Bears don’t typically bother humans. They do however love food campers carelessly leave sitting out in the woods. There are a few rules of thumb to follow in order to keep your camping trip bear-free this fall.
Bears can smell food for up to 20 miles away, so masking the odor of your food is the challenge. With an official bear canister, not only can you store food in a secure canister to prevent attracting animals of all kinds, the odor of your food is covered. Typically made of plastic or metal, these canisters keep your food dry, fresh and you and your fellow campers safe.
An additional measure for protecting your food while camping is bear roping, placing your canister in sack tied to a rope and hoisting up a tree or a cliff. This will not only prevent bears from getting to it when you’re off on a hike or attracting them to your campsite when you’re sleeping, it will also keep away rodents and bugs. Making sure your food is at least 15 feet off the ground is your best bet.
Also when scouting your campsite, survey the area first to see if there are any signs of bears. These may include large paw prints or bear droppings. You want to avoid setting up camp right in the middle of a bear trail or near a bear den.
Being a pragmatic as possible in deterring bear presence is always your best bet. Even if you don’t detect any bear presence, you can always prevent them from making an appearance with a lot of noise. Music, a radio and talking and making bears aware of your presence scare them away. Bears are not looking to interact with humans so any noises they are unfamiliar with will confuse and deter them from visiting your campsite.