Canisters can present security within the wild for folks and animals
Human meals conditioning is a rising drawback for bears throughout the nation. It occurs when a bear learns to frequent human-occupied areas within the pursuit of meals. This conduct can escalate, inflicting the bears to turn out to be aggressive in pursuit of a simple snack. That is harmful for people in addition to bears, because the animals typically must be relocated or euthanized. For hikers and backpackers, utilizing correct meals storage strategies whereas in bear nation is one method to forestall encounters. Right here’s a fast primer on bear containers and why you need to use them in areas with excessive bear populations.
Why You Ought to Bear-Proof Your Meals
Bears play an necessary half in seed dispersion, contributing to the well being of our forests. In addition they assist preserve ecosystem steadiness. Sadly, it could actually take as little as one human meals encounter for a bear to turn out to be meals conditioned, leading to a shift in conduct. And it’s practically inconceivable to alter their habits as soon as they’ve tailored to affiliate people with meals. Past stopping bear-human interactions, bear-proofing meals additionally protects bears and the native atmosphere.
Bear Container Types and Varieties
Bear containers are available a number of completely different kinds and kinds. The preferred possibility is the bear canister, which is often mandated in some nationwide parks, nationwide forests, and wilderness areas throughout the nation. One other widespread bear-deterrent possibility is a scent-proof sack or baggie, which can be utilized as a bear-deterrent by itself, or as an additional layer of safety inside a bear canister.
The Bear Canister
The bear canister is designed to retailer meals and trash. This machine comes with locks that require opposable thumbs to open. Bears can odor by way of these containers, however they normally can’t break them open. Bear canisters are additionally normally rodent-resistant. Some well-tested Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC)-certified bear canisters embrace fashions by BearVault, Grub Can, and UDAP Industries.
The Ursack
Ursack makes a sequence of bear-resistant luggage with Spectra or Kevlar (or a mixture of the 2 supplies). These luggage are each bear and critter-resistant, which may make them an excellent various to a standard bear canister. IGBC-certified Ursacks embrace the Ursack Main and the AllMitey.
The Opsak
The Opsack is a sealable plastic bag that’s extraordinarily odor resistant. The Opsak just isn’t, by itself, a bear-resistant product. However it’s generally used at the side of a bear canister to create an extra-resistant system. These sacks are 17,000 occasions extra odor resistant than HDPE. They’re additionally waterproof and hermetic.
Selecting the Proper Measurement
Backpackers seeking to preserve pack weight down are treasured about house, however happily bear canisters are available quite a lot of sizes—weekend, week, slim, and ultralight—for various adventures. BearVault, probably the most in style bear canister manufacturers, carries 4 completely different sizes: the BV425, the BV450, the BV470, and the BV500. The BV425 or BV450 make a sensible choice for weekend warriors. The BV470 or BV500 could be the higher choose for long-distance backpackers. When you’ve chosen the choice that matches your climbing preferences, give it a number of check runs on day or in a single day journeys to ensure that it can match all your scented objects.
Renting Bear Canisters
In some components of the nation with hearty bear populations, outfitters and kit outlets supply bear canister leases at various prices. Yosemite Nationwide Parks rents bear canisters for $5 per week (with a $95 deposit), whereas REI at the moment fees $5 for the primary evening, and $2 for each consecutive evening for members. Canisters usually price between $60-100.
Extra Bear Meals Security Ideas:
• Cook dinner meals away and downwind out of your campsite.
• Retailer your bear canister or sack 100 ft away out of your tent.
• Put a rock or one thing noisy on prime of your bear canister or bag as an alarm system.
• Remember that these merchandise are solely as efficient as their person. Human error is the most typical explanation for system failure.
All Images courtesy of BearVault
