Funny stuff!
Actually, I don’t tend to do wilderness stuff without a rifle anymore… But I dunno if it’s just paranoia or not. Better safe than sorry, I guess.
I ahve spent most of my life in the bush camping in the middle of nowhere with my dad and stuff and have never once had a problem I dont carry any guns or bear spray or any of that stuff, just kept my food away from me and I have been fine… but maybe hte bears think i smell funny.
Bear spray is probably a better deterent then a rifle… especially vs. a Grizzley. Most hunting rifles (.338 - .375) wouldn’t take one down too easily, unless your a real good shot. A shotgun slug would take one down, buck shot, no.
Hmm… I’ll take a rifle over bear spray anytime. I’ve seen a pissed off human being fight his way through the effects of pepper spray. Surely a pissed off grizzly has just as much chance of not being affected.
Their eyes and noses are a lot more sensitive than a humans don’t forget. Lore has it that a good punch on the nose of a bear will be enough to discourage it.
Invest in one of those little LED Tikka headlamps, and for sure you’ll want some sort of music device. I bought my iPod for counting fish, and at the time it was the best purchase ever. Second best purchase was the headlamp. 300hours of batterylife in a flashlight that sticks to your head. I’ve done a fair amount of bush living and gotta say that the right clothes are probably the MOST important thing to me. Good boots, lots of socks and underwear, someything light that keeps the rain off, hats, water bottles, good sleeping bag and pillow and a reliable alarm clock. A good sleep is very important, so dont’ brin shit you’re not gogin to sleep well with. I don’t know how tree planters go about housing and such. We had private cabins a cookhouse and private bathrooms, it was really nice.
To grizzly bears pepper spray is considered a condiment, give me a winchester defender 12 guage with eight 2-1/2" magnum slugs any day. I have been active in the coast mountains around here all my life also and have had several close encounters with bears, and this has become my weapon of choice, ‘don’t leave home without it’.
Yeah, we’re living in a tent camp.
I think I am going to pick up a headlamp though. And I’m definitely going to be looking for light, tough, clothes that will keep me warm if I am wet. And I’m going to buy a synthetic sleeping bag rated to minus 15 that will hopefully keep me mostly warm even if it is wet. I’ve got the impression that there’s a good chance your clothes and sleeping bag will end up being wet fairly often.
Don’t end up like that poor fella on without a paddle. NOT GOOD AT ALL! 
Slugs are quite inaccurate though. Bear spray, if used properly will deter a bear… it wouldn’t be used if that wasn’t the case though. You and I both are the outdoors type, so you’d know that when going in, the added weight and size of the gun and ammo sometimes is quite a burden.
[quote=“TranscendingRationality”]Yeah, we’re living in a tent camp.
I think I am going to pick up a headlamp though. And I’m definitely going to be looking for light, tough, clothes that will keep me warm if I am wet. And I’m going to buy a synthetic sleeping bag rated to minus 15 that will hopefully keep me mostly warm even if it is wet. I’ve got the impression that there’s a good chance your clothes and sleeping bag will end up being wet fairly often.[/quote]
-15 = your going to cook man. this is the summer. go with something rated to zero (if that), and spend your money on a really good overbag, that goes on the outside and keeps moisture moving furtther away from yuor body so you’re not sweating yourself wet. pair that with a couple sleepign bag liners, so you can switch them out and have cleaner bedding than if you were forced to wash your sleeping bag lots. (pain in the ass and hard on the bag).
big, fatty thermarest mattress (wont soak up water)…and if you are thinking its going to be really wet, make a bivvy bag for inside your tent out of tyvek (super cheap, tape seams with tuck tape or duct tape).
headlamp is an awesome idea. hands free light = manna from heaven when you are chilling in the dark. petzl ones kick ass and if you just use the LED system ( i have a myo3 belt) they will last for a ridiculously long time.
light, tough clothes? polypropylene. its going to stink though…
a bitchin thick wool sweater would be a good idea… if you got some $$$, grab some merino wool stuff, warm, not stinky, wicking, non-absorbent, its pertty much the shit : http://www.run79.co.nz/merino_tech.asp
If your on any sort of a hill with your tent, you probably will want dig a trench of the uphill side of your tent about a foot form the edge. This won’t keep all the water out (water from further under will move up in your tent), but you can just have your bed about ground (either by buying a travel cot or by making one)… Waking up warm and dry is a godsend out there.
Making a travel cot? Hmmm, do explain
Seems like we were setting up advice on how to avoid bears, instead of Tree Planting advice. Just plant man. God will love you. And the animals.
Make a cot… Maybe one that you can disassemble and carry so it would be a travel cot too…?
OK there’s some great advice here (trancending rationality, corrupt_file,molten universe and others) but this quote says it all, I would only add “HAVE FUN”, enjoy every moment of it. if you do encounter bears make lots of noise, 99% of the time they will leave in a hurry.
Yeah, just be aware out there… When I was doing my survival course a few years back in Alberta I was apparently tracked by a cougar… The patrol heard it take off from about 50 yards from behind my shelter so that got me pissed scared, but I didn’t let it ruin my great time I had!
Oh I’m going to have a blast. And trust me, if some bear or other sort of animal wants a Hakki treat, they’re going to get a taste of my sharpened shovel. Haha I might not take it out, but I’ll give it something to think about the next time it has a taste for human.
Some links:
http://www.ccohs.ca/youngworkers/treeplanters.html
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/occup_workplace/treeplanter.html
http://www.earthisland.org/eijournal/new_articles.cfm?articleID=553&journalID=60
http://www.canadiantreeplanting.com/
http://www.bushpro.ca/
A friend of a friend had an encounter with a charging bear ( not sure which species) while tree planting. He didn’t have time to run, so he faced the bear and decide to hit it with his tool ( hoedag?). Sure enough, the hard hit landed right between the eyes and killed the beast on the spot. According to my friend who was planting with him at the time, he soiled his pants right after this.
Don’t listen to Ivan he has his head up his ass when it comes to caulk boots. Viberg makes a good quality light caulk boot. Good boots will save your ass out there. Don’t forget to take lot’s of bug dope with you the blackfly will drive you nuts.