BOTTOMLINE:

Deterring death on trails known for human casualties every year is worth 4-freakin’ bucks.  Make sure you pick this up and have it with you for treks in the Northern United States and Canada.  A little prevention goes a long way, and just hearing you from a distance dramatically reduces the risk of attack since the bear(s) will likely just get out of your way.  You don’t want to sneak up on them accidentally, and this helps ensure that you don’t.  You really only need this for hikes in Montana, Alaska and Canada where risk of fatal bear attacks is considerably higher, particularly in the spring.  Black bears common in Colorado and California are considerably lower risk.

WHY GET IT:

VERY low cost prevention/protection for trails known to be frequented by bears.  You’ll have to pay a lot more at local tourist/travel shops, so might as well save yourself the time/money and pick one up beforehand when they’re this cheap.