Ensuring safe food storage while camping and backpacking is crucial for both your well-being and the protection of wildlife. By adhering to proper food storage practices, you not only safeguard your food supply from hungry animals like bears but also contribute to preserving the natural diets and behaviors of the creatures that call the wilderness home. This guide provides essential tips on How To Store Food While Camping, keeping critters, bears, and other animals away from your food stash.
Why is Proper Food Storage Important for Campers and Wildlife?
When wildlife consumes human food, it disrupts their natural dietary habits. Overconsumption of “people food” can lead to dependence on humans, especially in bears. This dependence often results in unsafe encounters for campers as animals forage for food at campsites and other locations. Animals that attempt to break into tents, vehicles, or other areas may even face euthanasia if they become a nuisance. Therefore, responsible food storage protects both campers and wildlife.
Camping Food Storage 101: The Basics
Whether you are at an established campground, a backcountry campsite, or elsewhere, these fundamental guidelines should always be followed:
- Always Consider Food Storage: Even in areas without large wildlife like bears, you must be mindful of how you store your food.
- Scent Awareness: If an item has a scent, animals may perceive it as food. This includes items like deodorant and toothpaste, which can attract unwanted attention from wildlife.
- Keep Food Separate from Sleeping Areas: Be cautious about what you store inside your tent. Never keep food, trash, or scented hygiene products inside your tent.
- Avoid Leaving Food Unattended: Squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and other critters will quickly seize any opportunity to snatch unattended snacks.
Storing Food at a Campground: Best Practices
When camping at a designated campground, follow these guidelines for safe food storage:
- Use Hard-Sided Containers: Secure your food in hard-sided containers, such as coolers, vehicles, campers, or bear boxes. Grocery bags, stuff sacks, and other soft containers are easily accessible to both large and small critters. Specific storage options are detailed below.
- Avoid Leaving Food Unattended: Even a brief trip to the restroom is an open invitation to wildlife.
- Nighttime Storage: At night, all food should be stored inside your vehicle or a bear box (if available).
- Alternative Storage Options: If a vehicle or bear box is unavailable, you can hang your food in a bag or use a bear canister/bear bag. Instructions on how to do this are provided below.
How to Safely Store Your Food on a Backpacking Trip
In the backcountry, food storage during a backpacking trip can be accomplished in several ways. Be sure to adhere to any specific rules or regulations, such as those detailed below, in the area where you will be camping or backpacking.
- Hard-Sided Bear Canister: While carrying a hard-sided container may seem inconvenient, it is preferable to losing your food to critters or, worse, attracting potentially dangerous wildlife.
- Scent-Proof, Bear-Proof Bag (Properly Hung): A scent-proof, bear-proof bag that is properly hung is an effective alternative.
Photo: BearVault. This image illustrates a bear canister used for secure food storage while backpacking.
Types of Camping & Backpacking Food Storage Containers
- Coolers: Coolers are excellent for maintaining cold temperatures and protecting food and other items from wildlife. Some coolers are even certified bear-resistant. Look for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee IGBC Certified Bear-Resistant logo.
- Bear Canisters: Hard-sided bear canisters are designed to prevent wildlife from accessing your food. They are smaller and better suited for backpacking. Some parks and areas require these, and ranger stations may rent them for a nominal fee when you obtain your camping permit.
- Bear Bags: Specialized bags are available that are both puncture-proof and designed to contain odors, deterring both bears and other creatures. These are excellent options for backpackers, although hanging them is still recommended in bear country.
- Hard-Sided Bins: For car campers, hard-sided bins are a valuable addition to your camping setup for organization and food safety. While not bearproof, they effectively keep out smaller animals like mice and birds. These containers should be stored inside vehicles or campground bear boxes to protect them from larger animals.
Olympic National Park in Washington State provides a list of approved bear containers, which can serve as a useful reference point, although approved containers may vary by region.
Approved Bear Canisters:
(List of approved bear canisters would go here)
Approved Backpacks
- Wise Backpack by Craftsman Tech Composites (hard-sided backpack)
Approved Panniers
- DeCarteret Aluminum Stock Panniers
- Berner Bear Box 303/343-1998
- Bear Aware Panniers
- Bear Country Camping Models SFO and HFO
- Outfitters Supply TrailMax Bear Proof Pack Panniers
Note: Ursacks are not permitted for use in Olympic National Park as a bear canister replacement, even though some models were approved for Grizzly Bears by the IGBC. They are, however, a useful addition to standard food hanging practices.
Expert Camping Food Advice
- “Here at Grand Canyon National Park, we are fortunate that the most heavily visited campgrounds provide food storage boxes to keep our food in while camping. But I still like to utilize my Ursack Minor critter-resistant bag to keep my salty snacks safe, especially out in the backcountry where storage boxes are non-existent. I always suggest putting anything ‘smelly’ in a Ziploc bag to keep those smells locked in and make your gear less tempting to local critters.” – Haley Johnson, Grand Canyon Conservancy Field Institute Instructor
- “In addition to storing your food in the manner required by the land management agency, I also recommend using odor-proof bags. I use the Smelly Proof brand. These cut down on odors, thereby reducing attractants to your campsite in the first place.” – Heather Anderson, Author, Thru-Hiker, Speaker, and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year
- “For overnight trips in the backcountry, I store my food in an Ursack bear bag and stash it at least 200 feet away from camp. In forested sites, I attach it to a tree; in alpine settings, I store it under a pile of rocks. It is a great lightweight option to keep critters and bears out of your food!” – Caitlin Quirk, Outdoor Instructor at The Mountaineers
How to Hang a Bear Bag
A bear hang or bear bag is a proven method for keeping your food and other scented items out of harm’s way.
The illustration below from The Ultimate Hang provides excellent guidelines.
Illustration: The Ultimate Hang. This image illustrates the proper technique for hanging a bear bag to protect food from wildlife while camping.
Following Rules & Regulations for Camping Food Storage
Certain wilderness areas have specific rules and regulations, such as requiring hard-sided containers. Always verify the regulations for the specific area where you will be camping or backpacking. If you are unsure of the rules, contact a ranger for assistance.
For instance, Rocky Mountain National Park has varying rule sets depending on the camping location. Similarly, Olympic National Park mandates that “All food, trash, toiletries, and scented items such as: toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, chapstick, etc. must be stored either: In bear canisters, on park bear wires, where provided, or 12 feet high and 10 feet out from the nearest tree trunk, where allowed.”
Conclusion
Proper food storage is essential for three main reasons: protecting yourself from wildlife, protecting wildlife from human impact, and protecting your snacks and meals from being consumed by animals. Determining the necessary precautions depends on the type of camping and the location. By implementing the strategies outlined here, you will be well-prepared to meet the challenge of safe food storage while camping.
