Those are some beautiful sidearms posted in this thread. I carry a Glock 22 - .40 caliber. It is a great beater gun. Take it out on the canoe, don't worry about getting it wet, muddy, or scratched.
I carry a sig sauer p238 and have concealed weapons permit, its small and easy for a women to carry concealed and i can shoot it with either hand. You have to protect yourself these days, Law enforcement is cutting a lot of people and there's a lot of crazy people out there. I also carry a Glock 19 in my backpack.
I'm 6' 4" 260 and a fairly strong guy. I had a 5' nothing lady show me just how easily a person can be taken down in a Para rescue class in the military...Good lord that chick was Spock from Star Trek's love child or something because I swear she took me down with 2 fingers..then they broke out the pepper spray! Lest just say if you feel the need to have protection pepper spray will slow down a Grizzly bear. I only worry about people pulling guns when they dont know how to use them and get the side arm taken away and turned on you. C&C class is the way to go if its an option in your locataion.
I'm 6,2 280lbs, I usually hunt in my hot pink spandex booty shorts, people don't f**k me.....
Just playin, I don't think you have to worry about getting robbed or attacked while metal detecting, have people heard of this happening a lot or something?