What’s the Real Deal with Bears?
As someone who’s spent a good amount of time in the backcountry, I can genuinely say that spotting a bear, be it a black bear or a grizzly, is a special experience. These animals are truly magnificent – powerful, quick when they need to be, incredibly smart, and adaptable. Their presence is a strong indicator of a healthy, expansive, and wild environment, somewhere that sits high on the food chain.
However, being in bear territory definitely sharpens your senses. There are a couple of reasons for this heightened awareness. Firstly, encounters with bears can become dangerous. They’re immensely strong and can be aggressive, especially mother bears protecting their cubs. Secondly, bears are opportunistic eaters. They’re omnivores that will seize any calorie source they can find – be it a patch of ripe berries, roadkill, insects in a log, or, yes, your food pack brimming with snacks. If a bear manages to get to your food, it throws a wrench into your plans. You might have to cut your trip short, carefully ration what little food you have left, try to forage, or find a way to resupply much sooner than planned. This article is all about equipping you with the knowledge and techniques to protect your food from bears, ensuring your trip stays on track.
Protecting your food isn’t just about keeping your hike going and staying fed. It’s also about bear conservation. A bear that becomes a “problem bear” often ends up being a dead bear. Sadly, bears that become too comfortable around humans and aggressively seek human food are often exterminated. Furthermore, when a bear successfully gets food from a camper, it’s more likely to try again with the next person who comes along. So, it’s on all of us to be responsible backcountry users and learn how to effectively implement food bear safety measures, protecting both ourselves and these incredible animals.
Bear in Chandalar region, highlighting the importance of food protection in bear country
Understanding Bears in the Lower 48 States
From my experience and the questions I frequently get during presentations, it’s clear that bears are a major source of worry for many venturing into the wilderness. It’s interesting how some backcountry hikers, who might be unsure about basic navigation or staying warm in harsh conditions, are absolutely convinced a bear is their biggest threat. Bears seem to symbolize the unknown and fear-inducing aspects of the wild. However, it’s important to put things into perspective. Bears aren’t the man-eating monsters often portrayed in media. In the contiguous United States, the chances of a bear encounter are really concentrated in specific regions.
Black bears once roamed across much of North and Central America. Now, in the Lower 48, their habitat is largely confined to less populated, forested areas. You’ll find them in places like the Appalachian Mountains, the Ozarks, the Allegheny Plateau, the northern Great Lakes region, the Rockies, central and northern California, and the Cascade Mountains.
Grizzly bears once had a much wider range, even reaching into California’s Central Valley and Oklahoma. Today, their populations are much more restricted, found in just five main areas:
- Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: This includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and surrounding areas like the Wind River Range and the Absaroka Wilderness.
- Northern Continental Divide: Think Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
- Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.
- Northern Idaho and Northwestern Montana: Areas like the Selkirk Range and Cabinet Mountains.
- North Cascades: Located in north-central Washington state.
When Should You Start Thinking About Bear Food Protection?
The simple answer is: whenever you’re in bear country. But let’s refine that. If you’re aware that the bear population is healthy in the area – perhaps you’ve heard of sightings or seen signs like scat on trails – it’s time to seriously consider food protection. And if you’re in a place known for “problem bears,” taking precautions becomes even more critical. The main exception to this is winter in certain regions, where bears hibernate, making food protection mostly unnecessary.
What exactly is a “problem bear”? It’s a bear that has lost its natural fear of humans and often associates people with food. These bears might scavenge in dumpsters, break into vehicles, raid campsites, and even become confrontational with hikers. This behavior often develops in areas with high human activity and where hunting is restricted, such as national and state parks, and busy sections of popular long trails. When people repeatedly fail to properly store their food, they inadvertently “reward” bears for approaching humans.
Certain locations have gained notoriety for problem bears. Yosemite Valley, the High Sierra, areas jokingly called “Jellystone” National Park, and the Adirondack High Peaks all share common characteristics:
- Healthy, robust bear populations.
