View Full Version : Bear Bell
Earl Grey
03-22-2007, 22:01
Ive seen some jingle bells that you can attach around your poles or pack. Theyre like $2 but do they really work? Perhaps a bigger one could be attached to your bear bag to scare a bear away in the middle of the night. Or keep it in the tent.
Is that something we need on the AT or are you planning a hike in Glacier?
If in Glacier I would have about 50 bells on :D
freefall
03-22-2007, 23:59
Ive seen some jingle bells that you can attach around your poles or pack. Theyre like $2 but do they really work? Perhaps a bigger one could be attached to your bear bag to scare a bear away in the middle of the night. Or keep it in the tent.
If properly hung, you don't need anything on your bear bag. Besides, if it were blowing in the wind and making lots of noise near other hikers, you're liable to find the bag on the ground in the morning ( or over a cliff).
In your tent, clapping and yelling would be more effective than a bell.
A bear bell is a passive noise maker in that it makes noise while you're moving so you don't have to keep yelling or clapping while hiking. If you're moving that much in your sleep, I don't see how you're getting any rest.
saimyoji
03-23-2007, 00:07
Bear bells are great for letting the bears know where you are so they can steal your food. :D
The only time I see people using bear bells are in places that bear bells are not needed. Bears that steal are not afraid of bells. I thru hiked the PCT in 96 and did the GDBT in 04, didn't see any bear bells. I've had plenty of bear encounters even a grizzly encounter in the Yukon. Bear Bells are probily good for people who are not "present". If your mind "wonders" in the wild you won't last anyway, something will get you.
Bear Jokes
What is the difference between Black Bear and Grizzly spoor?
Black Bear spoor has nuts and berries in it, while a Grizzly's spoor smells like pepper spray and has bear bells and whistles in it.
What do bears call a car on the Alaskan Highway?
A boxed lunch
What do bears call a cyclist's?
Meals on Wheels
Rebel, with a Cause!
03-23-2007, 09:15
I live near the Smokies and they used to sell Bear Bells at Fontana Village. I would always laugh as I hear the people coming up the trail, jingling away :)
Seriously, if you wear bear bells, you will never see a bear. Black Bears are not agressive, like to bluff and are big cowards at heart. Leave the bear bells alone, hike the woods and stop worrying about the bears. Personally, I would worry alot more about Poison Ivy than about the bears. An encounter with a bear lasts but a few seconds ( as you see them run away through the woods ), An encounter with Poison Ivy can last for weeks.
Cya on the trail
I once went on a guided backpack trip in Glacier National Park. There aren't just black bears there. They got Grizzlies!
The guide told me, and I believe he is right, don't bother with the bear bells. They won't work to keep the bear away (once he knows you're there he knows) but the WILL annoy the hikers around you. The trick here is to not surprise a bear by sneaking up on it. Simple occassional talking will do the trick! Also, bears are more active at night, so I have read, so you may want to refrain from night hiking.
As for the AT and black bears.. why scare off all of the wildlife? isn't that one of the thrills? I love seeing bears, even if there is a certain nervousness about it.
Almost everyone hangs there food when they start in Georgia, but almost no one, myself included, did a proper bear hang (food has to be at least 10 feet up and and at least 4 feet from trunk). By mid virginia, almost no one is hanging there food from trees. They just use the mouse hangs in the shelters. Many hikers saw bears only at the zoo in Bear Mountain. Besides, with the a shelter full of people, the bear won't come close. The ONLY times I saw bears on my hike where when I was hiking alone and away from shelters. In each case, the bear walked passively away.
So in short, if a bear cable or pole is provided (as is case in GSMNP and SNP) use it. Otherwise, keep food safe from rodents and don't worry about it. The only thing I got out of hanging my food was a wet food bag when it rained!
Here is something folks may want to consider as an alternative: Bear resistant canisters ( page 6 catalogue of www.mountanmanoutdoors.com (http://www.mountanmanoutdoors.com))
Holds six days of food, bear can't get at it, and it weighs 2.7 lbs. Says its required in NY high peaks area during summer.
David
Midway Sam
03-23-2007, 10:00
Bear bells are great! So is bear spray! I like them both because they make bear scat eaiser to identify. Bear scat smells like bear spray and has little undigested bells in it!
Footslogger
03-23-2007, 10:25
Had a hiker in 2003 that attached bells to his boot laces. He rapidly got the trail name "Jingle Bells" and wasn't what I'd call one of the more popular hikers on the trail. Ironically, I heard he ended up dropping off the trail early on.
'Slogger
Midway Sam
03-23-2007, 10:32
Heh, last year on a section hike from Springer to Neels, I heard a "jingle, jingle, jingle" approaching southbound. A rather bouncy gentleman came into view wearing rainbow colored '80s legwarmers. (Think Flashdance)
He stopped, took off his ginormous '80s headphones with the built-in AM/FM radio and chrome "pull out" antenna, pointed to the bells permanantly sewn to his pack and said, "archers".
Me: Archers?
Him: (points out to the trees) Yeah, archers.
Me: Waddya mean, archers?
Him: They hunt, you know... ARCHERS! (he looks fearfully at the trees)
Me: Oh, bowhunters.
Him: Yeah! Archers!
He then goes back to listening to his disco music or whatever and jingles his way south towards Springer.
hammock engineer
03-23-2007, 10:35
Ive seen some jingle bells that you can attach around your poles or pack. Theyre like $2 but do they really work? Perhaps a bigger one could be attached to your bear bag to scare a bear away in the middle of the night. Or keep it in the tent.
Don't be surprised if you use them and pick up the trail name raindear or santa.
buckowens
03-23-2007, 18:29
Hey Midway Sam,
You're killing me (with laughter), I could read your stuff all day!!!:D I am glad I normally read these without drinking anything (as in liquid out the nose). That stuffs funny, I don't care who you are...
