It’s everyone’s biggest fear in camping. You’re sitting in your campsite quietly reading a book or something when all of a sudden you see two bear eyes peering at you through the trees. As everyone knows, bears are big and strong creatures who can be dangerous if they feel threatened. So what should you do if this happens to you? Being prepared beforehand is the best thing you can do for yourself. Keep reading to learn about seven things you can do to keep bears out of your campsite.
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Be A Little Noisy
Bears are most likely not going to come barging into your area if they know there’s someone there waiting for them, so talk with each other and make some noise! If they hear people talking, laughing, and screaming, they’re more than likely going to avoid the site altogether or move slowly when they get close. You don’t want it to be too noisy where they think that people are having a party nearby, though, because that would probably attract unwanted guests as well. It’s best to stick talking loudly at average levels so that you can hear each other talk.
Properly Store Food
You should have garbage bags and bear-safe containers set up near your campsite with all of the food that you plan on cooking, eating, or saving in them. This is essential for keeping bears away. The idea behind this is that if they don’t smell any food coming from your campsite, they’re less likely to come around looking for it! There are two different types of bear-safe containers out there. There are hard plastic ones like the Garcia Backpackers’ Cache Bear Resistant Container and soft fabric ones like the Ursack Major Bag, which has an aluminum lining to ensure no animals can bite through it.
Keep Your Campsite Clean
Keep your campsite clean, to begin with, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. You can do a few different things to ensure your campsite is free of food scraps and other stuff that might attract bears. First of all, if you have any excess garbage from when you pack up camp or even during the trip, take care of it right away! Not only should you be taking it out at night when you go to sleep, but also take it with you when you leave in the morning. In addition to this, don’t burn paper products because they could smell like food and attract more animals than just bears. Lastly, wash yourself and anything else that has been in contact with food before going into your tent.
Bear Spray Is Your Best Friend
Bears are large, strong animals who can be unpredictable when they’re around. But if there’s one thing you should know about them, it’s that most bears are afraid of humans! One of the best ways to scare away a bear is using bear spray. Bear spray is very effective because even just its sound will let any animal know that you’re more than capable of defending yourself and that they shouldn’t mess with you. You want to make sure that you have this on hand at all times while camping in areas where bears might be common.
Use Some Bleach
If you want to ensure that there’s no scent of food or people left behind, all you need is some bleach and water! It’s pretty easy to clean up the area around your site with a quick mix of these two ingredients. Just put them together inside a spray bottle full of water and shake it well before using it to scrub down the ground beneath your feet too. Let it dry so that nothing gets tracked away from the campsite.
Never Cook When It’s Dark Outside
If you’re cooking food, make sure that the sun is still up. This will avoid an unnecessary bear encounter because they’ll never appear in a place where there’s a lot of light. If possible, stick to eating snacks until morning comes around!
Conclusion
Bears can be a problem if they get too close to your campsite, but you don’t have to worry as long as you know what to do. Make sure that nobody is bringing food with them, and everyone knows how to properly store it in bags and containers before going anywhere. Try not to leave any garbage lying around on the ground or forgotten about in bags because this could attract bears. Wash all of your dishes well before packing them away just in case, try not to use oil when cooking, and always bring bear spray along for the trip! With all these tips in mind, your next camping trip should be bear-free!
