UDAP Industries was awarded the best new hunting accessory for 2017 by Big Rock Sports. This took place in Las Vegas, NV at Big Rock Sports West Show. “We are very excited about this award as this was the 1st event that our new bear spray item with Griz Guard® holster was featured”, said Tim Lynch UDAP’s General Manager. “We received an overwhelming amount of interest in our new item and are excited to begin shipping it to stores early this spring.” Big Rock Sports is a major distributor of sporting goods throughout the nation. UDAP has been A Big Rock vendor for several years. Working together, they provide UDAP products to many retail stores.
The Item (#12SO Bear Spray with Griz Guard® holster) is a new for UDAP and the bear spray industry. It is the first bear spray sold with an injected molded holster that allows the user to clip-it to their waist and other locations without the need to wear a belt. The Griz Guard® holster still allows a person to deploy bear spray directly from the holster and like UDAP’s other holsters it provides quick, silent, and easy access to the trigger.
With more and more people enjoying the outdoors, not everyone wears a belt. “We see folks hiking in sweats and shorts all the time”, says Lynch. The Griz Guard® holster will make it easier to carry bear spray. It is more convenient to take the spray on and off as well.
The Griz Guard® holster is patent pending and made in the USA. Shipments will begin arriving at stores in March 2017. www.BearSpray.com
Bears rarely enter occupied tents or wreck entire campsites, but, when they do, it is most often because the people camping in that camp site or at a nearby site, have not taken appropriate cautions to ensure that they have a proper clean camp. If there is even one scrap of food for the bear to access in the camp it will most likely search the rest of the camp and the surrounding area for more food. A bear’s sense of smell is over two thousand times greater then a human’s and, even seven times greater then a bloodhounds. They are thought to have one of the best, if not the best, olfactory senses on the entire planet. Every year camper’s leave out bits of dinner on picnic tables; they try to burn what they haven’t eaten in the fire; or they keep, in general, an unclean camp. While it is hard to help others to be responsible, here are a few tips for keeping a clean camp so that you can ensure that you are doing your part to not lure in potential bears into your camp or into someone else’s.
Proper food storage is very important to keeping a clean camp. Your food should be sealed in containers (preferably bear proof containers), and, if you are car camping, possibly leave it in the car near your campsite. Never store any of these things inside the tent. Food and even items like deodorant should never be kept within the tent. You don’t want to give the bear a reason to come over to inspect your tent, if, indeed, one has merely wandered into camp. If you are cooking foods that have strong smells – sausages or bacon and eggs – make sure to cook the food quite away from your camp. Bears cant resist the smell of sausage and bacon any more then you can, so having those odors as far away from where you sleep as possible is vitally important to preventing a possible encounter. Also, many developed campgrounds now use bear proof garbage bins. Make sure that if you have garbage, do not leave it in a garbage bag, dangling from a nearby picnic table overnight. Throw it away. While we cannot prevent bears from wandering into a campsite, we can prevent them from lingering, and, possibly, destroying our camp or being aggressive towards us or our neighboring campsite.
Another option is to use the UDAP Bear Shock fence at your campground site for protection from Bears.
Hiking and backpack camping with dogs is enjoyable. Dogs are excellent companions in the backcountry, although dogs can also pose several problems for backpackers and hikers. One major issue when you are in the backcountry with a dog is that it can create an encounter with a bear. For instance, If a dog is sleeping in a tent with their human companions, they may be carrying several interesting smells on their coat that bears may find interesting. However it is a very rare occurrence for a bear to invade a tent, and, when they do, it is usually because of left out food scraps or an unkept camp.Be sure to use the UDAP Bear Shock fence at your campground site for protection from bears.
If you do run into a bear out on the trail, a dog may be tempted to run after the bear, barking, and the bear may feel that it has to defend itself. Dogs can be great instigators of trouble, although when the bear charges the dog or attacks the dog, the dog is going to run back to you, and he will be bringing the scared, angry bear with him. An encounter like this is completely preventable, by placing a leash on the dog when you are out on the trail. This and other safety tips are necessary for you to pay heed to in order to protect your dog and yourself as well. You could read more here about how you could enjoy fun activities and explore the outdoors with your dog in a safe and enjoyable manner.
