Ack! - do NOT drop your pack. First, you have just given the bear a reward and are now creating a problem bear. Second, IF the bear should actually attack you, the pack may provide some protection. Third, the pack makes you look BIGGER, which may deter the bear from attacking. And last - what, are you suggesting, drop the pack and RUN? The LAST thing you want to do is RUN from a bear, as that may trigger the bear's chase instinct.

KMK's advice matches everything I've ever read or seen on the bear shows on TV.

We were just in Glaicer NP in Montana where they make a big deal about bears b/c there have been several attacks. Up there the advice was pepper spray - and make sure you get the large canister, not the little containers of pepper spray. It is expensive - we paid $35, and noticed that the closer we got to the park (or the bears), it was as high as $50. We couldn't bring it home b/c we weren't allowed to fly with it in our luggage, so we gave it to our white water rafting guide as an additional tip.

I seem to recall the last time we were in Glacier (5-7 years ago), lots of people wore bear bells. They are still for sale, but now the thought is that they don't work - the sound is too regular and may actually arouse the curiousity of a bear.

And, yes, everything we read stressed that running is very bad - they can run faster than us and it triggers the chase instinct.

We started to worry about eating on the trail after hiking the first day in Big Sky, MT. We were alone in the woods and starved so we were eating cashews. We only encountered one other hiker, and his first question was if we saw any bears (he seemed very concerned). Here we were eating away - he was probably appalled. But then we started to worry when we got back to the Summit Lodge and there was a large sign that stated that absolutely no food was allowed outside - only inside the lodge.

I'm making light of a serious situation here - we then wondered if we were eating and a bear attacked - if we just threw our food at him - would he go away? (Again, I'm not serious - I do understand that some of the bear problems are us humans stupid fault. It seems in Glacier near a back country chalet, there was a garbage dump that routinely attracted bears. The park service knew about it, but did nothing about it, even when they knew sometimes overflow campers would sleep outside on the pathway to the dump. Well, as is usually the case with humans, after there was an attack, they finally forbid dumping and encouraged people to watch where they stored their food).

Well, first of all if you are having a serious encounter with a bear, you already have a "problem bear." Second, if it is a black bear (which is very unlikely to attack anyone) they are after food, not you, hence the drop the backpack to protect yourself. You aren't really supposed ro RUN away from a black bear. You are, however, encouraged, to turn and hurry away! If you are in trouble with a grizzly, well that's a different problem!

I have to say - I have never seen any knowledgeable source say to 'drop your backpack' and most bear expert and national park/national forest info says specifically NOT to. (Now, I have seen 'drop your hat' to provide a distraction, but don't be giving the bear any food!) I suppose if the bear was in a tug of war with my pack, well I'd have to give it to him (how would that happen, anyway?) But chances are the bear has NO clue at the moment that your pack even has food, or that the pack is somehow even a separate item from this whole big human thing he just stumbled upon. If you GIVE it to him, he'll explore it and find out, though, unfortunately.

And, just because you have an 'encounter' with a bear, doesn't mean it is a problem bear - yet. What if you weren't making enough noise and stumbled into the bear? Or the bear was distracted - maybe eating berries - and just didn't hear you? It'll probably go off as soon as it recognizes a human (and yes, it may stand on its hind legs to sniff/get a better view), or worse case, bluff charge. But, if you drop your pack and offer it a snack? You just taught the bear humans are a source of food. Thanks, now we have another dead bear.

I'd also be careful of the notion that black bears are somehow less of a worry/less dangerous.

And, yes, you do want to hurry away from the bear - griz or black- well, sort of back away slowly, as long as the bear isn't trying to approach/follow.

I personally haven't had a bear encounter (thankfully!) but I live in Alaska now where we have plenty of grizzlies and black bears, so I have done a LOT of research! And if there is some resource I've missed that advises dropping your pack - I'd like to see that....

By my definition, any bear I get to see close-up is a "problem bear", although if I think about it, I think we are the "problen people", not th other way around.

By bear "encounter" I do mean an aggressive encounter. I've come across black bears numerous times in the Adirondacks. The worst ones are those in the campgrounds or on the really busy trail areas (Marcy dam). They will sometimes stand and look at you but that's about it. In more remote areas, you only ever see its butt as it high tails it away from you. They all certainly require respect though...