Bear Spray

[BuckeyeBill]

What's your opinion on carrying bear spray while on the trail? I see it as a way to deter both bears and people who want to cause problems.

[Stir Fry]

Better then a gun for defence agenst bears and people.

[Coffee Rules!]

Better then a gun for defence agenst bears and people.

And legal unless I've missed anything saying there are places you can't carry it.

[leaftye]

I'm pretty sure it's illegal for use against humans unless you're a cop, not that that matters much except when you're trying to buy pepper spray for humans in states like mine.

[Lone Wolf]

What's your opinion on carrying bear spray while on the trail? I see it as a way to deter both bears and people who want to cause problems.

not needed on the AT

[nitewalker]

bear spray works well and is legal to use on bear not your enemy. im thinking of switching to the stuff ray lewis is using, deer antler spray, lmao...

[RCBear]

Not that it's a real concern on the AT, but in 81 studied cases of bear attacks where spray was used, 60 grizzly, 19 black and 2 polar, it had an almost 100% success rate, and the only couple of failures to stop still only resulted in injuries rather than death. More effective than a chambered round of .454 casull

[Terry7]

You dont need bear spray.

[fiddlehead]

YOu don't need it on the AT.
Black bears don't attack people.
It's used mainly in griz country where, yes, it works and is a great mind calmer.

We had a thread on here about 4 months ago I believe where I spoke about trying some out.
I sprayed it with the wind at my back and both my brother and I were immedietly gagging and our eyes were burning.
So, the stuff really works.

[RCBear]

At Paris Island, we had to make our way through a room filled with tear gas and our masks were pulled off. It was pretty incapacitating. I have heard that bear spray exposure is FAR worse.

[BradMT]

Black bears don't attack people.

That right there is quite untrue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America

Not saying you need spray on the AT (I personally wouldn't bother) but the idea blacks don't attack people is ridiculous.

["Atlas"]

I often joked on my partner for carrying bear spray, and hollering "yo bear" along the Trail. But after reading a few articles about Black Bears and use of bear spray, I can see where the spray could save both the hiker and the bear. And I would have NO PROBLEM using it to ward off pesky humans either, provided I was not down wind.

[dwarfnebula]

Brad is right, black bears actually kill more people than all other kinds of bears combined! Of course there are more black bears than all other bears combined. Awareness and smart behavior is worth as much (or more) than bear spray IMO. Keep an eye peeled for sign, hang your food and make enough noise to not startle them and you're probably fine. Just me here, but I'd rather use the bear spray on somebody who feeds bears than on a bear:D

[RCBear]

Brad is right, black bears actually kill more people than all other kinds of bears combined! Of course there are more black bears than all other bears combined. Awareness and smart behavior is worth as much (or more) than bear spray IMO. Keep an eye peeled for sign, hang your food and make enough noise to not startle them and you're probably fine. Just me here, but I'd rather use the bear spray on somebody who feeds bears than on a bear:D

Awareness, smart behavior AND a light canister of spray in areas where there is a chance of bear encounter regardless of its color, is the only responsible way to act, especially when I have people in my life that are dependent on me being alive. Anything less than having all REASONABLE options at my disposal is an act of selfishness as far as I'm concerned. Spray is cheap, light, and effective. Why wouldn't I carry it??

[WingedMonkey]

Can't find a single case of any one ever using bear spay while hiking the AT.

[fiddlehead]

That right there is quite untrue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America

Not saying you need spray on the AT (I personally wouldn't bother) but the idea blacks don't attack people is ridiculous.

I just read the list.
Nothing near the AT except cleaning a bear cage in Ohio and keeping exotic bears in PA.
Everything else is west of the Missisippi or in Canada.

Black bears don't attack people in the wild east of the Mississippi.
how's that?

[ChuckBrown]

In glacier park, you are required to carry it. In Massachusetts , you need the same permit for mace as you do a rifle. It used to be called a Firearms Identification Card, FID, for short.

[fiddlehead]

Never mind. I missed a few. (smokies, ny)
I'll stay out of the woods without my bear spray.

