Upgraded the bear defense.

Woods Walker

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Over the last few years I have noticed an increase in my bear encounters. There has been an increase in problem bears. Now with a report of an attack a few weeks ago (not serious but this reminds me of NJ years ago at the start) its time to upgrade my bear defense.



On my pack compared to the previous spray.



Before anyone says the obvious. Yes I have plenty of guns. This isn't about gun vs. spray rather having more options.
 
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Lou Minescence

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It's good to have your defense product available to use quickly. I have seen a few bears in the NE woods over the years too. They usually run away when they notice you. Some bears stop and stare. They move pretty fast. It's good to have defense options. Domestic dogs and people are the biggest safety threat.
 

Woods Walker

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It's good to have your defense product available to use quickly. I have seen a few bears in the NE woods over the years too. They usually run away when they notice you. Some bears stop and stare. They move pretty fast. It's good to have defense options. Domestic dogs and people are the biggest safety threat.

Domestic dogs are a problem but very often the owner is the root of it. I remember on the AT someone had an aggressive dog off the leash which came at me. The owner looked at me with anger saying he doesn't like backpacks. I said he was on the AT so what did he expect. Having a better less lethal option is good.
 

kaichu dento

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Two fatalities in Alaska in a really short time has made a lot of people reconsider whether or not they take black bears seriously. Far apart too, with one down near Anchorage and the other up in the interior.
 

markr6

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I remember on the AT someone had an aggressive dog off the leash which came at me. The owner looked at me with anger saying he doesn't like backpacks. I said he was on the AT so what did he expect. Having a better less lethal option is good.

What an idiot. I hate it even more when they say "oh I didn't think anyone was around" then leash it back up. It's all fun and games breaking the rules/etiquette until someone shoots their dog or it runs off and gets lost/injured.
 

scs

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Domestic dogs are a problem but very often the owner is the root of it. I remember on the AT someone had an aggressive dog off the leash which came at me. The owner looked at me with anger saying he doesn't like backpacks. I said he was on the AT so what did he expect. Having a better less lethal option is good.

In this case, shoot the owner.
Kidding aside, in his YouTube videos, this Japanese fisherman/camper wears bells to announce his presence to bears in order to keep them away. Not sure how well that actually works, but if it does, it's pretty convenient. He also carries a spray and defensive knife, and maybe even an air horn.
 
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Domestic dogs are a problem but very often the owner is the root of it. I remember on the AT someone had an aggressive dog off the leash which came at me. The owner looked at me with anger saying he doesn't like backpacks. I said he was on the AT so what did he expect. Having a better less lethal option is good.

I agree, having a non lethal option is good. If you have to spray a dog to protect yourself, be proactive by making sure some makes its way to the owner. :mecry: Chances are you're going to have to defend yourself again; this time against the "master". If you spray the angry owner right as he comes rushing-up on you, you can claim his dose was an accident. :laughing:

~ Chance
 

xdayv

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I agree, having a non lethal option is good. If you have to spray a dog to protect yourself, be proactive by making sure some makes its way to the owner. :mecry: Chances are you're going to have to defend yourself again; this time against the "master". If you spray the angry owner right as he comes rushing-up on you, you can claim his dose was an accident. :laughing:

~ Chance
Hitting 2 birds with 1 stone?

Pls bear with the noob question as we don't have bears in this part of the world, are these sprays specially formulated for bears? How different are these from the regular pepper spray?
 

Woods Walker

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In this case, shoot the owner.
Kidding aside, in his YouTube videos, this Japanese fisherman/camper wears bells to announce his presence to bears in order to keep them away. Not sure how well that actually works, but if it does, it's pretty convenient. He also carries a spray and defensive knife, and maybe even an air horn.

I also hang a bear bell on the pack. They have a magnetic silencer for times when the noise isn't welcome. The idea is to avoid the entire accidental encounter which might trigger a fight or flight response. Some Black Bear attacks are from large predatory males in which case I don't think bells help. I have seen them work (personal experience) first hand on the trail. Or at least I think the bell was why the bear took off fast. Maybe it would of anyways.
 

P_A_S_1

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I do day trips in areas where I don't believe bears to be an issue but I'm always concerned about running into stray dogs. Two or more and you have a major problem.
 

BloodLust

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Hitting 2 birds with 1 stone?

Pls bear with the noob question as we don't have bears in this part of the world, are these sprays specially formulated for bears? How different are these from the regular pepper spray?

Mabuhay, pare.
IIRC, bear spray has a lower concentration or OC. It's meant to scare off the bear unlike self defense spray which is meant to incapacitate humans. Plus the bear spray canisters are larger.
Wasp spray is a different story...
 

xdayv

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Mabuhay, pare.
IIRC, bear spray has a lower concentration or OC. It's meant to scare off the bear unlike self defense spray which is meant to incapacitate humans. Plus the bear spray canisters are larger.
Wasp spray is a different story...
Appreciate the helpful info. Salamat po.
 

KITROBASKIN

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My old can of Counter Assault has 10% OC instead of the current 2%, but there is an expiration date on these items. Will it still work after the expiration date? One vendor back then said to make sure the can is regularly shaken but have no confirmation of that being effective.

Wind direction and velocity are major factors for success.

Training/familiarization seems like a good idea. Counter Assault recommends testing your can. I think the standard can has about 7 seconds of spray total.

The entire Counter Assault website looks like, has a good amount of information. Here is a link to a PDF from an independent agency found on that site.

https://www.counterassault.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017_IGBC_bear_spray_guidance.pdf
 

Monocrom

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These sprays are easily found at REI. Keeping up to date on the expiration date is a good idea. While a couple days past due is fine, a few months later wouldn't be. Yeah, the canisters are a bit pricey at $45.oo each. But if you're likely to encounter bears, the price starts looking a lot better.

Also, I agree; shoot the owner.... with the spray. I have zero respect for irresponsible dog owners. These idiots only get it after their dog attacks someone, then they later get sued. When their bank accounts get hit, that's when they care.
 

Woods Walker

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These sprays are easily found at REI. Keeping up to date on the expiration date is a good idea. While a couple days past due is fine, a few months later wouldn't be. Yeah, the canisters are a bit pricey at $45.oo each. But if you're likely to encounter bears, the price starts looking a lot better.

Also, I agree; shoot the owner.... with the spray. I have zero respect for irresponsible dog owners. These idiots only get it after their dog attacks someone, then they later get sued. When their bank accounts get hit, that's when they care.

LOL! The holster was another 16 so the price was more than 45 in total. I use a Wenger knife holster for the smaller anti dog spary. Under 10 bucks I think total spent for anti dog spray and holster. I bet in a pinch it would work for bears etc but more seems better. In any case worth its weight in gold if needed but still costly.
 
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