Animal Protection in a Hammock

[Red Wing]

Just imagine youre watching a national geographic show. May entice rational thought and help control or diminish your fear. Shug made a great analogy with it being like an unfamiliar neighborhood. Mind your business and youre usually fine. If you ever encounter trouble, act like the alpha. Usually have more issues with loose dogs at city parks than animals in the woods but this mindframe works everywhere.

[Speedogomer]

Knives are protection, but remember to use them effectively you have to be in hand to hand combat with the wild pig. I dont know about you, but a man vs pig battle doesn't sound like fun. A knife is really just for piece of mind, but isn't effective at deterring an overly curious animal.

You can pitch your tarp low, and use a tarp with doors. You then just have a tent with no floor.

Bear spray is your best bet. It has been shown to be the most effective way to defend against bears. The same would hold true for smaller animals as well. I read a recent article that studied bear encounters, basically showed that bear spray had a 98% effective rate against bears in Alaska, and no one had died when using bear spray as a first line defense. I wont discuss the results of the study that evaluated firearms since it is not allowed here, the article is easy to find online.

One thing to remember with bear spray. You only use it to spray directly at an aggressive animal. Some people believe they can spray it around camp to act as a deterrent, but that can attract animals. Basically it makes a unique smell around camp that animals can want to come investigate.

And if you're scared of humans while being outside, bear spray will work against them too.

[MrsKD]

I'll be completely honest, I am a young female and just did my first solo trip ( you can find the thread, not sure how to link) and the animals didn't really cross my mind. It is the two legged type that worries me. I took my dog along for company and while she is quiet, I know she will let me know if something is getting close to the site. My tarp, when pitched low, blends in really well. I have scared people to death by calling out a howdy when they walk by so that may make you feel more comfortable as well.

There are some great videos on youtube about keeping scents down, bear safety, and such. They are definitely worth checking out because no matter what gear you have or security measures you take in the form of a product, your most effective piece of gear sits between your ears.

[ktitan]

I think the psychological component will only get better with experience. Its like moving from the suburbs to the city. The city noises will keep you awake at first, but after a while you won't be able to sleep without that background noise. The woods are the same. What sounds scary tonight will be the lullaby that puts you to sleep after some more time in the woods.

I've been backcountry camping for many years now and never bring any personal security device in the bear country that I call home. If I am going someplace that is unusual for me I will check with local rangers and ask about local dangers (not just animals) and if they recommend I will bring a bear spray.

[outdoorsguy]

Hello everybody, I'm Dutch, and today I would like to show everybody my new titanium hammock side spikes.....

[SilvrSurfr]

Protection from animals? Animals need protection from humans! I've been hiking for 40+ years and "protection from animals" is not even on my radar. I do everything possible to keep animals out of my camp by keeping smells out, bear bagging, etc., but in reality, I look forward to wildlife encounters - they just don't happen enough for my tastes.

While a good imagination is good to have, I think some people allow their minds to run wild with fear, sometimes about things that aren't very rational. Here in the Northeast, bears are the only thing that worry me because they're a predator. However, fear of bears sometimes has unintended consequences. We recently had a guy here in New Jersey (a forum member) who sprayed himself in the face with bear spray. I wonder if he's now as afraid of bear spray as he was of bears?

What are the odds that you could actually spray yourself in the face with bear spray? Pretty low, but probably not as low as the chance of having an unprovoked bear encounter.

[Speedogomer]

The Northeast isn't exactly a hot bed for bear attacks. Here in Pennsylvania there has been no recorded deaths from a bear attack. There is one that's disputed, but that was a guy who was basically a hermit, that had been warned about feeding bears, but continued to feed bears. Then somehow outside a tree fell on him and he was incapacitated, possibly killed by the tree. Then one of his bears he fed came along and he had wounds from the bear. The game commission says it was the tree that killed him that the marks from the bear weren't consistent with a bear attack. The coroner says the guy died from the bear wounds, not tree. Very odd circumstances regardless.

SilvrSurfr, I did read just recently a man was killed in NJ by a bear while hiking with friends. The first recorded death in NJ by bear, so also not common.

I suggested bear spray, although I don't carry it myself, since I hike and camp in the northeast usa.

OP is from Japan though, where there are Brown bear that rival Kodiak bears in size, and the Asian Black Bear. The Asian Black bear can be very aggressive as well, and unlike American Black Bears, it will attack before it retreats (like a Grizzly). I'd carry bear spray if I was in one of the areas of Japan that has either of these bears.

[OneClick]

I don't worry about animals or humans out there. I just don't have the time or effort. Animals do what they do roaming around; that's expected. Other humans, if I even see any, are fun to talk to and friendly 99/100 times. Am I worried about my luck running out? Absolutely not. If I'm going to be taken out, I'm sure it will be on the 8+ hour round trip just driving there.

I tend to over-analyze just about everything in life, but not this.

Quite a bit of bear attacks lately in Michigan, but nothing that will change my plans.

LOL man vs. pig battle? No thanks!

[perdidochas]

During my very first hang in the woods last year, I was pretty certain that a wild boar was roaming around my site. Every time I heard a shuffle in the brush I was certain I was going to get jammed by a tusk in my backside... Which, of course, never happened.

I have read that there is a psychological difference between tent and hammock camping, and being in the open instead of inside a tent can be "scarier" for some.

I was wondering, what do people do to stay protected from animals, other humans, etc? Do any of you carry weapons? Do you keep them in your hammock with you? Or are you content with the idea that if a hungry bear, pack of zombies, or Bigfoot comes along while you are in your hammock then it is what it is?

I have considered bringing a bigger knife, but knives are frowned on in Japan. Guns are illegal. I have also considered a slingshot... But it is just a slingshot. Don't know how great it would be for protection.

Besides smart planning, knowing what roams the areas you camp, etc, how do you protect yourself when hanging?

I don't worry about it. Anything that can get me in a hammock can get me in a tent. In good weather, I either use no tarp, or hang my tarp high, and I actually ahve better visibility than when in a tent.

[MattK]

There is definitely a psychological difference between being in a tent and just being under a tarp. I transitioned from tent to ground tarp before taking up hammocking, and I can tell you the first couple nights it took me a while to settle down. Especially one evening when there was a very aggressive, and quite large, mountain goat that visited my camp a couple times around dusk. It feels like there is more noise, more darkness and more unknown out there when your shelter is just a tarp.

However, as I use tarps (grounded as well as in the trees) more, I find I like them more. They feel less...invasive in the backcountry to me. It feels like I am making a minimal impact and really enjoying the piney woods, as opposed to coming along and imposing an artificial environment (fully enclosed tent) on the wild. Now that I have waxed philosophic...

The number one way I minimize negative run-ins with wild animals is I get farther away from the crowds. This may seem a bit counter-intuitive, but it works. If I am further from where most people go, the animals in the area aren't accustomed to people. They still see us as large and dangerous, as opposed to animals who see a lot of people and have learned that where people are, there are easy meals. Or I just pitch my tarp above treeline where bears effectively never spend time, and don't worry about it. Up in tundra, I just sleep on my food to let all the little-bears (pika, marmot, mice, etc) know that it's my food, and it isn't up for grabs.

I also practice good food storage. I usually sleep in a different set of clothes from those I cook/eat in and I store my food properly (odor proof sack, Ursack, bear can, bear hang, whatever makes the most sense). If I knew bears could be aggressive in a particular area, I would carry bear spray.

So, to sum up I would say: Get further from people, be smart with smells/food, and carry spray if it makes sense.

Hopefully this helps!