Bear Bells!
Mommy, what's a "bear bell"?
Bear bells are a small bell attached to your backpack to ring as you walk along. The theory seems to be to alert any bears to your presence, so you don't accidentally sneak up behind one and startle him. Generally speaking, they tend not to appreciate that.
Hikers use them religiously up here in Hokkaido. If you don't have one yet, be sure to stop by DCM in Furano and select the bell that sounds the best to you. Hint: choose one that allows the ringer to be secured when not in use, to "turn off" your bell so it doesn't drive you crazy.
See you in Furano.