I fault the ‘leaders’ who had ‘trained’ these kids how to survive. Bear spray? Noise to scare the bears? I just keep thinking of the old gold miners and the old-timers around So Cal who killed grizzlies because? Well, because they ate humans.
They would have laughed at bear spray and calling out. And singing to the grizzlies.
This story does not cease to amaze me.
I’m taking my boys back packing in black bear country next week. I’m gonna have a bear bell and bear spray with me just in case.
I’ll also have a .357 in case the pepper spray doesnt work.
Being “groovy” is what got these kids hurt. Sure, take pepper spray - it might even work. But you ALWAYS back it up with any one of a readily available and appropriate selection of propelled lead projectiles. These kids were certainly old enough to carry better protection than pepper spray (probably stuffed in the bottom of their packs), at least we were when we were teens going into griz country... Or maybe these city kids are convinced that guns are evil and are only good for killing people “unexpectedly”.