I was false charged by one in the Shenendoahs back in '95.
Looked into it afterwards and haven't been too scared of them since.

Actually jumped on a sleeping one in CO in 2001 that scared me cause he was mad that I woke him up.

But will say the bear spray made me less fearful in Glacier when I hiked there.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Awareness, smart behavior AND a light canister of spray in areas where there is a chance of bear encounter regardless of its color, is the only responsible way to act, especially when I have people in my life that are dependent on me being alive. Anything less than having all REASONABLE options at my disposal is an act of selfishness as far as I'm concerned. Spray is cheap, light, and effective. Why wouldn't I carry it??Black bear attacks cause an average of less than one fatality a year in all of North America. I don't find it reasonable to take precautions against things the have less than a 1 in 300,000,000 chance of killing me. You do what you want, doesn't bother me either way.

[HikerMom58]

I carried it. It helped me sleep better at night... whatever. My family laughed at me for carrying it.:p I met plenty of others that carried it on the trail. I do think there is a trick to using it. If I ever needed to use it, I hope I would remember the proper way to use it, but more importantly remember things NOT to do when using it. lol Having said all that, I doubt I would ever really need it on the AT.

I like what RCBear said about his reasons for carrying it, I happen to agree with him & he just put it out there. I may change my reasons for carrying it from time to time. I might not carry it, depending on the hike. It's a personal preference- just an option.

[yellobelle]

Good info. Was wondering about this myself as there are often bear sightings where we live/hike.

[RCBear]

Black bear attacks cause an average of less than one fatality a year in all of North America. I don't find it reasonable to take precautions against things the have less than a 1 in 300,000,000 chance of killing me. You do what you want, doesn't bother me either way.

I understand. if i didn't have parents, siblings, children, or a spouse, i wouldn't bother with the extra couple ounces either.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I understand. if i didn't have parents, siblings, children, or a spouse, i wouldn't bother with the extra couple ounces either.Like I said, do whatever you want, we all have irrational fears and I freely admit the I carry plenty of stuff in my pack that's unnecessary. I'm just pointing out that of all the possible ways to die on the trail, a bear attack is probably the least likely to happen.

[Odd Man Out]

Black bear attacks cause an average of less than one fatality a year in all of North America. I don't find it reasonable to take precautions against things the have less than a 1 in 300,000,000 chance of killing me. ...


I carried it. It helped me sleep better at night... whatever. My family laughed at me for carrying it.:p I met plenty of others that carried it on the trail....

I think I posted this on the last thread, but Bear Spray is very effective at protecting you from your own fears (for some people, the probability of encountering this is near 100%). It does very little to protect you from bears (as the probability of this happening on the AT is near zero%).

It would be interesting to find out how many of the people carrying bear spray on the AT wear seat belts. Also, I would like to add that wearing a motorcycle helmet while hiking is very effective at preventing injury and death from falling tree limbs and asteroids.

[HikerMom58]

"It would be interesting to find out how many of the people carrying bear spray on the AT wear seat belts. Also, I would like to add that wearing a motorcycle helmet while hiking is very effective at preventing injury and death from falling tree limbs and asteroids."

Odd Man Out......

This is totally uncalled for.. ^^^^ Stop patronizing me, dude. If you don't have fears--GOOD FOR YOU. I openly admitted that it is a fear of mine. IF I didn't you MAY have been justified in your comment but since I did not- You are just showing everyone what kind of person you are......Stop picking on people & just stick to the commenting on how you feel about the OP. Leave me alone. THANKS! BTW... If you find yourself copying "parts & pieces" of someone's comment that might be a sign that you might need to check yourself.

[Feral Bill]

In glacier park, you are required to carry it. Not so, but it's a very good idea.

[Slo-go'en]

In glacier park, you are required to carry it. In Massachusetts , you need the same permit for mace as you do a rifle. It used to be called a Firearms Identification Card, FID, for short.

In Glacier its recommended but not required. They talked me into buying a can anyway when I was out there, since we were planning on continuing into the Bob (but I ended up not). It cost $50, weighed almost a pound and you only get one, seven second shot. The only place I had to carry it was on the back of my pack, like that would have done me any good...