Midway Sam
03-23-2007, 21:39
Hey Midway Sam,
You're killing me (with laughter), I could read your stuff all day!!!:D I am glad I normally read these without drinking anything (as in liquid out the nose). That stuffs funny, I don't care who you are...
I guess funny stuff just happens to me and/or around me.
I'm heading to Damascus in a week for 6 days on the trail, maybe I'll do something funny there.
buckowens
03-23-2007, 21:45
I guess funny stuff just happens to me and/or around me.
I'm heading to Damascus in a week for 6 days on the trail, maybe I'll do something funny there.
I am more inclined to think it has something to do with your positive outlook on life...Keep it up, we can all use a good laugh every now and again!
Skidsteer
03-23-2007, 21:57
Bear bells are great! So is bear spray! I like them both because they make bear scat eaiser to identify. Bear scat smells like bear spray and has little undigested bells in it!
An oldie but a goodie....
The National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper
Skids,
What is the biggest Griz that you have seen on the AT?:eek: I ran into a big pile of hiker's bells last weekend at deep gap.:D
Egads
Skidsteer
03-23-2007, 23:22
Skids,
What is the biggest Griz that you have seen on the AT?:eek: I ran into a big pile of hiker's bells last weekend at deep gap.:D
Egads
Good Sir, that unfortunate phenomenon is entirely dependent on how much stove fuel I drink. :D
Wanderingson
03-23-2007, 23:59
No Bear bells-- more cowbell.
"Guess what! I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell!"
Christopher Walkin--SNL Skit
hammock engineer
03-24-2007, 13:31
No Bear bells-- more cowbell.
"Guess what! I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell!"
Christopher Walkin--SNL Skit
After seeing that I can never hear "Fear the Reaper" and not think of Will Farrell.:D
My brother in law in Montana calls bear bells "dinner bells" and Bear Pepper Spray "seasoning"
Jack Tarlin
03-24-2007, 15:54
Bear bells will do NOTHING except guarantee that you won't see ANY wildlife whatsoever while you hike, while at the same time annoying the living bejayzus out of anyone unfortunate enough to be hiking near you.
I've told this story before, but it's a good one:
In 2003 there was this EXTREMELY annoying group of folks who had bear bells on EVERYTHING.....their sticks, their packs, even in the laces of their boots. We were around them for days and were going crazy from the constant jingling. We tried everything to shake these clowns: We slowed down to let 'em get well ahead. Then THEY slowed down. So we sped up, figuring we'd outrun 'em and ditch the bastards. Then THEY sped up and were hiking with us again.
We were at wits end.
Anyway, we went into town and I got inspired...... I went to the Dollar Store and bought a s***load of little bells and ribbons. A few days later, we were ahead of these nimrods by a few miles, and we encountered this MASSIVE pile of bear crap in the middle of the Trail. We gingerly and delicately placed the bells and ribbons in the bear effluvia, in such a way that anyone hiking North could not help but notice them sticking out of the pile of turds.
We never found out what happened, but we think they got off the Trail at the next road.
Extreme situations call for extreme measures. :D
Just say "NO!" to bear bells!
Dances with Mice
03-24-2007, 15:59
I always wondered if the recommended practice of banging on your cooking pot to scare bears from your campsite is a sound (--heh!--) practice.
To experienced bears it probably sounds more like a dinner bell.
RiverWarriorPJ
03-24-2007, 16:12
http://www.squidoo.com/bearattack/
Just Jeff
03-24-2007, 20:08
I've seen a handful of bears on the AT - all except one ran away from me as soon as they saw me. And I stopped walking and got as quiet as I could so I could watch them...they still ran.
The one that didn't run away had an injured paw. He'd walk a few steps, then sit down and look around, then walk a few more steps. He saw me but pretty much ignored me.
Forget bear bells....cameras work much better on them.
freefall
03-24-2007, 22:19
I've told this story before, but it's a good one:
...We gingerly and delicately placed the bells and ribbons in the bear effluvia, in such a way that anyone hiking North could not help but notice them sticking out of the pile of turds.
We never found out what happened, but we think they got off the Trail at the next road.
Extreme situations call for extreme measures. :D
Just say "NO!" to bear bells!
Was trying to find this story when I saw this thread....masterpiece!
Perhaps a bigger one could be attached to your bear bag to scare a bear away in the middle of the night. Or keep it in the tent.
You wanna use a bell to keep a bear in your tent? Have you thought this thing through? These mixed marriages hardly ever work out...
Whitefish
03-26-2007, 12:19
Has anyone really ever even been mauled by a black bear on the AT?
Dances with Mice
03-26-2007, 13:01
Has anyone really ever even been mauled by a black bear on the AT?No.
The bears always drag hikers off the trail before mauling.
I rarely saw bear until, wanting to see more of them, I began hiking slower, more quietly, and looking around (to the sides, behind me, and up into the trees). I began to recognize parts of bear, and places where bears were likely to be seen, and saw quite a few of them.
I often encounter Thru-Hikers who walk quickly, almost invariably look straight ahead, wear hats with bills obstructing their vision, and sunglasses which change the natural colors, while listening to music through headsets or ear buds plugged directly into their ears.
I’ve seen Thru-Hikers on numerous occasions hike by bear - once, several passed within arms reach of a bear - without noticing them. Such hikers derive the athleticism, and obtain little more than bragging rights, for their efforts.
If you don’t see bears, it’s not because of them. You’re where they live, in their “house,” if you will allow. If you want to see bear, you need to make the effort, precisely because they try to avoid us.
The only problems I’ve had with bears have occurred when I have walked too closely to, and surprised, them.
Leave the bells home.