Happy Feet

And have you ever tried putting a bear bell on. The collar is way too small and I doubt the bear would stay still long enough anyway.

That being said I tour with bear spray and keep food separate from camp. Two years ago I did a diving trip in Jasper that required a trek through trails that had recent bear activity. I carried bear spray, a bell and an air horn on that one.

KD5NRH

Seems like overkill; just carry a good dive knife and cut the bear's air line. Not like they have gills.

staehpj1

A few questions you might ask yourself...
1. Do you have a concealed carry permit and if so is it valid in all of the states or countries you will be travelling in?
2. What will you do with your weapon if you go into places where it is prohibited? Pretty much all federally own building are off limits. This includes post offices and national park or monument buildings. Leaving it on your bike or in your panniers seems like a poor answer.
3. Are you well trained and skilled in the use of the weapon?
4. Do the extremely long odds of a grizzly problem really warrant carrying? I am not sure if there has been even one case of a touring cyclist getting mauled by a bear, but I have never heard of one.
5. Is the extra weight carried worth the slim chance you will need it? A weapon that is an effective deterrent for a grizzly is pretty heavy.
6. Will a weapon be accessible enough to be of use?
7. Will you accept hospitality from folks met along the way? If so it is kind of a poor ice breaker to say that you are carrying and bad manners to bring a weapon into someone's home without their knowledge and approval.

I have a concealed carry permit and still leave my firearms at home because of my answers to these questions

BigAura

First off I'm assuming you're a Navy Seal with martial arts training since Kindergarten. Your preference is still to go mano a mano with a grizzly?

If you're a movie watching, video gamer, please leave the knife home and carry bear spray.

But you're right grizzly bears don't have gills and neither do you. He's bigger, stronger, and at least 10 times more likely to cut your air line first.

wished

So living in here in north Florida we are (hopefully) thousands of miles from the closet grizzlies, but we are getting more and more black bears. Last year the state decided we needed a short bear hunting season. These are little bears compared to most parts of the country but there were a lot of stories about how high-powered hunting rifles still had a hard time stopping the bears. I think a handgun for MOST bikers would be a waste of time. Having all legal permits I do carry a pistol in my truck most of the time, never would consider carrying it on my bike . . . just worthless extra weight since it's not legal to shoot a moving vehicle and they are our greatest danger.

A few weeks ago I was out with some friends doing a little MTB'ing, which is not something I do often, but it was a fun day. While cruising some single-track we ran across a medium black bear, not sure who was the most shocked/scared. Luckily the bear did not have a gun or human spray, the bear and bikers reversed directions quickly, the bear and us bikers now have a good story to share. Happened so fast no one even got a photo (unless the bear had his iPhone out?).

stevepusser

I'm trying to reason why the black bear would try to get into a tent that was obviously occupied, since the guy was using his iPad and bears can smell people better than bloodhounds can. Your scenario would have the bear be some crazy two-eyed no-horned brownish people-eater, have rabies, or maybe it was going after the iPad. I was going with the scenario that almost all of these incidents turn out to be. Please explain how going with the overwhelming percentages is "baseless".

Maybe the bear was letting him know that a wolf was stalking him: 'I was in trouble': Beer can and bears save mushroom picker from hungry wolf - North - CBC News

Maybe this happened, maybe she just got lost and made the story up. The wolf looked "weak", "old" and "skinny", yet she couldn't drive it away by throwing rocks or use a branch as a spear to fend it off, instead she let it herd her away from her car? No mosquito repellant or bear spray on a wilderness summer day in Northern Canada? The empty beer can "saved her life" when she came to a lake? How in the world did people manage to drink anything before the can was invented? I have to season this with a grain of salt, too, like many other people.

fietsbob

In the Belgian Ardennes I camped in the forest but right by the highway ; assuming Hunters were smart enough to not shoot across the PUBLIC highway.

350htrr

Maybe, the person had sardines for supper, oozing sardine smell from every pore... Who the F' knows dude...

