Carrying, hotel room, and kids

[dprimm]

For those who carry, have kids, and travel, what do you do to secure your firearm when in a hotel room? How do you keep the firearm safely secured from the kid(s)?

I am thinking of the situation where you are asleep and the kid(s) gets up and around. Train, trust, but kids are kids. How do you secure it?

Thanks
David

 

[Snapdragon]

Locking suitcase?

 

[KLB]

For those who carry, have kids, and travel, what do you do to secure your firearm when in a hotel room? How do you keep the firearm safely secured from the kid(s)?

I am thinking of the situation where you are asleep and the kid(s) gets up and around. Train, trust, but kids are kids. How do you secure it?

Thanks
David

If you cannot trust your children with a loaded firearm in the room, unload it and lock it in a case. Or just leave it at home.

 

[VUPDblue]

Most hotels now days have a small safe in the room.

 

[cce1302]

Train.


Same as at home.

 

[The Keymaster]

Most hotels now days have a small safe in the room.

I don't think most is accurate. Some is likely a better description. I travel a lot, and I would say 10% of the hotels I stay in have safes. I have a Gun Vault Micro that I take along with me to secure my firearm when I am out of the room, and cannot take it with me.

Also keep in mind that some hotel chains do post no guns signs, and in some states they do carry weight of law.

 

[ScouT6a]

I don't know if I am the exception or not. I have a vault to protect my guns from other people when I am not around but I have never needed one to keep my kids away from them.
I grew up around guns every day. Was taught gun safety, marksmanship and hunting. We were taught that guns are another tool. Period. The guns were never locked up when I was a kid. Rifle, shotgun, handgun, did not matter. Ammo was easily accessible. Because, wait for it, we might need the gun. We didn't play with them, nor did we play with chainsaws or power drills.
My kids were taught the same. They both shot their first guns when they were 4 or 5. Guns were never hidden from them or locked away. I taught them and continue to teach them everything I can about them. I sat through the Hunter Education class with both of them, five years apart.
I could lay my loaded handgun down on the couch and it could lay there for a week and they would not monkey with it.
Anyone else out there like that?

 

[eldirector]

I have a little, portable locking box I keep in whatever vehicle we are using. If I am concerned, I'll bring it into the hotel. It has a steel cable to (kinda) secure it, too.

But, my girl knows to not touch "daddy's gun". Or knife, or scissors, or.....

 

[jblomenberg16]

I don't know if I am the exception or not. I have a vault to protect my guns from other people when I am not around but I have never needed one to keep my kids away from them.
I grew up around guns every day. Was taught gun safety, marksmanship and hunting. We were taught that guns are another tool. Period. The guns were never locked up when I was a kid. Rifle, shotgun, handgun, did not matter. Ammo was easily accessible. Because, wait for it, we might need the gun. We didn't play with them, nor did we play with chainsaws or power drills.
My kids were taught the same. They both shot their first guns when they were 4 or 5. Guns were never hidden from them or locked away. I taught them and continue to teach them everything I can about them. I sat through the Hunter Education class with both of them, five years apart.
I could lay my loaded handgun down on the couch and it could lay there for a week and they would not monkey with it.
Anyone else out there like that?

Yes, same here. That said, I am still very cautious about keeping guns safely out of reach. When we travel it is usually in a suitcase, room safe, or on a high shelf in the closet that the kids cant reach. I am genuinely less concerned with needing instant access to it at night given that the threat of a room invasion is very remote.

 

[slowG]

You can travel with a small coded lock box.

 

[gregkl]

I don't know if I am the exception or not. I have a vault to protect my guns from other people when I am not around but I have never needed one to keep my kids away from them.
I grew up around guns every day. Was taught gun safety, marksmanship and hunting. We were taught that guns are another tool. Period. The guns were never locked up when I was a kid. Rifle, shotgun, handgun, did not matter. Ammo was easily accessible. Because, wait for it, we might need the gun. We didn't play with them, nor did we play with chainsaws or power drills.
My kids were taught the same. They both shot their first guns when they were 4 or 5. Guns were never hidden from them or locked away. I taught them and continue to teach them everything I can about them. I sat through the Hunter Education class with both of them, five years apart.
I could lay my loaded handgun down on the couch and it could lay there for a week and they would not monkey with it.
Anyone else out there like that?

Yup. My dad came home from work every night and laid his pistol on the counter to be there for him in the morning. None of us ever gave it a second thought. I was taught at an early age to strip and clean all of my dad's firearms. After all, that was my job when he came back from a hunt or a shoot. Just like my brothers had to shine his shoes. I figure I picked up a longer lasting and more fun skill.

 

[rbMPSH12]

I haven't had this situation in a hotel room, but when traveling and staying somewhere with my children I have unloaded, put a slide lock on it, and stuck it in my suitcase zipper pocket. My kids are 3 and under, though. So they're not going to be capable of finding it, taking the lock off, sticking a mag in, chambering and shooting it.

 

[95YJ]

Last Hotel we stayed at had a safe in the corner of the room...but I put my wifes' 38 Bodyguard on the shelf.

 

[Lectric102002]

This:

GunVault Nano Vault 100 with Keyed Lock-430504 - Gander Mountain

 

[tobi]

I don't know if I am the exception or not. I have a vault to protect my guns from other people when I am not around but I have never needed one to keep my kids away from them.
I grew up around guns every day. Was taught gun safety, marksmanship and hunting. We were taught that guns are another tool. Period. The guns were never locked up when I was a kid. Rifle, shotgun, handgun, did not matter. Ammo was easily accessible. Because, wait for it, we might need the gun. We didn't play with them, nor did we play with chainsaws or power drills.
My kids were taught the same. They both shot their first guns when they were 4 or 5. Guns were never hidden from them or locked away. I taught them and continue to teach them everything I can about them. I sat through the Hunter Education class with both of them, five years apart.
I could lay my loaded handgun down on the couch and it could lay there for a week and they would not monkey with it.
Anyone else out there like that?

99.99% agree - but there is that .01% that makes me cautious (out of sight, out of reach, etc)

 

[gregkl]

99.99% agree - but there is that .01% that makes me cautious (out of sight, out of reach, etc)

I agree. Even though I grew up around guns readily available, that was in a different time with a different generation. I would not advocate treating firearms handling as we did when I was a kid. I have always kept them out of reach and out of sight. I may be able to teach my children right, but I can't speak for all their friends that have come over throughout the years.

 

[dyerwatcher]

Locking suitcase?

Suitcase?? Do you also have a Davenport? Sorry, I just explained these terms to my son a few weeks ago.

 

[Snapdragon]

Suitcase?? Do you also have a Davenport? Sorry, I just explained these terms to my son a few weeks ago.

If suitcases are so obsolete, what do people put their stuff in when they travel?

 

[ScouT6a]

I do not take unnecessary risks with my firearms, for sure but I am really glad to see others out there with common sense, straightforward approaches as well! I "could" leave it laying around and my kids wouldn't touch it but there is always that chance of someone else.
Keep up the good work, ladies and gentlemen!

 

[Lectric102002]

If suitcases are so obsolete, what do people put their stuff in when they travel?

That was going to be my question too. American lost mine yesterday, whatever it's called.