[Feral Bill]

In Glacier its recommended but not required. They talked me into buying a can anyway when I was out there, since we were planning on continuing into the Bob (but I ended up not). It cost $50, weighed almost a pound and you only get one, seven second shot. The only place I had to carry it was on the back of my pack, like that would have done me any good... Glacier, and adjacent areas do have a lot of bears, and a history of conflicts with hikers. Next time I go there I'm carrying it, for certain. On the AT? No.

[Alligator]

My opinion is that the risk is incredibly small and therefore pepper spray for bears is not needed on the AT. If you want to carry pepper spray for use against people, you'll have to evaluate that on your own. If you do, get the law enforcement kind.

[goedde2]

"It would be interesting to find out how many of the people carrying bear spray on the AT wear seat belts. Also, I would like to add that wearing a motorcycle helmet while hiking is very effective at preventing injury and death from falling tree limbs and asteroids."

Odd Man Out......

This is totally uncalled for.. ^^^^ Stop patronizing me, dude. If you don't have fears--GOOD FOR YOU. I openly admitted that it is a fear of mine. IF I didn't you MAY have been justified in your comment but since I did not- You are just showing everyone what kind of person you are......Stop picking on people & just stick to the commenting on how you feel about the OP. Leave me alone. THANKS! BTW... If you find yourself copying "parts & pieces" of someone's comment that might be a sign that you might need to check yourself.


Hiker Mom, word of caution, you can't fix stupid, and just know you are dealing with "cyber bullies" that are addicted to posting pointless dribble because they don't have a life. Getting caught up in that trap only encourages more of the same, and the entire purpose of the site gets compromised and lost in the shuffle. I speak from personal experience and found that considering the source and just ignoring them and not taking it personally, works best. They will eventually weed themselves out, once they realize their comments won't be acknowledged. Just sayin"

Anyway, back on topic. I lived in Yellowstone NP for 14 months, 5 seasons. Hiked almost every day. Initially, I didn't think much abut bear spray. Then one day I got lost on a trail used for cross country skiing in the winter, and ended up bushwhacking out by dead reckoning, to the main road, finally. Huge crowd a few miles away, went to investigate. Turns out it was a momma grizzly with two cubs a ways off in the field, and a ranger was maintaing control of the crowd that had gathered to observe. I had just passed behind them and never realized how close I had come to an up close and personal encounter. Not good. Next day, I purchased my first can of bear spray. The trick to using it is pulling off the safety clip, standing your ground until the last possible moment, and then when your problem is about 30 feet away, pull the trigger to send out a huge cloud. I wished that I had it when a monster bull elk in rut, saw me from the clinic, heading to work at the PO, and came at me, head down, full charge, intent on killing me. I just barely made it inside. Bottom line, still have the spray, which is not cheap, about $50, and probably will leave it home this spring when I get back on the AT. I also have a CC Permit and will leave my Glock 9mm home as well. Back in YNP, they will both go with me. Just a personal choice.

[bfayer]

The definition of a person without fear is: A Fool.

The definition of not letting fear stop you from living your life or doing what is right is: Courage.

That makes someone that has a fear of bears and still hikes the AT pretty brave in my opinion.

If carrying bear spay on the AT makes you comfortable, carry the spray. Its not anyone's job to tell someone else which of their fears are rational or irrational, anymore than it is to tell them what kind of food they should like.

[Rasty]

Not needed for bears on the east coast. If I was alone and female then I would carry it.

[Astro]

YOu don't need it on the AT.
Black bears don't attack people.
It's used mainly in griz country where, yes, it works and is a great mind calmer.

We had a thread on here about 4 months ago I believe where I spoke about trying some out.
I sprayed it with the wind at my back and both my brother and I were immedietly gagging and our eyes were burning.
So, the stuff really works.

As I tell my students experience is learning from your mistakes, and wisdom is learning from others mistakes. Fortunately (for us at least) we all now have wisdom based upon your experience. :D

[Coffee Rules!]

