Has anyone thought of spraying your foodbag with cologne or perfume to mask the food smell? Or spray it around the campsite to make it well known that humans are in the area? Think it would act more of an attractant or deterrent? I have no idea why I thought of this, I don't even use the stuff, but I'm curious of ppl's opinions.

Matt

bad idea. It will act as an attractant.

Given that the NPS requires you to put all aromatic substances, including deodorants and cologne, in your bear canister, why do you think that those smells are unattractive to animals that my have been accustomed to eating man-made foods?

I didn't know that was required....I'm not from the USA

Good to know though, and good to know maybe not to wear that kind of stuff on the way in, either. Not for me so much, more for my companions who use those products

Matt

There are accounts of people waking up to bears licking their faces because they smelled the toothpaste.

Also cold cream! One of the famous (perhaps apocryphal) bear stories I heard as a youngster in Wyoming was about the very sunburned young lady who slathered cold cream on her face for the night, and was awakened to her tender face being scoured by rough bear tongue. (Wyoming, thanks to Yellowstone, abounds with bear stories!)

BTW, perfumes/colognes supposedly attract mosquitoes, too!

Also, while a snootful of pepper spray squirted in the face definitely repels a bear, spraying pepper spray on your gear does just the opposite. Seasoning!

So...if I spray my hammock with pepper spray, it really will be a bear taco.

Well now there's an idea...They do make deer repellent, as well as all other kinds of animal repellents to spray in your garden, house and yard to keep the pests away. Don't recall ever seeing any bear repellent though.

I have been "kissed" by a bear. It is not an experience I want to repeat! It actually is not that different than being kissed by a dog, but the fear factor is different. The bear noises are a bit different too.

No such thing.

Putting bear spray on stuff as if it will deter them is a bad idea for several reasons.

One time I tested a pepper spray and neglected to wash off the nozzle and canister... some of it transferred to my fingers, and was still there hours later when I rubbed my eye, resulting in crazed dashing about running into walls looking for a sink to dunk my head under a faucet... was at a friend's house at the time. Great way to make an impression. Cannot imagine handling any amount of the stuff without immediate access to some way of definitely removing it from my hands.

And oh, yeah, the bears and other animals will think, mmmm, something new? and come check it out.

No Kidding!?

That would freak me out a bit.

complete with hot sauce...

Fragrance in the backcountry = mosquito buffet. Trust me, I learned the hard way.