[pct-l] Protection From Bears

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning,

When I ran or rode my bike on rural roads I was occasionally chased by dogs
so I got a small, personal-protection size can of OC spray.  I didn’t carry
it running because then I could instantly stop and intimidate the fuzzy
miscreants – I’m good at that – but on a bike I couldn’t react as
quickly.  Rarely
I had to reach down and give the pup a toot in the face with the spray as
he was trying to nip my ankle.  They didn’t react much; usually they just
slowed down and lost interest in the chase.

>From what I’ve seen, those little cans of spray are pretty pathetic and
short-range, and they certainly wouldn’t even annoy a bear.  The real cans
of bear spray are serious in that they shoot a long, straight stream which
empties the entire can in just a few seconds.  I think they are too heavy
and they are not necessary.  I did hear of one good thing the bear spray
did:  A dude visiting Alaska bought a can, and knowing what to do with
mosquito repellant, he sprayed himself with it.

I've hiked and camped trouble-free in bear country since the Eisenhower
administration, and while I do use a bear 'can as required for my food, I
don’t devote any hiking gear weight to personal protection from bears:  Not
guns, not sprays, not noisemakers, not even a flyswatter.  We as hikers
will be fortunate indeed when the greatest worry we have facing 2,663 miles
of wilderness is the “threat” from meek – but curious and hungry – black
bears.

I agree with Frazz at:  http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=704932

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/