how often, or where does everyone else carry a sling? I carry one absolutely everywhere with me. Everyone that has seen my sling, but have not seen me use it hasn't even recognized it as a weapon at all. I had someone ask me if I was making a custom helmet chin strap, or an eyepatch. I wouldn't even try to use it on someone who is pointing a knife or gun at someone, because I am not confident enough in my accuracy, and I would likely look like an idiot, needlessly breaking someone's window when I am trying to hit a mugger, and escalating the situation instead of ending it by stopping the bad guy but if I ever see a rogue pack of feral dogs terrorizing a neighborhood, it is game on.

Hi, Sgt.X-treme;
   Welcome to slinging.org.  I sling while walking my two Huskies, and I have to walk them at least two or three times a day.  It seems that I always have a sling in my pocket because of this.  

"a rogue pack of feral dogs"...where do you live, the slums of Mexico City? In defending yourself against that a sling would be a very poor choice of weapon imho.
To answer your question there usually is a sling somewhere in the many pockets of my coat, but I don´t consider myself "armed" because of it...

Hi Rat, I completely gave up slinging while walking the dogs, reason 1 Tinna started to eat the ammo(yep, swallowing stones she barfed up later at home...) reason 2, that same dog has been developing an increasingly worse hip condition over the last half year or so , running after stones is not a good idea right now.

wrote on Feb 19^th, 2010 at 12:36pm:

"a rogue pack of feral dogs"...where do you live, the slums of Mexico City? ...

In western Virgina & West Virgina I have run into feral dogs on numerous occasions. Had nothing to do with slums or Mexico.
A sling to me is a hobby so I take it out when I plan to sling. Personal protection I carry a .44 w/ a 4" barrel.

-Ron

I live in Central Virginia and I see packs of dogs running around.

I always have a sling with me. At the very least it's a good conversation starter.

At all times, sometimes I get  lucky and pass a proper place and throw some rocks.

And Ilovepancakes is right, nice topic of conversation. .

If I'm wearing clothes I'm carrying a sling :-)

I rarely dont have one, its just a habbit. just in case there may be even the smallest chance (.001%), ill bring a sling.

nearly always when on vacation, and sometimes on normal times.

Always.

The only time I don't have a sling on me is when I'm naked.... Or do I?....

(Staff sling perhaps? Or is that a mini-staff sling?)

I very often have a sling/s in my pocket or at least in the car, but I am very rarely armed with it. Slings are for fun and recreation, not really defence. You can't use one in a confined space like a gun. If it's all coiled up, it takes a considerable time to get it ready, plus having the sling isn't much good if you don't also carry at least one stone. Discharge that and all you've really got is a bit of string to defend yourself.

Aussie wrote on Feb 19^th, 2010 at 5:07pm:

(Staff sling perhaps? Or is that a mini-staff sling?) I very often have a sling/s in my pocket or at least in the car, but I am very rarely armed with it. Slings are for fun and recreation, not really defence. You can't use one in a confined space like a gun. If it's all coiled up, it takes a considerable time to get it ready, plus having the sling isn't much good if you don't also carry at least one stone. Discharge that and all you've really got is a bit of string to defend yourself.

'Please Mr Mugger stand still while I garotte you with my sling'...... Real problem is you need space to work with. While not ever having been mugged myself , from the 2 people I know who have it sounds like by the time they were sure it was a mugging, the range was very short ie the knife/screwdriver came out and the threats started at about 6-10ft. Its way too late. You pull out your sling before youre getting mugged and you'll probably wind up looking like a criminal yourself - either youve threatened someone who wasn't in the process of attacking you, or someone who will CLAIM they werent going to attack you no way officer sir this lunatic just pulled out this string thing and no that commando knife in my pocket was just so I could peel my apple later and no all those convictions I got for assault and robbery were ages ago - weeks even Im completely reformed............ If you can get to a distance where it will be useful in most cases youre probably better just keeping on running. Definitely theyre more a sporting good than a weapon these days.

I have a sling or two on me most of the time like when my wife and i want to bob evans and as we sat down at the table i looked at my wife and said u know the salt and peper shaker[sp?] on this table would make great ammo for my sling in a pinch i just got one of those looks  ;D

wrote on Feb 19^th, 2010 at 12:42pm:

Hi Rat, I completely gave up slinging while walking the dogs, reason 1 Tinna started to eat the ammo(yep, swallowing stones she barfed up later at home...) reason 2, that same dog has been developing an increasingly worse hip condition over the last half year or so , running after stones is not a good idea right now.

