Keep Your Tent Safe From Bears During Your Next Camping Trip. Here's How

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A fear for many campers is waking up to a bear right outside their tent. Given that 4/5ths of America's 50 states are home to a population of bears, most camping destinations fall within bear territory. With that in mind, the best way to avoid that nightmare scenario is to keep them from approaching your tent and campsite in the first place. By taking a few simple precautions and avoiding mistakes that attract bears to your campsite, you can keep your tent safe from these animals during your next trip.

The first safety step is to pick a proper spot to pitch your tent. If possible, choose an open area location where you can see clearly in all directions. This also prevents bears from using foliage as cover to approach. While it is best to keep your tent some distance from vegetation, brush, or wooded areas, you certainly never want to pitch it next to berry bushes or other possible food sources for bears.

Before setting up your tent, you should also scan the area for signs of recent bear activity. Look for fresh scat, tracks, or claw marks. Other signs include fallen logs that have been torn apart or brush that has been trampled and/or matted down. Additionally, steer clear of any area that has an animal carcass present. Even if there are no signs of bear activity when you arrive, the odor of the carcass could attract them.

How and where you cook and clean, as well as how you store your food and trash are of utmost importance when it comes to camping safely in bear territory. All food, as well as other scented items, should be sealed. Your best bet is to secure everything in odor-proof bags, then place those items in a storage cylinder such as this Backpacker's Cache Bear Proof Container or a similar product. This goes for trash, as well as any clothing you wear while cooking, which will soak up scent.

Even when sealed in a bear proof container, it is best to keep these items stored outside of your campsite. For added protection, hang them from a tree limb 10 feet off the ground and at least 5 feet away from the base of the tree. Any food prep and cooking is also best done away from your tent. These activities should always take place downwind, so aromas do not waft into camp. Additionally, clean up all food scraps, thoroughly wash dishes and utensils, and store everything in a sealed container. These are simple ways to cook safely in bear territory. 

You will also want to limit unnatural scents in your tent. This includes overlooked items like toiletries. Use unscented soap and wipes to clean your skin. Store scented toiletries in your bear-proof container. Also, while it is important to carry and know how to use bear spray, you should never spray it around your tent like a repellent, as the scent could attract bears.

There are even more precautions you can take to ensure bears stay away from your tent. You can use a radio to keep bears away from your campsite while you are gone during the day, as the sound of human voices will make them wary. This can be used at night as well, assuming you can sleep through the noise. Additionally, utilizing a light, such as a flashlight or electric lantern, to illuminate the area around your tent can make bears less willing to approach. Automated, solar powered lights are ideal for this purpose.

A technique which is a bit more involved, but well worth the effort when you are camping near dangerous types of bears, is setting up a perimeter. This can be done in a variety of ways, but each method involves utilizing a trip wire spanning the boundary of your campsite. When the wire is tripped, it can trigger noise makers and/or lights to be activated. This will alert you to the presence of an approaching animal and it will (usually) scare the creature away from your camp.