Interesting about the bells! I have to keep them on when at a certain ranch but it's sure nice to know!
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thanks for the link, was worth my time to watch, he's a funny guy and a good speaker.Originally Posted by roys
Just so that no one thinks I am a total doofus, the bells on my saddle have never made it to my pack! I should probably mention that when they told us to use the bells it was hunting season as well. Have an obnoxious colored saddle pad. Runs off to listen to more bear videos...
We have a joke here in Montana that goes something like this: "How do you tell the difference between grizzly bear poop and black bear poop? The grizzly bear poop has bells in it." I'm originally from the East, and was contemptuous of people who carried bear spray for a long, long time. Then, as part of my work as a biologist, I had to start carrying it, as did my field crews. It has saved us from grizzlies and, on one occasion, a charging mountain lion. In 10 years, with maybe 20 cans out every year, only once has a person on the crews been accidentally sprayed, trying to get it out of his pack, where it shouldn't have been in the first place, when he ran into a grizzly at 9 pm on a trail. (He then fell over a log and sprained his ankle, so it was good that the guy behind him was carrying it properly, on his belt). As for the suggestion that you use it by aiming a constant spray at the bear, that is just plain wrong. You have maybe 9 seconds worth of spray in the can. You point it down towards the bear's feet, and let go a short, 1-2 second blast. That should get an instant result; if it doesn't, you do it again. If you let the whole thing go at once, most of it will waft upward, and then you will indeed get blowback on yourself, plus will be SOL if the first hit on the bear doesn't work. All this said, whether or not you need it against black bears on the AT to protect yourself is questionable. But it would be a good thing for the bears and the humans if more people did carry and use it, because bears would soon learn that approaching humans has painful consequences. That is what we do in the Montana backcountry whenever a bear gets close, whether or not it is behaving in a threatening way, and it is one of the reasons why human-bear encounters (while widely publicized) are uncommon.
That's one of the more bizarre comments I've seen to date. Since when is -proper- food hanging a disaster?
I'm sure there was a great story to go along with that "disaster" comment. Would have liked to hear about it.
" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. "
He said proper.
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Simple: A proper hang is PCT method with the bag hanging 12 feet off the ground, and at least 6 feet away from the trunk and 6 feet below the branch it is hanging from with an armed guard stationed below it for the night. Done correctly this is a very reliable method.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
On a more serious note, I do think a properly hung PCT bag is effective so long as you are in an area where the bears have not already learned to steal bear bags as a food source (that's a big IF) the problem is that in my experience, only about 10%-15% of bear bags on the A.T. are hung properly, the rest are fairly deficient, sometimes comically so. In 2015, many bear bags were so bad that Jester made a calendar out of them:
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
About the "PCT" method... I know it has to be 12ft in the air, 6ft from the limb and 6ft from the trunk, and that the limb must big large enough that a bear can't just break the whole limb off but not so large that it will support the weight of the bear, so he doesn't climb out on the limb and just pull the cord up. Now about what diameter of a limb are we talking about that fits that description?
" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. "
Also, on the topic of clothing and cleanliness, I have heard many people discuss using Dr. Bronners soaps to cleanup on the trail. What scent do you use that doesn't turn you into a peppermint patty or some other deliciousness that will actually draw a bear unto your tent with you? What about deodorant? Do bears like Secret? I can't imagine hiking without it but... again, not trying to send a personal invitation or a teddy bear companion.
" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. "
I use unscented soap like Nutrogena, for one thing, it doesn't leak!
Dr. Bronner's Baby Unscented soap. About $10-$12 per quart at Bed Bath & Beyond. Transfer to a 2-3 ounce container for trail use.
Wayne
Old. Slow. "Smarter than the average bear."
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
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Dr. Bronners also makes unscented Baby bar soap, why carry liquid when solid can be had. I carry about one fourth of a bar on a long (6 weeks) hike. Unscented Dove deodorant transferred into a tiny ziplock for town use, apply with fingertip after weekly bath.
Thank you for the information. I have not seen the bars. I'll look for them.
Wayne
Old. Slow. "Smarter than the average bear."
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
https://wayne-ayearwithbigfootandbubba.blogspot.com
FlickrMyBookTwitSpaceFace
I use a small bar of Ivory soap. It's just plain soap.
Good info here. I will definitely be adjusting my kit. I will need a full container or deodorant though. I use it the whole time, as much for the Body Glide effect as anything else. Lord knows it doesn't keep me from getting hiker stank.
" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. "
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