Y’all, I warned you yesterday: Alaska is on! And, truthfully, the rest of the week will be dedicated to Alaska prep posts so if that isn’t your thing, you might want to check back in September. I’m going on an adventure!
We’ll talk gear and food and whatnot later. Instead, today I want to address a topic that has been presented to me at least a dozen times over the past week in particular: what type of bear prevention tools are we bringing with us?
Valid question. If you watch the news, I’m sure you’ve either heard or read about the sudden uptick in bear attacks across the United States. In fact, seven people have been mauled by bears in five states since Thursday, including both Colorado and Alaska. Those are some scary stats, right?
I’m not so naïve that these numbers don’t induce a bit of anxiousness in my soul. Bears are fascinating to me, but they are also terrifying! Remember a month ago when I saw a black bear on the trail while climbing Capitol? Yes, it was cool, but it definitely made me a smidge nervous. After all, they are big freaking animals! Besides, Alaska has brown bears….also known as grizzlies. Those suckers are even larger and more aggressive than black bears!
Having said that, we have chosen not to bring any guns to Alaska. And, as much as people want to argue with us about it, I am confident in the decision. First of all, I will speak for myself when I say that I am not a gun person (I’m a hippy so this should come as no surprise!) I don’t like them and I won’t ever have one in my house. Is this something I impose on others? Of course not. I have tons of family and friends that are military or law enforcement and I am well aware of the many armed weapons in their homes. It’s just not for me.
Even more important, however, is that only Shannon is trained with a weapon. I don’t know about you guys, but putting a gun in untrained hands (like my own) is paramount to a disaster. God forbid I shoot off my own foot or one of my hiking companions! To me, giving a gun to people who don’t know how to use it is just asking for trouble. Period.
So what are we taking? Bear spray. Lots and lots of bear spray! In fact, we’ll each carry a can of accessible bear spray so that we each have some on our body at all times. For many people who are unfamiliar with the stuff, this likely sounds like the most stupid solution ever. In fact, I told my dad and he was shocked. “Like a can of freaking hair spray?” he asked me.
Luckily, bear spray is a little more intense than an aerosol spray can. If you’ve ever been a college student who had a party broken up by police officers armed with pepper spray, you can attest to the potency of the stuff!
(For the record, I went to CU-Boulder, one of the biggest party schools in the country. I know nothing about my previous sentence….)
In short, both bear spray and pepper spray are made from oleoresin capsicum, but bear spray also has 1-2% of capsaicin, which essentially makes the spray more volatile. Users aim it towards a bear in hopes of spraying him in the face. Just like with humans, the spray will cause an insane burning sensation, as well as trouble breathing and temporary blindness. If hikers can manage this tricky face shot, it is very likely that the bear will become so distracted and disoriented that he will leave the area immediately. In fact, a recent 2008 study in The Journal of Wildlife Management statistically proved that bear spray was more effective than a weapon and resulted in fewer injuries to humans (The stats determined that the bear spray was 98% effective while those with guns were injured about 50% of the time).
Now, I’m sure there are debates on both sides with the above study, but I’m just throwing it out there so y’all know that we didn’t take this decision lightly. Additionally, I like the idea of not killing a bear should an encounter actually happen. Grizzlies are on the “threatened” list and I’d much rather scare them away from me while teaching them to associate hikers with the repercussions of bear spray. This is a much better solution for the future of human/animal interactions. (And then I’m going to sing Kumbaya around a campfire…)
Of course, there are other precautions that we will be taking in order to help minimize the chances of a grizzly encounter. For example:
- Bear Cannisters. Food and any other scented items must be contained in order to prevent smells from attracting our furry little friends. We’ll have plenty of these with us!
- No scented toiletries. I’ve mentioned before how I frequently take dry shampoo into the backcountry, but this won’t be happening in Gates of the Arctic. Any scent, whether it’s via face soap, cleaning wipes, sunscreen, or hand sanitizers, is not a good idea. I can handle being filthy for a week!
- Cause a Ruckus. One of the best ways to keep bears away is by making tons of noise while hiking. Yes, you may look a little crazy while hiking through the brush, hootin’ and hollerin’, but bears will likely steer clear.
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Have you had any bear encounters in the wild?
Where do you stand on the bear spray issue?
18 Comments
I’m looking forward to reading your Alaska prep posts! I think it looks like an awesome trip.
The bear possibility is scary, but I think you are taking the right precautions. I think it’s a smart choice to not bring a gun if you are untrained, and I have also heard bear spray is very effective!
