Don’t forget: You’re crashing their party.
Bears and other wild fuzzies are smart . . . and they know a great opportunity when they see one. After all, if you had to choose between stalking prey and foraging through miles of wilderness or picking through the larder of a few dumb campers, which would you choose? Cut down on temptation. Contain the smells from your cookfire and campsite, and always follow campground regulations regarding lockers and bear boxes.
1. Make sure the lids of your coolers are tightly fastened (wrap your coolers with bungee cord, if you want to be certain), and put anything that smells good-even toothpaste-in your car.
2. Follow your campground’s instructions on storing garbage. If it can’t be kept in your car (or if you’ve left your car behind), you’ll have to secure a laundry line or sturdy cord to a tree limb, and suspend the bag about 6 to 8 feet (1.8-2.4 m) off the ground (make sure the top of the garbage bag is tightly sealed and that the bag itself is heavy-duty enough to rebuff sharp beaks and claws). This setup should be at least 20 feet (6 m) upwind of your campfire and your tent.
3. Deterring bears is quite a bit harder. Many campgrounds offer rentable storage lockers-heavy, bearproof boxes-for food and garbage. Situate the box far from your campsite (at least 20 feet [6 m] upwind); fill the box in the evening, and lock it. Place it on even ground so the bear can’t roll it away, and far enough from tree trunks that he can’t prop it up to try to smash it.
