Bear Bells
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What are bear bells and do they work?
Bear bells are bells that you ring when a bear is around to attempt to scare it off. This is one of the traditional tips given by camping gurus as a way to get rid of bears - make as much noise as possible. Does it really work? Some people are skeptical. There was a study done in Alaska where a researcher hid in a blind and made a racket with bells whenever a bear came by, and they didn't even seem to notice. (Read about it here.) However, they were a particularly docile kind of brown bear, and the research is not considered to be conclusive even by the guy who did it. The other problem is that a lot of the bells aren't very loud, so you may have to yell "Hey, Bear" (the traditional noise hikers make to scare them off) or sing loudly as well.
You can find people on both sides of the fence on this, and I cannot find definitive proof one way or the other. The idea is to alert a bear to where you are, because many attacks happen when a bear is surprised. There isn't anything suggesting that bears have ever attacked people because they have a bell on, so it's not going to hurt you to use one. My advice would be that if it makes you feel comfortable, go for it, but I wouldn't rely on it as the only source of noise if I saw a bear. You can read more on the page about bear attacks.
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Bear Bell with Silencer - If you want to get a bear bell, this is a pretty cheap version. It costs around $3, and it's got a little magnet that will silence it when you don't want it ringing (some people get annoyed by the sound). You can get it online here. |
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Velcro Bear Bells - These are just little bells you stick to your backpack, shoes, or walking stick. They're easier to use, but no silencer. They're about $5 a bell. You can get them online here. |
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