Far north of Europe in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, you’ll find the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The weather is snowy, the land is rocky and harsh, and the population is rugged and hardy. When you live in Svalbard, however, it’s not the weather, the landscape, or the people you have to worry about (Svalbard is virtually crime free and one of the safest places on earth).

The one thing you really need to keep an eye out for is the abundant number of polar bears (who outnumber the human settlers). Although protected and a significant source of tourism for the archipelago, polar bears are still a force to be reckoned with (and the apex predator on the islands). As such, everyone venturing outside of established settlements is required to carry a rifle as a last-resort measure against the bears.