What all goes into a bear bag?

“Does my cookwear and spork go in?

Does my toothbrush and paste go in?”

“Yes and yes

Any food or item that touches food.
last edited: 4/21/05 2:07:14 PM”

“Is this a Dr. Suess thread?”

“What about my stove?”

“Anything that smells or is edible - deodorant, toothpaste, cookwear, stove, food, etc.

In really bad areas (those places you must use a bear canister) you also need to put in the clothes you cooked in, and you need to cook 100 yards from your camp. Bear bags/cans should also be 100 yards from camp. Hang a bag at least 4 feet from the trunk of the tree, and at least 10 feet up on a branch the bear can't break by sitting on it.
last edited: 4/21/05 2:18:12 PM”

“Does that mean if a person USES the deodorant they should put themselves in the bear bag too?

I do not even take deodorant or toothpaste.
A good brushing with just water does as well for a few days in the field.”

“Ditto for me, manuka - those 2 things stay home. After a day on the trail, applying more deodorant isn't going to make you smell any better, LOL. I get my teeth clean in other ways.”

“Deodorant attracts biting insects as well.”

“But deoderant also keeps the people in the car to the trailhead with you happy. An application before leaving home is much appreciated. : p

I never put my stove or my cookwear in the bag. Ruh roh! (I generally leave them out in the camp.) But lately I've been freezer bag cooking, so I don't think it's much of an issue.”

“I have been trying to find an odorless (unscented) antiperspirant. I could use it on the trail. Less sweat, less smell.

Don't even take a candy wrapper into the tent. I would rather sleep naked and leave ALL me clothes in the bear bag than have a visit from a furry friend.”

“Leave the B.O. stabilizer in the car.

All smellables go in the bear bag.”

“If anyone has ever had sex in or on the sleeping bag, that will have to go in the bear bag too LOL.”

“I put food and anything that smells like it (toothpaste, sunscreen etc.) in the canister. I've never put my stove in there.”

“There are unscented anti-perspirants. Ban and Sure make them, probably some others.”

“AJ - They have them at some hunting stores. Dunham's sports has them too.

Thing is - "odorless" means odorless to humans, not necessarily bugs and bears.”

“exactly, sarge.”

“Bears, and lots of 'em!”

“I can't believe what these people are saying on this thread, Only Geo is correct. You put the bear in the bearbag (hence the name, duh!) That way you can hang the bear in a tree and it can't get your food.”

“It's not their fault Bison. Some people buy cheap bear bags and they're simply too small to get more than an infant cub into them.

A real bear bag for an adult bear costs a lot more. But they're well worth it. Made out of Kevlar so the bear can't rip its way out.”

“where to use BRFC on AT?”

“Ok, time to open my mouth. I have been packing for 30 years and never smell as bad as some of y'all I encounter out there. There is always soap, without a smell that would make you appear as an Oreo to a bear. I've met bears and have yet to be attacked by one(crosses fingers). Anyway I guess you have to do what makes you feel safe.”

“...I have a secret and it is...some fragrance free liquid deodorant.(don't need much at all)

yeah, and those little paper like soaps work well to stay clean)”

“Put everything that has an odor or a bear might association with food into the bear canister or bear bag.

Deoderant attracks biting insects? Not in my experience. I use deoderant, unscented, and when I hike with my friend Andrew who does not, he always gets bit more than me. And I definitely appreciate it when hiking partners clean up and use deoderant (I wish Andrew would.) I myself jump into a lake or river whenever I get the chance, no soap but just a good rinsing off, and I bring baby wipes and clean up when plentiful running water is not available.”

“I backpack in an area where there are no Grizzly's and we hunt Black Bears. I hang my food off a low hanging branch on a nearby tree.”

“how can you put everything you talking about in canister when you pack in areas w/o resuplying for 100 miles??”

“If you can't do caches or arrange for another hiker to drop off supplies for you at a midway point - then I've known folks who pack along 2 or 3 bear canisters.”

“For me the fun ends at bear canister one.

But that is just me.”

“I agree, all smellables go in when you're in bear country. But do you all still hang stuff like sunscreen, chapstick, and Campsuds when you're NOT in bear country but still plan on hanging your food to keep other less threatening critters like raccoons, chipmunks and possibly coyotes from chewing a hole in your pack?”

“For that matter, we should put ourselves in a bear canister since we use deodorants, toothpaste, etc:)

I really think the bear canister is good because it keeps the food away from bears, but I really don't think it works to keep the odors away. I think if they come and never find food, they learn they can't get food and don't come around as much, but if they can smell food from miles away, I can't believe they can't smell food in a canister. Hanging canisters to me just serves as a way of letting the bears know food is not accessible to them.
last edited: 4/21/05 10:03:10 PM”

“Odors are caused by bacteria. If you use an alcohol wipe to clean your pits, you kill the bacteria, and hence reduce your BO.

Deodorants often "mask" odor, not prevent it!”

“anything that could smell like food, including minty, sweet, clothes, cookwear......”

“Get Steven Herrera's "Bear Attacks: The causes and avoidance" it it will be very clear.”

“I've always put the bear in the bag.”

“we are not talking gummie bears here...”