Ran across a blog today with the title, something I’ve thought about and acted on just never put a catchy title to it. The basic concept is a handgun that can be carried concealed and effective in an urban environment as well as being powerful enough for woods carry.

Alaska might be the extreme for this since one doesn’t have to go far to be in, “The Woods”. On the other hand may not be as big of a deal up here since open carry is a lot more common than the lesser 48. But I still find myself on trips in both urban and woods areas. Chasing the Northern Lights and going up to Baldy Trailhead, the trail is in the woods but the parking area is right at the edge of town and there can be a crowd of people up there when the lights are strong. Roadtrips down to Homer; might do a short hike along the way or stop for gas in Soldotna. Denali, spend the day in the park and go to 49th State for dinner at the end of the day.

I’ve carried a few different handguns on these mixed trips. A Smith 329; lightweight, .44 Magnum power but a little large. Dan Wesson 1911 in 10mm; nice and slim, not a .44 and heavy. Glock 20; large for concealed carry but doable. Lately my most carried has been my Ruger GP100 3” barreled 10mm. It’s one of those guns that’s not great at anything but good for everything. While not a .44 10mm is available heavier and larger diameter bullet than a .357, it carries and conceals very easily in an El Paso Saddlery pancake holster. An added benefit of the moon clips is that it’s very easy to change between hardcast and hollow point loadings.

Then start to think what else is out there. A snubbie Ruger Alaskan has crossed my mind more than once. So has a Smith 69, but then I remember it has the hated lock. A gen 5 Glock 29 would be great but the prices on those now that they are no longer available has gotten to be ridiculous. If Smith reintroduces the 310 Nightguard I would be all over that, 10mm in a lightweight Scandium framed revolver.

So what says the forum, what have you found that works for, “Hoods to Woods”?

I would say the GLOCK 29. Small, concealable enough for the hood, decent stopping power with the right ammo for the woods.

glock 29 or 20 or maybe a 357 mag snubnose

My hood to woods gun is an H&K, P2000sk, LEM in 40. I’m not really planning to stop a bear charge. I also don’t like packing a boat anchor while out hiking.

Threats in the woods here are mostly thugs from the hood. Four legged threats include Momma Moose with her baby, or a sick mountain lion, and that's right here in the neighborhood and on the trails into the woods from here.

Thus my solution is the good ol' Sig in 9mm, biased towards the more likely threat of humans. For the moose, I've run away a couple of times. The women folk in the neighborhood are carrying bear spray against the moose. The mountain lion stalking a human is so rare that I'll take my chances with the 9mm mag dump.

I have considered dispersed solo camping in grizzly country in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana with a rifle immediately available, but decided to avoid the risks. I only camp in grizzly country in National Park campgrounds, which reduces my risk back to primarily thugs from the hood looking to steal from tourists.

Alaska's a different story, with a higher risk from bear. Still, I'd make sure whatever I carried was comfortable enough that I'd actually carry it. Here I usually carry in a fanny pack. It's easy to grab-and-go. I'd not choose a solution that deters me from carrying it, even if it would be theoretically better.

With today’s ammo choices, honestly a decent 9mm with one mag loaded with self defense ammo and another loaded with some kind of deep penetrator ammo would probably be fine for 95% of the United States.

.40 is a nice middle ground though. So I’ll take my .40 HK P2000.

If I had to pick one gun for this application, it would be a G29.

Many folks here can't find a consistent urban EDC pistol, which IMO makes a woods/urban carry gun a moot point

I don't do the "woods" thing, never have (well, back in the 80s I did go into the "woods" while in the Army ). So really, no need for a "hoods to woods" type gun for me.

If I was forced (you know, a gun to the head type situation) to go into the woods, then I would just load up my EDC pistol, a WCV Gen 5 Glock 19, with a mag of Buffalo Bore 9MM +P OUTDOORSMAN 147gr. Hard Cast FN.

For the PA, Ohio, and WV woods near me, I think that I would be fine. If I lived in a Alaska, Montana, etc... then things might be a little different.

I'm happy with my XDM Elite 3.8 in 10mm. Bought an extended 15rd magazine which makes for a great grip. With the right holster it carries well. Using Underwood solid rounds.

Going through this decision right now. Looking at a 3 inch 686 plus and might carry a deep penetrating 357 Sig round in my P229 until then. The wife and I enjoy walking the trails here in East TN and there are plenty of 4 legged predators around here.

A Glock 29 is very easy to limp wrist with real 10mm ammo. With the weak rip off off the shelf stuff you find in stores it’s fine, but carry .40 cal at that point because that’s all it is only it costs more.

