I honestly don't know. Storm Mountain doesn't post here much anymore but he is a regular hiker on the southern end of the Trail.

My personal walking stick has a metal-tipped end that has a sharp point. I bought it in Germany. It's fended off dogs and snakes with no injury to either them or me.

Basically IMO, if you think something might cause a problem, it probably will in this day and age. A snap-on spear head sounds like a great idea though.

Edit: I have carried my Ka-Bar knife in its sheath on every trail I've ever hiked in the U.S., with no problems.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...