Bear-Proof Your Camp

The Right Gear to Bear-Proof Your Camp. The sun was setting over the Idaho mountains, the ham and spuds were warming up, and the whisky was on the rocks. Then two black round ears appeared over the Coleman stove. It turned into a very short camping trip. Here’s a sample: Stringing your food from a tree branch is the tried-and-true method of securing your groceries. This method is cheap and light and provides hours of entertainment as you seek a suitable tree and attempt to lob the rope over the limb without entanglement. BUY IT NOW Bear-resistant panniers and coolers Your run-of-the-mill cooler is no match for Yogi and Boo-Boo. You can visit the website of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and download the list of government-approved, grizzly-tested grub boxes. Military grade zip-top bags keep the scent in. It worked like a charm on a recent float trip, when an unexpected portage forced us to camp on a small bench that had no large trees.
bear proof camp
A smoking hot grizzly track.

The sun was setting over the Idaho mountains, the ham and spuds were warming up, and the whisky was on the rocks. Then two black round ears appeared over the Coleman stove.

In 20 minutes of mayhem, the bear licked the frypan clean and emptied the grub box. Clanging pots and pans, barking dog, pistol shots, and hurled axes and shovels did nothing to deter the feast. What wasn’t eaten was covered in bear slobber. It turned into a very short camping trip.

Since then, I’ve had everything from mice to moose explore my camps, looking for an easy meal. I’m dead set against giving them one. The good news is, there are more tools than ever for protecting your food in the backcountry. Here’s a sample:

paracord
Paracord is a must-have in bear country.

Stringing your food from a tree branch is the tried-and-true method of securing your groceries. The goal is to dangle your grub 10 feet above the ground (the height of a…

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