CarlZ993, we call them "dinner bells" LOLOriginally Posted by CarlZ993
We didn't carry anything on our thru and didn't see a single bear. If I were to hike alone I would carry pepper spray, but not to protect from bears (to protect from the humanoids!). Safe travels!
I carry a knife and a small can of police issue OC spray. The most dangerous animal on the trail is a human.
That being said, I've only ever met one shady person in 3 years on the trail.
Just to keep things in perspective, there has been an average of less than one person killed per year by grizzlies in the United States over the last ten years. In 2011 alone, 41 people were killed by falling televisions.
Bear spray is the last thing I'd carry on the AT.
Bear spray is really not necessary and I'd not worry overly much about the humans either. Most hikers will give you the shirt off their back. Mind you, it will be sweaty and stink but they'd give it up if they thought you needed it.
On our 2013 AT hike we saw well over a dozen bears and all but two ran away immediately. One of the remainders stopped 40 feet off trail and peered myopically at us until I got bored banging my sticks and shouting. I'm sure he thought we couldn't see him. The other was a bit more worrisome as it was just 20 feet off the trail in NJ and absolutely unwilling to move - too busy eating blueberries. Both ears were tagged. After ten minutes of making noise it grudgingly shifted about a foot and went back to eating. We hustled by nervously and were completely ignored, just like when we were trying to scare him off. Never a sign of aggression, just too busy eating to pay us any mind. From the way he peered around, I'd bet he was near sighted, even for the species.
Not correct in the west, more than 6 people killed last year by bears. Don't know about TVs though I don't watch them. I agree with you bear spray not necessary on AT
Here's my quote you were referring to: Just to keep things in perspective, there has been an average of less than one person killed per year by grizzlies in the United States over the last ten years. In 2011 alone, 41 people were killed by falling televisions.
Wikipedia shows the bear stats are accurate as written. By my count there were nine fatal grizzly attacks in the entire U.S. 2004-2014. That's eleven years.
Here are the falling television stats.
Should I carry television spray then?
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
At 6'6" 285 lbs..... I've been accused of being as big as a bear. Please don't spray, shoot, or startle me. I'm an old bear..... doing Ga to Maine. I may be cay yin a Pic-A-Nic basket
Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”
― Albert Einstein
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=18107
bear spray, I say no. I had a bear come by my tent at the Priest shelter, over a dozen people there. The bear wanted me. I carried fire crackers and lit off 2 and the bear ran away. ONLY he came back to kiss me later. I packed up and took off. The folks at the shelter were irritated I set off the fire crackers and said there was no bear. THEY were sleeping. It was a night I do not want to repeat.
It is like flying the risk is so low you do not need to worry, however, planes fall out of the sky and the folks in them seldom survive. Bears seldom attack but when they do they eat you alive ripping the muscles off your legs while you simply scream. If you cannot live with the possibly of this happening best have some kind of fall back plan. In the states with legal bear chase and hunting you should fear little, these bears spook with any noise. In states that do not have hunting the bears get old and unable to feed themselves so they can see you as a food source. The parks for sure.
I don't know of anyone who is afraid when they have their 'bear spray, gun, mace, etc. That is why they carry it.
They didnt wake up when you hollered " go away bear"??
Bears dont see people as a food source. They dont know they can eat us. We like to keep it that way so we kill the ones that discover that little secret, or attempt it anyway.
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 02-02-2015 at 22:04.
The problem with mace, guns or bear spray is the laws differ where you are, for example, the AT passes thru several states, more counties and more townships, plus national parks and state parks, etc. all of which have applicable laws, different laws.
This is how you can get to be a felon.
Um...no. None of them (except for the phone for town use).
I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen from a bough without ever having
felt sorry for itself.
D.H. Lawrence
I've been hiking the AT since the early 70's. Have come to the conclusion that Lone Wolf is correct. Humans are the biggest danger and they can be avoided. Carrying a weapon is just a waste of weight., plus uncomfortable keeping in any place that can allow it to be brought into action in a split second. Best to hide from any danger and that's going to be human. I carry one hiking pole. With some professional instruction that can be used with deadly force.
Hipbelt pockets are quite comfortable, both the Ruger LCP and several S&W airlight .38spl models work well for this. I generally don't carry on the A.T., but if I did, I would find one of those add on pockets made to carry cameras that has a velcro top closure and modify that to hold a small pistol.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
That is, if you know each and every applicable law in that specific jurisdiction: city park, county park, city or county building, federal building including post office, town, city limits, "parish" or county, or state, and, if you have a "concealed carry" permit.
Knowing the laws is far easier to do than you may think. It's also been discussed ad nauseum on this site, so I'll just leave a link for the best resource I've found.
http://www.usacarry.com/concealed_ca...city_maps.html
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Nice reference.
No it isn't easy. I am a felon because of free-lance advice.
I even asked for a courtesy inspection for legal transport and carry (up to the Sacramento Gun Show) from the SF Polce Department gun range special weapons rangemaster at the gun range in Sonoma County because I was concerned about traveling thru San Francisco, were there any new laws, state laws or city or county ordinances since I last resided in California.
I passed.
In San Francisco, I protected myself with minimum force from an attampted armed car jacking.
The police confiscated the guns inside my vehicle.
The lady judge said, that looks like an assault weapon. I did not plead guilty.
No one cares. My life was ruined.
I had also checked with the NRA website, state by state, and, BATF (new name, by then) beforehand.
I had no criminal intent.
That Sacramento Gun Show is a law enforcement gun show public allowed.
I was traveling there to sell one or keep one and have the others I had collected for the purpose of destruction destroyed.
My dad was a highly honored police officer. I had no police record. No incidents. Nothing.
That's a fact: decent person became a felon.
Last edited by Connie; 02-09-2015 at 20:30.
Reminds me of the joke of what Grizzly bear scat looks like: has an odor of pepper spray & has bear bells in it.
2013 AT Thru-hike: 3/21 to 8/19
Schedule: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...t1M/edit#gid=0
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