Food Storage in bear country.

[flyfisher117]

Sorry if this is the wrong Sub forum. Wasnt sure if here or the kitchen area was more proper. Also tried using the search function but was coming up empty.

For those of you who are in bear country, how do you store your food? I am in SE Idaho so a lot of the areas where I like going most more than likely contain grizzly bears. If no grizzlies then black bears for sure. I have a few trips planned for the summer that will be taking me into areas of Montana with the highest concentration of Grizzly in the lower 48. My goal is to find camp sites semi close to other people but that may not always be an option.

Do you just store food in a Yeti style cooler? Are there portable bear boxes one can buy? I wasnt really sure how I could hang a cooler from a tree to keep bears out. I didnt really want to leave it in the bed of my pickup under the RTT.

 

[Crispy]

Sorry if this is the wrong Sub forum. Wasnt sure if here or the kitchen area was more proper. Also tried using the search function but was coming up empty.

For those of you who are in bear country, how do you store your food? I am in SE Idaho so a lot of the areas where I like going most more than likely contain grizzly bears. If no grizzlies then black bears for sure. I have a few trips planned for the summer that will be taking me into areas of Montana with the highest concentration of Grizzly in the lower 48. My goal is to find camp sites semi close to other people but that may not always be an option.

Do you just store food in a Yeti style cooler? Are there portable bear boxes one can buy? I wasnt really sure how I could hang a cooler from a tree to keep bears out. I didnt really want to leave it in the bed of my pickup under the RTT.

You get a bear proof cooler and keep it away from where you camp. You also cook away from camp and keep all your smellables in a bear canister. Even if there's toothpaste in your car a bear will try to get it. The coolers that are bear proof provide a corner to pad lock it. That's how they don't get in. You don't hang a cooler. They will become uninterested when they discover they can't open it.

 

[Road]

Sorry if this is the wrong Sub forum. Wasnt sure if here or the kitchen area was more proper. Also tried using the search function but was coming up empty.

For those of you who are in bear country, how do you store your food? I am in SE Idaho so a lot of the areas where I like going most more than likely contain grizzly bears. If no grizzlies then black bears for sure. I have a few trips planned for the summer that will be taking me into areas of Montana with the highest concentration of Grizzly in the lower 48. My goal is to find camp sites semi close to other people but that may not always be an option.

Do you just store food in a Yeti style cooler? Are there portable bear boxes one can buy? I wasnt really sure how I could hang a cooler from a tree to keep bears out. I didnt really want to leave it in the bed of my pickup under the RTT.

There are bear resistant cases, too, though a lot of people don't like the expense. I have three Zarges K470 cases that are certified bear resistant by The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, a real testing committee (see vid below). I left my cases out in camp in Black Bear country and the rangers didn't bother me, when they fined others around me for leaving a cooler out.

That said, heed the advice given above in @NorCalCrisp's post. Lock food in your cab, too, not just place it under the tent in the bed of the truck.

I know one through hiker on the AT who made dinner, was very through about cleaning up, though had absentmindedly wiped his hands on his trousers after handling sausage or something, and had a black bear nose his whole head into his tiny backpacking style tent in the middle of the night.

Not sure about Brown or Grizzly bears, but Black Bears have lousy eyesight, so don't often come out at night unless it's near full moon and clear.

A lot of it is just using common sense. Read up a bit about it online, especially hiker's experience in Grizzly country; they'll have more tips for you, too.

 

[flyfisher117]

You get a bear proof cooler and keep it away from where you camp. You also cook away from camp and keep all your smellables in a bear canister. Even if there's toothpaste in your car a bear will try to get it. The coolers that are bear proof provide a corner to pad lock it. That's how they don't get in. You don't hang a cooler. They will become uninterested when they discover they can't open it.

How far away do you keep the cooler?

 

[Crispy]

How far away do you keep the cooler?

It depends on how close you want visitors. We keep our cooler near where we cook and sleep 30-50 yards away from there.

 

[flyfisher117]

It depends on how close you want visitors. We keep our cooler near where we cook and sleep 30-50 yards away from there.

Preferably no visitors.. ha..

The girlfriend and her weeny dog are weenies and even a coyote howling terrifies them enough. Kind of the reason we went to a RTT was to get her off the ground so she feels better.