"It would be interesting to find out how many of the people carrying bear spray on the AT wear seat belts. Also, I would like to add that wearing a motorcycle helmet while hiking is very effective at preventing injury and death from falling tree limbs and asteroids."

Odd Man Out......

This is totally uncalled for.. ^^^^ Stop patronizing me, dude. If you don't have fears--GOOD FOR YOU. I openly admitted that it is a fear of mine. IF I didn't you MAY have been justified in your comment but since I did not- You are just showing everyone what kind of person you are......Stop picking on people & just stick to the commenting on how you feel about the OP. Leave me alone. THANKS! BTW... If you find yourself copying "parts & pieces" of someone's comment that might be a sign that you might need to check yourself.


Zing. Pwned!

[BuckeyeBill]

Thanks Everyone for your response. The main reason I asked was I just finished reading an article about Bears and bear attacks. All the experts they quoted in the article recommended carrying bear spray. Thier basic reasoning was first and foremost was better safe than sorry.

To Slo go'en who said you only get 1 7 second shot. I was a police officer for 10 years and during that time I used mace quite a lot. You only need a 1 second burst to be effective. If you search bear spray on you tube, you will see how low and much a 1 second blast is.

Finally I believe I will be carrying a canister with me.

[Camel2012]

The statistics prove it's not needed on the AT, but if it puts your mind at ease and makes you feel safe then carry it. You're the one carrying the weight, so it is no one else's business.

With that said, don't be the hiker who realizes it's not needed and leaves it in a shelter, because you're tired of carrying it. Seen that a lot in Georgia last year.

[RCBear]

Not needed for bears on the east coast. If I was alone and female then I would carry it.

yeah, cuz a man traveling alone only needs a solid right cross bring a 300-400 lb beast to it's knees. and if you were referencing a man beast with bad intent, I would still rather have something other than my meat pounders at my disposal :P

[swjohnsey]

Davy Crockett killed a bear when he was only three. I carry a portable Faraday cage with me to protect my delicate electronic equipment against EMP.

[bfayer]

... I carry a portable Faraday cage with me to protect my delicate electronic equipment against EMP.

You do know that you can just stick your electronics inside your titanium pot and accomplish the same thing without the additional weight.

The bigger question is why are you carrying electronic stuff on the AT? You know they are not needed on the AT :)

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


Properly used bear spray DOES WORK...!! Just make sure that the brand you carry is EPA registered. As far as whether or not to carry it, that's certainly up to you. Bear spray has foiled more bear charges than firearms have...(for as long bear spray has been around, of course).

If it makes you feel better when carrying it, or if you sleep better at night because it's close at hand...why not...?

[Falcon]

I carry hornet & wasp spray. It is just as effective and much cheaper, $3-$4 at Walmart.

[Falcon]

I carry hornet and wasp spray, it's just as effective. Much cheaper only $3-$4 at Walmart.

[Camel2012]

I carry hornet and wasp spray, it's just as effective. Much cheaper only $3-$4 at Walmart.

You have tested this on a bear?

[ChuckBrown]

Not so, but it's a very good idea.
oh man, you mean that ranger made me spend the 45 bucks for nothing. I knew it was scam.

[hikerboy57]

no need for hair spray on the at.
but if it makes you feel more comfortable, carry it.

[slow mind]

What about beard spray? will I need it?

[atmilkman]

What about beard spray? will I need it?
Just use bacon grease.

[Train Wreck]

no need for hair spray on the at.
but if it makes you feel more comfortable, carry it.

I disagree.
A well-coiffed bear is much less likely to cause problems because he doesn't want to muss his 'do.

[hikerboy57]

this is a question that should have 2 possible responses, and yet elicited 49 replies(so far)

[slow mind]

19526Too much bear spray?

[gizzy bear]

Awareness, smart behavior AND a light canister of spray in areas where there is a chance of bear encounter regardless of its color, is the only responsible way to act, especially when I have people in my life that are dependent on me being alive. Anything less than having all REASONABLE options at my disposal is an act of selfishness as far as I'm concerned. Spray is cheap, light, and effective. Why wouldn't I carry it??


