Bear Safety That Actually Works in Camp

Bear safety is mostly boring discipline, not drama. The bears that get into trouble are drawn in by one thing: your food, left where they can reach it.

Keep the camp clean and the bear away.

• Cook and eat at least a hundred feet from your tent
• Store all food and scented items in a canister or hang
• Never keep snacks or toothpaste in the sleeping area
• Pack out every wrapper, even the tiny corners

A clean camp is a bear-free camp. The animal is not looking for you, it is looking for an easy meal, so do not leave one lying around.

Do a final sweep of the site before bed. The wrapper you missed at dusk is the one a bear finds at midnight, so make the loop count.