As often happens with me, I have not read the entire thread, namely because I don't think that my input is sided with one opinion or another, but simply my experience.

When we travelled to Argentina and Chile, if you believed the Foreign office Website and fell for the South America stigma, as many of my friends and family did when we initially voiced our plans to travel, we would have travelled in a tank.

Truth is I agree with the adage that if you assume you'll find trouble you will. Its more a case of don't assume you won't than assume you will!!

I thought about a firearm for about half an hour but, like someone told me and another posted earlier, unless you know how to use it, and know you have no qulams about shooting someone else, aside from the legal ramifications, its likely the gun would land you in more trouble than not.

When we travelled, the only thing we carried for our own preservation was our common sense and my plain, full-tang survival knife. The latter was more for the unforeseeable rather than cutting throats, camm-ed up, in the dead of night breaking my girlfriend out of the guerilla jungle base!!
Actually just a tool to cut wood for a fire, gut a fish, dig a fire pit if we got stranded somewhere harsh... Once we got there, we soon realised that was pretty unlikely anyway.

I say, don't bother.

__________________
Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

I mean no personal offence here, but cant you see why most of the world groans and rolls their eyes when you mention "Americans"

Sure, im not from your culture but I can't understand why anyone would feel the need to carry a gun. Especially when travelling.

I own a machette, axes and other offensive weapons that are fine at home but I would never consider carrying them on a bike for "safety"

Sadly, im groaning and rolling me eyes !

Leave the gun at home.


P.S. Revolver for guest use ???... What is wrong with you yanks.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Interesting how a question that was asked nearly two years ago has come around over and over again; it seems that it will ever be so.

The last couple of posts from the US and UK appear to encapsulate the discussions (& cultural differences identified) that have taken place here since the first post - the majority answer to the original question seems to be a resounding "no, don't do it, the juice is not worth the squeeze".

For my two pence worth, the criminals will always have the initiative over law-abiding people because they do not obey societies rules (Fortunately, they are a minority still).
That is not a reason to join them in willfully breaking local laws on possession of firearms.

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Dave

People... this guy is looking for advice only, if you can't help him keep you political opinions to yourself. I'm from Argentina and I feel more safe in N.Y. than in Buenos Aires, like Sandra and Javier said, there are not dead YET!!!, just take a look a the news...
My advice... take a good course on self-defense, and be aware of the simbols written in the walls on the street, specially in mexico,guatemala,honduras,colombia.
Other thing... unlike the States, in central and south america it's a crime to carry a weapon (not only fire arms) for everybody to see, even if you have a permit, the weapon must remain concealed.
The only weapons I carry when I travel even in the States is knives, a 6" fix blade in my belt, a 4" folder in my pocket, and a very usefull one, 1 1/2" blade neck knife.
Police never had a problem when they saw the one in my belt, the other remains in secret, still when you are in the cities you must concelead all weapons.
Somenoe said in the post "weapons kill people" I disagree, people who doesn't know how or when to use it kill other people. Rapist, murderers don't fit in my list of "people", be prepared if you go to Brasil....
Have a nice ride...
Loner.

I am an American and I carry no firearms unless I am on a hunting trip--I do hunt deer on occasion and I have carried my rifle on my motorcycle.

I notice my Hispanic friends here in the Columbia Basin are very knowledgable about firearms and have them available most times, mostly they say to protect themselves from others from their homeland area. A sad thing related to labor issues I'm told by the sociologists.

I cannot imagine a situation where a traveller would be excused if s(he) was discovered with a firearm.

Not a way to go visiting. I have ridden to rallies in the United States for 30 years and only on rare occasions have I discovered firearms were carrried by attendees. To characterize us motorcyclists as gun toters is incorrect for the most part.

This may be common among certain riders and marques in certain urban jungles, not so much for the rural American enjoying the great landscapes we have.

Enjoy. Be kind. Life is short.

I rode from Mexico to Ushuaia on a Honda 125 (blog at www.simongandolfi.com). Had I met a bandit I would have argued that an old pensioner on a small bike wasn't worth robing - but that a rich gringo on a BIG Harley would be long in half an hour.

Old age and treachery wins every time !

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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Carrying a weapon is a constant, constant pain in the ass. I would also bet that if at any stage in any trip you feel that you need it , it will be locked in the hotel safe, on the bike, in the robbers hands, etc...get my point.
The chance of something happening to you is slim, and the chance of a gun getting you out of that slim situation very very slim.
Orrin

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Damn. There was three days with no posts so I thought I was going to get the last word. ;-)

Loner, you're correct. There is no limit. And when I had a gun held to me in Tanzania, it was a pretty big gun. As I was driving, even if I had a gun with me, it would've had to have been VERY accessible at that very moment. And everything would've needed to work in my favor. All possible as I'm sure your training would say. As it was, since I didn't have a gun, I found a more peaceful way out of the situation.