QFT!!! because your loved ones don't want you to take ANY chances of coming home looking like hamburger meat....nothing attractive about that ;) sincerely, your loved one :D

[gizzy bear]

The definition of a person without fear is: A Fool.


QFT!!!!! enough said ....

[CarlZ993]

I'm pretty sure it's illegal for use against humans unless you're a cop, not that that matters much except when you're trying to buy pepper spray for humans in states like mine.
Given the appropriate circumstances, you can use force, up to deadly force, against acts of aggression. This includes 'Assault with a Food Group' (pepper spray).

[WingedMonkey]

At least the responses where on subject before the invasion of clown college.

[RCBear]

no need for hair spray on the at.
but if it makes you feel more comfortable, carry it.

I prefer a hair net.

[RCBear]

a cuben fiber one.

[Train Wreck]

At least the responses where on subject before the invasion of clown college.


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_gFmnj2xQQ

You're invited to the Commencement ceremony next Friday night! :banana

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_gFmnj2xQQ

[The Ace]

Responding to the OP, I sleep in a tent, usually away from shelters. For the AT, everything that I have read, conversations with other experienced hikers, and my own personal experience leads me to believe that the odds of a black bear attacking me while hiking or tenting on the AT are infinitesimally small. For my one close encounter with a black bear -- sitting no more than 25 feet away from my tent and watching me before I saw him on Wolf Laurel Top on the Georgia AT -- I yelled and threw a rock, and he ran crashing down the mountain side through the underbrush. I did this for the bear's benefit, not mine. I see no logical reason why I would carry pepper spray on the AT. I don't want to speak against or criticize anyone who may have a natural, inherent fear. Do what you need to do in order to ease those fears. However, for me, I would be more concerned about accidently discharging the spray than about a bear attacking me anywhere in the Appalachians.

[tds1195]

I would just spit in the bear's eyes. Just as effective.

[HikerMom58]

Responding to the OP, I sleep in a tent, usually away from shelters. For the AT, everything that I have read, conversations with other experienced hikers, and my own personal experience leads me to believe that the odds of a black bear attacking me while hiking or tenting on the AT are infinitesimally small. For my one close encounter with a black bear -- sitting no more than 25 feet away from my tent and watching me before I saw him on Wolf Laurel Top on the Georgia AT -- I yelled and threw a rock, and he ran crashing down the mountain side through the underbrush. I did this for the bear's benefit, not mine. I see no logical reason why I would carry pepper spray on the AT. I don't want to speak against or criticize anyone who may have a natural, inherent fear. Do what you need to do in order to ease those fears. However, for me, I would be more concerned about accidently discharging the spray than about a bear attacking me anywhere in the Appalachians.

I agree with everything you said, 100% The Ace. Let me try to explain my fear. I'm afraid of having an encounter with a bear that has lost it's fear of humans. I'm afraid of being the last person that was allowed to stay near any particular shelter or campsite right before they close it due to problem bear activity.
When I went through the Smokies, last summer, I saw the warning signs talking about those kind of bears. I would not have a fear of bears if all the reports of other hikers were- they took off like a shot when they saw or heard them coming. This isn't always the case. I know they close shelters and insist on hikers using bear canisters in "problem" areas. I don't know what bears have "learned." I know they wouldn't attack me for my food but they might hang around me, looking for a chance to snag the food I have. I don't want a 200+lb bear hanging around me. I would throw rocks, yell loudly and do everything that I've learned to do. If all that failed, I would pack up my stuff and start walking to another location but I would be very scared. (especially at night)
I would like to have something with me that I could use to really scare them off , if absolutely necessary. Just knowing that I had something with me makes me feel less fearful. You don't have to read very many trail journals to realize that pesky bears, have indeed, lost their fear of humans to some degree. It's not uncommon to read about such encounters. They all end well for the hikers but not without some extremely tense moments.

