Bear Proofing: How To Properly Bear Proof A Campsite

By Author: LexorPaul
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Bear Proofing a Campsite

As any camper who has even come in close contact with a bear will know, they are almost always hungry, and very persistent. Bears are very intelligent creatures, so given the chance, it wouldn’t take them much time to realize that that cooler and trash bin sitting over by your tent contain food. It is a camper’s responsibility to avoid these potential bear encounters, and there are several ways to do that. Though the prospect of encountering a bear shouldn’t deter campers from making trips into the great outdoors, a little preparation for potential situations doesn’t hurt.

Contain Your Food

Many campsites these days offer “bear safes”, which will make a camper’s job a whole lot easier. If you find yourself at a campsite that doesn’t offer this luxury, then the next best thing to do with food is to keep it all in a cooler, and place it into your car, away from the tent. Another, well known method of securing food is to hand it from a tree limb. Campers are typically told to hand their food at least ten feet above the ground, and sometimes camp sites even offer hooked ...
... poles for this. Unfortunately (for us, not them) bears a very clever, and some have learned that cutting the rope holding the bag of food can reap rewards. The best bet is a “bear safe” or “bear box”, and the next best thing would be the car. The point is, regardless of progressive bear intelligence and frail rope, campers must separate themselves from their food. The worst thing you can do is keep food in your tent; you may as well set a place setting for the bear.

Sound and Smell

Though clever, bears are also somewhat lazy. If you make a lot of noise at your campsite, the bears will know there is something going on there, and they won’t want to mess with it. While noises will drive bears away, smells will draw them near. And not just food smells, but any smell at all. Perfume, gum, shampoo, soap, hairspray, lipstick, laundry, and anything else, especially anything that falls under the category of “garbage”. Keep scented items in your car or in a bear safe. For the garbage, on the other hand, since you won’t be wanting to keep it in your car, dispose of it properly as indicated by your campsite. If the campsite doesn’t offer a method of disposal, then the next best thing to do is to follow the food storage method of hanging it ten feet above the ground from a tree. Though it isn’t fool-proof, it is better than keeping the trash near your tent where the bear will no doubt find it (and find you!).

Last Resort: Bear Spray

If securing your food, containing your odors, and making lots of noise sounds like too much, or not enough, then there is another, more scientific option. Bear spray is available to campers who need that extra little bit of security, and having a can of it readily available can be helpful if a bear happens to enter your campsite. Though bears are for the most part typically just following their noses or looking for some food scraps, they can occasionally get aggressive, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

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