You have a better chance of being struck by lightning than ever having a close encounter with a hungry bear, but recent events; including an aggressive black bear having to be put down in Yellowstone National Park on July 11, a grizzly attack on a camper just outside the park on July 18, and an attack on a solo hiker yesterday in the Walker basin area east of Bakersfield, CA have elevated awareness of the risks associated with camping in bear country. With that in mind, we look at a pair of gadgets this week designed to protect your campsite sleeping area through the night.
The Pentagon™ Electric Bear Fence and the UDAP Bear Shock™ Electric Fence are backpack-capable solutions that operate on D-size batteries (six for the Pentagon and two for the UDAP). Their power-consumption is about the same, at around three months for the Pentagon’s six batteries and one month for the UDAP’s two batteries.
It is important to note that neither of these solutions are replacements for good bear-country practices, like keeping your campsite clean and keeping your food properly stored. More information on bear safety is available from the Center for Wildlife Information. For a good night’s sleep, however, each one promises to send the biggest bear quickly on his or her way.
Happy camping!