Siberian Bear Hunting Suit from the 1800’s

May 12, 2019

I have a special place in my heart for Russian engineering – simple and effective.

Imagine being a Siberian bear hunter in the 1800’s.

The best firearms available were single shot muskets or rifles. Compared to modern rifles, they had less power, a shorter effective range, no scope, and were slow to reload.

If the hunter did not kill the bear with the first shot, the animal could close the distance in seconds and tear him to shreds. No time to run or reload.

the revenant bear attack scene — We know exactly what would happen from the movie The Revenant.

The Russian Solution

Copy a porcupine.

The suit was constructed with two layers of leather and studded with 1-inch long iron nails.

I bet Russian guys would get drunk, put these on and chase their friends around the village. They probably hurt more people than bears! Or maybe they slept in them to keep their fat ‘babushka’ wife off of them!

Would it actually work?

I actually think, yes. The suit wouldn’t stop the bear from the first swipe, but I believe that it would deter the bear from attacking long enough to kill the hunter.