I was blessed with a mountain lion sighting this morning, and heard a bear on Thurs nite but did not see him on a fishing trip near Portola, CA.

In my absence this thread has taken some interesting turns. Thanks to respondents like oldranger, lori, oregonmouse, etc. people that have obviously had a wealth of outdoor experiences and have been thoughtful about this topic.

To those of you that are defensive about this topic, and have been agressive in your comments I will not respond.

Mental toughness is a skill backpackers need to have in reserve, like firebuilding skills in wet conditions so that they do not become overwhelmed when faced with really bad weather or a backcountry accident.