View Full Version : Hammocks and Bears on the AT
Buffalo Skipper
06-28-2011, 15:15
Is anyone else keeping up with Turtle Feet on the AT? Apparently she had a bear encounter last week. Glad to hear that she is OK and that only her hammock, tarp and pack were damaged.
Turtle Feet's bear encounter (http://postholer.com/journal/viewJournal.php?sid=9b5f78a597b69702d9caa56f16f0a4 c9&entry_id=24017)
Glad she's ok even if her tarp and hammock aren't. In the past I've never bear bagged the Dr. Bonners soap. Oh well, one more thing to haul up into the air.
bchboy1206
06-28-2011, 20:45
Wow, cool story and great information as well.
JimT
Gulp.
Can't wait for my thru.... lol
[Glad she's ok!]
stefprez
06-28-2011, 21:26
Major bummer, but glad no one got hurt. As I've watched a friends pack get stolen (and then managed to chase down the bandit bear and retrieve it :cool: ), anything at all with a scent, even canned, bottled, or in an "odor proof bag" should be hung or placed in a bear canister. Stinks that someone once again learns the hard way.
G...Hawk
06-28-2011, 21:49
We have been following her trail in her journal.
An adventure to remember.
Turtle Feet wrote it well; we all will remember the lesson.
Southernfan6885
06-28-2011, 21:56
Really glad she didn't get hurt. Making a serious mental note though...
TinaLouise
06-29-2011, 07:17
Wow!! I just read her mishap with the bear and I've bookmarked her journal so I can go back and read the rest of it. I wonder how that story would have went if she had actually been in the hammock. If the bear would have left her alone or if it would have actually continued to rip up her gear to get to the Dr. Bonner's soap??? She was very wise to sleep in the shelter that night. It does give me pause for all the times I've set up my hammock and left all my gear strewn around while I've headed to the shelter to eat. Sometimes I've taken my whole food bag and sometimes I've just taken that night's meal with me and left the rest of my food at my camp. It just hadn't occured to me that something could happen while I was away. I guess because it's still daytime. Everyone knows that the boogyman only comes out after the sun goes down. Good lesson here, I'll be even more paranoid now.
Dr. Bonner's Peppermint is really strong smelling. I carry the Eucalptus soap because that scent is "supposed" to help ward off insects. I don't usually have much of a problem with insects so maybe eucalptus does ward them off?? I have no clue if bears like or don't like the smell of eucalptus. (that would be nice to find out though) I do make sure to put the bottle in my bear bag at night after I've done any washing that I needed to do.
Thanks for the link to Turtle's page, I'll be reading her adventures now.
TinaLouise
Rain Man
06-29-2011, 07:40
Dr. Bonner's was one of the things mentioned by name in the lists I've read of what to bear bag. I stopped using it some time ago, due to the needless strong smell. Now I only use unscented soaps on the trail, mostly--
Wonder Wash (http://www.rei.com/product/768972/all-terrain-wonder-wash-4-oz).
For what it's worth, when my daughter and I "thru-hiked" the SNP about 4 summers ago, we saw bear each and every day for the whole week. They always ran away from us. Though she had some damage to her unattended gear, I'm sure glad the hiker was not injured!
Rain Man
.
ShadowAlpha
06-29-2011, 07:52
Glad all is ok!
I've thought about carrying Hunters no scented soap.
currently have a Eucalptus soap from Body works
Buffalo Skipper
06-29-2011, 08:19
I think it is a credit to her that she is continuing her thru hike and can reflect back on it with a keen sense of humor after only a week.
Glad to hear (though not surprised) that Brian and Brandon are helping her gear get back in order. :cool:
OutandBack
06-29-2011, 08:54
OP, Wow what a story thank for posting the link.
Dr. Bonner's was one of the things mentioned by name in the lists I've read of what to bear bag. I stopped using it some time ago, due to the needless strong smell. Now I only use unscented soaps on the trail, mostly--
Wonder Wash (http://www.rei.com/product/768972/all-terrain-wonder-wash-4-oz).
For what it's worth, when my daughter and I "thru-hiked" the SNP about 4 summers ago, we saw bear each and every day for the whole week. They always ran away from us. Though she had some damage to her unattended gear, I'm sure glad the hiker was not injured!
Rain Man
.
Good move IMO. How different would it be if one washed up with Dr Bonners and smelling like the soap vs having a bar in your hammock?
Not much i'll bet or maybe even worse.
Time to go check my ditty bag. No more smelly things in there and I'm changing my trail handle to "stinky hiker" haha
Law Dawg (ret)
06-29-2011, 11:19
Glad I don't wash!!!!!
EVER!?:eek::lol:
SmokeHouse
06-29-2011, 11:24
WOW,,, glad she is ok...
glad she is ok but I don't get taking soap with you.
Ramblinrev
06-29-2011, 12:51
glad she is ok but I don't get taking soap with you.
For even a week I never took soap. But for a thru... I'd be tempted to take something even if it was the sink bars left in the motel stops everyone makes on occasion.
For even a week I never took soap. But for a thru... I'd be tempted to take something even if it was the sink bars left in the motel stops everyone makes on occasion.
yeah but if you are taking zero's and staying at a hostel/motel/etc every 3-7 days no need to take soap....IMO
ShadowAlpha
06-30-2011, 17:26
I wanted to revisit this as I was wondering could the bear have really been after smells from the soap or toothpaste etc..? or could it be that he/she was defending its turf? - since having tents & hammocks in the area are not the usually objects they are used to in the woods
just a thought -- I know my dog reacts in a defensive way when an odd object may be int he yard or a field.
if a female bear very possible baby bears could have been close by since this is that time of yr.