[sgt easy]

When I first read this thread, before taking my 5 mile warm-up hike, my main reaction was something like "thanks, all you paranoid pistol or pepper spray carriers; why don't you stay home where you might actually NEED some sort of self-defense weaponry, and leave the trail to those of us who just use common sense (around bears and strange humans)....but of course that was an over-reaction, and all the humerous responses have renewed my faith in the flaky hiker community in general. Hikermom has made several good points - (1) if you are a solo woman, you definitely should carry something for self defense; (2) you should be very familiar with the operation of whatever device you use, and actually be willing to use it. The caveats, most covered by others earlier, are the legality of carrying (especially north of the Mason-Dixon line), the danger of being sued or prosecuted for using it on another human, and the possibility of spraying/shooting yourself, or having the device taken away and used against you. I definitely agree about using spray against a persistent, nuisance bear - as The Ace says, it's for the bear's benefit to be "untrained" regarding raiding campers. For most hikers, though, pesky humans can be countered by common sense, by retreating, or (and this especially for those others with military training), by using your poles - one extended and one short pole in each hand would make a machete-wielding creep think twice....hoping for peace on the trail in a week.

[Rasty]

At least the responses where on subject before the invasion of clown college.

When was the last time you posted anything constructive? I've read probably 98% of the posts in the last 18 months and you are becoming a broken record.

[rickb]

No need to worry about bears on the AT, but I do think the smaller canisters of OC (Pepper) spray are worthy of consideration. For dogs and people. Best to visit a good gun shop for a quality selection. Even the small (lipstick) size can pack a punch, and could be easy to get at (or even palm) without advertising the fact-- like on a hitch or when a bounding dog approaches.

[WingedMonkey]

When was the last time you posted anything constructive? I've read probably 98% of the posts in the last 18 months and you are becoming a broken record.
If the s

If the shoe fits......

[Sarcasm the elf]

No need to worry about bears on the AT, but I do think the smaller canisters of OC (Pepper) spray are worthy of consideration. For dogs and people. Best to visit a good gun shop for a quality selection. Even the small (lipstick) size can pack a punch, and could be easy to get at (or even palm) without advertising the fact-- like on a hitch or when a bounding dog approaches.

Easy for you to say, your residency makes you eligible for a Massachusetts LTC card. ;)

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, Bear Spray is legal in all 50 states, as opposed to standard pepper spray, which is restricted in several states.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_spray#United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_spray

[Koozy]

First time I ever backpacked along the AT a full grown black bear charged at me full speed. The fact that I scared it away by screaming at the top of my lungs when I was only feet away from taking me out does not bring me much comfort. To disregard the feelings/thoughts of that experience would be considered irrational to me. Easy to brush it off if you've never had it happen to you. I own bear mace and consider bringing it anytime I put together my gear for a hike.

[bfayer]

First time I ever backpacked along the AT a full grown black bear charged at me full speed. The fact that I scared it away by screaming at the top of my lungs when I was only feet away from taking me out does not bring me much comfort. To disregard the feelings/thoughts of that experience would be considered irrational to me. Easy to brush it off if you've never had it happen to you. I own bear mace and consider bringing it anytime I put together my gear for a hike.

If they had opposing thumbs they would throw rocks like us, but they don't so they charge :)

Its their way of saying "you scare me, go away". Not that it wouldn't scare the s*** out of me if it happened to me. I guess I'm just poor company, they just run when I see them.

[hikerboy57]

First time I ever backpacked along the AT a full grown black bear charged at me full speed. The fact that I scared it away by screaming at the top of my lungs when I was only feet away from taking me out does not bring me much comfort. To disregard the feelings/thoughts of that experience would be considered irrational to me. Easy to brush it off if you've never had it happen to you. I own bear mace and consider bringing it anytime I put together my gear for a hike.
thats a great story!
for me, it would have given me even more confidence the bear doesnt want to hurt me and the bear found out he couldnt bluff me off because i didnt show i was afraid, but i can understand how you would feel better with bear spray.
stand your ground and yell, or spray and run? which would you think to be more effective?

[slow mind]

I told myself I wouldn't post this here but I don't listen very well.
It's just info thats all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y

[Koozy]

stand your ground and yell, or spray and run? which would you think to be more effective?

At least if plan A doesn't work, you've got plan B in your back pocket!

