every backpacker has their own opinion on this. Curious to hear everyone’s here. What precautions do you take for bears when backpacking? I personally just sleep with my food unless I’m in a national park where bear canisters are required.
I stopped hanging my food in a bear bag because several more experienced hikers told me that they don’t actually work. So now I don’t know exactly what to do
Do you carry bear spray or a bell? Received mixed reviews on this from a retail worker when trying to buy for a trip to an island with a moderate bear population.
Bear Spray and a Bell are only for regions with Grizzlies -which is not many places. Anywhere with blackbears that won’t be necessary. That being said, I too have heard mixed reviews on bells but bear spray is a must when in grizzly country
Thank you Taylor this is super helpful because I usually I tend to visit Black bear areas!
Bear bells are essentially dinner bells…they have been shown not to work by several studies by fish and wildlife experts. Grizzly country bear spray is a MUST. It may just be the thing that gives you just enough time to get to safety.