Limiting Your Lifestyle by CC

[btmj]

This is an outgrowth of the recent thread "The way we decide to carry"..... I did not want to hijack that discussion.

How many of you find yourselves avoiding activities which don't allow you to concealed carry?

For example, do you avoid certain athletic activities? I can't imagine swimming laps or playing touch football while wearing a pistol... even running, if you are serious about it, would be hard with a pistol.

Do you avoid travelling to certain cities/states? places you would otherwise want to go, but because you can't legally carry there, you avoid?

I will start by saying that I carry when I can, but if I want or need to do something, I will do it. The fact that I can't carry does not factor into my decission.

But I really want to hear other's thoughts on the matter...

 

[Vermonter]

Limiting Lifestyle

Carrying doesn't really effect my daily life very much. I live in Vermont and therefore can carry almost anywhere. I often go to a post office and simply disarm and leave it in the truck. Many states will allow you to receive an out of state CCW permit therefore travel to them is not an issue.

My toughest lifestyle issue is the fact that I need to travel through New York on occasion. This is mainly to visit family in other more gun friendly states. I am basically unarmed in NYS however I am also normally pedal down on the interstate and not likely to need a carry setup for much. I have been known to stop on either side of the border and reassemble my firearm and re rig before continuing.

If I do travel to a place that will not allow me to carry I can at least leave it behind (locked of course) and have something to protect us while in residence.

To answer your most basic question however if I have no way to carry I will still do whatever activity or go wherever I please. I will not live in fear just preparation.

Kindest Regards, Vermonter.

 

[lawnboy]

I don't avoid doing anything just because I carry a pistol. But often I have to put the pistol away because it is impractical, illegal or violates a contract to carry it certain places or at certain times.

I don't worry much about being unarmed at such times. I even close my eyes and lose consciousness for several hours on an almost daily basis without a gun on my hip.

 

[BarryLee]

As others have mentioned I do not let carrying a firearm alter my lifestyle. However, I do allow a more vigilant and accountable nature alter my lifestyle. There are places I once visited that I could not imagine going now armed or not. Also, I frequently travel from Georgia to South Carolina and our neighbors won’t accept my permit, but I have no issue about still going.

 

[kraigwy]

My life style hasn't changed a bit because I carry and I always carry.

 

[PawPaw]

How many of you find yourselves avoiding activities which don't allow you to concealed carry?

Except for showering and bedtime, I haven't found an activity that doesn't allow me to carry.

**Edit**. I don't carry in a casino, primarily out of respect for tribal law. But I live in a free state and I haven't really found any other activity that specifically forbids it.

 

[ScottRiqui]

I'm in the military and I can't carry on base, so I don't carry on my way to or from, including any errands that I run after work. If I wanted to, I could lock up my gun at the range near base before work and pick it up again after work, but I haven't seen the need so far. After I get home from work, I usually carry if I go back out again.

 

[Hansam]

Carrying or not doesn't affect my lifestyle. If I'm swimming then ah well I'm unarmed. In places I can't carry because its illegal or its against the wishes of the property owner(s) I don't carry. My weapon is then locked securely in my vehicle.

I don't necessarily dress around carrying either. I live in WI and as I like to tell people I'm more of a tropical person. I get chilled even in 70 degree weather so I'm always wearing an over shirt or sometimes an overcoat. Easy enough for me to conceal a full sized 1911. I usually wear cargo shorts in hot and humid weather with a t-shirt and over shirt. Again easy concealment. If I've determined I have to wear attire that doesn't allow me to easily carry then I'm not carrying. That rarely happens however.

CCW has only been legal in WI for a short time (a matter of several months). My lifestyle hasn't changed since before CCW was legal - with the exception that every morning I now have the added step of putting on my gun. Aside from that nothing has changed in my life.

 

[9mm]

Well, you can carry while your swimming, just get one of those water proof boxs.

This is what I will do when I go to the beach and go swimming.

But not here, the water is black and if you go in you might not come out!

Just keep non in the chamber and wrap a towel over it so if people see your case they cant see your gun. Place keys/Id/Ccw etc.. in there, one large strap to your leg/arm and a floaty/orange flag to spot it.

