Trip flares

[Usko]

Hallo,

Was haben sie benutzen fuer schutzen ihre Zelt gegen die Polarbäre im Spitsbergen? Letzes mal hatte ich die Trip Flares gemietet, aber die war ziemlich alt und im ganz schreclich kondition.
Können sie etwas anderes fuer Zelt schutzen Empfelen? Wir sind zwei und hab kein Hund.

-Usko-

[Andreas]

Hallo Usko,

In einem Prospekt über Svalbards Nationalparks mit dem Namen »Experience Svalbards on nature's own terms« kann man lesen, wie man sich bezüglich der Gefahren durch Eisbären verhält:

Polarbären können überall sein. (2000-3000 im Spitzbergenbereich) Generell umsichtig sein, in offenem Gelände bleiben. Wenn man Bären sieht, ruhiger Rückzug, niemals den Bären nachgehen. Die meisten Besuche erfolgen, wenn das Camp fertig aufgebaut ist. Ist man in der Gruppe, und sitzt im Kreis, beobacht jeder eine andere Richtung. Vermeide Zeltplätze an der Küste (Wasser und Eisschollen sind natürliche Futterplätze) Benutze Leuchtfallen (engl. trip-wires with flares) rund ums Camp. Verpflegung entfernt von den Zelten kochen, einnehmen und lagern, aber in Sichtweite (wie in Alaska). Sei immer korrekt bewaffnet ( Jagdwaffe 7,62 / 30,6 oder .308) und zusätzlich Leuchtpistole. - Mache dich vorher mit den Waffen vertraut. Wenn der Bär dich gesehen hat und sich nähert - versuch ihn sofort zu verscheuchen. Schrei und brüll, spring und wedle mit den Armen; lade die Waffe, schieß mit der Leuchtpistole auf die Erde vor den Bären oder gib mit der Jagdwaffe einen Warnschuß ab, wenn der Bär näher als 50m kommt.
Aber wahrscheinlich weißt du das alles ohnehin schon. Und inwiefern man mit Waffen überhaupt umgehen möchte, muss jeder selber entscheiden.

Grüße,
Andreas

[Usko]

Hallo Andreas! :)

Leider muss ich auf Englisch schreiben, weill ich kann immer noch nich gut genug Deutsch. :(

Thank's for refreshing my memory, last time when I read those rules was in summer 2001. My first question's point was that those trip wires with flares which I rented from LYR, were in such bad condition that when reindeers broke the wires 2 out of 3 worked. Have you had relbility problems with trip flares or did I just get bad sample? One option for those, which came to my mind is valopaukkuhälytin or flash bang alarm device, which we used in Finnish army guerlla warfare training. Those are basicly the same as the Norwegian version, but passive trigger system is bit different. They just make bang as loud as rifle shot and produce bright light, which is on for couple of minutes and they have no rockets. They were reliable even in harshest winter conditions. Have you seen this model used in Svalbard and would there be some reason why trip wires with flash bang and no rockets wouldn't work?

Another thing which bothered me in trip flares when using four rockets, was that the wires were just few meters away from tent, closer than I feel comfortable to let bear to come. How many trip flares do you use to secure single tent and how far do you instal them from the tent? Do you secure the fod container with trip flares as well?

Thank's in advance,

-Usko-

[Tim]

i didn´t have any polarbearmeetings on my own but i think that all you can do to shock the bear will help to make him fear and run away.

maybe you got a little help by one of these links:

link (http://bluepickerel.tripod.com/BP_%20PolarBears.htm)
link (http://www.nps.gov/gaar/bears.htm)
link (http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/misc/bears/bearbowr.htm)
link (http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/wildlife/geninfo/hunting/huntak14.htm)

most of them are general about bears and not spezial about polarbears but i cant imagine, thats there are big differences.

the funny ones, like "if you are attaked by a baer bite back, if he is surprised he run away" or "if a bear come into your tent you may wake up and then its time to cry loudly and hoping for help" i dindt link here but maybe that ones are also helpfull if the others dindt work...

maybe you google a little bit, the web is full of tips about that.

tim

[Andreas]

Hi Usko,

Maybe my post was a little bit missunderstood. I have never been in such a dangerous situation, facing polarbears etc. I've just got the mentionned pamphlet.

Andreas

[Usko]

Thank's for your replies Andreas and Tim.

I didn't see any bears last time either, but the possibility is always there. I cosider the risk high enough to encounter bear, that I have choosen to carry a rifle, a flare gun and alarm devices.
I agree that avoiding bears and when encountering one, trying to scare it away is the best way to go.

In my opinion, greatest potential risk for need to use rifle is when encountering the bear inside the camp when sleeping in the tent. If the alarm device's wires are close to tent or the devices doesn't work, there is not much time to shoot warning shots and encounter will be suprising for both sides, for the bear and the hiker. So that's the reason why I'm searching some option for trip flares or some other way to use them than I did.

:)
-Usko-