to be real good. With most bear attacks, you probably have a second or two and you're also likely trying to not shit your pants. And while the numbers are pretty sketchy, only about a quarter of gunshot wounds that were intended to kill a human are actually fatal. Humans are a lot easier to kill than a bear.
Bear attacks are exceedingly rare. Dumbass Timothy Treadwell spent several summers with coastal brown bears and even played with their cubs before he got himself and his girlfriend eaten. That was also very late in the season. Bears aren't very aggressive. They are too big to run down prey regularly. Even polar bears are stalkers.
This is beautiful, I miss backpacking in the western half of the US
Amazing looking. Reminds me of the 395 drive to Yosemite from Mojave. Great photos and story.
Did you actually summit Granite? It’s on my list
We got within a couple hundred feet of the peak. The last bit you need legit climbing gear for. I knew that it was suggested to use climbing gear but I wanted to check it out to see if it was possible. We didn’t have a death wish to try and climb it without proper equipment, and none of us were climbers lol. It was still an amazing trip and got a pretty cool picture of the peak and it looks gnarly.
Right. What was the hike/climb like to that point from the froze to death plateau?
So we camped at the start of the plateau and hiked from there the second day. It was a fairly long hike and we weren’t trying to hustle to the peak and made it back to camp after dark. So I would suggest hiking farther and camping. People would build wind blockers from the rocks cause it can get pretty windy up there sometimes. The hike was pretty easy across the plateau, as the name implies, it’s pretty flat ish besides all the rocks. Once you get past the plateau you get to the ice bridge and it’s basically just a bolder dash. It wasn’t hard climbing the boulders cause we dropped our packs on the edge of the plateau. It is the steepest part of the hike besides rock climbing the peak.
I can send you some of the videos and pictures we took of the ice bridge and the peak
Sure.
hell of a first trip! nice work.
Wonderful pictures thanks so much
And now you’re addicted. Looks like a great hike.
Ah!....Granite Peak!! A gorgeous area!!
That looks ssoooo beautiful 😍😍😍
I'm guessing you just camped somewhere on Froze-to-Death? There are some little rock windbreaks set up near Tempest, but if your pic of Granite is the closest you got, you were still a mile or so away from that?
Bear gun was unnecessary. Spray would have been sufficient. Your biggest risk are those goats. :D
No we decided to camp at the start of the plateau. There was a little dip off the side with two natural windbreakers and it was a pretty sweet spot. We got right up to granite peak but didn’t summit the last couple hundred feet cause you need some legit climbing gear and we weren’t going to try to free solo it lol. It was so cool seeing those mountain goats up there and I believe you those goats are massive lol.
Yeah, there are some little scoops on the E Rosebud and W Rosebud sides of FTD that are nice camping spots. From the pics, it looks like you did the W Rosebud side going up "the Switchbacks from Hell".
Now that I realize your pics are reverse chronological order, I see where the first shot its, looking south toward Cairn Mountain, maybe just before the snow bridge. For Granite, generally the most exposed section is the snow bridge. That's the only section we roped up, because the consequence of a fall there is usually (depending on conditions) certain death. The rock ledges going up feel more exposed than they are, because of the amount of open air behind you, but are very low class climbing, like 5.5, 5.6-ish, and the ledges are all big enough that you aren't going to freefall unless you really push off for some reason, so we climbed unprotected.
Not saying any of this minimize your trip. Just adding context. :) Looks like you had an awesome trip. Worth noting for anyone perusing this thread that the Beartooths are a hidden gem, with granite faces comparable to Yosemite, but once you get further than 3 miles into any of the trails, you pretty much won't see anyone. Even on the Beaten Path, which is by far the busiest trail, if you set up on one of the thousand campsites just off of the trail, you have pretty much guaranteed quiet, solitude, and views. You can hike on trails from Red Lodge, MT to Jackson, WY with only two highway crossings. Nearly all of my hiking has been in the Beartooths, and there are still hundreds of remote valleys, lakes, and peaks that I've never seen, and may never see in my lifetime. People who have never been out there just can't understand how vast it is, and 99% of visitors just day-hike a couple miles in. It's a true wilderness treasure. I'm stoked you got to experience it.
