Bear Safety
We all have to be careful in the woods, especially if we are in bear country. No matter what, we should always follow Leave No Trace principles, hang or contain our food to keep it out of reach, and I like to have a bell.
A bell can work well to let wildlife know you are there, and annoy your hiking partners. In most cases, most wildlife will try to avoid you. This can reduce the risk of encounters and thus increase safety.
If you do encounter a bear, you have a few options. Bear spray can be a good option if it is legal in your area. It is an irritant and should scare off most bears, or give you time to get away.
Bear air horns or really loud whistles are another option. They will scare away most critters.
Do not rely purely on any one options. Horns may not function, propellants in sprays can fail, and bells may be ignored if a bear has been exposed to humans too much. They all three may also help with hogs, but that's another problem all together.
Bells
Here is the Coghlan Bear Bell. It does not save you from a bear that is accustomed to people. It can help to reduce black bear encounters.
Bear Bag System
You should also use a bear bag and hanging setup where you are allowed to. This Selkirk Designs Ultra Light Food Hanging System is a nice complete kit. It has everything included. No guesswork.
Whistles or Horns
This Fox40 Sonik Blast is the whistle I personally carry instead of a horn. Horns are great too, but I am trying to save space and a whistle is very reliable.
Bear Spray
There are several on the market and reviews are all over the place. This bear spray has good range and effectiveness. I don't normally carry one.