Coming back to hiking with dogs, if you are going to be traveling in bear country with your dogs, leash them, but also give them a job to perform. Dogs can carry their own food and, possibly, other supplies on their backs. Keep the load light, though, dogs should not be required to haul too much weight on the trail. There are even backpacks built exclusively for dogs. If the dog is required to carry important supplies, then it should be leashed. A hot, tired dog isn’t going to consider the load on his back when he sees a wide, muddy puddle or a deep, pristine mountain lake. A dog carrying sleeping bags should be leashed, at least until the backpack is removed.
Dogs do make excellent companions on the trail. Unlike some of your friends at the bottom of your call list, the dog will not complain out on the trail. Dogs can also sense possible dangers long before their human counterparts, and dogs may sense that cow moose around the bend, or the rattlesnake coiled at the other side of the log. Although, proper precautions should be taken, when hiking and backpacking with dogs in bear country.
While autumn in many places marks the end of a busy summer and a transition to the winter, fall in the west means busy mountain ranges, busy rivers, and intense flights of migratory birds. Hunters begin to hit the mountain slopes in full camo in the archery season, and the bright orange jackets of rifle season eventually take over. Anglers flock to the big rivers for the intense hatches of mayflies and October caddis.
Later, in mid-October, hunters in camo, with Labradors or Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, maybe even Springer Spaniels, will throw duck decoys out onto a river or pond, and create the calls of a hen mallard, while hiding on the bank, shotgun at the ready (some curios folks may wish to learn is shotgun better than rifle?) Hunters will produce enormous flocks of goose decoys in fields of corn stubble or cut alfalfa, hiding in lay out blinds or ditches, using silhouettes, shells, or intricately carved full body goose decoys to lure in giant Canadian Honkers. Another important aspect of the fall is intense color. The greens of spring and summer give way to the yellowing leaves and grasses of fall and the colors combine with dramatic complexity.
The trees of fall are the obvious choice of dramatic color. A person only has to drive the banks of a western river with the bright yellow leaves of Cottonwood trees, offset by the bright, clear water of the river, to realize just how special of a time of year fall is. Also, in areas of the west that have dense stands of Aspen trees, the cloud of intense yellow that these trees present is inspiring. In the fall another landscape color that can cause serious drama is white. When the first snows cover the peaks of the mountains; the views of the mountains are juxtaposed with the greens and yellows of the valleys.
Some game animals of the west also exhibit intense color. Mallard drakes, for instance, have come out of their drab molt of summer, and the green feathers about its head are bright and intense. Brown Trout seem to absorb the yellow leaves that fall into the river and their scales turn bright yellow to gold in full spawning colors.
Finding the right hiking boot can be a challenge. The most important aspect to choosing a hiking boots is comfort. Also, the boot should match the hikers ambitions. Day hikers, hiking upon a well-maintained trail, may only need a lightweight trail runner. A backcountry hunter, however, may need a much stiffer boot, designed for steep, rocky terrain.
Hiking shoes and trail runners are lightweight options, and many day hikers and backpackers carrying light loads will wear trail runners, because of the lightweight, supple fabric. Shoes are generally more comfortable and forgiving. However, the comfort of wearing shoes does have a tradeoff, because most shoe styles do not offer quality ankle protection. A hiker travelling over steep, rocky terrain, or someone who needs to carry a heavy pack, may need to forgo that comfort for the stiffness of a boot.
Backpacking boots are usually stiff, and the boots are usually cut higher up on the ankle for protection. These boots enable the hiker to carry heavy loads. The stiff boot also helps the hiker on rocky terrain, because the foot doesn’t flex with the edges of rocks, and, when hiking on steep terrain, the stiff boot will help with a hiker’s fatigue. The one thing to remember about stiff boots is that there are break-in requirements. A boot may feel comfortable in the store, but when it is worn for a mile or so, the stiffness of the boot can tire out the foot much more quickly. Also, feet swell after strenuous use, and when feet swell, the boot becomes much more tight while hiking. If the boots fit well, then after the break-in time, they should become more comfortable.
