View Full Version : Spices and bears
Stray dog
10-12-2011, 17:48
Cooking and food might not be the right category to post this as I will not cook these.
It might sound silly, but would carrying cayenne pepper or clove in a muslin bag in your food bag be enough to deter bears from trying to steal your food ? I would still hang, but would rather go to sleep knowing that bears are not be attracted to my food bag.
Stray Dog
4eyedbuzzard
10-12-2011, 17:57
No. The bears will rub you all over with the cayenne pepper and make cajun hiker.
Tigers love pepper. They hate cinnamon. The same is true of bears and cayenne. I think.
doritotex
10-12-2011, 18:40
I put Tony Chachere's on everything! I've never had a problem with bears..haha!
No seriously, I always would hang my food bag religiously, one night camping alone on Bluff Mtn, I was proud of myself, I hung my bag perfectly, 100 yards away..blah, blah..About midnight a bear started circling my campsite, almost like, "come and get it" there is a bag of food waiting for you in the trees! He tried for hours trying to get the bag..he would circle my tent, too close for my comfort!! I was alone sitting up in my tent with a large rock in my hand for hours! He finally left about 4am.
I still hang my food if there are cables or "good" trees, but I am beginning to think that hanging food is an invitation for a bear to come and get some unattended food. My pack smells like food, my clothes, and I smell like food, so... you can never get the food smell away for you, your tent or the shelter.
I have a healthy respect for bears and I am careful with my food...but....who knows what goes on in the mind of a bear?!! Ha!!!
rmitchell
10-12-2011, 21:59
Has any tried packing a small mesh bag of dog hair as bear repelent?
Fiddleback
10-13-2011, 09:15
No. No. No.
I have yet to read about any bear repellants based on smell that work. One reason...maybe the real reason...is that bears are curious. A bear may think to itself, "Ummm...that smells good, let's get closer." Or, a bear might think, "Egads...what the heck is that stinking up my hood?! Let's check it out."
We know that bears (grizzlys, at least) have an exceptional sense of smell. But we cannot know what smells good to a bear (although I'd start my guesses with bacon;)). Similarly, we cannot know what attracts a bear. We can't rid the camp of all odors but we can practice bear safety based on the area and its bear population. Or, we can stay out of bear habitat.
FB