View topic - Bear spray

We are planning a 4 week trip to the Horton River this summer and was wondering what a typical quantity of bear spray cans we should take with us. We are a group of 6 people with 3 canoes. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

If you get in a situation where you actually use the spray that might be the end of your trip.

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

I do not have any personal experience to back this up. But, I recently had a conversation with a hiker regarding group sizes while hiking in Alberta. One region recommended group sizes of 6 because there has never been a recorded bear attack against a party of six or more people. So, you've picked your party size wisely

But, of course, there could be a chance that each of you needs a little privacy every now and then! So, you should take enough cans so that if someone is wondering off by themself they have one.

If you are you getting the kind of bear spray that you have to apply daily (similar to bug spray) then a group of 6 paddlers will obviously require more than if you get the "single use" kind.

just kidding. At the very most, if each of your paddler's had their own canister, that should be more than enough. Most groups get by with much less, with some groups not even bothering. Depends where you are going and what other practices (runnng a clean camp and hanging food) you may use to discourage bear visits.

cheers
dave

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Living my life one river at a time.

Hello,

I was on the Horton 2 years ago.
We had one bear spay per canoe or per tent.
That is to say one for 2.

We saw one bear the first day (near Whaleman river) and several at the end.

Cheers,

Marie

I would suggest one large can per person. The small cans are useless. If you've never used bear spray before, gather the group together, get an extra can and fire it off so everybody can see how it works.

We carried the can in a holster on our hips at all times when we were on dry land. And on two occasions, we were very glad we did.

Remember that you can't transport the stuff on commercial airlines. So you will either need to ship it ahead, or make arrangements in advance so that you can purchase when you arrive.

oldntired said "And on two occasions, we were very glad we did."

Now that's a story that needs telling as many of us carry bear spray up north.

Ted

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To the Silent Places
www.parkerclan.ca

I would also look into "bear bangers". The wind can be darn strong up there and at times we could barely talk to one another. Not very good for spray. Six people sounds fairly safe however if someone likes to go off and hike by themselves for hours at a time I would look into other alternatives.

Not to sure about the possibility of flying bear spray with you if you are going into Norman Wells or Inuvik by commercial airline.

We had no problems with bears on a 1998 Horton trip even though we seen a couple close by. However in 2009 a solo traveler acquaintance of mine on the Anderson (runs West of the Horton) had two tent invasions on different occasions. My guess is the invasions were because he had his dog sleep in the tent with him.

GG

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A smart man learns from his mistakes,
A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.
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email: geraldguay@hotmail.com
http://www.geraldguay.ca

4 weeks, 6 people? You will definitely be wanting "personal time"!

Plus there is the call of nature where you all want to be alone - very alone!

I recommend one can per person, each with a holster and a biner so you can clip here and there without a high agg factor (rain gear, hiking, paddling). You don't want it on a pant belt all the time.

And bear bangers. I have had to use these for real - they work. These you might be able to economize and share one per canoe/tent or something. But then each buddy needs to know where other buddy packed it.

I only solo trip now, so I carry both.

Bear spray is personal protection. If you are going to bring it, then you need to have it in a holster on your person, or within reach at all times. 1 can per person wanting personal protection. If someone would rather rely on their rifle, 10-gage, pocket knife, magic beads, or the grace of God for personal protection, that's their choice and perfectly acceptable, but I wouldn't rely on someone else's bear spray for my protection.