Hiking

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. . . Or Maybe FOR The Bears & Other Critters

Hiking through bear country is a fantastic way to spend a few hours or days, but unless you want some uninvited guests to dinner (and trust me, you really don’t) then there are a few procedures which you must follow.

Protecting hikers food isn’t just about making sure that the hiking party can enjoy a good hearty breakfast before heading out on the trail, it’s really about protecting the bears and any other critters from the curse of human food. Bears are smart, the smell of food gives them plenty of motivation and they can be relentless in their pursuit of a free lunch.  Once a bear has had the taste of human food they want more of it . . . and are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get it, so it’s really up to hikers, backpackers and even drivers to ensure that they don’t leave temptation in the way of the wild creatures . . . what is it they say? “A fed bear is a dead bear” . . . it often happens that hungry bears become aggressive when they can’t get their daily ration of peatnut butter sandwiches, and then they have to be “dealt with” by the Rangers. The kindest method of dealing with bears is for hikers and other intruders into their territory not to allow them to get into that situation in the first place . . . we can all live together in harmony with just a little forethought, experience and following the right procedures.

Smarter Than The Average Bear Boo Boo

Yogi Bear might be “smarter than the average bear” and head straight for the pick-a-nick basket, but other smart bears really do go to extraordinary lengths to try get a taste of human food. Their repertoire is actually quite impressive . . . and surprising to say the least;

• Bears will break the windows to get into locked cars if they can see a food cooler . . . many bears now associate food coolers with food, they’ve seen it all before and they have very good memories, so don’t leave food coolers where they can be seen by nosey bears.

Just checkin’ it out! Why go to all of the trouble of breaking windows, first try the truck door handle, and if the keys are there you’ve really hit the jackpot, straight outta’ there . . .

•  Bears will break through the rear window of a car and claw the back seat away to get to food stashed in the trunk . . . even if they can’t see the food they can still smell it (their noses are one hundred times more powerful than a dog – which reminds me, “my dog has no nose” . . . “how does he smell?” . . . .”awful”). Ha ha, got you there. Anyway, to stop the back seat of your car being turned into cushion stuffing never leave food in the trunk of your car, store it in a bear box if at all possible.
• Crafty bears will send their cubs up trees to try and dislodge food bags which have been counter-balanced (one way which hikers have traditionally used to keep their food out of the reach of hungry bears). The practice of counter balancing food bags on tree branches is still widely used, but the word on the street (surely it should be “the word on the trail” – yes, that’s better), the word on the trail is that if you haven’t had your counter balanced food stolen by a bear it’s more down to good luck than to good practice.
• Hungry bears will chew through tree branches even if they’re a few inches thick . . . not to eat them, but to bring down the counter balanced food bag. Very often these resourceful bears are actually hurting themselves in their tireless pursuit of oatmeal and granola bars . . . there must be something we can do about it! There is . . .

Bear-Resistant Canisters . . . The Saviour of Bears

. . . and the saviour of hikers breakfasts. It is now mandatory in some national parks where hikers are known to share the space with bears, to have all food stored in bear-resistant canisters.  Some hiking and camping locations forbid the use of hanging food in soft bags, some places have strict guidelines about the height and length of the tree branches used, and some areas provide bear bins where you must store your food. Some national parks do actually provide pre-installed bear wires to keep the food out of the bears way, but it must still be stored in either bear canisters or tough, hardware buckets with tight fitting lids.

Bear canisters are designed to be “bear proof” (although there are reports of a bear who has actually learned how to open bear canisters . . . he really is “smarter than the average bear”). They’re tested on captive bears and seeing them trying to open the bear canisters can actually be quite entertaining. If you don’t happen to have a bear, you can always try it out on your other animals . . .

He didn’t make any impression at all did he?

Hikers use bear canisters, (although some ultralight backpackers do find them a bind, but rules is rules) to not only protect the hikers food supply but also to try and re-train the bears. The hope is (and it’s a very good hope, hope it works) that the younger bears will be prevented from forming such bad, unnatural dietary habits if they can’t get their paws onto human food in the first place. They need to concentrate on eating their own natural foodstuffs . . . and hikers need to ensure that they do.

Advantages for Hikers to Use Bear Canisters

Well, let’s start with one tiny disadvantage, they add maybe three pounds to the weight of your backpack (depending on the size of bear canister you need . . . for the length of your trip). Now, let’s look at the advantages:

• Hikers no longer have to go to the trouble of counter balancing or bear bagging their food. It’s not foolproof anyway, and comes high on the list of “which camp chores take up most time and are a real pain in the a$$” – you don’t have that problem if your food is safely stashed in a bear canister.
• Hikers can help to reduce the stress of worrying about bears being attracted to their food bags by using bear canisters . . . they can help you to get a good nights sleep on an overnight camping trip.
• Hikers who carry their food in bear canisters do open up the possibility of camping in areas where food hanging trees are scarce – deserts, waterways, canyons etc. You don’t need trees if you have a bear canister in your backpack.
• Bears aren’t the only food nicking culprits you might encounter on your backpacking trip . . . other critters will have a go too, but bear canisters are not only bear proof, they’re also mouse proof, raccoon proof . . . they’re “critter proof”.
• Bear canisters can actually come in pretty handy as a hiking stool or hiking table.

Just like bears have associated food with food coolers in the back seats of cars, they are beginning to learn that bear canisters are just a whole load of hassle for no reward . . . so hopefully the wild bears can be re-trained, re-educated, call it what you like, to rely on their own natural foods and stay clear of human campsites.

NOTE – Never leave a bear canister in your tent overnight, they must always be stored at least a couple of hundred yards away, preferably downwind, and don’t forget to clean up any scraps of food after you’ve eaten . . . good housekeeping is essential, even in the wilderness.

Hey There’s a Bear

Hikers and backpackers must never approach a wild bear, and remember that they are especially dangerous if there are cubs to protect. There are a couple of things which many hikers carry for that “just in case” scenario.

• Counter Assault Bear Spray – a bit like the pepper spray which many women carry in their purse, these sprays are designed to scare the bear away without any lasting damage . . . however, they must be used with caution, ‘cos if you don’t use it properly you can end up disabling yourself instead of the bear . . . not a good idea!
• Bear bells – some hikers and backpackers are happy to hike along the trail with their bear bells jingling . . . the sound is supposed to scare the bears away . . . . other hikers and backpackers snigger at those who have them. Not sure which type have the best survival rate . . . perhaps there should be some sort of survey!

I guess that the video was at the start of his trip through bear country . . . wonder how he got on!

HIKERS BEWARE – CAUTION . . . do not watch the next video if there is a bear close by, especially a bear with a library card . . . you know how quickly they learn new stuff!

And finally . . . a word of advice from a self-styled survival and hiking expert . . . .

. . . make sure that you finish all of your pizza, including the crusty bits!