How are you carrying bear spray?

Spray for bears, guns for cats. At least that's what I've always heard (with the acknowledgment that if a cat's going for you, you're somewhat fucked regardless).

Of the people I know who bike with guns, I've never heard of them using them for their intended purpose. I've heard a few stories from them of things going wrong (like their gun fell out of their holster somewhere on the ride, so they had to retrace their steps to find their gun. That was at a popular trail system with roughly zero threat from animals and plenty of kids riding the trail).

Very few people actually live in grizzly country. It seems there is a mauling every other year within 150 miles of here. It's pretty obvious who is new to town or visiting based on where they carry it.

I try to remember the Bear Spray while biking trails I know they are around. I do the H2o bottle thing.

While hunting in grizzly country, I carry a rifle, a pistol, and bear spray. Often it's too windy for bear spray to be effective in the high country. I have never thought that carrying my pistol while biking was a good idea.

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Originally Posted by Shredhead

If it’s on your bike and you get knocked off, your fucked.

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Why would I get knocked off my bike? You mean like actually colliding with a bear? If that happens I've already violated the number one rule of safe travel in bear country, which is always make your presence known. You should NEVER surprise a bear.

Put it this way, if you ever find yourself needing to deploy spray or a firearm, you've already majorly fucked up.

As far as an airhorn goes, if I see a bear at 100 yards, I am backing out of there and not blasting a horn to get its attention. At close range, I seriously doubt an airhorn is going to phase a startled griz protecting its young or guarding a carcass.

It's a hackneyed debate, spray vs. firearm, but as somebody noted, strapping on a heavy-ass gun to go grind up singletrack is not something most people want to do. Bear spray is a lightweight and equally (or more) effective alternative.

Just wear a really tight shirt and pedal around with your chest puffed out, be the ALPHA. No bear will fuck with an alpha male unless they love suicide

recreating in grizzly country sure sounds complicated. I'm not really a fan and I prefer to stick to places where they aren't.

Meanwhile here in Arizona last week- https://nypost.com/2023/06/22/bear-t...g-or-provoked/

Has @Goldmember posted in this thread yet? He's got one hell of a grizz encounter story. Like 100X better than my chaco taco story I shared yesterday, I promise.

Worked for 30yrs in griz and blackie country. Encountered several bruin of both species, some were alone and some in family units. Sometimes with a firearm, sometimes with bear spray, often with a large hound, often with nothing than my wits. Never had a bad encounter with a griz (but checked my shorts a few times); had a few negative encounters with blackies, ending up having to destroying a couple that had become habituated. Also have worked and shared beers with bear behaviour experts (doctorate level).

The studies are easy to get online. Unequivocally, if having to resort to using a firearm, one and often both participants in an encounter end up dead. Using bear spray, the vast majority of participants live. The greatest tool in the arsenal is situational awareness coupled with an imposing but unaggressive posture.

Then there are the blackies in the Peace district of north-eastern BC and Alberta. Fuck those predatory assholes.

I’ve never carried spray on a bike, but I would think some form of chest harness would be best. When I carry hiking, it’s on my utility belt, and I practice quick drawing it once or twice a year. Not a fan of carrying higher than my belt as I’ve had too many bad incidents with bad canisters, both from physical damage to the device, or a bad or worn canister. Getting even a minor whiff of that shit really puts a damper on the day.

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Originally Posted by BCMtnHound

Then there are the blackies in the Peace district of north-eastern BC and Alberta. Fuck those predatory assholes.

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what's up with those assholes?

I hear bear spray is also good for assholes.
Also, there is a big difference between Montana grizzly bears and Alaska bown bears. 44 mag is standard up there. Or a shotgun. Rather have bear spray in MT. Or even AK (and a gun, in that case). You wanna take a shot when your fam/dog is downrange? If you bear spray them by accident, they'll be fine after a few hours. Not so much if you shoot them.

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Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

There's 1 that is basically a plastic adapter that holds the spray can, and then clicks securely into a water bottle holder. I think they sell for $20+, but my friend had a 3D printer and printed a few and gave me one. So the plans are online somewhere.
It's not letting me upload a picture.

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we sell those too, they are super rattly, if I'm carrying on a bike I'm using the 3d printed one above or on my belt
the last few reported instances in my area the bike and rider got separated and the spray on the bike was obviously useless
I'm usually good for one bear sighting a week and most of the time it's them running away from me (that's just what bears do mostly) moose on the other hand are crazy unpredictable and I can foresee giving one of those kooks a dose of pepper sooner than any bear

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Originally Posted by raisingarizona13

what's up with those assholes?