Whatever you had to go through was worth it! These are absolutely beautiful pictures!! Thanks for sharing them with us!!
If you make a habit of never brining bug spray, eventually you WILL regret it. I've been eaten alive in Montana. Especially early in the summer.
At that elevation I wasn’t too worried about it and it was beginning of September so it was pretty good conditions and had a constant breeze the whole time. I’m sure i would regret not bringing it but thats also why i wear long sleeves, pants and a hat while hiking. When i do regret bringing it, I’ll think back to your comment and be like yep they told me lol.
That’s amazing! I made the mistake of just reading a bunch of REI articles and buying everything at Walmart for my first trip. My pack was over 30lbs (for 1 night), it was a 5 mile round trip, AND I almost died. Seriously. I like to think I’ve learned a lot since then 😅
Yea that is a pretty heavy pack. I learned from some ultra light backpackers and just did what i could to minimize the stuff I brought without breaking the bank. Thats great you learned from your trip.
Yes, cut by well over half. Learned how to make a lot of my own stuff and actually make it for others now 😅
That’s awesome! What types of things do you make?
Not a whole lot of stuff. I’m Finding Trail on Etsy. I try to do it cheap, bc I know what it’s like to HAVE to make stuff yourself bc you can’t afford to buy it.
That’s pretty cool. I just checked out your page. You make a lot of pretty useful stuff for people who are trying to shed weight in any way they can. If i ever need anything i know where to go now
Thank you - I seriously wasn’t trying to advertise, I just loved your photos. I wish my first trip had been that gorgeous!
OH.MY.GOD.
A buddy of mine and I did a 4 day trek last year around Granite peak. All of the hikes around there are hard with lots of ups and downs! Surprisingly little water and few flat camp sites but stunning scenery. Bear spray only - not sure I’d want to carry 3 lbs of gun/ammo but the only wildlife we saw was a couple of other people and a partridge. We camp what we call “comfort light”. About 23 lbs with food. Also of interest, our inReach mini didn’t work to well.
Yea there isn’t too many places to camp there but we managed to find a pretty good spot off the plateau. I will eventually get better gear over time to lighten the load and it also helps to split up a 3 person tent so we aren’t carrying as much weight on us.
I don't know anything about this type of trip but I wanna do it. However I get really intimidated by things like cost, where to start etc I honestly was gonna start with a survival class lol
It’s always good to know how to survive in the wild for worst case scenarios. It’s not a heavily trafficked trail past mystic lake which is about 2 miles in or so. My bag cost me around $250 on sale but i got it knowing i would go backpacking or full day hiking 5+ times a year. There are plenty of cheaper bags out there or you can probably rent one from a local outdoors store. I would look online and watch some backpacking tutorials on basic necessities and see what you can rent from a local store. This is probably the cheapest route unless you know some people to borrow gear from. Honestly planning and researching is the hardest part of the trip for me. I spent weeks planning the trip to granite peak. Watching videos on YouTube is what helped me the most and I learned a lot.
Thanks for your honest feedback.
You’re worried about weight yet you carry a god-awful heavy gun which would probably do you no good in any circumstance. “Bear gun” - utter nonsense.
There are more grizzlies in Montana than any other of the lower 48 states. I passed at least 3 people on the trail that i saw was carrying and one of them was a guide who takes people up regularly. I don’t think i made a mistake at all bringing it. Everyone has an opinion on guns and that just how i like to hike. I got a family to live and provide for, it would be inconsiderate of me to choose weight over protection plus I always carry bare spray with me as the first line of defense.
I’m sure I’ve hiked in the Beartooths longer than you’ve been alive. Never seen the need for a gun. Remember, you’re the one worried about weight . Frankly, a gun an a Granite Peak climb seems pretty ridiculous.
That’s just your opinion and you are totally entitled to that.
No argument from me.
Bear spray is more effective than a gun. Look up the stats. Way lighter, too. I backpack in grizzly territory for about a month every year (and encounter at least 1 every year) and find the idea of bringing a gun comically sad.
dang, go big or go home!
I also posted this on r/backpacking page. There might be some helpful comments on there.
I didn’t know what ultralight was until my 3rd trip. You killed it - way to go! Thanks for sharing!