Bear Bells - to wear or not to wear - that is the question

This snap sure looks different from the desert doesn't it? I can't wait to stand in tall green grass again.

Well, summer is soon upon us. And with the coming of summer, comes the end of school. And with the end of school, comes summer holiday in the home country. Sigh...just can't wait.

The interesting thing for us this year is that our fave holiday place is loaded with 'black bears' this year. So, I've been reading up a bit.

There seems to be a lot of discussion about whether or not to wear bear bells. The idea is that the extra sound alerts a bear to your presence so they can run away. Some folks call them 'dinner bells', but this seems to come from folks who 'laugh in the face of danger' kind of thing. Here's some of what I found:
http://www.rei.com/product/600276
http://www.backpacker.com/community/ask_buck/168
http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/b_spray.html
http://www.americanbear.org/blackbearfacts.htm

So, I'm taking my bear spray, and my kids are going to wear bells.

Peace.