Im a tent guy lol. But I wont do a one man tent anymore! Things are coffins! Especially after that time a bear ran down on me while I was in it and swiped at it lol. Musta thought I was a snack! lol
I read your post about it. You can't play dead with blacks like a Grizzly. They tell you to fight for you life, aka, "go nuclear", because you can't bluff 'em and they'll maul you alive once they start.
I take a 10mm in moose country, G26 otherwise.
.44's heavy! I took my full sized 1911 once, too heavy and it felt like it was trying to pants me so I got the 10mm Glock. Gets old fast shooting those hand cannons for fun though.
I still like heavy steel guns though, good bludgeon if the ammo runs out lol.
The first time I carried the .44 in my pack, you're right its heavy. So I strapped it to my waist and that helped lol. Debating carrying the .357 instead, it seems like a perfect pistol, not too light, not too heavy. But would require more than one bullet prolly on a bear lol.