Bear proofing is an all-encompassing term that covers ways of protecting yourself and your food from both bears and the many other critters commonly found in the great outdoors. However, the most important aspect of bear proofing is gaining an understanding and respect for our larger mammalian brethren.
It is important to understand that although it is very inconvenient to have your food or pack decimated by a hungry bear, it is even more unfortunate for the bear that has become used to human presence and must be killed. Bear proofing is a fairly easy task that simply requires an awareness of how bears behave in order to maintain a healthy separation.
By having a solid bear education, being well equipped for camp and the trail, and through keeping proper expedition hygiene, we can feel safe in bear country and help prevent common bear-related tragedies to both humans and bears.
The old standard for bear proofing in camp is to hang packs from a limb or provided pole. This method works very well if the packs are hung high enough (at least 10 feet), and far enough from branches and the tree trunk (at least 6 feet). Hanging your pack is a great option if you know there will be trees that fulfill these requirements. All you would need to bring is two extra pieces of rope- this saves space and weight! But the technique of the park hang should be practiced and can be a bit of a workout depending on how much food and gear you have. It is also important to note that this method may not work against other critters such as mice, raccoons, etc.
For those traveling in backcountry settings where pack hangs are either impossible or ineffective, a scent-proof canister is the solution and is many times the required mode of food storage. Canisters run between six and twelve liters in volume. A good packing estimate is to assume one liter of space provides enough storage for one person per day. So a ten liter canister would typically be enough for two people on a five-day trip.
Canisters create a bear-proof seal to keep your food safe and minimize scents from wafting out and attracting bears. While they can be challenging to pack, many times canisters are the only option for keeping you and your food safe.
