Worked for Jeremiah...biggest issue is having the right spices with you for "leg'o'miscreant"!
BTW, I've sort of defaulted to large-bore revolvers for backcountry carry. My favorites are the S&W Ultralites, such as the .44 Magnum 329 I used on the show and the 296/396 Ultralite .44 Specials or the Charter Arms Bulldog .44 (which, now that CT makes LaserGrips for it, moves up in my estimation).
Here's a caveat on the 19-ounce 329...it is a world class .44 Special revolver that will also shoot .44 Magnum loads, but BEWARE of heavy bullet loads (beyond 240 grains) in the 329 unless you disable the Rube Goldberg internal lock! Voice of experience speaking here!
Re: Crossdraws (and to an extent shoulder holsters), the dis'sing of crossdraws and shoulder holsters are good examples of how what might make perfect sense for LEOs and or for people shooting competitions can sometimes be incorrectly filtered into the mainstream. Crossdraws have been a popular alternative to the strongside holster since the Old West days and for pretty consistent reasons...they're a great holster when riding a horse (Old West reason #1) or a motorcycle/ATV (Modern reason #1) or driving (Modern reason #2) or if you may have to draw from a seated position (Modern reason #3), where a strongside draw might cause you to either move your legs or cant your body and telegraphy your move.
They are also chainsaw fast to access...in the early days of "combat" shooting we all used crossdraws, or a crossdraw set in the appendix position, because they were quick quick quick. Depending on the guns, crossdraws conceal pretty well, especially since the "experienced" eye goes to the person's strong (usually right) side looking for signs of concealed carry.
Finally, crossdraws do well carrying heavy guns, with the weight distributed a little more on the long access of the belt.
Crossdraws fell from favor with LEOs because they are much easier to snatch...you're presenting the butt of your pistol to a possible assailant. They fell out of favor (read, got banned) in competition because a crossdraw often resulted in "sweeping" either spectators or the person drawing or reholstering the gun. Secondly, modern techniques, including the punch-out draw stroke and firing from retention, are all built around the strongside holster. A draw from a crossdraw holster is a distinctly different animal than a strongside draw. Modern strongside draws have you rotating the barrel of the gun toward the target the moment the gun breaks out of the holster, giving you essentially a retention firing position; then the gun is punched out toward the target.
In a crossdraw (if I remember correctly), you'll be rotating your strong wrist toward vertical as you break the gun out of the holster and punch the gun toward the target. You can still fire during the transition, but you don't have as strong a retention position.
Lots of top cowboy shooters use a strongside and a crossdraw for their two pistols (the system I use)...to keep from breaking the 180 degree line there's a "crossdraw two-step" you see 'em do on the draw.
Ditto for shoulder holsters, which work great in their intended application. For winter hiking I will often go to an Uncle Mike's shoulder holster (fabric rather than leather, since there can be sweat buildup under winter shells), which can be accessed through the front vent zips of so-equipped shells. I like this because it allows me to "go to the gun" sooner...in the dead of winter what looks more normal than sticking your hands through the front vents of your jacket and tucking them into your armpits/
Finally finally, your backcountry carry method is going to totally depend on what other gear you are regularly carrying — backpacks, hydration packs, fanny packs, etc. Gear is a strictly personal choice, and there's about a billion variations, so it's hard to make any general recommendations!
Michael B, blathering on
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