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So, in Utah at least, it's highly recommend you bring bells or a speaker or talk loudly with other people so that the wildlife stays away from you, especially bears.
I just go with people and talk to them, but if you're alone you need something to make sure the animals avoid you.
I've hiked for decades, often solo, in wilder country with way more bears and cougars than exist in the the lower 48. This is utter BS. The animals know you're there even if you tried to sneak up on them as quiet as you can manage.
Fucking people that need to make as much noise as possible should just stay in the damn city.
We only have black bears in Georgia and they will usually keep far away from people even with minimal noise. The only time I've had one get close is when it was looking for food in our camp because someone spilled food earlier.
Wow that's a load of bs, and any official member of the forest service will tell you not to noise pollute. Please do not bring bells or speakers. If you are alone, that is at your own risk.
Well I'm not an official member, and I've never played music nor have I brought bells so I was going off what I had been told one time or read somewhere.
Here's NPS.gov's official take on it:
Make noise while hiking. Making noise on the trail can alert a bear to your presence before you have the chance to surprise it. Talk to your partners and occasionally sing loudly, yell “hello” or “whoop! whoop!” and clap your hands loudly to let any bears know you’re coming. Make extra noise when you’re close to loud natural features such as rivers, streams, and on windy days. Also make lots of noise when approaching features that make it hard for a bear to see you (such as a crest in the trail or a blind corner).
Bear bells may be a popular item to put on your backpack, but they don’t effectively warn a bear you’re in the area. Bears won’t hear the bells until you’re too close. Yelling, clapping, and talking are more effective ways of alerting a bear to your presence.
And here's Park City, Utah's guidance:
The more noise you make, the less likely you are to startle any wildlife in the area. You don’t need to be shouting or clapping the entire time, but it’s a good idea to keep talking, laughing, or even singing while you’re on the trail. If you’re worried about being too quiet on the trail, buy a bear bell and attach it to your backpack.
Though NPS also says this but I think it's in reference to when you're camping, not specially hiking (it's from their leave no trace section):
Let the natural sounds of Zion prevail. Avoid using loud voices and making unnecessary noise, especially in narrow canyons. Use headphones when listening to music.
This is what I could find in 30 seconds and won't spend any more time on it. I don't care enough as I don't play music or wear bells when hiking, even when alone. I just relayed something I had heard and there are plenty of people out there who had heard the same things so that's what I got.
Understandable when it comes to bells for wildlife. But I know for sure items like speakers really are frowned upon. Though I've never had any encounters with loud music during the hikes I've been on at Zion so that's good