bear safety
Avoiding ursine encounters
Bear safety refers to precautions taken to avoid dangerous encounters with bears in the wilderness.
This includes proper food storage, making noise while hiking, carrying bear spray, and knowing how to respond if you encounter a bear: The ranger gave us a bear safety talk before we headed into the backcountry.
The protocols differ for black bears versus grizzlies—you fight back against the former but play dead with the latter.
- wildernessUncultivated, uninhabited natural region
- national parkProtected land for conservation
- grizzlyLarge brown bear subspecies
- sprayDispersed liquid droplets
- deterrentThing that discourages action
camping · attack · cubs · food storage · backcountry · hiking · encounter · predator · claws · territory · caution · awareness · distance · noise · bells · canister · hang · surprise
- Camping Tipstrail maps, food storage, fire starting, shelter building, first aid tips
- outdoor ethicsleave no trace, no trace, tread lightly, pack it out, stay on trail
- Outdoor Safetyfirst aid kit, emergency whistle, survival kit, emergency beacon, emergency kit
- Backpackingbackpack, trail, backpacking, pack, sleeping pad
- wilderness servicesguided tours, search and rescue, trail maintenance, fire lookout, park ranger
- backcountrybackcountry, backwoods, backpacking, bushwhacking, wilderness