Mountaineering boots are very stiff and offer a great amount of ankle support. Mountaineering boots are usually worn in very steep terrain or on icy, glacial terrain. The boots are also important for ankle protection when carrying very heavy loads.
When you have determined which boot matches your ambitions as a hiker, there are several things to consider when you choose your own boot. When purchasing a pair of boots, make sure that the boots fit. This sounds like a simple suggestion, and in many ways it is, but boots are worn in demanding locations. A dull pinch on a big toe, or a subtle pressure against the front pad of the foot can translate to an unbearable pain on the trail. Also, when you are trying on hiking boots, make sure to wear the same type of socks that you will use in the boots. If you are hiking in Merino Wool socks, for instance, don’t try on the boots with your sheer black business socks right after work. Also, if you wear orthotics, make sure to take those with you, because the cut on the orthotics, plus the size of your foot, may not match the foot bed of the boot.
Backpacking into remote areas of the west is both fun and rewarding. There are many challenges the hiker can face on a pack trip, and he should always be prepared to encounter anything from unpredictable weather, injury, or even an encounter with a bear. One way that a hiker can be more prepared is to properly load his pack, and also to have his pack fastened correctly about his upper body so that the pack is merely an extension of him. Remember, in the backcountry, your backpack is your lifeline; it is responsible for protecting your food, shelter, and clothing.
A hiking backpack should not be worn like a school child’s pack. The hiking backpack is meant to carry much of the load of the pack on the hips and not on the shoulders. When you put on your pack, adjust the shoulder straps first, as this will lift the pack into position over your hips. Then tighten down the waistbelt. The waistbelt needs to be tight, but not so tight that it cuts off the circulation to your legs. The load straps should be tightened to a forty-five degree angle. If these straps are cinched in tight it will pull the shoulder straps of the pack into your skin.
While there is no one absolute correct way to load a backpack, there are some basic guidelines that will ensure that the load in the pack will travel comfortably throughout the hike. First of all, place the items that you wont need until you camp like light clothing, and a sleeping bag and pad in the bottom of the pack. If you are hiking in bear country make sure to keep items like toothpaste, food, or even sunscreen away from these items that you will be using at night. Bears have a very keen sense of smell, and you do not want the smell of these items in the tent with you at night. Above the lighter items, you will want your heaviest items. These items ideally should be loaded close to your spine in the middle of your back. The Food, water supply, and stove can all be placed in this area of the pack. You can place your tent, rain jacket, and other soft necessities that you may need in an emergency around the heavy items to prevent any possible shifting.
The Back Attack Pack is deployed by a ripcord attached to the front of the backpack, somewhat like a parachute ripcord. It may sound contradictory, but the people taking the biggest risks are usually the most safety conscious.
Take Billy Lucas, for example. For 30 years the 57-year-old former Marine has been a Hollywood stuntman — part of that acting as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stunt double in films like “True Lies” and “The Terminator” series of films. So the fact that Lucas brainstormed a design for a new way to deploy bear spray from a backpack actually makes sense. He is very aware of ways to mitigate danger.
“There are no bragging rights in getting hurt,” Lucas said. “Safety is a primary concern, especially in my business.”
And stuntmen who get hurt aren’t going to be available to work, so there’s a monetary incentive for them to be careful.
‘Brainstorm’
Knowing this, it’s a natural progression to the story Lucas tells about one day reading a newspaper story about a man being mauled to death by a bear and wondering if there isn’t a better way to deter attacks. Lucas had recently made the move to Livingston from Los Angeles when the incident occurred. Then he had his own encounter with a bear while fishing with friends and admitted to being spooked.
So Lucas read up on other bear attacks and noticed that when people dropped into defensive positions — lying face-down and covering their necks — they were still very vulnerable.
Lucas said the idea of a reserve parachute gave him the idea of a backpack-based bear spray canister that could be discharged much like pulling the ripcord on a parachute.
