I can second the recommendation of the S&W. Mine is a 360PD which I believe is the same model except with an exposed hammer. I use it as a BUG in either a pocket or ankle holster. On my ankle, I literally don't even know it is there. It is the only gun that has not been uncomfortable with that method of carry. The only downsides are inherent in it's design. It is a J frame revolver, so accuracy at anything other than breathing distance isn't great, and it is extremely light, so shooting 357 magnums through it will do a number on your wrist / hand. Sure you can practice with 38's but that may not be a great idea if you plan to carry the 357's.The Annoyed Man wrote:I haven't been able to backpack for a long time now, for the reason that the weakest link in my circumstances is the "back" part of the equation. But I used to backpack a lot when I was a young man - New Mexico's Gilda Wilderness, Colorado Rockies, California Sierras and SoCal's national forests. Back then, I didn't carry a gun at all. Heck, I didn't even own a gun. I carried a BFK (Big Freaking Knife) and a hatchet. But it was a kinder time, and I didn't worry so much about human predators. And I relied on good field craft to not become bear scat.
But I still have a backpack, and I keep it stocked as a go-bag (bug-in, bug-out, get-home bag, whatever you want to call it). One thing you might find in that bag if I was humping through the boonies with it is a S&W Model M&P340 revolver. This is a scandium-framed snubnose in .357 magnum. At 13 oz, plus 4 speedstrip reloads plus a spare 25 round box of ammo, it doesn't add all that much weight to the backpack, and it provides a LOT of punch in a fairly lightweight package. Also bring some expanding rubber ear plugs.......'cause this thing is LOUD.
I have no plans to be on the go on foot without one of my regular sidearms (a Glock 19 or 17), but that tiny little scandium-framed snubbie would be a great choice for someone backpacking recreationally. Also, there are a plethora of various kinds of holsters available from a veritable galaxy of makers to fit J-frame snubbies, so if one wanted to carry this lightweight snubbie on one's person for rapid access instead of stowed in the pack, finding the right solution would be a piece of cake.
Aside from the gun's light weight is its diminutive size, which makes it easy to conceal if one needs to do so, and easy to stow of one doesn't want to carry it on body. Since we are talking purely personal protection here, the lack of a longer barrel (and it's concomitant weight) isn't really a liability. And loaded with the right ammo, it would be adequate for any two-legged predators, as well as being capable of taking any game (or stopping any predators) up to 200-300 lbs if you can get close enough.
I keep mine stoked with Hornady 125 grain Critical Defense in .357 magnum. Hornady claims 1200 fps and 400 ft-lbs at the muzzle from a 2" barrel for this load; 1084 fps/326 ft-lbs at 50 yards, and 1002 fps/279 ft-lbs at 100 yards.
If you decide to go this route, I would definitely buy the .357 version, and not the +P .38 special version. My thinking is that you can still shoot the .38 and .38 +P ammo in the gun if you decide you want to carry that load for EDC, but you still have the option of the more powerful .357 for use in the wilderness. I have fired mine with full house Remington Express 158 grain white tail hunting loads. I don't recommend it as regular fair......the recoil is brutal......but it won't shatter your hand, and I'd shoot that load again if I had to - especially to feed myself or put down a really dangerous large animal. But for most uses, the 125 grain CDs are more than adequate, and they're not that bad to shoot. They sting the hand a little bit, but it isn't really painful, and they'll be more up to the task of wilderness survival than a +P .38 special.
I actually keep a Ruger SP101 and a box of ammo in my BOB. I can stand a little more weight in that bag vs on my ankle. It is more accurate with less recoil than the smaller S&W, and it is built like a tank, so less need to worry about the last time I have cleaned it.