I don't think I'd advise anyone to go one way or the other. I understand both sides, but to me it brings comfort, and my fiance MUCH more comfort. If I were to thru I honestly think I'd bring it, and that I'd end up getting rid of it once I felt comfortable.

[hikerboy57]

At least if plan A doesn't work, you've got plan B in your back pocket!

I don't think I'd advise anyone to go one way or the other. I understand both sides, but to me it brings comfort, and my fiance MUCH more comfort. If I were to thru I honestly think I'd bring it, and that I'd end up getting rid of it once I felt comfortable.
there aint nothin wrong with that

[Capt Nat]

I wonder how it would be for spicing up some Ramon Noodles???

[bfayer]

I told myself I wouldn't post this here but I don't listen very well.
It's just info thats all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y

I watched the video and the guy is very entertaining and knows what he is talking about.

A couple of comments:

He says there are bears that will kill you because they see you, that is true, and it is also true with some people, but we still walk around all day without a worry. I can tell you as a fact there are people in the world that will kill you dead without a thought if they get the right opportunity. I have no doubt it's true with some bears, but just like people, it should not control your life.

He spent most of his time studying bears either out west or in Alaska. He states that different bear populations have different behaviors, for example he says that costal bears in Alaska are less aggressive than inland bears. We are talking about AT bears in this thread, a different population group than his bears in Alaska, and a much less aggressive population group.

I have lived in Alaska and I have many friends that have lived in Alaska and it is very rare for anyone to have an actual encounter with an aggressive bear. In the video he talked about the bear encounters he studied, and they were in the 10s, or in some cases maybe a hundred or so, covering years and years of data. The point being even in locations where the bear population is huge and aggressive, the number of actual encounters with an aggressive bear is very low. As I stated the bear population on the AT is not very aggressive, just annoying at times.

He states that firearms are less effective than bear spray at protecting people from bears, I think he said firearms were like 75% effective and spray was something in the 90s. But he did not classify the type of encounters. I can tell you for a fact most people with guns in the field in Alaska are out hunting and not worried about a bear encounter. The people with bear spray are worried about a bear encounter, which is why they have the spray in the first place. The only way to compare firearm effectiveness with bear spray is to evaluate encounters with people that are equally prepared for a bear encounter. As I stated most people with firearms are not worrying about bears. It was interesting to hear that handguns were more effective than long arms. I suspect that is because more people that carry handguns in the field are doing it for personnel protection and not for hunting.

I agree with his statement that bear bells don't do squat, other than maybe attract bears that have learned that bells equal hiker, and hiker equals food :)

[TheYoungOne]

I carry hornet & wasp spray. It is just as effective and much cheaper, $3-$4 at Walmart.

Careful with this, wasp spray thing is an urban legend thing. Its a noxious chemical spray, so som think its works like pepper spray, butthe wasp poision in it may be lethal or depending upon the person or bear it may be totally ineffective and it will get you killed.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/prevent/waspspray.asp

Actually wasp spray only comes in a big can so it would be more of a PITA to hike with. I have bear spray and even the smallest can of Counter Assault bear spray is 11oz and is the size of a magnum can of Red Bull or Monster.

http://www.rei.com/product/623173/counter-assault-bear-deterrent-spray-81-oz

Now you may want to double check the laws in certain weapon unfriendly states along the trail like NJ, MA and NY, but pretty much it seems that as long as your 18 and over, and not a felon, you can carry pepper spray or bear spray on your person all along the AT. Personally if you are thru hiking, or just a day hiker who likes to keep things compact and lightweight I would not bother with getting bear spray unless your hiking in Grizzly country. I think your standard small jogger or cop sized spray will be just fine for the AT. Just so you know there is an exception with the Kimber pepper blaster in NY because it looks like a red gun and actually uses a gunpowder charge to shoot the spray, but all your other standard pepper spray you see for sale locally should be fine to carry all along the AT trail.

