As we all know, bear country can be an expensive place to visit! Luckily, there are ways to avoid spending large amounts of money at any given location. One way is to stay in designated areas with lots of people, but this often does not exist for popular hiking destinations.
Another good option is to bring something that gives you some level of security while exploring. A very common piece of gear is the cowling or hoodie-style backpack. These have zippered openings and compartments where you can store your belongings such as phones, maps, and snacks.
However, if you carry enough food to last you several days, then what do you do when you run out? Many hikers report carrying their waste in bags they strap onto their backpacks, but this takes up valuable space. Some try leaving it behind, but this may end up creating more litter.
Solution? Carry a cow bell. Yes, really!
Thinking about getting one might make you feel funny, but don’t worry, they aren’t too heavy. A small one will only weigh around a pound, making it easy to take along and use on occasion. Plus, most sellers offer discounts if you buy more than one!
Benefits
A cow bell helps preserve the natural environment by replacing noisy metal trash cans with a gentle reminder to keep nature clean. They also promote safety through sound detection, and help prevent accidents by alerting passersby to potential problems.
Enables you to be more aware of your surroundings
While cow bells may seem trivial or annoying, they can actually help keep you safe while hiking. When used correctly, these little devices allow yourself and others around you to become more conscious of what is happening.
By altering the noise level surrounding you, cow bell users are able to gain some insight into the area that they are in and whether or not it is safe to navigate. For example, when using a cow bell, if you hear people talking about going back home or how much money they have, it might indicate an unsafe situation and everyone should leave immediately.
If nothing seems off-kilter, then stay and monitor the area until things feel safer. By being more aware of your environment, you will know what is happening and can take action accordingly.
Helps you escape quickly in an emergency
While cow bells may seem silly or even annoying at first, they can be very helpful in situations where there is no clear exit.
If someone was trying to hurt you or take your pack, they would not hesitate to come after you with all guns blazing. By adding some extra noise, it gives you time to run away and find safety.
This way they will have to work harder to alert people around them, protecting yourself while giving yourself more time to get away.
It also helps preserve basic wilderness harmony by letting other hikers know that there are safe and unsafe areas for traveling.
Drinking water must still be accessed, but staying within earshot is possible! Simply put, being aware of your surroundings and practicing situational awareness is one of the most important things you can do as a hiker.
Sign of respect
As we all know, bear country can be tricky at times. There are many reasons why hikers may encounter a black bear. Sometimes bears simply wander outside their home range looking for food or mating opportunities.
At other times, a bear may need to make a quick escape due to threatening situations like human intervention or cars being driven away with young children inside.
A third reason is when a mother bear needs help raising her cubs. Luckily, this has never happened while I have been hiking, but it does happen very frequently where she lives!
When a black bear encounters someone else, they usually try to avoid any kind of conflict by staying still and quiet. This typically works, except when hungry bears are involved.
One of your options if you find yourself face-to-face with a bear is to play some cow bells. These annoying little instruments work by breaking down the bear’s protective layer of fur and causing them to start grooming themselves.
Bear country
Many people enjoy hiking outside, especially during warmer seasons when you can exercise outside without having to worry about snow or rain. However, some hikers make it easy for bears to come across them.
Hiking with cow bells is one of these practices. Instead of using a whistle or other bear alarm signals, most cow bell hiders use a small clang every few minutes as an alerting device. When a bear comes close enough to hear the cow bell, they usually stop and listen more intently.
This gives humans time to get away safely! Sometimes cows are trained to ring their bells if a bear approaches, which helps prevent unnecessary confrontations.
There are many reasons why someone would choose to hike with a cow bell instead of another type of bear warning system. This article will discuss some of these reasons, along with tips for avoiding encounters with bears while out hiking.
Bear attacks are more frequent than you might think
Many people enjoy spending time outside exploring nature, hiking being one of the most well-known activities. Unfortunately, this does not always afford you total peace from wildlife. Bears are no exception to that rule!
In fact, due to their population growth and competition for food sources, there has been an increase in bear activity around populated areas. More often than not, these bears will be looking for easy prey — such as squirrels or other birds.
When a bear comes across its next meal, it may decide to take bigger bites instead, which is why many hikers don’t like cowbells.
A cow bell is a clanging device used to indicate danger. When someone else uses one, it makes you feel safe and protected. It is similar to having a dog who barks when something scary happens, but less urgent. That protection can help mitigate your fear if you ever find yourself face to face with a bear.
However, just because cows make delicious hamburger doesn’t mean they’re infallible. For every person who enjoys them as snacks, there’s at least one person who hates them. I’m definitely in that second category, so I never use one unless I have to.
It’s important to know about cow bells before choosing whether to bring yours into the woods or not.
They are not warning signs of an attack
Many people have heard about cow bells before, but they may not know what uses cow bells actually have. Most commonly known is for hikers to wear them while hiking so that cows will notice and avoid eating any grass next to the bell.
However, there are some who use cow bells for another purpose – to prevent bears from accessing food. The reason this works is because bears need to work to access their natural prey- such as deer or rabbits- by chasing down and consuming the prey.
By adding a cow bell to the mix, the bear must also look like the rest of the animals around it and chase the cow instead.
Bear spray or a whistle
While bear bells are typically used for hiking, they can also be an integral part of your safety equipment collection. These fun cow-themed trinkets work by creating a noise that scares away other animals. If you happen to run into a bear while wearing your cow bell, it will probably make you feel better!
The sound the bell makes is influenced not only by the type of metal alloy used, but how the metals are mixed together as well. Different brands use different production methods, so do some research before buying one up!
Bear bells come in many shapes and sizes, with most resembling a circle or disk shape. The size varies too, making them easy to carry around and put anywhere.
Know how to use it
Most people know what a cow bell is, but few ever hear them used. That’s because most cow bells are either too expensive or they’re not needed unless you happen to run into some cows!
If you do need one though, there are just two things to remember. First, make sure your dog knows the difference between the regular cow bell and the bear alarm cow bell! (More about that here.)
Second, learn how to use yours properly. Only ring it when necessary, and only for an appropriate amount of time. If you have to get away quickly, you can leave it behind!
And don’t worry, even if you don’t have a cow bell, you can still keep an eye out for hikers and bears by doing normal bear safety practices like keeping an eye on the trail while walking and making noise yourself.