[cdt-l] bears

[William Tarantino]

Jim,

Your reasoning that thruhikers are at less of a risk of attack because there are no documented incidents of attacks on thruhikers makes no sense.  Of all the visitors to bear country, thruhikers are probably the MOST susceptible to attack, simply because they are there for months at a time.  The only reason why there are no documented attacks on thruhikers is because there are at most 50 in any given year.  There are annual attacks on backpackers, and a thruhiker is simply a backpacker who is in bear country for a much longer time.  I agree that the best way to avoid being killed or permanently disfigured by a bear is to travel in groups, but unfortunately thats not a possibility for everybody.  In the meantime, its no insult to you if someone else (even mistakenly) decides to carry bear spray, even in ignorance, so why the condescension?

Will