But you're correct, there must certainly be situations which you can't work your way out of, just as there are plenty that you can. It's just a matter of how you choose to make your play. I also think your idea of making a 'manual' of how to work your way out of situations without a weapon is a good one. But surely, don't they offer that in the police force? I can't believe they don't prepare you for all eventualities. Maybe they do, because you do say you need to do whatever it takes to overcome your fear. And fear is what will draw an attacker to you, as someone posted a zillion pages ago. Dogs sense fear in people and that's who they'll go for. Ditto with people-attackers. (Excluding those who are drug-induced, but maybe that's another reason for you to carry a gun?) So that brings us back to the real 'weapon' - confidence. And so I guess some people need physical weapons, others don't.

And is this thread ever going to end? We certainly like hashing this one out!
Lorraine

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I can understand why vincent danna is amazed. Even though some cultures consider it "normal" to carry a weapon, it doesn't mean that if you come from a culture where it isn't normal, then you shouldn't voice your opposition to it.

I notice that this thread, started by an American, is asking about any difficulties in carrying a gun (the guy obviously intended to) whereas the thread on "Guns, knives and hand grenades", started by a Brit, was just asking for a view on carrying weapons - a bit different I think.

My opinion is, if you carry a gun for protection then you are prepared to use it. Anybody in that frame of mind should not be travelling the world!

Sorry to write again, but Matt... you write in you post something like : we need to ask ourself if we are ready to kill somebody... other write "if your traveling with a gun please stay home".
From the posts that I already saw from Kidcalavera, the guy knows how to use a gun... that's not the point. Is not the point, also, if we are ready to kill... nobody is gonna pull a gun for a mere robbery, that is going to extreme... but, i.e. Brasil is not only mere robbery, some of them will kill you just for your shoes, even for the bike, happened in the past and is happening now... so the point is, in a extreme case like that, are you prepare to die?
For a close experience, with a friend of a friend, in '98, Rio de Janerio, Brasil, the robber just kill the guy for a camera, shot before even ask for it, his friend without a gun can't shot back of course, but also wounded. So in my mind always is "better you(the robber) than me"...
I had a few bad experiences in Brasil and Argentina. In Brasil I fought back (I had my gun, never pulled out, because was hand to hand), but in Cordoba, Argentina at 10.25 am on Ruta Nacional 9 going north two guys opened fire at me(I was riding!!) from the side of the road, I shot back...
I understand Kidcalavera, I just hope that he or everybody else that carry a gun could know when to pull it.
Kidcalavera, I can help you with a few tips about Brasil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru if you need...
Thanks.
Loner
Yahoo!
Loner.

vs
How can people be so blind?

Everybody has to do what he or she thinks is the right thing. That is the price we pay for freedom.
All we can do is hope that one day, the blind ones learn to see.

Maarten

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maartensworld.com
beyond-anywhere.com

mmaarten: I don't undestand complety what are you trying to say... but anyway, don't take what I said and put it out of the contest... What I said was : Nobody is gonna pull a gun for a mere robbery, thats mean... if someone try to take something empty handed, you have to be real crazy to pull a gun... Everybody should fight back, but with the same amount of force received, Can you imagine what the court will think if you shot a guy unarmed who tried to steal your wallet and he was running?
Common sense...
Loner

Hi Loner,

I did not pull anything out of context. I just showed two very diferent sides
of responsible people that carry a gun.

Let me show an other example:

We all find it terible and in-human that someone gets shot for 50 U$.
But in the eyes of many gun-carying people it is completely normal to
shoot someone only because he wants to take the same 50 U$ from you.

Yes, the robber it at fault because he started it, but does that make the
guy who shot the robber for 50 U$ more human?

What I am trying to show is that the isue is much more complex then you
might think. There are so many "however" and "but if" arguments.

They say: "Gun's don't kill people, people kill people".
That is not completely acurate.
It should be: "Gun's don't kill people, people with gun's kill people"

However (see, there we go) I can understand your point of view. Once I was
mugged by four guy's. I had a "robery-wallet" (with 10 U$) with me, but I did
not give it to them simply because I was angry.
One of the guy's bit me in my arm and that pissed me off so much I started to
fight and I actually tried to kill one of them. Luckilly he got away (and so did
his friends).
If I would have been carying a gun or even a knife, I would have killed him
and spend a long time in a Colombian jail.

This is the entire isue. No one in their sane mind will use his gun on an other
human. But sometimes people get so angry they momentarily loose their mind.
At those moments it is better to be un-armed or you end up removing
some poor guys lung over a quarter on the pool-table.
Since you do not know when this moment will occur, it is better to never
carry a gun (unless you are hunting or shooting competition)

But like I said before: Everyone has to decide by himself. That is the price of
freedom. Freedom for me to "not carry a gun" and freedom for you to "carry a
gun".

I just hope no one mistakes my quarter on the pool-table for his and.....

Maarten

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i traveled for a year from san francisco to ushuaia and back. we went thru colombia and took all the scenic, off road routes thru central and south america. i was even robbed at knife point. i even saw quite a few 'civilians' carrying firearms, not to mention the ubiquitos armed military and poilce.

all that said.....do NOT take a firearm. you absolutely dont need one and above all you're asking for trouble. if someone wants to kill you they'll kill you. if they just want your belongings then it's not worth your life nor living w/ the fact you killed someone over some cash and a passport. i never felt like i needed any kind of protection except a condom.

the best weapon you can carry is a smile.

so....leave the gun at home cowboy.