Carl Levitian
member
I guess one benifit of living in a non CCW state, is that I'm used to not having a gun around when I'm out and about. But even if I could, I have a liking for some kinds of vehicles that by nature of the beast, one cannot lock up and leave valuebles inside.
I like motorcycles and motorscooters. Its been a life long thing, and to this day I'm queer over two wheels with a motor someplace in between them. For many years I rode old BMW boxer twins. R65, R80, R60. Traveling on a bike is a study in minimal packing. Saddle bags and a dufffle bag on the back are it. If it don't fit, it don't go.
In 2000, I did a cross country out to the Oregon coast and back, and camped out along the way. East of the Missisipi I camped out at KOA's, but once out west I just pulled off into the countryside of BLM land. I thought about a gun, but with no hard bags or place to keep it, I went without.
Thats not to say I was unarmed. I had my knarliest, knobyest blackthorn walking stick along. I carried it stuck under some bungy cords that were around my duffle bag on the back of the bike. As I got off the bike, I just reached back and pulled it out, and it went with me. Since I planned on stopping alot at places like the Browning museum in Utah, the mountain man museum in Colorado, the Fur trade museum in Nebraska, and Bents Old Fort in Colorado, I didn't want to leave anything on the bike that I couldn't replace at the next surplus store or Galyans. As it was people left my bike alone. Surprise.
These days the big bikes are gone, but the better half and I roam around on our PX150 Vespa's. We go out to the shore and camp at Assategue Island National seashore, packing our gear in duffle bags that go on the floorboard between our feet, and bungied on the back passenger seat. Sometimes we'll ride down Skyline drive in the Shenendoah National Park, and camp out along the way. I still don't like being unarmed, so theres a few items along. I still have my walking stick, being a 50% disabled vet nobody can say anything about ti. But I also pack along a 12 inch machete in the bag in front of me. Kind of a little something extra just in case. Since its in a bag with a tent, Optimus stove, and other camp gear, it looks as innocent as a small beat up sap stained machete can look. Its very sharp of course. Sometimes its my Tramontia, sometimes it's my Ontario 12 inch.
I have a friend who was a real dyed in the wool Jeep fanatic. He also liked to travel, but a rag top CJ is not the most secure thing in the world. He also left the guns home, and had to travel with "other" alternatives. Once, at the opposite end of the country in California, he and his better half were on the beach, and came back to the Jeep to find the whole rag top and windshield assembly gone. But they left his GI entrenching tool there among the stuff on the floor. Thier bags had been gone through, but they had nothing of great value in them. A jacket was missing, and a pair of boots. Lenny was glad he had left his .357 home.
Travel can present it's own problems, depending on what kind of vehicle you choose. Under some conditions, a firearm can present a problem just by being there.
I like motorcycles and motorscooters. Its been a life long thing, and to this day I'm queer over two wheels with a motor someplace in between them. For many years I rode old BMW boxer twins. R65, R80, R60. Traveling on a bike is a study in minimal packing. Saddle bags and a dufffle bag on the back are it. If it don't fit, it don't go.
In 2000, I did a cross country out to the Oregon coast and back, and camped out along the way. East of the Missisipi I camped out at KOA's, but once out west I just pulled off into the countryside of BLM land. I thought about a gun, but with no hard bags or place to keep it, I went without.
Thats not to say I was unarmed. I had my knarliest, knobyest blackthorn walking stick along. I carried it stuck under some bungy cords that were around my duffle bag on the back of the bike. As I got off the bike, I just reached back and pulled it out, and it went with me. Since I planned on stopping alot at places like the Browning museum in Utah, the mountain man museum in Colorado, the Fur trade museum in Nebraska, and Bents Old Fort in Colorado, I didn't want to leave anything on the bike that I couldn't replace at the next surplus store or Galyans. As it was people left my bike alone. Surprise.
These days the big bikes are gone, but the better half and I roam around on our PX150 Vespa's. We go out to the shore and camp at Assategue Island National seashore, packing our gear in duffle bags that go on the floorboard between our feet, and bungied on the back passenger seat. Sometimes we'll ride down Skyline drive in the Shenendoah National Park, and camp out along the way. I still don't like being unarmed, so theres a few items along. I still have my walking stick, being a 50% disabled vet nobody can say anything about ti. But I also pack along a 12 inch machete in the bag in front of me. Kind of a little something extra just in case. Since its in a bag with a tent, Optimus stove, and other camp gear, it looks as innocent as a small beat up sap stained machete can look. Its very sharp of course. Sometimes its my Tramontia, sometimes it's my Ontario 12 inch.
I have a friend who was a real dyed in the wool Jeep fanatic. He also liked to travel, but a rag top CJ is not the most secure thing in the world. He also left the guns home, and had to travel with "other" alternatives. Once, at the opposite end of the country in California, he and his better half were on the beach, and came back to the Jeep to find the whole rag top and windshield assembly gone. But they left his GI entrenching tool there among the stuff on the floor. Thier bags had been gone through, but they had nothing of great value in them. A jacket was missing, and a pair of boots. Lenny was glad he had left his .357 home.
Travel can present it's own problems, depending on what kind of vehicle you choose. Under some conditions, a firearm can present a problem just by being there.