“I had a brainstorm and put my money where my mouth was,” he said, paying an engineer to design the first prototype out of aluminum before deciding that was too heavy and going to plastic.
“I like working with my hands and problem solving,” he said. “It’s one of those things that came late in life to me.”
He said he has a couple of other inventions he’s working on as well.
R and D
After three years in research and development, Lucas approached Butte-based bear spray makers UDAP Industries with his invention.
Tim Lynch, general manager for UDAP, said it was a concept other inventors had presented to the company, but UDAP never made the jump to do its own research and development. Lucas was different.
“When he showed up he had a working prototype, which the other inventors didn’t,” Lynch said.
He was so impressed that he shot a video of the backpack to show the bloody face of the bear spray business to the company’s founder, Mark Matheny. After reaching a licensing and distribution deal, last April UDAP unveiled its Back Attack Pack ($149) that can accommodate spray canisters of different sizes and be lashed on to a variety of backpacks.
“It’s exciting to go into a store and see something hanging on the shelf that you’ve built,” Lucas said. “That’s pretty cool.”
Last shot
The backpacks are made to be a secondary or last defense — used in addition to a handheld bear spray.
Lynch said he sees the device as a valuable backup for hunters — who while dressing game can be blindsided from behind by a territorial bear looking to claim a big-game kill. He said an Alaskan study showed that in the majority of bear-human encounters, the person had only 1.8 seconds to react. That’s barely enough time to pull the trigger on a bear spray canister in your hand, so a backup seems like a good idea.
“This is designed to get that bear off your back,” Lynch said. “It’s not to replace spray, but in addition to it. This is sort of a backup, like a reserve parachute.”
To view the original story in the Billings Gazette… Click here.
To order the Back Attack Pack or learn more visit:
Bow hunting is a historic activity that has been crucial to the development and survival of the human species. It has endured being a well-respected sport in our society. If you are interested in becoming a bow hunter and unsure of where to start, this article will offer you beginner’s tips on equipment, licensure, and hunting procedures.
Legal Procedures: The most important part of hunting is doing so legally. Hunting licenses are issued on a state-by-state basis, so you will most likely need to contact your state’s Department of Game. Once you have your hunting license, you need to look up when and where you are allowed to hunt, and how much you are allowed to kill, all of which are strictly regulated.
Choosing Your Equipment: Once you’ve taken care of your legalities, you can move on to actually hunting, which may begin with gaining enough knowledge about arrow and bow accessories. Apparently, there are two basic types of bow: the compound bow and the long or recurve bow. Long and recurve bows are more primitive, while compound bows are more modern and utilize pulleys to minimize the strength you need to draw back the string. To lure your prey to you, you may also need a broadcast feeder as you can see on this website, or similar other equipment. Ensure you do your research and make the appropriate investments in quality equipment.
Compound bows are better for beginners since it’s easier to pull and hold the string on a compound. All bows are rated with draw weight, so you need a good idea of your own strength and what you can handle when purchasing a bow. Naturally, you might get confused about choosing the correct hunting gear despite having done it before. Some basic tips might guide you for the hunting expenditure, to know more about this you can check here to get a detailed description.
Scouting a Location: Deer is the primary target for most bow hunters. Many hunters scope out the area they plan to hunt for weeks in advance in order to find spots that are highly trafficked by deer. Once you have decided on a spot, you may want to invest in a tree stand. Tree stands give you a better vantage point of your surroundings, camouflage you from potential games, and make long periods of stillness more comfortable.
Safety and Field Dressing: You’ll also need to bring materials to navigate the forest and clean and transport the deer. A flashlight and a map or compass are absolutely necessary when hunting in forested areas, solely for your own personal safety. You’ll also need materials to field dress your deer. Without field dressing, it’s possible that the deer meat will spoil due to its body temperature remains high. Field dressing involves making a long incision down the deer’s belly, from the sternum to the pelvic area. You want to cut through the flesh but not harm the internal organs, which you will need to remove before transporting the deer. Once the carcass is dressed, use a long rope to haul it back.
