Equipment

I'll try to talk about the equipment I use on the trip and how well it works (or doesn't) as I go along. Most of the gear I'm bringing I'm pretty familiar with and have used many times before. One item that is new and I hope not to have to use is bear spray. When I first described it to some friends they assumed it was like bug spray, spray it on yourself and the bears stay away :-) While you may use it like that once I doubt you'd buy it ever again. Think of it more like bear strength pepper spray.

The product I have has a range of 30 feet and emties in 5 seconds. 30 feet with a charging bear isn't far so it really is for close contact situations. From my time in Alaska last year I learned a bit about what to expect when a bear attacks. In most cases the charge is a bluff so its best to stay calm but I know I'll feel better having a backup plan too, specially since most of my hiking will be alone this time.

(I also wanted to see how well pictures work from my phone to the blog)