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Sighting a bear at a distance from the relative safety of your car adds an exciting element to your camping trip. Sighting a bear in your campsite can result in injury, or on rare occasions, death. The key to bear safety when camping is to avoid attracting bears to your campsite.
When checking into a campground or entering a state or national park, campers should check with the campground host or park authorities to determine whether bears have been sighted in the area. Campgrounds and parks may have specific regulations as to food storage and bear safety. Food preparation may be limited to certain areas of the park or campground. It is important to know and comply with the applicable rules.
Bears are attracted to campsites by food and food odors. When campers first arrive at their campsite they should examine the area for signs a bear has been in the area recently. If fresh bear scat is present, campers should move to another campsite. Bear tracks and scattered garbage are also signs a bear has been present. Bears will tend to return to a location where food has previously been found.
The campsite should also be inspected for evidence of food left behind by prior campers. Waste paper should be burned. Food and garbage left behind should be removed from the campsite to an appropriate trash receptacle. Most campgrounds located in areas frequented by bears will have bear proof trash receptacles. In backcountry areas where no safe method of disposal is available, the garbage should be treated as food, stored in an airtight or bear proof container, and hung from a tree.
Food should never be stored in a tent. National parks and other camping areas frequented by bears often make available bear proof canisters in which to store food. These containers are also available in many stores that sell camping supplies. Some campgrounds may have bear proof lockers in which campers may store food.
If bear proof canisters are not available, food should be stored in the trunk of the car. When camping without a car, the food may be stored in sealed plastic or nylon bags, which are then suspended from trees. Ideally, the bag should be suspended from a line hung between two trees. The bag should be hung a minimum of ten feet above the ground, and ten feet from either tree. If only one tree is available, the bag should be hung ten feet from the ground and ten feet from the tree trunk. The area where the food is stored should be at least 100 yards from the campsite.
Bears have a different concept than humans as to what constitutes food. Toothpaste, deodorant and other scented hygiene products may attract bears, and should be treated as food for storage purposes. Pet food may also attract bears, and should not be left unattended.
Food should not be cooked near the tent. Eating in the tent should also be avoided. The cooking area should be located downwind of the tent. Camping food should be selected to minimize odors. Smelly foods and food that generates a lot of grease should be avoided. After cooking and eating, garbage should be burned. Non-burnable garbage and leftovers should be treated as food and stored safely. Food scraps should not be burned or buried.
All cooking equipment and eating utensils should be cleaned after use. The water used to wash these items should be dumped away from the campsite. Equipment and utensils should not be left out, but should be stored in airtight storage containers. They should not be stored in the tent.
Campers should not sleep in the clothes they wore when cooking. These clothes may contain food odors that could attract bears during the night. The clothing should be placed in a plastic bag or airtight container and hung from a tree.
In areas without sanitary facilities, human waste should be buried six to eight inches below the ground, and a minimum of 100 feet from a watercourse. Dirty diapers should be sealed in a plastic bag and disposed of in a bear proof trash receptacle or hung from a tree as described above.
Bear sprays are available, but spraying these repellants around the campsite is discouraged by some parks. These areas cite studies that found such sprays actually attract bears. If a bear has approached, repellant sprays containing hot pepper juice (capsaicin) have been found effective. They reportedly will not harm or antagonize the bear. Care must be exercised in using such repellants as misuse can result in harm to the user.
If a bear does enter the campsite, campers should make loud noises to scare the bear away. Rocks or sticks thrown in the direction of the bear may frighten it away. Under no circumstances should the bear be approached or fed. The bear may make aggressive noises or stand on it hind legs if it feels the camper is too close. A distance of at least fifteen feet should be maintained. If there is a car readily accessible, the camper should get in the car and blow the horn. If the bear charges, the camper should roll into a ball and play dead. Efforts should be made to cover the head, face and other vital areas.
Hikers in areas that are known to have bears should maintain a steady stream of conversation when hiking. The noise will alert bears to human presence. This is particularly important when hiking in areas where visibility is obscured by the landscape. In most instances bears will avoid rather than approach humans. Some parks with known bear populations sell bear bells, which may be attached to backpacks or clothes. The noise from the bells alerts bears to approaching humans.
If a bear is encountered when hiking the camper should stand still, and then slowly retreat. The bears should not be yelled at. Any communication should be in a calming voice. If the bear charges, the hiker should form a ball, protecting important areas of the body to the extent possible.
With a little planning, common sense and adherence to park or campground rules, camping can be enjoyable and safe even where bears abound.
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