Bearpoofing
|
gear_resources.html
|
|
 |
Instant Expert: Bearanoia
Some things do more than go bump in the night. These tips will help keep backcountry bear prowlers at bay.
Text by Robert Earle Howells Photograph by James Balog/Getty Images
|
|
|
|
"Odds are you'll never be attacked by a bear," says John Gookin, 52, curriculum coordinator for the Wyoming-based National Outdoors Leadership School. In fact, he worries more about lightning than grizzlies. Still, in the Rockies, he and his students always follow the fundamentals of encounter prevention: a tidy camp, proper food storage, safety in numbers, and bear spray. They also surround their grub caches with a portable electric fence that packs enough jolt to send a nosy bear scurrying and reinforces a vital message: Stay away from human stuff. Tents can be fenced in as well. "It's extremely rare that a bear messes with a tent," Gookin admits, "but that doesn't mean I always sleep through the night." Voltage, however, is no substitute for cleanliness. "A highly motivated bear can get through almost anything," he says. "Even Guantánamo Bay couldn't hold it back."
Gear Up: Pack the Essentials
Garcia Backpacker Model 812 is the industry standard bear-resistant canister and holds 600 cubic inches (98 deciliters), or about six camper-days, of food. According to the company, its rigid plastic pod has yet to be bested ($65; www.backpackerscache.com).
UDAP Bear Shock Electric Fence is the latest in wilderness home security. This 3.7-pound (1.6-kilogram) barrier creates a three-strand perimeter around a tent and rewards curious bears with 6,000 volts of shoo-juice. This system hasn't been approved by bear-country land managers for food storage yet, only for surrounding your tent. But for backcountry insomniacs alert to every snapping twig, it could mean a better night's rest ($300; www.udap.com).
Core Knowledge
Clean It: "Don't tempt bears with odors and a sloppy camp," Gookin warns. "They'll get habituated to humans." Those singed leftovers? Eat 'em.
Can It: Bearproof canisters are the best way to store food, toothpaste, etc. In Alaska Gookin uses the triangle method: "A hundred yards between cooking, storing, and sleeping. And I like to be separated from the food by a ridge or stream."
Say It: "Traveling in groups of four or more virtually precludes bear incidents," he says. Make noise on the trail—talk, jingle some bells, or just shout an occasional, Hey, bear!
Spray It: Bear spray is a last-ditch measure. Use it only if an animal is within 25 feet (8 meters) and charging. According to stats, Gookin says, "bear spray is roughly twice as effective as firearms in thwarting an attack."
Get a Closer Look
Knight Inlet Lodge: By day, hover in your kayak in Glendale Cove, as big British Columbian grizzlies pay you no mind. They're too busy fattening up on tender grasses, and later in the season, on berries and salmon. At night, sleep soundly in cedar-paneled rooms heated by wood-burning stoves. The best viewing times are May through June and late August through October ($1,935 for three nights; www.grizzlytours.com).
Pick up the May 2006 issue for 38 amazing family escapes, wild beaches, and cool festivals; Sebastian Junger's lessons from the road; and the best bikes for summer.
Subscribe now and save!
|
Travel Directory
