The short answer is no, you don't.
But there are times and certain circumstances where you may consider it.
Many people go into the woods thinking they need to be armed in case of a chance encounter with either a bear or large cat. In reality I think you have more to fear from other humans than these animals.
Incidents with both of these animals do occur, and sometimes there is actually a fatality. But these are few and far between considering how many people are in the woods.
I'd wager there is a much better chance of you dying in your vehicle heading to the trailhead than in the woods from a bear or mountain lion.
That being said, I do carry in the woods quite often, especially if I am guiding a group that has women in it. This is mostly because I carry daily at home, and on a trip with women I have an obligation to ensure their safety.
Some considerations and thoughts on guns for self protection in the backcountry:
- If you are hunting with a rifle you don't need a handgun as well.
- Most people are simply not competent enough with handguns to use them effectively and quickly, especially on moving targets in a high stress environment.
- Unless you carry on your chest, you won't have your pistol on you at all times. Most people will mount a holster on the waist belt of their pack and as soon as you take it off you lose access unless you transition to a belt holster.
- If an area has grizzlies, bear spray would be my go to before a pistol, but I'd carry both.
- Black bears are more scared of us than we are of them generally. Usually they will run as soon as they smell a human.
- You rarely see mountain lions. I'm in the backcountry 30 days a year and I've only seen a mountain lion once in the past 15 years. We occasionally catch them on game cameras but most humans will go their entire lives never laying eyes on one.
- Pistols are heavy. Usually in the backcountry or while backpacking you try to stay as light as possible.
If you are a competent shooter and want to carry a gun in the backcountry then we suggest a chest pack like this one from Hill People Gear. It allows a quick deployment and keeps your firearm concealed and clean.