Things You'll Need:
- Bear canisters, which come in multiple sizes
- Bear bags to hang from a tree
- Bear lockers, which may be available at good campgrounds
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Step 1
Keep your campsite clean and your clothes and supplies free of food smells. Bears are most attracted to the smell of food, so dispose of food and store it and your cooking supplies in bear-safe containers or lockers. Store the clothes you wear while cooking food with the food protected from bears.
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Step 2
Store food and garbage by suspending it from a tree if you don't have bear containers or lockers at your campsite. If you hang food from a tree, it should still be put in a bear bag, and hung at least 10 feet off the ground and four feet away from the tree trunk. Many large or enterprising bears will still be able to get to food hung from a tree, so don't rely on this method.
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Step 3
Pitch your tent at a distance from your cooking area and the place where you keep your bear-safe containers. Just in case bears are attracted to your site, you want to be out of the way for safety.
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Step 4
Store toiletries with your food and garbage. Bears may also be attracted by the smell of toothpaste, soap or deodorant.
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Step 5
Avoid bear encounters when hiking where hearing or visibility is limited by talking or singing to make bears aware of your presence.
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Step 6
Keep kids and pets in sight at all times. If you bring a dog, keep it on a leash when hiking.
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Step 7
Retreat from an encounter with a bear by stopping, slowly backing away, avoiding eye contact with the bear and making an effort not to startle the bear. Use special caution if you spot a mother with cubs or cubs that are alone, because the mother is probably nearby and will become very nervous if she perceives a threat to her offspring.