- High volumes of human visitors.
- Plenty of readily available human food sources.
- Bear hunting is prohibited.
- Widespread lack of effective food protection by humans.
The good news is that in many of these areas, the situation has improved significantly in recent years. This is largely due to mandatory and enforced effective food storage regulations and increased education about bear safety.
Some sections of the Appalachian Trail in the Southeast, especially in Georgia and the Great Smoky Mountains, have also had a history of bear-related incidents. However, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service have taken proactive steps to reduce these problems by installing bear cables at shelters and chain-link fences around some shelter areas.
Effective Food Protection Techniques: Keeping Bears Away from Your Food
There are numerous methods you can use to safeguard your food from bears, each with varying degrees of effectiveness, safety, cost, availability, and ease of use. The best approach depends on the specific area you’re in. In areas with few or no bear incidents, you might be able to be a bit more relaxed. However, in areas known for frequent bear activity, it’s essential to use the most robust methods.
Bear Avoidance Strategies: The First Line of Defense
Regardless of how confident I am in my food protection method, my primary goal is to prevent bears from entering my campsite in the first place. A close encounter is rarely a good experience, and relying solely on a “failsafe” food storage technique without taking preventative measures is risky. Therefore, whenever I’m in bear country, I consistently practice several bear avoidance techniques:
- Separate Cooking and Camping Areas: I never cook where I sleep. I always cook at least a couple of hundred yards away from my campsite, ideally downwind and in an open area where breezes can disperse food odors. Sometimes, I’ll even stop to cook dinner around 8 PM near a water source and then hike for another hour before setting up camp in a completely different location.
- Minimize Scented Items: I avoid carrying strongly scented foods and other items. This means leaving behind things like fresh meat, bacon, strong deodorants, and heavily scented toothpaste. Bears have an incredible sense of smell, and these items can attract them from long distances.
- Avoid Established Campsites and Popular Trails: Bears are naturally drawn to areas where humans frequent because they learn that these places can be sources of food. Established campsites and areas near popular trails are more likely to have a history of improper food storage by previous campers, which can habituate bears to seeking out these locations.
- Choose Undesignated, Non-Established Campsites: When possible, I opt for campsites that are not officially designated or heavily used. Bears are less likely to stumble upon these less-visited spots during their foraging rounds. If designated campsites are required (like in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks), these sites often have established food storage infrastructure, which is helpful.
- Use Odor-Proof Bags: I always store my food in odor-proof bags, such as OP Sacks from Watchful Eye Designs. These bags significantly reduce food odors, making your food less detectable to bears.
- Burn Trash Regularly: Every few days, I burn my trash, especially any food-related waste like energy bar wrappers with chocolate residue. This helps minimize scents that could attract bears. (Always check local regulations regarding burning trash and practice Leave No Trace principles).
- Hike During Peak Bear Inactivity: Bears are typically most active during dawn and dusk. I try to start hiking early in the morning when bears are less active and set up camp later in the evening, around the time bears are bedding down. This reduces the chances of an encounter in camp.
- Understand Bear Food Sources and Habitats: When possible, I try to travel and camp in areas less likely to attract bears. Knowing what bears are feeding on seasonally can help you avoid those specific habitats and elevations. For example, grizzly bears in Yellowstone emerge from hibernation in spring and descend to lower elevations to prey on elk and bison calves. In summer, they might focus on roots, berries, and insects. In the fall, they often move to sub-alpine forests to feed on pine nuts.
Utilizing Food-Protection Infrastructure in Popular Areas
In high-traffic areas and popular campsites, land management agencies often install infrastructure to assist with food protection. If these options are available, using them is almost always the most convenient and responsible choice.
- Bear Cables: Some Appalachian Trail shelters in Georgia, for instance, have “bear cables.” These systems consist of a thick horizontal cable strung between trees with loops hanging down. You attach your food bag to a loop, hoist it up to the main cable, and secure it with a bear-proof carabiner.
