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Wild10Basecamp

Field Skills

Cache food safely in bear country

In bear country, every scented item — food, toothpaste, sunscreen — must be secured away from your sleeping area.

Field Skills 20 min practice
All skills
Warning: A bear that gets a human food reward once will return, and that bear often ends up destroyed by wildlife officers. Bad food storage kills bears.

Step-by-step

  1. Use a certified bear canister where required, or an Ursack tied to a tree trunk.

  2. For hangs, find a branch at least 15 feet up and 4 feet out from the trunk, with the food bag suspended 5 feet below the branch.

  3. Use the counterbalance or PCT hang method so a bear cannot swat the bag down by yanking a rope.

  4. Store food, cooking gear, and any scented items at least 100 yards downwind from your tent.

  5. Never keep food, snack wrappers, or scented items in your tent, even in a pack.

Warning: A bear that gets a human food reward once will return, and that bear often ends up destroyed by wildlife officers. Bad food storage kills bears.

Related outdoor skills

Educational reference only. Wilderness conditions change fast — practice in low-stakes settings, take a certified wilderness first-aid course, and confirm regional regulations before you rely on any of these skills in the field.