I can't believe I did not get in on this one sooner...

Barry, the No.1 danger when hiking in the forest is hillbillies making you squeal like a pig.

(The rest of you really should have known to point this out to Barry)

No.2 is alien abduction.

After that it's Chupacarbras, then you get into your bears, panthers, wolves, ants and what nots.

If you instant message Jim Shaw he'll fill you in on best methods to deal with all of them, or you could pay him to guide you to places where you can learn how to use the lightest weight and most effective deterrents from a real master. Jim's expensive, but he's the best there is still living.

Jim learned from Rancid Crabtree himself, who was unarguably the top authority on the subject before his untimely death (or disappearance).

I highly recommend you do like the rest of us here and spend your money learning from Jim before you take your first hike.

Sincerely,

Bill