- Bear Poles: Shenandoah National Park features “bear poles.” These are essentially sturdy, freestanding poles cemented into the ground with hooks at the top, like a robust coat rack. You use a long stick or branch to place your food sack on one of the hooks, lifting it out of reach.
- Bear-Proof Food Lockers: In places like Rocky Mountain National Park and the High Sierra, you’ll find bear-proof food lockers in certain backcountry areas. In Rocky Mountain, these are often repurposed old ammunition boxes, while the High Sierra uses custom-made bear lockers. These lockers provide a secure, impenetrable storage option.
The Bear Hang: A Traditional Method
If you’ve ever watched someone attempt to set up a bear hang, you might have witnessed a comedy of errors. It used to be the go-to food protection method, especially in places like the High Sierra. However, because it’s so often done incorrectly, some areas have now banned the practice. When executed correctly, a bear hang can be very effective. The biggest challenge is usually finding the right tree with a suitable branch. Some popular campsites in the northern Rockies have made it easier by stringing a horizontal log between trees, providing a ready-made hanging point. My preferred method is the “PCT Method,” named after the Pacific Crest Trail where it originated. Backpacking Light Magazine offers an excellent guide to this technique in their article, “Bear Bag Hanging Techniques.”
Bear Canisters: The Gold Standard for Food Bear Protection
Bear canisters are rigid containers, typically made of plastic or carbon fiber, with a secure, bear-resistant lid. Their design – shape, hardness, and the lid mechanism requiring opposable digits to open – makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for bears to access the contents (primarily food and scented items). Land managers in the High Sierra, Adirondacks, and Olympic National Park mandate canister use in certain areas and seasons. The smallest canisters are roughly the size of a large paper towel roll, while larger models are bigger in both diameter and height. Weight ranges from about 2 lbs for lighter models to 4 lbs for heavier ones, and costs vary from around $75 to $275 depending on size, material, and manufacturer.
My personal view on canisters is mixed. They are undeniably effective, but they are also heavy, an added expense, and can be awkward to pack. Their cylindrical shape doesn’t always fit well in smaller backpacks, and their hard edges can cause discomfort if not properly padded. Realistically, if everyone consistently practiced the “bear avoidance” techniques and mastered the PCT Bear Hang, canisters might be less necessary. However, regulations are often designed for the least experienced or least careful users, making canisters a reliable solution when required.
Using Rocks for Food Protection: Proceed with Caution
In rocky terrain, you might consider using natural rock formations for food protection. Sometimes, you can find a nook or cranny in a rock face to tuck your food into, out of a bear’s immediate reach. You might also be able to scramble up a rock face and place food on a ledge. However, be very aware of a bear’s climbing ability! Simply covering your food with rocks is completely ineffective. If you can move the rocks, a bear certainly can too. This method is generally not recommended as a primary food protection strategy, and should only be considered in very specific, low-risk situations as a temporary measure.
Sleeping with Your Food: A Last Resort, High-Risk Strategy
In areas with a very low history of bear incidents, or in situations where no other food protection method is practical (e.g., treeless alpine zones), some people resort to sleeping with their food. In essence, this is a gamble. It’s communicating to a bear, “This is my food, and you’ll have to confront me to get it.” While you obviously stand no chance in a direct fight with a bear, the idea is that the bear might perceive you as enough of an obstacle and decide to look for easier food elsewhere. This is a high-risk approach and should only be considered as a last resort when all other options are truly unavailable and the bear risk is assessed as extremely low. It’s far better to prioritize proper food bear safety using proven methods.
Disclaimer: Ultimately, you are responsible for making your own decisions about how to protect your food in bear country. You are fully accountable for the outcomes of those decisions. This article is intended to provide information and realistic advice, aiming to clarify some of the common misconceptions and conventional wisdom surrounding this important issue. It’s crucial to follow the guidelines and advice provided by land management agencies. If, after becoming well-informed and experienced, you choose to deviate from those guidelines, that decision is your responsibility.
