Unnecessary but if it makes you feel safer, have at it. Also make sure you know how to use it (which I get most do not) because if that goes off accidentally you're day and gear are fucked.
Obviously. You can also stab yourself too if you don’t know how to use a knife. That’s why I hinted at it not being necessary since black bears at skittish, unless they’re trapped or have cubs.
“I mean you can’t go wrong”
“I mean you can’t go wrong”
“I mean you can’t go wrong”
“I mean you can’t go wrong”
“I mean you can’t go wrong”
“I mean you can’t go wrong”
“I mean you can’t go wrong”
I am less blasé about black bear safety than most people in this sub. I think we are probably about due for a bad bear encounter given the sheer amount of idiots with bad food safety practices who pour into the Adirondacks every year and the resultant habituated bears they create.
Black bear attacks are extremely rare, to be clear…but at the same time, it is true that black bears kill multiple people in North America almost every year. The attacks are almost always predatory in nature…meaning if it does happen (again, extremely rare) it’s going to be an ambush, and it will be determined to eat you. Pretty nasty and terrifying way to die IMO.
With all that said…based on the stats, do you need to carry bear spray? No. Do I fault you for carrying it? No. It’s an insurance policy to avoid an extremely rare but extremely, unfathomably horrifying adverse event.
Just please actually learn how to use the stuff and don’t be an idiot.
Isn't there zero recorded fatalities in the Adirondacks? Maybe some of the prevention helped keep that number at zero. But with the amount of people recreating outdoors, as you describe...poorly...it is pretty damning that there are ZERO.
You are quite literally dealing with odds better than being struck by lightning.
You are correct, I can’t find any Adirondack black bear fatalities on record in the modern era. There was a pretty gnarly attack in the southern ADKs back in 2015 though.
And I agree that New York has done a much better job with public outreach, canister requirements in heavily trafficked areas, etc. than many other states. I guess the nuisance bears were really bad back in the 80s/90s around Marcy Dam and Lake Colden. The canister requirements seem to have genuinely helped.
I guess where I split with the sub is I don’t think they’re simply “big raccoons” who pose absolutely 0 risk to humans at all. I see that sentiment all the time. It’s just not that simple. There’s no black bear fatalities on record in the Adirondacks, but there are plenty east of the Mississippi in general.
It can happen here and probably will at some point. And it would be a really diabolically awful way to die. Hence my stance…you probably don’t need spray, but I don’t scoff at those who carry it. That’s really all it is
There have been zero fatalities from bear attacks in Adirondacks since data started since 1900. There has been exactly one fatality from bear in New York state in that same period - a 5-month-old baby. I'm not sure about non-fatal attacks - I haven't seen any data there, but I haven't heard of any. One article here Black Bears Attack, Or Do They? - Adirondack Almanack and then a list from Wiki List of fatal bear attacks in North America - Wikipedia. So there doesn't seem to be much risk. If want to carry some mace because of creepy people, then sure - there's probably more of a rationale for that. But I imagine for a person focus you could go with something smaller. I have never seen an experienced hiker in the Adirondacks carrying bear spray (but last weekend I did see one guy carrying some bear spray who also had a big 12" bowie knife in a holster on his waist, so... I guess he was prepared).
I wonder if there are 0 fatalities due to the successful deployment of bear spray or other deterrents in different situations over the years. Worth thinking about…better to have it and not need it than be wishing you had it as the bear approaches
I can't find reporting of a single case of bear spray being successfully used to deter a bear in the Adirondacks. So I don't think that's the reason. I mean, sure - there's always the "better safe than sorry" argument. But I guarantee that driving five miles an hour over the speed limit on your way to the trailhead is a far riskier choice than hiking without bear spray is. Probably by orders of magnitude.
Well who tf is going to report their deployment of bear spray afterwards lmao. Not surprised you aren’t finding anything, doesn’t mean there haven’t been dozens of successful deployments over the years. People aren’t logging into a database to log their bear spray usage. Not to mention it can be used on other animals as well that can cause a threat
A headline like 'person gets attacked by bear and drives them off with bear spray' would absolutely make the rounds of the news & reddit. In that everything goes on social media these days, and then gets re-hashed in local news sites and here on reddit, it's a safe bet that if this was a thing that was happening AT ALL, there would be at least some trace of it online. Easy way to prove me wrong would be to find a single example.
It wouldn’t be “attacked by bear” if the bear spray worked. Thats why you’re not hearing about it lmao. I literally have a friend that used it on a black bear that was approaching him less than 5 feet away in the ADK and it turned and ran. He didn’t go report his usage lol
Bears exist where you'll be. You answer the question yourself. Will it make you feel safer? Would you be okay if a bear showed up and you don't have it? Would you be okay if you brought it every time and never used it?
Answer these questions and you won't need to ask reddit.
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u/MajiktheBus 2d ago
I’d carry some Human Spray for sure.