>>93475>what elseLook up the 10 Essentials and the Scout Outdoor Essentials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Essentialshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scout_Outdoor_Essentials>>93492>plinking, hunting (depending on the time of year) and general "ohmyfuckinggod its a *animal with teeth and or claws.*"Dude. That's way too much rifle. Plinking? Seriously? With a 7.62x54? Having shot both a Mosin, and a .22 rifle, I can tell you that you're going to have a much happier time with a .22. Get yourself a 10/22 or a Marlin 795. Bonus points if you get a suppressor, so you can shoot without any additional hearing protection. And a box of a 100 rounds of .22lr is, what, $8? And that's for the good stuff (CCI Mini-Mag).
Self defense from animals is a non issue. Scary critters with teeth and claws are what non /out/doorsy people irrationally fear about the /out/doors. There's nothing to be scared of. Bears? Bears are fucking pussies, man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkwy0scRXBU The worst animals to deal with when /out/ are rats. They like to gnaw into your pack and eat your food. Or crawl into your water bottle and die. Fuck rats.
The biggest threat to your safety will be from other human beings (and even then, the hikers and backpackers you meet are all going to be safer than "normal" people). Civilians don't know about caliber, and will be just as scared of a 10/22 facing them, as a Mosin. Or just bring a handgun to save weight. Mosins are heavy. I know. You could do more, with less weight, by bringing a Glock 19 and a 10/22 than a single Mosin.
>>93498>I was planning on bringing my iPhone, even with out reception I vote Android instead, for one very important reason: spare batteries.
>>93492> jeans and boots will be soaked Jeans are poor outdoor garments. They're heavy, and take so long to dry! I've been looking up information on a possible Appalachian Trail thru-hike, and the general consensus is no cotton anything. Wise advice.
