[pct-l] Bear Spray /// Re: Pct-L Digest, Vol 98, Issue 21

[Tim Umstead]

1. Bear spray is not needed.  That is all that has to be said.

2. My only experience with bear spray.

Last summer, on the third day of our thru-hike, we were heading up to Mt.
Laguna and we came to a nice resting place.  My son found a new bottle of
bear spray.  Somebody wanted to lighten their pack and left it on a log.
Well my son wanted to spray it and I though, why not.  I pointed him away
from us and he pulled the trigger.  It put out an orange mist.  He shot it
a second time.  I took the bottle from him and went over to let my daughter
give it a try.  That is when the wind shifted and I felt a burning in my
nose.  All of a sudden the whole family was running away from the area as
fast as we could.  Everyone had burning eyes, noses, and throats.  We did a
lot of coughing and gagging while we moaned, groaned, and laughed.  We used
water to wash out our mouths and get the taste out.

I guess that was not the brightest idea, but we all have vivid memories of
it.  And memories will last a life time.

Papa Raven