I agree with others that usually 99 times out of 100, black bears will just run at the sight of humans making noise. Unlike a gizzly, you should NEVER back down and play dead with a black bear. If that 1% decides it doesn't want to back down and wants a piece of you, spray it in the snot with pepper spray. Bears actually have a more senstive nose and a better sense of smell then dogs, so while Bear Spray has a tad more "active ingredent" then your standard jogger/mugger OC spray, your standard pepper spray it will still hurt a black bear and persuade it to go elsewhere. Understand in the case of using pepper spray on humans, it is considered a weapon and it is a felony assault in most stated if you spray someone without just cause. Don't screw around with it.

If you are worried about your personal safety along the AT, its perfectly legal for a hiker over 18 to carry a small non spring assisted folding pocket knife with a blade that is less than 3" in length and a small pocket sized canister of pepper spray. That combo is light enough not to bother most gram counting ultralight hikers, and small enough not to be in the way or bulky, all while giving you some level of protection against creature wanting to do you harm on the trail, whether it has 4 legs or 2.

[HikerMom58]

I told myself I wouldn't post this here but I don't listen very well.
It's just info thats all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y

Slow mind.. I'm so glad you posted this! It's great info! I've listened to 1/2 of it -can't wait to listen to the rest. I agree with bfayer... this guy knows his stuff. Again, thanks for posting. :>)

[Carry-On]

I ordered a half ounce sized pepper spray off of Amazon that said it was legal to carry in all 50 states. I shipped it ahead to the trail because I knew I couldn't take it on an airplane. It had a little quick release clip and keychain setup and I put it on the outside of my pack, where I could reach it while wearing my pack. It had a little thumb slide thing to keep it from accidentally discharging. A few times I found the thumb slider had moved to the "active" position luckily it never discharged the spray accidentally. A sheriff friend told me to spray it in a Z or X motion at their face, especially if I had just punched them in the gut with my trekking pole or they were otherwise inhaling. He also said a rock bashed on their nose or their temple is also a very effective defense. There were a couple of times with dodgy dogs and people that I was glad I had it with me, but didn't need to use it. The one person who really scared me on the trail was in a shelter and I didn't want to use the spray in there anyway, because it would have affected me as well. I had it as my last option, after the rock, the knife and the tent stake. I never used it (or any of the options), but I would carry it again, except I gave it away before I flew home. I was reassured that I did not need to use it.

[leaftye]

Given the appropriate circumstances, you can use force, up to deadly force, against acts of aggression. This includes 'Assault with a Food Group' (pepper spray).

Please don't call it a food group. I believe in and practice our right to assemble.

I do agree that you'd get away with using it. I think it's more that you can't have the intent to use it on humans, although it's difficult to enforce on customers if bears might actually be around, and still won't be enforced if actually used for lesser threats when bears aren't around like in this case.
http://blog.sfgate.com/crime/2012/11/28/bear-spray-brings-down-an-alleged-burglar-in-noe-valley/

[Pathfinder1]

First time I ever backpacked along the AT a full grown black bear charged at me full speed. The fact that I scared it away by screaming at the top of my lungs when I was only feet away from taking me out does not bring me much comfort. To disregard the feelings/thoughts of that experience would be considered irrational to me. Easy to brush it off if you've never had it happen to you. I own bear mace and consider bringing it anytime I put together my gear for a hike.


Hi...


Excellent post.

Hope that it will help to convert some of the nay-sayers.

[The Ace]

Hi...


Excellent post.

Hope that it will help to convert some of the nay-sayers.

Sounds to me like I just need to practice on my screaming.

[Rasty]

Hi...


Excellent post.

Hope that it will help to convert some of the nay-sayers.

Sounds to me like I just need to practice on my screaming.

I save that for almost stepping on rattlesnakes. My best little girl scream that is!

[Marta]

I told myself I wouldn't post this here but I don't listen very well.
It's just info thats all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PExlT-5VU-Y

Really good video. Thank you for posting the link.

[vtrek]

Never been a quiet hiker and have never even seen a bear here in new england in 30+ years of hiking.

[leaftye]

I save that for almost stepping on rattlesnakes. My best little girl scream that is!

I can't scream when I'm doing a really good impression of an olympic hurdler.