Hammocks and Bears

[key]

Hammocks. Are they more or less safe than tents when it comes to bears? I mean, is a hammock a bit like low hanging fruit, like a big fat bear bag only stuffed full of tasty hiker instead of food?

[jrwiesz]

Hammocks. Are they more or less safe than tents when it comes to bears? I mean, is a hammock a bit like low hanging fruit, like a big fat bear bag only stuffed full of tasty hiker instead of food?

Use a yellow hammock and tarp; bears love bananas!!!

[Summit]

Never tried a hammock, but if I were a bear I'd think 'humans hanging in trees are weird' and be a little wary of them!

[littlelaurel59]

Hammocks. Are they more or less safe than tents when it comes to bears? I mean, is a hammock a bit like low hanging fruit, like a big fat bear bag only stuffed full of tasty hiker instead of food?

Hammocks are safer. Bears are not interested in the occupant of either- hikers smell too bad. But it is easier to stash food inside a tent. Ah ther perfect midnight snack

I have never heard of anyone being being attacked in a hammock. Can't say the same about tents.

[freefall]

Hammocks. Are they more or less safe than tents when it comes to bears? I mean, is a hammock a bit like low hanging fruit, like a big fat bear bag only stuffed full of tasty hiker instead of food?

In my experience, there is no difference in bear safety between a tent and hammock. Nylon anything is not protection from a bear if it is intent on getting whatever is inside.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Ya think there's a reason they call them "bear pinatas"?

I don't think it makes one bit of difference either way. If a bear really wants to eat your @$$ it'll take your house door off its hinges, never mind nylon tents or hammocks. The elevation of your nylon ain't going to matter one bit.

[Egads]

Hammocks. Are they more or less safe than tents when it comes to bears? I mean, is a hammock a bit like low hanging fruit, like a big fat bear bag only stuffed full of tasty hiker instead of food?

Bears eat the foods that were taught to them by mama bear. It's a learned behavior. You don't need to worry about it on the east coast.

[Bearpaw]

So far, so good.

[Ramble~On]

Bears eat the foods that were taught to them by mama bear. It's a learned behavior. You don't need to worry about it on the east coast.

Except for the guy in GSMNP a few years ago...he made dinner...and wiped his hands all over his pants...food smell on pants...guy got into his hammock and had a chunk taken out of his leg..not a nice way to wake up.
In an interview he said it was his fault, he didn't want anything done to the bear.
The bear was doing what all wild animals do...it was trying to survive.

I'm not so sure about the east coast bears not being something to worry about. Recent events would make bear encounters a concern. The east coast doesn't have grizzlies and that's fine by me...but which bears account for more injuries than all others combined ?

There's plenty of information out there and with a little common sense you have little to worry about.

Just lay there in your bear burrito and have sweet dreams.

[Egads]

Except for the guy in GSMNP a few years ago...he made dinner...and wiped his hands all over his pants...food smell on pants...guy got into his hammock and had a chunk taken out of his leg.

Ok, there is always an exception...The moral of this story is not to smell like, look like, or act like dinner

[MoBill122]

I'll always dread the night I feel something sniffing around my ass while I'm in my hammock ! I 'm thinking my first scream might scare whatever off ! Well..hopefully

[Manwich]

Just use earplugs. If you can't hear it, it doesn't exist.

[freefall]

I'll always dread the night I feel something sniffing around my ass while I'm in my hammock ! I 'm thinking my first scream might scare whatever off ! Well..hopefully

5/25/07- Campsite north of Milam Gap in SNP:

I drifted back off to sleep and then somewhere around midnight, I was woken up by another noise. I turned my headlamp on to see a big black bear about 15 to 20 feet from my hammock. It just looked at me until I yelled. But instead of running, he just turned and walked off casually. I figured it could smell my food bag hanging in a tree 30 yards away and came to try and find it. Then when it saw my hammock, he was trying to figure out what this new thing was hanging in his woods. I heard him come back by a couple more times throughout the night but never as close as the first time. I would turn my headlamp on and he'd walk off. I finally slept, albeit fitfully the rest of the night.

But I still don't feel that a hammock was any worse than if I had been in a tent.

[chancey]

after a few days you smell so bad a bear will only be supprzed your not carion.

[boarstone]

You can bail and see w/a light your surroudings a lot faster from a hammock than with a tent...hence..trying to unzip bag, tent and stick lighted head out, getting out of bag...I've been "visited" while in my hammock, I just bailed to a sit-up position, let my bag drop to the ground, stepped out of it and proceeded to harass my visitor, light and bear can in hand. No more visitor....

[sasquatch2014]

I'll always dread the night I feel something sniffing around my ass while I'm in my hammock ! I 'm thinking my first scream might scare whatever off ! Well..hopefully

This past Sept as i was drifting off just north of one of the Gaps in SNP I was hearing some movement outside of the Hammock. Figured deer or a raccoon or something. A bit later I felt something I think it was a nose press into the side of my hammock right by my neck. I let out a scream and head lots of noise as what ever it was ran off. By the time I got the weather shield open enough to look out all was quiet. Freaked me the hell out for a bit. I figure it must have been a bear because of how high my neck would have been from the ground and the size and force of the push.

Here is the link to the pic of that nights camp.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/...mageuser=13750

[Lrg 50KR]

Hmmph. In SNP, bears just run from me in sheer terror. I do recall one night last summer when a deer got annoyed with me and location of my hammock and snorted loudly before taking off. I have yet to encounter a bear whilst in my hammock.

[Manwich]

Hmmph. In SNP, bears just run from me in sheer terror. I do recall one night last summer when a deer got annoyed with me and location of my hammock and snorted loudly before taking off. I have yet to encounter a bear whilst in my hammock.

i know it hasn't happened yet (that we know of) but now that i think about it i'd sooner be afraid of deer running through the night forest away from something, one of those suckers can kill you if they run full on into your hammock.

in october i stayed near wildcat shelter in NY and a flock of deer came running through in the middle of the night and detached one of my fellow hiker's guylines

[SGT Rock]

i know it hasn't happened yet (that we know of) but now that i think about it i'd sooner be afraid of deer running through the night forest away from something, one of those suckers can kill you if they run full on into your hammock.

in october i stayed near wildcat shelter in NY and a flock of deer came running through in the middle of the night and detached one of my fellow hiker's guylines

I don't see it happening. When you put up a hammock with tarp it looks like just about any other tarp. And at eye level to a dear it looks any other tent as well. The one shelter I think still gets the most critter attention of all times has been, and will be the trail shelter.

[boarstone]

We have the moose problem up here in Maine while camping...I've run off more than one while base camping at a tent site....they don't want you in their way of traveling...they just keep going.......................always OVER you..