Joey
walking somewhere
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2014
- Messages
- 878
The idea that a bear is going to rip into your tent for your food, with you in it, is as make believe as Santa Clause.
There is zero evidence to support that idea. In fact, if you look back at the history of our parks, the majority of people backpacking slept with their food for more than 100 years, without incident.
It is extremely rare that a bear ever breaks into a tent with humans in it. And in the few instances where that happens, there is zero proof that a food odor brought the bear in. Elk meat, sure. But not backpacking food.
Just think of all those people fishing in the Winds, fishing in Yellowstone, fishing in Alaska. The smell of fish is far stronger than your backpacking food. Fisherman get that smell on them, all over them actually. Even if they wash there hands, the smell of fish still stays on them. And then they go sleep in there tent. Wouldn't bears, who have a sense of smell 100 times greater than humans, smell the fish on the fisherman sleeping in there tent? That is a much more attractive smell to a bear than backpacking food.
What about hiking with your food in your pack? I mean, you have that huge food attractant on your back all day as you walk through bear country. Wouldn't the bears smell the food, and come chase backpackers? But that doesn't happen. So why would a bear only be interested in your food in your tent, but not on your back?
The whole concept of not sleeping with your food is to prevent governing agencies from getting sued. Just read up on Yellowstone's issues with the Old Faithful bear death in the late 1970's. It is also one extra step people can do to minimize a bear encounter.
I know too many stories. Too many people doing crazy stuff in the backcountry with grizzly bears, not in the public eye. They sleep with their food. I've had too many incidents myself with bears. Hell, we slept under our food bags for 2 nights with a grizzly bear in our camp this summer, and yet he never messed with us.
If you walk with your food on your back all day, why not sleep with it next to you?
And i'm not trying to sound cool, or be different. I almost don't want to say these things because I don't have time to argue them. I'm just speaking honestly from my heart. I don't believe sleeping with your food is anywhere as dangerous as people want to make it sound to be. And in the Wind Rivers, they don't have enough bears to have an issue. This doesn't mean leave your food un attended. And its not to say a habituated bear who has already gotten food won't become a problem. It will. All I'm saying is that you can sleep with your food, and a bear will not come into your tent for your food.
And just to be 100% clear, there is a huge difference between sleeping with your food, and leaving your food unattended in your tent.
There is zero evidence to support that idea. In fact, if you look back at the history of our parks, the majority of people backpacking slept with their food for more than 100 years, without incident.
It is extremely rare that a bear ever breaks into a tent with humans in it. And in the few instances where that happens, there is zero proof that a food odor brought the bear in. Elk meat, sure. But not backpacking food.
Just think of all those people fishing in the Winds, fishing in Yellowstone, fishing in Alaska. The smell of fish is far stronger than your backpacking food. Fisherman get that smell on them, all over them actually. Even if they wash there hands, the smell of fish still stays on them. And then they go sleep in there tent. Wouldn't bears, who have a sense of smell 100 times greater than humans, smell the fish on the fisherman sleeping in there tent? That is a much more attractive smell to a bear than backpacking food.
What about hiking with your food in your pack? I mean, you have that huge food attractant on your back all day as you walk through bear country. Wouldn't the bears smell the food, and come chase backpackers? But that doesn't happen. So why would a bear only be interested in your food in your tent, but not on your back?
The whole concept of not sleeping with your food is to prevent governing agencies from getting sued. Just read up on Yellowstone's issues with the Old Faithful bear death in the late 1970's. It is also one extra step people can do to minimize a bear encounter.
I know too many stories. Too many people doing crazy stuff in the backcountry with grizzly bears, not in the public eye. They sleep with their food. I've had too many incidents myself with bears. Hell, we slept under our food bags for 2 nights with a grizzly bear in our camp this summer, and yet he never messed with us.
If you walk with your food on your back all day, why not sleep with it next to you?
And i'm not trying to sound cool, or be different. I almost don't want to say these things because I don't have time to argue them. I'm just speaking honestly from my heart. I don't believe sleeping with your food is anywhere as dangerous as people want to make it sound to be. And in the Wind Rivers, they don't have enough bears to have an issue. This doesn't mean leave your food un attended. And its not to say a habituated bear who has already gotten food won't become a problem. It will. All I'm saying is that you can sleep with your food, and a bear will not come into your tent for your food.
And just to be 100% clear, there is a huge difference between sleeping with your food, and leaving your food unattended in your tent.
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Of course then I woke up from my dream and realized we were all still alive. 
