wally wrote on Jun 3^rd, 2009 at 3:23pm:

More people than ever are packing.  Bet you'd be suprised how many and who, once you started discussing it.  I was absolutly blown away to learn who's packing in my circle of contacts.

 Your dead on with that observation. The local county park that I hike in has a small lake that attracts a lot of wildlife, especially birds. I see and talk too many birdwatchers while exercising there.
One middle-age couple I see and talk too are perfect examples of Wally's observation. They know of my Q trips, and we've both been to Isle Royale more than a few times. Somewhere in our discussion of being solo or a couple in a remote setting, the subject of carrying firearms came up. This couple were very conservative, very soft-spoken.  When I mentioned that I carry where legal, they proceed too tell me they BOTH had CCW's, and then showed me their "iron" they had in their little waist packs ;D After further discussion they told me they ran a husband / wife dental practice and often worked late in the evening. He had been in the military, she never touched a gun until they took the CCW course. They both are law abiding, productive members of society, but I pity the fool who ever tries too rob or molest them ;)