Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

If you live in a campsite in a bear country, take appropriate precautions to make your camp as less attractive to bears as possible. A key element here is keeping your food out of the reach of bears when you are cooking, eating, snacking, camping, or sleeping.

Steps

1. 1 Hide food in a suitable shelter or container. This is the easiest way if the place where you hide your food is safe and protected from bears. Examples of food storage methods that prevent bears from accessing:
   • In metal food cabinets. Some campsites provide metal food lockers. Use them. If they are crowded, ask your campsite to share some space.
   • In the booths. Some campgrounds provide booths with shelves or food cabinets and a lockable front door. Place all food in there and make sure the door is closed securely. Label food if they are shared stalls.
   • In a canister protected from bears. Please note that some parks now require the use of bear-proof food containers. If you go hiking, these jerrycans can be a great buy, and can often be rented on popular hiking trails. Place all food in a canister and seal. Do not place canisters where you sleep.
2. 2 Make a bear pendant. If you do not have access to any shelter or container, in many cases a bear sling is the best option, although you should be aware that in many parks the attitude has changed in favor of a canister protected from bears, because in many places bears have come up with a trick for a bear sling. If you can still use the bear harness where you go hiking, you can make it this way:
   • Choose a suitable spot between two trees, at least 90 meters from the tent. Do not hang it on berry patches, obvious bear trails, etc.
   • Stretch the rope between two trees that are not too close together. To secure the rope high enough, tie a small rock or other weight at one end to give acceleration and throw it up. The bear hanger must be at least 4 meters high and at least one and a half meters from each tree.
   • Hang a closed bag in the middle of the rope.
   • Pull the rope up and tie it securely to another tree.
3. 3 Handle food with care. For the best bear repelling actions, follow this checklist that lists what not to do:
   • Prepare food at least 90 meters away from the tent.
   • Change clothes after cooking and do not store these clothes where you sleep.
   • Never leave food unattended, even while walking to the stream for water. Make sure she is guarded at the campsite by others, or take it away.
   • Never eat in a tent. This is very important, as the bear may be tempted to rip open the tent to get to the food. Check children's backpacks, pockets, and other containers to make sure candy or cookies have not been hidden away or simply forgotten. It is very easy to overlook strong-smelling candies, chewing gum and candies without knowing about them.
   • Do not eat or cook in the tent.
4. 4 Avoid cooking food that smells strong. Products with a strong smell are very attractive for bears. Bacon is a famous bear bait. Probably the drooling smell is what it will attract the bears with. Be careful in the food you cook, especially where heat enhances the odor.
5. 5 Dispose of all food waste, food scraps, leftovers and containers properly.
   • Use bear-proof trash cans.
   • Wash plates, dishes and cutlery at least 100 meters from the camp. Preferably collect all food scraps and dispose of them in bear-proof trash cans.
   • Leave the camp clean. Do not leave food scraps, food scraps, garbage or empty cans, etc. on the camp site. Leave the camp clean, cleaner than when you arrived.

Tips

• Never leave your backpack unattended when camping! In many areas, bears now associate backpacks with food, and if they see a backpack left unattended, they may be tempted to explore it. Avoid encouraging them by always keeping your backpack with you.
• When you go hiking, be sure to take precautions. Do not leave food leftovers lying around. This will attract bears and can lure them onto the hiking trail, threatening other travelers by teaching them how to get food from lazy tourists.
• All of these rules apply equally to any pet food. Don't leave food for the dog - it can get in trouble. And don't feed the birds. This can be tempting, as bears are attracted to any food - seeds, nuts, dried fruits, etc.
• Keep toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) with food, even duct tape - the smell in such products attracts bears and they consider them potential food sources.
• To reduce the risk of bears damaging non-food / non-cosmetic items, it is recommended to leave things open when leaving the camp, which will give them easy access, for example, leave the flaps of the tent untied so curiosity allows the bear to put its head in it, and also leave bags and other containers open. Bears are naturally curious, and if they wander into your camp, giving them an unobstructed view can keep your camping gear intact.

Warnings

• Never feed a bear. Don't throw food at him to lure him closer for photos or for any other reason. Fed Bear - Dead Bear because accustomed to feeding bears are often aggressive and lose their natural fear of humans.
• Note that in some parks, bears have learned to smash car windows to access food. Always keep food out of sight and keep windows closed. Ask the park management to take any other measures that may be required.
• The car is the last refuge. Make sure the doors are locked and there is no food in sight.Chances are, if the bear is hungry enough, it will just smash windows and break down the door to get to food (especially sweets) in your car, regardless of whether it can see or smell it. Also make sure the child seats are free of any fragrant goodies that babies usually drop in them, as bears can break into a car just because it smells good to eat. (This happened once on a camping trip with me and my friends.) But if he is not looking for food, there should be no problem.
• Do not leave ice packs or coolers on the outside. Bears know what ice packs and coolers are for and bite or easily open them with their claws. They attract, not scare away.
• Don't be complacent. Bears can wander around the camp at any time of the day or night, so never leave food unattended for a minute. Always think about cover first.
• Black bears that have started eating in your camp will be more difficult to drive away. (See Camping With Bears for more information on this aspect.)