Several sites I’ve read give plenty of information on how to prevent bears and other animals from taking your food. But I’ve yet to find any site with advice on what to do if it happens. What course of action do you take if you’re two or three days out in the wilderness and all of the sudden you find all your food gone? Is there an option to laying down and dying?
Tempus Fugit
I don’t think you’re going to starve to death in 2 or 3 days, Slick. Consider toughing it out.
bullet
The course of action…is always…do not try to get your food back from the bear!!!
As long as you have water you will be fine…also if the bear gets your backpack…don’t you usually have your power bars and snacks on your person or fanny pack/pockets or something.
For the AT I would think it would not be a problem…towns, shelters etc…on the PCT or even the JMT you may have to hike out with a empty tummy :eek:
ER supplies why not include a few ounces of fishing line and hooks, flys etc…
This is why I always wear a fanny pack…the really important things are with me and not in my main pack.
AlohaTink
I have a plan, in case a bear comes after me…I’ll pick up a rock and start beating myself in the head…and hopefully I’ll be dead time the bear gets to me…:lol
Chairman
Don’t ever hike with aromatic food. If you do, believe me, a bear will get wind of it and go after it – and YOU, not being able to distinguish the two.
When after food, nornally shy black bears have a cold, calculating look of determined ferocity in their eyes that freezes the blood of those who see it. These bears may try to silently sneak up behind you, charge suddenly from ambush, or just circle in the woods around you like a shark.
When they decide that you are prey and they are going to take you, they often approach with a slow but relentless pursuit that can be extremely difficult to turn away. Even bear spray often works only temporarily, which is why you need something else for backup.
If such a bear attacks, though, all is not hopeless. Predatory black bears often underestimate humans and have been killed with knife-slashes to the throat or even a large rock or heavy stick to the skull. If this is not the case, you could be killed very quickly unless you have a gun.
The more prudent bear planning to eat a man will get him down and grab him in iron jaws by the back of the neck and shake hard, that usually does it right then. A less skilled predator will just start eating the human alive without bothering to kill him—horrible as it sounds, you can let the beast chew on one arm while you slash his throat with a knife in the other, lives have been saved this way.
Percival
On the AT there are very few places where you are more than a day from a road so going w/o food is not a problem. Also there are so many hikers in the area you can usually get a day or two of food from your fellow hikers. Finally the chances of this happening are very remote. Bears are hunted pretty heavy on the east coast so are very leary of humans. The exceptions to this are in the national parks where hunting is not allowed. The bears in the Smokies and SNP tend to be very aggressive. Just use normal food hanging precautions and you should not have a problem.
Big B
All foods are aromatic. A bear can smell an unopened can of raviolli through a bank vault. Not sure what you mean by not carrying aromatic foods…
Tempus Fugit
Geez,you can go days without food,it’s not like your going to pull a Donner Pass and eat your hiking mates.Hang your food properly,relax and walk out to a road,town or whatever.:pimp
old&in the way
Back to your question. NO ONE has ever starved to death on the trail.
I’m not sure if Percival is serious or what. There are few bear attacks on the trail. Percival seems to be trying to get a rise out of you. If you need to carry a gun because you are afraid of bear attacks, stay at home.
Big B is on the right track. Take necessary precautions and you will be fine.
bilko
Never under estimate the intelligence of an animal that humans can teach to ride a bicycle.
Jim
“Never under estimate the intelligence of an animal that humans can teach to ride a bicycle.”
Crow