This isn’t really a one gun fits all situation. The rounds you need for the woods I wouldn’t use outside of the woods. When I go on my dirtbike trips I ride with my g20 with buffalo bore which hides good enough under a jersey in the woods and when we’re done for the day but going out to eat or whatever I just switch back to my p365.

Smith Wesson 396NG. It is easy to carry bass fishing around gators in the south, or trout fishing in grizzly country. And great concealed in between like Kansas City and St Louis

I'd say my Gen 3 Glock 32.

It can do everything from Underwood blazing-hot 357SIG to all manner of .40 S&W and with my match conversion barrel 9mm all day as well.

It's really my tried and true, I've carried it mainly for 25 years now (don't tell Para)....

I've used it as a backup in the woods with FMJ to kill hogs (main being a 556/308).

(well really at a deer lease I did the varminting/hog control on for a very long time)

I also have carried it more than anything else due to the "hipclip" i have had it on for like 25 years or so.... (compared to using a holster it makes it so easy to carry)

I have a Glock 30SF and I have had a 10mm barrel (u have to change the extractor too)

I think the Glock 32 does it better.

I'd rather have the 5 extra rounds

(15+1 of 357SIG/.40 S&W with pearce grip extensions, or now 18+1 Mec-Gar of 9mm for the streets)

I also like .357SIG for urban/car driving encounters due to better penetration through auto glass/sheet metal.

So yes I am a Sig in the Sheets, Glock in the Streets guy

Glock 29. Urban carry Underwood 135gr; Woods Underwood 180 gr. or 220 gr. if bears in significant numbers.

Glock 36 using Buffalo Bore 45ACP +P Outdoorsman hardcast.
The recoil system is a Wolff 21# RSA which functions with everything from 185 critical defense to the +P hardcast stuff.
It’s a thin lightweight setup that packs a punch for black bears in my area hiking trails.

I have 3 or 4 that kinda fit the bill. I still have yet to find the perfect solution. This is definitely a real thing, though, as I travel a lot to go hiking and don't like to bring more than one gun, since I'm leaving the car abandoned at remote trailheads for days at a time, and break-ins are a real concern.

The one I take the most is the 329PD. It's light, packs a huge punch, and pound for pound you can't get more power in a lighter package. The downside is that as an N-Frame it's bulky, and sometimes overkill.

The 2 3/4" Model 69 is much more comfortable to carry concealed, and easier to hide, but it's heavy. Too heavy for a serious backpacking trail gun, IMO. Smith and Wesson/Lipsey's missed the boat with the new 396 Nightguards when they released them in .44 Special instead of .44 Mag. Yeah I know a scandium magnum sucks to shoot, but when you're looking for maximum energy in a small, lightweight package, a scandium version of the 69 (369?) would be the sweet spot for a backpacking big-bore IMO.

I have a 3" Model 60 in .357 Mag that works pretty well when I'm east of the Mississippi where the threats are smaller. I shoot a J-frame pretty well, and it's super convenient for carry, but it is heavier than it needs to be, and wile 3" is better than 2" ballistically, the .357 really wants at least 4" to wring decent velocity out of it. I wish they'd make a scandium 4" model 360 with adjustable sights....it would be a slimmer, lighter counterpart to my 329PD in a smaller caliber.

Finally, I have a P220 compact that I can load with .44 +P. I've never actually carried this setup on the trail because it's heavy and I typically defer to revolvers for the woods, but if I knew I was going to have to spend a bunch of time in an urban environment on my way to the woods, I might consider it. .45 ACP isn't 10mm, but I've done some comparisons on milk jugs and from what I've seen 255gr hard-cast +P holds its own against most of the 10mm stuff for penetration. Throw in a couple of mags of quality 230gr jhp for around town, and it's a pretty viable package. Like the 69, though, it's a bit heavy.

And if you can carry a heavier Hood-Gun, a Ruger Bisley 44 in a Simply Rugged crossdraw, with Buffalo Bore hardcast.

I have a safe full of hunting and woods bumin'guns. More than I need. But the last two years my in woods gun has been my most of the time carry gun, a Hellcat OSP, mostly because I can just stick it and it's holster in my back pocket. Because the last two years most of my time in the woods has been doing woods work. Cutting trees, clearing brush spraying invasive brush, doing hack and squirt. Where a holstered gun would get in the way and/or get damaged. So I haven't even bothered bringing other things. I almost feel guilty all those great guns aren't getting used.

As an east coaster, I stopped carrying my 686 snub a few years back and moved over to a Glock 30 for “hoods to woods”. I carry 230 gr HST for civilization and the Underwood 255 gr +P hard cast for hiking duty.