I have carried bear spray for years in the backcountry—in fact, we all had a can this weekend in the Beartooths.Although we had 6 people and 5 dogs, so seeing any wildlife was probably out of the question. But, now that I am full time in Montana, my Dad has sent me a small hand gun to carry while biking and hiking. I do have to practice with it. It is only a .45 and won’t actually kill the bear, but it will do some damage to allow me to time to get out of harms way.
i always wondered who ‘tested’ bear spray to measure it’s effectiveness – but then a couple of the stories this week reported that people used bear spray to fend off the bear. case in point! it works!
Lynne, many bear spray developers send their products to high bear areas to be tested by very experienced people (bear biologists, fishermen, etc). Most products have been field tested before they hit the markets.
i completely agree that if you’re not trained with a gun, you shouldn’t be using a gun to protect yourself, especially when there’s a suitable alternative protective tool in bear spray. i’ve heard about making a ruckus to keep bears away but i’ve never had a chance to test it out. i’ve also heard that singing helps. perhaps you should just start singing “the song that doesn’t end” the whole time you’re walking the trails (your travel companions will love this).
Ha, yeah, we’ll definitely be making lots of noise! Grizzlies are part of the reason we wanted a group bigger than just Will and me. Five people naturally make a fair bit of noise!
When I was in AK I use to work in a major bear center. It was actually one of the main cubbing areas for the females. Everyday it wasn’t if we would see a bear, it was when. And half the time it was a big momma with her cubs (super aggressive). We had both guns and bear spray. I felt the most confident for my safety when caring a gun, but I also felt good with the spray. We actually practiced with the spray and got some blown back on us, the stuff is powerful! Anyways, sounds like you are on the right track. If you give the bears respect they will give it back. Just makes sure to recognizance the warning signs of a bar being aggressive and to make lots and lots of noise! We snuck up on one once on our ATVs, they normally back down but this one didn’t. It was an intense couple of seconds and it charged. Make sure to keep ur spray on your belt and not in your backpack, I had mine drawn and ready. That was the only reason I didn’t run (which is not the right idea!)…
So glad you wrote this here because that’s such a good point: don’t leave the bear spray in your backpack! Totally worthless then.
Where did you work?
I spent two years in Yakutat and 3 in Dutch Harbor (no bears there lol). Also, the thing about AK is if you do such things you then spend loads of time in Anchorage. There, the moose can be feared more then the bears! Seriously they can trample you right in downtown!
Bear spray is just a funny little wimpy word to take on such a big task!! ……..Just make sure the wind isn’t blowing in your direction when you use it!!! OUCH!
I don’t watch the news, so I had no idea about the bear attacks!!! Scary!
I know! It sounds ridiculously stupid. My dad keeps making fun of me for bringing bear spray, and he says it with this little wimpy voice. Kills me 🙂
We had 2 grizzles follow us for about 10 minutes while hiking in Alaska. Terrifying! They were just curious about what we were up to and lost interest.
That would be freaking scary! I had a mountain lion kinda lurk for awhile while hiking with my mom once. For some reason, they scare me more than bears so I was totally freaked out. Luckily, he (obviously) went away and didn’t cause any harm.
I wonder if anyone has ever used bear spray like mosquito spray.
First, I totally agree with your decision. When we were planning our trip, there was a huge push for us to carry a gun with us – and I am SO glad we decided against it. Niko and I are both very not-so-hot on guns, so I totally feel ya – and we’re total hippies too when it comes to hurting animals.
We encountered a bear cub on the first mile of our first backpacking trip together in Olympic NP, and spent the rest of the day loudly singing, clapping, and clankin’ along the trail. 🙂 Good plan, and good luck in Alaska!
Cause a ruckus…hehe.
I’ve actually thought about getting a smaller thingy of bear spray for remote trail runs, especially if I start doing them on on my at dawn/dusk. Chris is more concerned about the crazy people I’ll meet, but I’m guessing bear spray will work on them too, right?!
I am so happy to hear your position on this issue. Being from a rural area in a southern state, whether or not we are taking a gun is always the first question people ask us when we head into the backcountry. We’ve always been firmly against doing this, and we rely on bear spray as well. I would be so uneasy with a gun in my backpack!
My introduction to camping and mountain biking in Alaska was interesting. About 3 miles into my first ride into the woods, I came across 4 other riders. They all had .44’s in their holster. Being “new” to Alaska, I asked what the guns were for and I got a one word answer, “bears”. I decided that I would take my chances and not purchase a gun. Now if I lived there and spent a lot of my free time in the woods, I may have to re-consider.