As we roll down the bumpy trail, a jingle emanates from Chris. In addition to bear spray, he had the wise idea to purchase a Timber mountain bike bell. Mounted to his handlebars, it has two settings; you can lock it so that it won’t ring, or unlock it so that the vibrations of the bike make it ring.

One clever fellow who attended the bikepacking discussion hosted by MBW in May commented, “The bears call that a dinner bell!” Though it does alert animals such as bears and moose of our presence, the idea is for them to mosey out of our way, not to come hunting us. I certainly would not have thought to buy it for the trip, so I am very glad that Chris did!