Responsible & Prepared Summer Travel for Armed Citizens

How to stay legal, safe, and ready while road-tripping across the country this summer

The open road calls — but for the responsibly armed American, travel isn’t just about planning fun stops or scenic routes. It also means thinking through logistics that most folks ignore: How will I secure my firearm? What if I get pulled over in another state? Can I carry in a hotel, or through a National Park?

Here’s your summer travel checklist for responsible concealed carriers:

1. Medical Preparedness: More Important Than You Think

A gun may stop a threat, but a tourniquet can stop you from bleeding out and of course way more likely than getting in a gunfight is getting in a serious car accident. A good trauma kit helps you prepare for both. Before hitting the road, make sure your vehicle is equipped with a trauma kit, not just a first-aid box. Essentials include a tourniquet, chest seals, a pressure bandage, and wound packing gauze. You should also know how to use them.

👉 Read our full guide on what to pack in your road trip medical kit

2. Research Local Gun Laws (Or Use the App That Does It For You)

Gun laws change dramatically from state to state — and sometimes city to city. Don’t assume your concealed carry permit is valid just because you're on vacation.

👉 Download our free Concealed Carry Gun Tools App

3. Know When You Can Legally Ignore Local Laws: 18 USC § 926A (FOPA)

This little-known federal law protects travelers who are transporting firearms, even through states where gun possession is legally challenging, if you follow the strict guidelines.

👉 Understand how to legally travel interstate under FOPA

4. Visiting a National Park? Here’s What You Need to Know

Yes, you can carry in most National Parks — but not in all buildings. You’re subject to the state laws where the park is located, and you still have to follow rules about transport, signage, and use of force.

👉 Get the facts on firearms in National Parks

5. Hotels and Concealed Carry: Legal Gray Areas and Smart Habits

There’s no federal law about guns in hotels. Policies vary by chain and location. Even if you’re legal, poor tactics like leaving a pistol unsecured in your nightstand can lead to disaster.

👉 Read up on concealed carry laws and best practices for hotels

6. Secure Vehicle Storage: Don’t Make Yourself a Target

Smash-and-grab car burglaries spike in summer travel season. If you’re going somewhere you can’t carry, your firearm must be secured properly.

👉 Learn how to safely store firearms in your vehicle

7. Flying With a Firearm? It’s Legal, but Highly Regulated

Yes, you can fly with a gun — but the TSA has rules, and every airline has different baggage policies. Violating one could land you in handcuffs.

👉 Watch our full video on how to fly legally with your firearm

8. Verify Your Self-Defense Coverage and Save the Hotline Number

If you ever have to defend yourself away from home, your first call shouldn’t be to your cousin’s buddy who’s “a lawyer.” Travel confidently by making sure your CCW legal defense coverage is active — and that their 24/7 emergency hotline is saved in your phone.

👉 Read our detailed review of CCW Safe and how their coverage works

Final Thoughts

Summer travel is about freedom, and as armed citizens, we enjoy a freedom that comes with serious responsibility. A little planning goes a long way. Whether you’re hiking a national forest, staying in a sketchy motel, or just driving cross-country to see family, stay trained, stay legal, and stay ready.