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Best Practices for Camping in Bear Country

Sign that tells campers to be bear smart.
A Bear Sentry is designed to deter a bear if it tries to enter your camp. But you must do your part so it doesn’t want to in the first place.
      
To avoid encounters, you must use your electric fence in conjunction with Best Practices (it’s not a replacement):  
  
  • Choose a campsite with no indication of recent bear activity.
  • Set up your Bear Sentry according to the instructions.
  • Cook downwind from tents and gear. Cooking in one location and camping in another is even better.
  • Be fastidious about handling food. Don’t touch your gear with dirty hands from prepping or eating food.
  • Store your food in a bear resistant container (BRC) and cache it away from your sleeping area. Never have food in your tent, even temporarily.
  • Keep a clean camp. Pour out your grey water far away and store your garbage securely with your food. Remember, bears can smell burnt food in a fire pit.
  • Don’t put clothing in your tent that is full of cooking smells. And don’t put toiletries in there either because even the ‘non-scented’ ones can smell sweet to a bear.
  • Keep noise deterrents and bear spray handy at all times.
  • Before turning in, do a walk-about to ensure that your Bear Sentry is operating properly.
  • Sleep soundly, because you’ve done your best.


For more on living the good life out there with bears, see the Bear Smart resources of British Columbia.