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?