Camp protocol | Bear Canisters | Hanging food

Bears with a powerful sense of smell (100 times stronger than a dog's), have become some of the cagiest, most determined creatures on earth when it comes to snitching food from humans.

In Yosemite National Park, California, black bears have been going to new lengths to get at human food, knocking out car windows, ripping through back seats to get at edibles locked in trunks. In 1997 park bears caused an estimated half a million dollars in damage. Even the old trick of hanging food in trees is no longer surefire; some Yosemite bears have figured out how to chew the rope or bite off the supporting branch to release the food bags.
Yosemite bears can recognize food storage containers and gum wrappers and will go after them even if there is no odor.

Camp Protocol

• Camp away from berry patches,spawning streams,and other bear foods;
• Set tents 200-300 feet away (upwind) from food storage area and cooking area;
• Hang food at least 10 feet above ground and 6 feet from vertical structures or use bear-resistant food storage tubes/boxes;
• Hang all odorous items, food, garbage, toothpaste, lotion, etc.;
  And keep them in sealable bags, bears can smell things two miles away.
• If hunting, hang carcass at least 25 feet off the ground and remove gut piles promptly;
• Wash hands and change clothes after cooking. Don't sleep in cooking clothes and don't bring any food or odorous items into tent;
• Throw wastewater at least 100 yards from campsite and never bury garbage;
• Have bear pepper spray and flashlight with you in tent.

• Some recommend double bagging food (zip lock bags inside a garbage bag).
• Hang it before dark. It is difficult to hang after dark.
• You will need 100 feet or so of nylon cord. It should be of close-line thickness. Parachute cord (1/8" - 5/32" (4 mm) in Diameter; 550 lb test) will do.
• The branch should be live and a least 4 inches in diameter.
• Some recommend a pulley system, because friction with the tree branch can make it difficult to pull a heavy bag up. I use a carabiner with a roller (DMM revolver)

Canisters
Because bears have figured out how to get at hanging bags and due to improper hanging technique or failure to hang food due to lack of adequate tree options, many areas are requiring bear canisters.
They weigh 2-2.5 pounds.

• Be sure to keep it closed and locked, even while you're around your campsite.
• Place the container on the ground in a flat, level area 100 feet or more from your campsite.
• Take care not to place it near a cliff or any water source, as a bear may knock the container around or roll it down a hill.
• Do not hang or attach anything to the container (ropes attached to the container enable a bear to carry it away).
• You can place pots and pans on top of the container as a bear alarm if you like.
• The best way to carry a bear-resistant container is inside your pack. Think of it as a big stuff sack.

Bears & Food Storage While Backpacking - Yosemite National Park
Bear Canister Basics | REI

Links:
Outdoor Action Guide to Bear Proofing your Campsite, excerpted from The Backpacker's Field Manual, by Rick Curtis.
How to Make Your Food Bear Safe when Camping: 5 Steps - wikiHow
Bear Bagging Instructions and Diagram | BackCountryAttitude.com
How to hang a Bear Bag for hiking and camping | Gear Reports
Protecting bears from our food | Sierra Club Knapsack committee The Wilderness Classroom - How to protect your food from bears while camping
Hiking and Camping Safely in Bear Country - Trailspace.com
Safety First! How to take precautions in Bear Country | www.sierraclub.org/grizzly
Securing Food, Garbage and Gear | www.bearsmart.com
Bear Canister Basics