Think of it this way: You're going out on a hike several days from the nearest road or house. You're going on foot, which means weight is crucial and everything you take with you must be considered carefully since no one is going to carry them for you. In our example there are no great amounts animals in the area that should be considered dangerous to humans, although there might be an odd bear or a wolf hanging around. In your area they still behave their natural way and try to steer clear of humans the best they can(can't blame them there
).
Your average .45 M1911 weights around 1.5 kg fully loaded(just a common example, granted there are lighter pistols around). That's about the same as two days worth of food or a satellite phone with hell of a lot of batteries. A rifle would naturally be a lot heavier. Which one would you rather take with you? Would it be the pistol "just because I can", or something else?