If you're taking a bear bell into the backcountry, you're well within your right to know whether or not it will act as a deterrent. The last thing you want is to alert bears to your presence and have them roam over to investigate.
Attaching a bear bell to your hiking backpack also means that you're shattering the serenity of the great outdoors and other trail users may not take as kindly to your jingles as they would on Christmas Eve.
