by Brian Simkins
Every camping trip requires basic preparation. A camping trip that is going to lead you into bear country require additional preparation that goes above and beyond what you might normally think about. If you are planning a trip into bear country for the first time, then you need to seriously consider some of the following preventative measures to ensure the safety of you and everyone in your party. Statistically, bears pose a minimal risk to campers, but the threat is always real and is one that you should take seriously.
Before we begin, it is important to have an accurate understanding of the risks involved. Venturing into bear country does not mean that you are headed out to face inevitable death. There is no reason to walk around scared out of your wits, it just means that you need to pay attention and to have a plan of action in place should you happen upon a bear. Knowing what to do before hand will be your best defense, as panic and adrenaline usually do not lead people to make good decisions at the spur of the moment.
Food Storage
The most important thing that you need to think about is food storage. What you do with your food at night will be your best defense against waking up with a bear rummaging through your tent. Since there are a wide range of camping scenarios, there are several different measure that you need to be ready to take.
The first scenario involves you camping at an established campground. Most, if not all, campground in bear country provide bear boxes. These steel boxes are located a good distance from where you pitch your tents and are equipped with a latch that the bears cannot open. It is important to remember that a bears main tool for finding food is its sense of smell. It is vitally important that all of you food goes in this box every night. Don’t take a candy bar to bed with you just in case you wake up with a midnight case of the munchies. As long as the food is in the box you should be safe. You may wake up with quite an adrenaline rush when you hear the bear trying to get into the box in the middle of the night, but you can breath easy knowing that his attention will stay focused on that box. After awhile, he will frustrated and move on. Remember, bears are scavengers and don’t want to have to work too hard for their meals.
The next scenario involves remote back country camping. You may have backpacked into a remote location and there are no bear boxes available. In this instance, you need to make sure that you take a good sized length of rope and an extra duffle bag with you. Before you retire for the night, put all of your food into the duffle bag and then suspend it from a tree branch. Make sure that is at least 12 to 15 feet off the ground, as bears have a surprisingly high reach when they stand on their hind legs. Unless you want a bear wandering through this middle of your camp, it is also recommended that you suspend the bag 100 yards or so away from the camp. Once the bear realizes that there is no way he can get at the food, then he will wander away to look for another easy meal.
Protection
These above tips are helpful ways to keep bears from ransacking your camp, but what should you do if you happen upon one while hiking? Run? Play dead? Attack? Your best defense is to avoid surprising the bear. Remember, they don’t typically view humans as a food source so they’re not going to be out looking for you. People get into trouble when they surprise bears and the animals feel threatened. That is usually what causes them to attack. When you surprise them, you trigger a defense mechanism.
Some hikers like to wear a small bell pinned to their shirt when hiking through bear country. That way the bear, who has a very good sense of hearing, can be alerted to your presence before you ever walk around a rock and catch them off guard. Chances are the bear will simply amble off in the other direction if he hears you coming. You might not ever even know that he was there. Some people just stop and whistle a few times before walking around a blind bend. This serves the same purpose. Remember, the best defense against a bear attack is to avoid the confrontation all together.
If you should find yourself in a sticky situation and you have surprised a bear then all is not lost. Some hikers carry bear spray. It is similar to the pepper spray carried by police officers and, while it does not permanent damage to the bear, it can be debilitating. This should only be used as a last resort, as the bear has to be in fairly close proximity to you anyway. If it doesn’t look like the bear is going to attack, but is instead looking for a way to escape, then slowly back away. Don’t turn your back on him, just slowly walk backwards and give him space. Once you have moved away a bit, he will take off in the other direction. The only time the bear spray should be used is if the bear is engaging you. If you use it prematurely, you may actually provoke an attack. If the bear was looking for a way to escape but you act aggressively with the spray, he may change his mind about getting away because he feels that his life is in danger. In this case, he will attack.
As stated above, the statistical probability of getting attacked by a bear while camping is remarkably low. The best thing that you can do is educate yourself about bear behaviors and be prepared. As long as you have a pre-determined plan of action, you should be able to walk away from a bear encounter unscathed.
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