AdvXtrm

Calm down there sweetheart. You're getting way too bent out of shape over this.

TMonk

Let's try to keep it civil in here please.

NYMXer

I'll just add that the skill level to open fire with bear spray is near zero, due to the blast spreading out like a shot gun, where a small pistol requires more training and a large caliber to be remotely effective.

We only have black bears around my area and they almost always are more afraid of you than you are of them. They do not want to be around humans.

stevepusser

We probably don't want to stealth camp around Eagle Nest, Minnesota: How bear expert Lynn Rogers went from scientific pioneer to pariah | City Pages

They may want to hitch a ride:


(happy bar grim hooman)

OMG NO HELMETZ THE HORROR

Cougrrcj

"My name is Ash, and this is my Boom-stick"



Just kidding....

We tent camped in Grizzly country. Never had a problem. But then we obeyed one Cardinal Rule - not food/snacks/candy of any kind allowed in the tent. Cooking was done 50' away from the tent so as not to get food odors on the tent. One tried to claw his way into the plywood utility trailer where the food was kept. We left the claw gouge marks there for years to warn others of the hazards of food storage in bear country!

Booger1

If your going to get eaten by a bear,it doesn't matter what you do.....

Cooking 50 ft from your tent?.....Taking a shower before you get inside?....Using soap? They like that too!

Certain clothes to cook in?.....Do you bury them after use?

I don't worry about it....In the big picture,if the bear is really hungry,I'm food!

Raccoon's are far worse than bears......

Mountain Mitch

Contrast that story with this: Another Alberta bear attack sends woman to hospital - Calgary - CBC News

Seems having a buddy with bear spray and courage along with you is the best defence!

AdvXtrm

Wow!

Yan 

"The dead rider was taken off his saddle by the bear and the other rode off to get help."

Just make sure you are that guy who rode off.

AdvXtrm

Amazing survival!

king_boru

I don't want to discredit you or anything but a high powered pistol is very effective on bears. The effectiveness of the bullet is what counts. There are many different types of bullets built for specific needs. From home defense to hunting to small game for the same calibre of round. Especially with traditional calibres such as a 45-70, 44-40, 357, 44 and many others. In fact, a small calibre round such as a .308 with the correct bullet is effective on a bear. Actually very effective. If you flip the chart around and a large calibre such as a 45-70 is also a very effective round on deer. Again, with the right bullet. I have taken many a deer with a 45-70 with my own custom loads and find the results better than my 300 Winchester Magnum or .308. To say a pistol is useless is ridiculous. A well placed shot is effective on anything. I believe it was Mr. Weatherby that hunted in Africa with a .257 Weatherby Magnum with outstanding effectiveness. The power of hydrostatic shock is amazing. But incredibly fast small calibre rounds are another argument all together.

To add to this, I have had multiple bear encounters while hunting up north in Alberta. None have attacked and I feel perfectly comfortable carrying my .308 for defense. I took a bear a few years ago with my 308 and one shot. (obviously legally with correct paper work and tags). I also know an individual who is in regular contact with bears and has successfully fended one off with a hunting knife.

But, back to cycling. It may be awkward carrying a pistol. Some good spray and a sharp knife should be enough.

saddlesores

blowing away bambi in a clearing from 300 meters is a little different than
playing quick draw mcgraw with a charging mama grizzly.

in the former case, you've got all the time in the world. in the latter, you'll
miss 9 times out of ten. unfortunately, you won't have time for more than a
couple shots....

king_boru

Would depend on ones training I guess.

saddlesores

they certainly don't train cops to shoot the gun out of the bad guy's hand.
a well-placed shot should be able to disarm a criminal.....

1Mule

If attacked, sing a Coldplay song, you'll still die but the bear will suffer too.

king_boru

Riiiiiight. I think I'll leave it there.

AdvXtrm

He says he had a handgun on him but chose to use the Bear-Spray instead, which did nothing...

Grizzly 10/1/16 | Todd Orr - Bear Attack Survivor