looking for some advice

I think carrying the 12-gauge full of slugs for 12 days on a through hike is a great idea--have fun!

Cheers,
Daniel
 
But I still am looking for a blade that will make a grizzly piss his britches.

that kukri does look pretty badass

Once again...Bears aren't scared of scary looking knives. People are scared of scary looking knives. Bears don't care.
 
You're more interested in trying to look like a bad ass rather than get good and practical advice from people? From my experience, the ones I've seen carrying all the "bad ass" gear are the ones lookin' pretty foolish.

Exactly! What you can do though, is, before the bear eats your windpipe, you tell the bear that the knife you are carrying was designed by for bad ass military hard use pro ops only, and that he better watch out, because that is the way you roll.

I understand that works 99.9% of the time.
 
You're more interested in trying to look like a bad ass rather than get good and practical advice from people? From my experience, the ones I've seen carrying all the "bad ass" gear are the ones lookin' pretty foolish.

Just tryin to have some fun with it
 
This actually is discussed pretty well in a PracTac article which I will link below:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...apon-Against-A-Bear?highlight=what+knife+bear

I do not want to start an arguement here and I am no bear expert but from what I've learned from watching documentaries and researching them they do indeed eat carrion. The main difference between a black bear and a brown bear is that a black bear fears humans to a certain degree. This means that they will mostly likely be scared off if you wave your arms etc... Their maximum height is seven feet tall standing, why the hell would they want to mess with a six foot tall human holding a pointy stick? You actually could pose a threat to them or injure them to severely to make it worth their while.

A brown bear on the other hand (a grizzly is just an inland brown bear) can grow nine feet tall or taller when when standing. In their case you are easily dispatched and therefore when you surprise them or are deemed a threat they will often react in a more violent manner. This is how the whole play dead thing came into being. Unless you have some heavy artillery on you then pretending to be dead is the only real way to lessen your threat level and get them to leave you alone. Naturally they may take a few swipes/bites out of you but once they deem your no longer a threat they will usually leave you alone.

A Brown bears nose has been proven to be seven times stronger then a bloodhounds, so the best way to get it to leave you alone is to attack their most sensitive organ. Pepper spray is the best choice you have and when confronted by a bear I'd go with the pray and spray method rather then trying to stab them with your knife. My advice is to reach for the spray first and then pull a knife just in case.

My knife recommendation would be something to use as a tool but is an effective weapon. Maybe a kuk or short sword, I definitely would avoid folders because activating it will be a big if. If you don't know how to use an edged weapon effectively in close combat don't even think of taking any melee weapon for self defense. I recommend buying a sturdy spear and modifying it to use as a walking stick/ small game hunting weapon/bear defender/undergrowth cutter/spider web getter rid of er.

-MC
 
In all seriousness bear mace is really my only hope. I just hope I don't round a corner and stumble on one before I can reach for the can. I've read a few articles and it seems most attacks happen just from startling the bears. Which is crazy considering their intense sense of smell. One thing going for us is the fact that were above the tree line so there won't be too much blocking our field of view.
 
In all honesty, the likelihood of an attack occuring is very low. Like they say, let'em know you're there....

If you end up staring at this;

DSC00537.jpg


I don't care what knife you have on you, it's got at least 9 more on it's paws. And the instinct and will to use them to finality.

grizzly%20bear%20claw%20in%20hand.jpg


If it's that close, just enjoy the warmth of the pee running down your leg, the fragrance wafting up from your shorts, and deploy the spray till it's empty.... ;)

Just get a knife that will serve you well on the trail and in camp, and enjoy the trip.... :D
 
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