I'm thankful that Turtle Feet is OK!
It's not intuitively obvious that we need to bear-bag toothpaste, soap, deoderant, etc.
This is a good reminder for all of us.
Actually, tests have been done that show that alcohol doesn't kill germs that are "hiding" in grimy dirt. Health folks recommend washing your hands with soap on the trail.
Of course, like all things in life, there are pros & cons. You could get killed by a germ or by a bear, take your pick :eek:
Caribou Bentspoke
07-01-2011, 23:38
I don't get soap makers making soap smell like food, but I guess we hikers have different concerns than most.
What a coincidence. My wife and a I recently completed a hike of the park and that same shelter was closed due to bear shredding a tent. We were all directed to the campground for a free nights stay. A rather raucous party ensued. We had three bear encounters during our hike, one requiring us to pack up and move at midnight. We later learned there were cubs involved in that encounter which we hadn't seen.
Don't leave your camp unattended. This solves a lot of problems.
kkilgroe
07-09-2011, 23:09
Glad she is okay I had a bear remove 7 days worth of food from 25ft up in a tree this march just past walasi yi. Unfortunately a lack of LNT ethics on the trail has left some heavily traveled trails littered with hiker dependent bears. Out fault not theirs. IMO
Don't leave your camp unattended. This solves a lot of problems.
Ditto this. There was another incident at Bearfence this year (which was why it was closed when I passed by during my thru) where someone's tent got trashed because they had left some food in it unattended. I hung for the majority of the trip and slept with my food whenever I hung and had no problems, even in the Shenandoahs.
IMO the only thing she did wrong was leave something scented in her hammock. I wouldn't sleep with food or anything that's smell can attract animals.
Old River Rat
07-24-2011, 23:33
I am glad she is OK. I have no experience with bears, but, I would like to think had she been in her hammock the bear would not have approached it.
bubbyman
08-02-2011, 11:56
Dr Bronner's is a castille soap, meaning it is made with vegetable oils, not tallow or lard based fats.
And...they do make an unscented version, which i'd think we'd all want to be using in bear country. viz: http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/OLBA02/BabyMildLiquidSoap.htm
castille soap is available from other providers, such as http://www.vitaminherbstore.com/dr-woods-castile-soap-baby-mild-8-oz.aspx
which i've never used, but seems a great savings over Dr Bronners.
I've been reading turtle's entries and am solidly rooting for her as well. stay safe!
OneThing
09-28-2011, 00:57
I started my AT Thru in April 2004. Met a guy on Springer with a Speer. (Magnet) Ridge Runner told us a large male bear had been kicking butt & taking names. Suggested we use the shelter & not hang our hammocks. I stayed in the shelter, but Magnet felt it was worth the risk.
At 3 am the bear was trying to rip the chain out of the trees and knock down the food bags. I, after reading numerous books on what to do, went & confronted the bear.
The bear didn't read the same book and I'm lucky I didn't end up with my butt ripped to shreds.
The bear, went to where Magnet was located, bumped him from under the hammock. It then, took his pack, (With a very nice 35mm SLR) and departed. In the morning, Magent was able to find everything, and the only damage was a bite mark in his rain pants if I remember right.
The Shenandoah's and New Jersey for me both in 2004 & 2005 have the most bears. In 2005, while in the Shenandoah's, I hung 30 feet from a tent. (Quiet Paul) A large bear, flatten part of his tent while he was inside it. The bear left me alone.
I don't think at times one can say what a bear will go for and the reason behind it as well.
I also had several encounters with bears in NY & NJ. They would do a lot of circling around my camp, but never made contact.
As most of us know, once a bear associates food with a tent, a shelter, or a hammock it's going to be an ongoing problem.
nothermark
09-28-2011, 11:38
The problem is the lack of dead bears. They are trained that humans have food and are no threat.
Dracfodder
09-28-2011, 12:08
Peppermint scented soap is not a good idea? Well - there goes my dreams of bacon-scented soap!
Glad she's ok and hiking on!
OneThing
09-28-2011, 14:58
The problem is the lack of dead bears. They are trained that humans have food and are no threat.
The same bear I met on my 1st night on the AT, later went on to destroy a privy at one of the other shelters up the trail and also stole a guy's boots.
The only good to come out of that, was the guy got his trail name from it. No Boots.
Which, I guess is better then, "No Head" "One Leg" or worst, "Half Eaten":scared:
Thankful Turtle Feet was OK. I love to backpack & ride motorcycle my buddy wanted to go hiking this year with me I said lets go down to Ga. and ride but also get in a few days of hiking. I talked my buddy into buying a hammock neither of us had slept in a Hammock before so before we got to far on the At we thought we would try camping close to the road we picked Neals Gap. I had gone thru there the year before so I knew there was a good place to hang.Well we set up camp hung our food went to bed about 9:30 at 11:00 I heard something at the end of my hammock as I was looking out it looked like a bear. All of a sudden my buddy yells so I also yell and I can see a bear running into the woods I tell my buddy its going to be a Long night we both have a good laugh it was hard to right back asleep but finally did at 5:00 in the morning I'm awakened to the sound of the bear walking back into our camp.I give a yell not long after my buddy yells and the bear runs off.Well morning comes we have breakfast and head back down to our bikes and my Gold wing is tipped over and the back trunk was popped open I had some peanuts and jerky i forgot was in there he sat right there and ate everything. Well it was a first night in our Hammocks we won't forget Keep Hanging!
Caribou Bentspoke
11-03-2011, 22:59
I wonder where Turtle Feet is? she only made a few more journal entries after the Warbonnet Black Bear incident.
She completed her thru about a month ago.