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Not sure. Genetics, population, environment? Whatever is up, seems to seldom go a year without some bush worker or recreationalist getting stalked and mauled up there.

I carried spray for the forest tech gig in my cruiser vest but I liked having a dog around with a bell

on the bike the blacks seem to run the other way fast as they can

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Originally Posted by waxman

we sell those too, they are super rattly, if I'm carrying on a bike I'm using the 3d printed one above or on my belt
the last few reported instances in my area the bike and rider got separated and the spray on the bike was obviously useless
I'm usually good for one bear sighting a week and most of the time it's them running away from me (that's just what bears do mostly) moose on the other hand are crazy unpredictable and I can foresee giving one of those kooks a dose of pepper sooner than any bear

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It seems to depend on the label thickness on or wrapped around the spray can. A strip of duct tape stopped the rattle for me. Vertical, not around the can, or it won't fit at all. Switched to a newer bottle with more orange labeling and no rattle.

I just go with the elastic holster on my hip pack or backpack waist belt and honestly I don’t even notice that it is there when riding.

I do use a little piece of string to tie it to the body of the pack so it can’t slide forwards—without this modification it will move and be annoying.

It does make it semi-permanent on the pack though…I could use easier to untie cord or fashion some sort of quick release, but I have enough spare cans of bear spray that I just leave it on each pack.

I must also be some sort of inverse-bear-whisperer though. I once spent a full week camping in the Alaskan wilderness in bear season and didn’t so much as see a grizzly off in the distance, despite being their partially with the goal of watching bears.

https://media.tenor.com/L3sY_0L6nGoA...green-mist.gif

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Originally Posted by homemadesalsa

I use the feedbag/stem bag with a buff at the bottom to keep it padded. My buddy had one of these on a big ride and it looked slick: https://www.formatde.co/

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HMS, anyone in the valley carry the feed bag in store?

I live and ride in SWCO, and bear spray isn’t needed.

Last year I was on a super remote ride and came across an unused bottle of bear spray sitting next to a log.

Not one to pass up free shit, I strapped it to the outside of my Dakine hip sack. A few hours later I took a slow tumbling fall into wildflowers and somehow discharged the spray. Right into (ONto) my ass and down my leg.

Intense burning pain. No relief available. I was literally sitting in creeks and it would feel ok, then I’d start riding with leaves of wet skunk cabbage shoved down my chamois, which wouldn’t help.

I still had hours and lots of super techy descending and to finish the ride (Bear creek into s. Mineral outside of Silverton).

Hysterical and painful.

That’s all I got. Don’t put it on a dakine hip sack


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Locally one of the scientists with provincial forestry was in-famous for his sphagnum moss poultice on an accidental bear spray discharge

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

HMS, anyone in the valley carry the feed bag in store?

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Probably Fitzgeralds since they carry Revelate gear. Give them a shout. We might have a spare though, since I got Dan that nice one https://www.formatde.co/. I'll go look in the bike shed.

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Originally Posted by Tech Tonics

I live and ride in SWCO, and bear spray isn’t needed.

Last year I was on a super remote ride and came across an unused bottle of bear spray sitting next to a log.

Not one to pass up free shit, I strapped it to the outside of my Dakine hip sack. A few hours later I took a slow tumbling fall into wildflowers and somehow discharged the spray. Right into (ONto) my ass and down my leg.

Intense burning pain. No relief available. I was literally sitting in creeks and it would feel ok, then I’d start riding with leaves of wet skunk cabbage shoved down my chamois, which wouldn’t help.

I still had hours and lots of super techy descending and to finish the ride (Bear creek into s. Mineral outside of Silverton).

Hysterical and painful.

That’s all I got. Don’t put it on a dakine hip sack


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This is exactly why I carry it on the bike and not strapped to my body.

actuay I remember more of what happen to scientist bro

he discharged his spray at a bear but he got some on his hands

and then he took a piss & got some on his pecker

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Originally Posted by homemadesalsa

Probably Fitzgeralds since they carry Revelate gear. Give them a shout. We might have a spare though, since I got Dan that nice one https://www.formatde.co/. I'll go look in the bike shed.

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Sweet, thanks!

I actually discharged a quick blast on a multiday hiking trip while scrambling through an overgrown section, but luckily had been making sure it was generally facing away from me as much as possible, just a brief whiff though was enough to be unpleasant for a while...and yeah definitely stings on the skin!

My dad told me a story that happened when I was still a baby, where his bear spray canister broke while on a mountain climb and put it in his pocket without thinking. It later discharged into his groin as he was hopping a downed tree.

