[pct-l] Stealth camping

[mark at verber.com (Mark Verber)]

Christine Kudija wrote:
> At the risk of inciting further trolling on this issue, I simply
> do not see the need for carrying bear spray in non-griz country.
> My relatively few  bear encounters have included:

Like Christine, I have not felt the need to carry bear spray in non-griz
country.  In the California Sierras, sections of the AT, and in south
eastern Canada I have generally not felt threaten by black bears that I have
encountered.  The only time I was threaten I accidentally wandered in
between a mother and a cub that were separated by 100+ yard.  As the mom
came loping up I realized the situation and move out of the mother path and
away from the cub.  She went strait to her cub and escorted him away from
me.

On a side note: bear spray seems to be less effective on black bears who
have developed a taste for human food:
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF12/1245.html

--Mark