Food Storage When Camping

Hanging Food from a Tree

This is the most traditional method of keeping food safe from bears while camping, but it’s not always an option. For example: if you’re in the high alpine of the Wind River Mountains there likely aren’t any trees around.

But, when trees are available, you’ve got a decent throwing arm, and have the technique down, this is a low-cost way to bear-proof your food. All you need is 100 feet of parachute cord, a couple of carabiners, and a stuff sack (or two). And daylight. Doing this in the dark is difficult (ask us how we know!); if you know you’ll be getting to camp late, maybe take a bear canister instead.

You want your stuff sacks to be at least 12 feet off the ground, 6 feet from the tree’s trunk, 6 feet below the supporting limb, and at least 100 feet from your tent. Hanging food can be tricky, so practice it before venturing into the backcountry and allow yourself plenty of time before dark to get set up.

At camp, after finding the branch that meets all of these requirements, attach something weighted to the end of your cord. A rock can work, but be careful when throwing it—you don’t want to hit your campmates, or yourself (again, ask us how we know to be careful when doing this!). Another option is to fill one of your dirty socks with gravel or smaller rocks. We have yet to sustain or inflict any bodily injury when using this method.

Once you’ve got your cord in place over the branch, attach your food bags (stuff sacks) to one end with a carabiner, then raise it so that it is at least 12 feet above the ground, but six feet below the hanging branch. Tie the bag off on a nearby tree.

Hanging a bear bag is far from an exact science and requires practice. Ideally, try a few bear bag hangs in your backyard or at a local park before heading into the backcountry.

Pros: Lightweight, doesn’t require special equipment

Cons: Impossible in areas without suitable trees; it takes practice to get good out; no tree hang is ever the same

Bear Resistant Canisters

Hard-sided, lockable canisters have become the gold standard in backcountry areas. Made of durable plastic or carbon fiber, they’re proven to withstand a bear’s prying paws and crushing jaws and legs.

* Pros: Effective, portable, easy to use, and available to rent from the BTNF’s Jackson, Blackrock, Big Piney, and Pinedale District Offices.

* Cons: Bulky and heavy. Packing efficiently takes some practice.

What else to know: Store these at least 100 feet from your tent, ideally wedged in rocks or brush to keep it from rolling away if a bear bats it around. Do NOT hang bear canisters from trees. These are designed to withstand bears, not direct falls from a height of 15 feet.

Food Lockers

In established campgrounds, there are often metal bear boxes designed for food storage.

Pros: Convenient, effective, no need to carry your own container.

Cons: Only available at developed campgrounds.

What else to know: Don’t assume a campground has bear lockers—check with the district offices beforehand.

Food storage rules apply just as much in campgrounds and in designated dispersed camping areas like Curtis Canyon, Shadow Mountain, and Toppings/Spread Creek as they do in the backcountry. And not to throw shade (but kinda)—but car campers can be the worst offenders because they have the most gear and assume that their vehicle is safe storage.

• Never leave food in an unattended soft-sided vehicle. Bears have no problem ripping through a tent trailer or pop-up in minutes.
• In hard-sided vehicles, store food in a cooler or container out of sight and with all windows rolled up and doors locked. (But know that this doesn’t always 100% work. Bears in Yosemite have learned how to get into cars.)
• Use provided bear boxes.