 

[egor20]

Except for the PX and commissary the only other place I can't bring a gun, not even locked in the safe under the truck seat is when I have to pick up and transport horses from Dulles. There are actually times (Spring and Fall) when I don't leave the farm for several weeks. That's the only limits that I can think of.

 

[TexasJustice7]

I limit my travel and activity in places I cannot legally carry to traveling to them only if I have to do so. I refuse to travel and/or do business with any state, location, city or company which does not recognize my Texas gun permit. I don't have a problem doing that because Texas is a big state, and plenty of places I can go without traveling to another State, which are happy to sell me whatever service or product I need.

 

[Qtiphky]

I carry and do everything I have always done, except when not legal to do so. When entering Federal buildings and banks I leave it in the truck. I recently came across a few stores in my neighboring state of Wisconsin that had signs posted that they didn't allow it, so, I will not be going there anymore. Not a big deal, they made their choice of who they want as a customer and I will make my choice through dollars spent - elsewhere.

 

[bds32]

As a peace officer, I may not be as constrained legally as some others, but do find myself not wanting to go places where carrying is not allowed such as in foreign countries. Mexico is a good example. I have been there several times but it is extremely doubtful that I will ever go their again, even in the resort areas. I am just too paranoid that I will not be able to protect my family.

When it comes to activities like jogging, I will carry a knife with me when I am just jogging in my own peaceful neighbhorhood but if I venture out on a long run, I take my Ruger LCR with me. It's not overly comfortable but it is comforting.

The choice to carry all of the time or almost all of the time does lead you to make decisions that those who do not carry at all never give any consideration. Those folks are free of the burden and go happily about their lives with no ability to stop anyone's life threatening actions. For me, the biggest fear is not being ready in the very unlikely event that danger is presented.

The good thing about it is there are a lot of good things to do and a lot to discover in places where carrying is legal and practical. Flying is even easier now if you are going to the right places.

 

[kinggabby]

Only 2 places that I go I can not carry. If i have to go in my daughters school and a NBA game. If I can stay in my car at the school I can remain armed. But if I know I will have to go in I have to make sure my gun is at home. And as stated if i go see the Thunder play like tonight then I can not carry it in the arena. Other than those 2 I remain armed. Now come summer I am not sure haw that would affect me if I go to a swimming pool. But I will worry about that when summer gets here.

 

[Hiker 1]

No, life is way too short to limit your activities by CC. I carry almost all of the time but in those rare circumstances when I can't, should the balloon go up then, I'll handle it another way.

 

[Jeremiah/Az]

I will not go to California or Mexico because of their gun laws. If I see a "no gun sign" in a business of any kind, I turn & leave. At the post office, I leave my gun in the truck. I carry all the time otherwise.

 

[JohnKSa]

The gun is there to serve me, not vice versa. When I want to do something that excludes the gun, I leave it behind.

What about risky activities, you may ask? If something is so risky that I don't feel safe doing it without a firearm then I don't do it at all unless there is absolutely no other choice.

I don't use my carry gun as an excuse to do things I wouldn't do otherwise nor as a reason to not do things I want to do.

 

[firespec35]

If I'm going into a pfz then of course I disarm. I don't avoid them, in fact I enjoy getting out to the bars every once in a while. As for stores with no gun signs, I prefer not to patronize them out of philosophy but if I have to, the signs don't carry force of law here. All they can do is ask you to leave if you're found out.

 

[checkmyswag]

Got to live life. Not going to let not being able to carry a gun while taking Zumba class slow me down!

Zumba? I meant BJJ!

 

[Dragline45]

One of the reasons I choose to carry smaller sized guns is because I do not want to limit my lifestyle in ways. I like to wear what I want and not dress around my carry gun. Also in times where it is not convenient to carry a gun, I just simply don't. Like when swimming, playing basketball, working out at the gym, etc... I remember a post on here where a member has a waterproof pack strapped to his wrist with a NAA .22 while swimming. Sorry but to me that's a little overboard. I don't feel the need to be armed 24/7, but regardless it sure is a nice feeling when you are. Usually if I am not carrying a firearm I have an Armando Beltrame switch blade on me that my father got from Italy, it does not go swimming with me, I wont let that salt water ruin the stag handle.