Hair I reread your response and others you have posted..we are in agreement on most of the points-where we disagree is the conscious decision to go camping in a wilderness area and not being prepared ..I think from your reply that you were trying to justify why people who go camping/hiking are rational to not bring fire arms. If that was not point of your comments please accept my apology.
It can be rational to not have a gun handy, if you aren't the type to usually do so. To bring a gun camping with you adds a lot of sure complications just to avoid a much smaller possibility. I've done it. Lots of times. I'd be more likely to be armed if I was the only adult around, but it doesn't sound like she was.
Picture the scene. Mom with two kids camping. She could ~wear~ the gun on her person all the time, I suppose, but maybe that's not her usual picnic attire and would have felt odd. There were apparently lots of other people around, this was a popular campground. She can't set it down anywhere or the kids might get to it. She could lock in in a vehicle, but then it's not accessible. So there you are.