He can't really remember much of the immediate aftermath, but according to his buddy he laid there for a half hour before regaining himself for the remaining 5 miles back to the truck.

The joke now is he never needed an official vasectomy after his 3rd (and final kid).

It's nasty stuff for sure. Always keep that trigger guard on!

There are no bears in SW Colorado?
Also, yeah, gotta watch out for the junk if you've been handling anything spicy. I've made that mistake. ONCE.

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Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

There are no bears in SW Colorado?

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I didn’t say that. I just don’t feel like I need to carry bear spray. I’d probably need it more riding home from a few drinks the night before trash-day than I do on trails.




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Originally Posted by Rasputin

A friend of mine who been hunting deer in Montana, for over fifty years, told me, that he doesn't carry bear spray, instead he carries an air horn. He said that at a hundred yards an air-horn will scare a bear (including grizzlies) into running away, and not returning, and he's had some experience in doing so. I figure it would be safest to have both.

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Airhorns have been proven ineffective. I'm headed up to Bella Koola in a few weeks and I just read the study to refresh, but I'm too lazy to look for it.

Basically bear spray or a 12g slug gun are statistically the best (and really only bets). Also my friends who live in AK either carry 12g shotguns, bear spray or nothing at all. They've got a lot of wild stories being FS crew, so I tend to trust their experiences.

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Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

Airhorns have been proven ineffective. I'm headed up to Bella Koola in a few weeks and I just read the study to refresh, but I'm too lazy to look for it.

Basically bear spray or a 12g slug gun are statistically the best (and really only bets). Also my friends who live in AK either carry 12g shotguns, bear spray or nothing at all. They've got a lot of wild stories being FS crew, so I tend to trust their experiences.

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Guy I worked with some years ago was stationed in Bella Coola and ran into mamma with cubs back in 2018.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...tack-1.4738587

the government still pays people to do nothing but carry a shotgun. Not to make this a gun thread. Glock20 fully loaded 2.5lbs. Could still ride your bike.
Get the bear spray buy your holder from Revelate. What I have found from my encounters. It is either going down or not. You do not have much control of the situation.

Are you mountain biking through the south side of Chicago?

I thought you could just yell at them and they’d run away


https://www.fieldandstream.com/survi...sts-in-alaska/

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Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

Basically bear spray or a 12g slug gun are statistically the best (and really only bets). Also my friends who live in AK either carry 12g shotguns, bear spray or nothing at all. They've got a lot of wild stories being FS crew, so I tend to trust their experiences.

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When I was in Alaska the forest service employees had to have someone carrying a shotgun with slugs. Not sure if that was an all-the-time rule or because they were with non-FS employees (and a group of FS college interns).

But they hated actually lugging it around and only carried it if they thought we were going somewhere where we might run into other forest service crews (who might tattle on them). Bear spray is lightweight, fast to deploy, and doesn't need precise aim.

Some of the bears around here seem to be getting awfully used to people. It was startling. This big boi just mozied on up the trail away from me and around a blind turn. Walked the turn with bear spray in my hand.
Idk, maybe he was snuggly. They are awfully cute which is why being mauled by one would just be embarrassing.
I'm referring specifically to black bears.

I used to ride with my dog a lot, although this trail is no dogs allowed. Group rides etc. Never really felt like I super duper needed bear spray either. I ride alone a lot, though, and dog is way too old to come with. Also, got some for free, so, might as well take it with me.

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Originally Posted by mcski

I thought you could just yell at them and they’d run away


https://www.fieldandstream.com/survi...sts-in-alaska/

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actualy did this up in the gosnel doing forestry research, a truly massive griz was coming towards us up the forest service road so we started yelling at it while there is still plenty of room

bear does a 90 to his left, crosses a creak does an 90 to his right, we see him running up a hill parallel to the FSR , probably did a couple more 90's d and kept walking on the FSR

so he had plenty of warning what I don't want to do is startle a bear

first use of the Ghostrider Kermode this past weekend in the Chilcotin...stable, nice to have right at hand, didn't at all need to use it which is always preferable. Even took a couple of slow speed minor falls with no issues.

Attachment 463885

Attachment 463886

The person used a thing called Ghostrider Kermode in the Chilcotin over the weekend. It's like a spray to keep bears away. They kept it handy, meaning it was easy to reach. Luckily, they didn't have to use it because it's better to avoid using it. They even fell a couple of times at slow speed, but everything was okay. So, it seems like the bear spray was carried safely and didn't cause any problems.

^^^Fucking AI bots


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nice summarization though.... included all the relevant plot points.

"The person"??! Damn it, am I nobody?!