Yo, kruggur;
  Watch that rock swallowing.  It's called pica and can get chronic.  Kali did that for a while when we first got her.  She cost us a fortune at the vets and almost killed herself.  I had to keep a basket muzzle on her face every time we went outdoors for six months to break her of it.  Prior to Kali's pica I'd never used anything like that.. no muzzles, electric shock collars, choker collars, etc...  I had to admit that my dog training skills weren't enough to save her.  
   It's a shame that you had to give up on that practice time, but you can't endanger your pooch's health.  

I have one in my back pocket - but I never use it, and 2 in my backpack.
But if I have to answer your question the answer would be: never.

I am equipped with a sling if I'm wearing pants, but would not consider myself armed.

I've double laced both my hiking boots so when I'm in the woods I have a sling and a snare holding my shoes on! ;D I used to carry a sling everywhere, but now I just keep a couple in my truck and use one as a hat band for my favorite straw hat. So even though I usually don't have a sling on me all the time, I have several near me in case I find a good spot to practice.

I'm afraid I rarely have one on me, "strange" stuff like that is a bit of a social taboo around here... and when I do have one on me, I don't feel any more "armed" then when I have a shoelace in my pocket.  At the moment, hitting the broad side of a barn is about the only thing I can do, this summer's goal is accuracy.  As far a protection goes, I prefer a hardwood walking staff, preferably tipped with metal.  

why would you care if anyone thinks it is weird?

I always carry a thin long split braid in my back pocket.

Upside: I can sling anytime there's a proper place and ammo.

Downside: I'm tempted to sling anytime there's ammo whether or not there's a proper place.

Olde Schoole wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2010 at 6:15am:

I always carry a thin long split braid in my back pocket. Upside: I can sling anytime there's a proper place and ammo. Downside: I'm tempted to sling anytime there's ammo whether or not there's a proper place.

I always say that the your best shot is the one that you don't take.  Living it is sometimes difficult.  I also agree with Eoraptor about the sling as a defense weapon.  I hope that I don't have to defend my Huskies or myself with my sling.  We'd be in deep trouble.  Plus, as we discussed on another thread, you really don't know if there's going to be trouble with an approaching dog until it's too late for a sling to do any good.  To defend myself and my pooches I carry a bamboo walking stick.  

Doesn't matter where I'm going. I never walk out the door without at least one sling.

walter

no matter how you think of the sling, whether its for sport, or war, or hunting, it makes no difference. when you have a sling in your pocket you are armed. we all know what a sling is capable of. to think any other way is a mistake. if you ever need to use a sling to defend yourself or someone else, then its very possible than you were not paying attention to the world around you. distance is always best, and fast feet are good too....lol

Well I carry my every time I leave the house. 9MM stays in the vehicle, sling comes with me. I set up a target today on the tracks behind my work place. A Pepsi can on a reed. I must have taken 200 tries before I hit it at 30 feet. And it was a rebounding hit, bounced off the track..Gotta practice practice practice, I think I'm getting slingers elbow..

 I never go anywhere without a sling... and I can't walk past a good slinging rock without picking it up either.

Curious Aardvark wrote on Feb 19^th, 2010 at 3:25pm:

If I'm wearing clothes I'm carrying a sling :-)

                                                                                                                                                                                  At least it gives you some place to put it. ;D

Armed? :o

wrote on Apr 15^th, 2010 at 11:16am:

Armed? :o

And dangerous.

Though there are a few circumstances where a sling would be a useful defensive weapon, these times are few and far between.  As Eoraptor points out and as discussed on other threads, one of the best personal defense weapons is a good walking stick.  I've been slinging for about a year and a half and in that time I've never used a sling to defend myself or my Huskies.  I have, however, during this period used my walking stick to drive off aggressive stray dogs three or four times, whack attacking dogs on their rears at least three times, and tune up one human prowler, big time.  
  The problem with using a sling against dogs is that you can't know an approaching dog's intent until he's much too close for a sling to be of any use whatsoever.  An aggressive stray won't even recognize your loaded sling as any sort of weapon, even if you're twirling it over your head.  When you lift that cane over your head, however, he's very likely to run for the hills.  
   I prefer a good, stout length of bamboo but any good cane will do.  Again, I'm not saying that a sling could never be a defensive weapon, but personally I find a walking stick much more useful.

I always have a sling with me. Since my favourite sling is a green,black,and white braided split pouch I can wind it around my wrist in a way that it looks sorta like a bracelet. In fact ,come to think of it, yesterday someone mentioned that I had a very nice "bracelet" on.....If only they knew  ;D ;D