This is a very basic overview of bow hunting. If you are serious about becoming a bow hunter, visit your local sporting goods or outdoor store and talk to an expert about your specific needs. For all of your Bear Spray needs please visit UDAP.com today!
Hiking, camping and backpacking are all excellent ways to experience the wonder of the Great Outdoors. However, it can also be a dangerous way to witness Mother Nature in all her fury. Simple common mistakes made hastily can have inconvenient and even disastrous consequences. Here we explore some common mistakes average people make when enjoying nature.
Failure to Prepare
Whether you forget to bring a map and determine your route beforehand or you make a rookie mistake like not bringing enough water, or checking the weather forecast using equipment like the ones you can find here, you could add hours or even days to your trip if you get lost — no to mention lose expensive equipment along the way. That’s why it’s crucial to sit down beforehand — even with a hike that you’ve done many times before — and map out your route, procure rations and make sure you have the proper gear.
Ignoring Signs
You may think you can handle a bigger workout than you’re actually trained for because at the bottom of a mountain, anything seems possible. Halfway up and you may reconsider. By then it could be too late and you’re already committed to the summit run. Pay attention to marked trails and their ratings. Don’t go for an intense trail with lots of climbing and scaling if you’re just out for a casual scenic hike. Instead, pick a trail for your fitness level and gradually work your way up in ratings over time. Also, don’t go off the marked trail. Doing so could send you on a route that could get you lost in no time.
Failing to Test out New Equipment
One of the biggest mistakes in camping in particular is not testing out equipment such as grills, tents and even sleeping bags beforehand. Before you head out on your trip, make sure the grill works and that you have enough propane (which, by the way, can be sourced from firms similar to Nelson Propane Gas Incorporated) to fuel it. Nothing kills a good camping buzz faster than hungry kids huddled around the grill mad at Dad who can’t get the darn thing to work. Set up the tent in the backyard before going, too. Make sure you know exactly how to put it together to save yourself the hassle of wrestling with directions at the camp site. Pack all components of the tent with you, including rain covers and stakes, so you’re well prepared.
Leaving out Food and Toiletries
Most people know not to leave out food at a campsite, especially at night when asleep, so that bears and other large animals don’t come a-hunting. But most people don’t realize that many critters, such as raccoons and squirrels, are attracted by the smells of toiletries like toothpaste, soap and bug repellant. Keep these securely packed away as well to avoid unwelcome visitors.
Be careful on your next hiking or camping trip by preparing beforehand so you can have the most enjoyable time possible.
Summer is finally here and what better way to enjoy it than by spending time in the outdoors. Kayaking is a fun activity that involves moving across water using paddles. People take up the sport because it is fun, it is a great way to exercise and also allows one or a group of people to be close to nature. There are many ideal water bodies across the country for kayaking but some are top notch and have the best reviews.
The Top Best Places to Kayak in the US
Glacier Bay in Alaska is adored as a great kayaking location. It features a protected 3.28 million-acre national park that has countless fjords and bays for large scale kayaking. In 1794, the Glacier Bay was filled with ice 100 miles long and 20 miles wide. The ice was about 4,000 feet thick. The glacier has since retreated by 65 miles providing a large area for kayaking. Sea kayaking is a great way to enjoy this bay with trips starting at Bartlett Cover. Reservations should be made early and in advance because of the large influx of people wanting to visit the bay. Before attending, kayakers are required to attend an orientation class. It is intended to answer questions that the person may have, inform the kayakers of the wildlife in the area, and closures that are not accessible during the trip.
Baja in California has been praised as a must place to visit for kayaking. The sunsets in this region are beautiful and the air is warm in most months of the year. When kayaking, visitors are given the opportunity to try Stand up paddle boards. The location is beautiful with reefs and is full of sea wildlife. The water is also warm which makes kayaking fun and comfortable. There is a whale migration that happens every January and starts from the Bering Sea and head out 5,000 miles out.
The Acadia National Park in Maine is another top spot for kayaking in the US. The park features a water trail that was created in 1993. It offers visitors a chance to explore areas on the over 3,000 miles of coastlines and islands. There are campsites so people can relive their kayaking moments even the next day.
