Bear Safety and Emergency Procedures

A granola wrapper in your hip-belt pocket can pull a bear into camp. Hang everything scented, hang it early, and keep your site clean all day long.

Odor-proof bags slow scent, they don't stop it. How to run one as a canister liner, seal it correctly, and know when to retire it.

The PCT method locks your food bag at a fixed height and stops anything from pulling it down. Here is the tree, the sequence, and the pull test before dark.

IGBC certification is a live-bear test, not a brand stamp. How to read the listing, measure usable volume, and pick a lid you can open with cold hands.

Food storage, three-zone layout, and hang geometry are one decision sequence, not three separate tricks. Here is the order that keeps a night camp safe.

Dishwater is a bear attractant, not just wastewater. Strain the solids, scatter the liquid wide and far from your sleep area, and dump it early, not at bedtime.

Ground layer, pad, bivy, then you and your bag: the setup order most hikers reverse, the four post-deployment checks, and the morning dry-out.