Originally Posted by
TwoRoads
Let me preface this by saying I respect the prerogative of all hikers to "hike their own hike." And this includes the different opinions and approaches to this topic. That said:
I am really kind of shocked by the number of hikers here (and many of you are fairly experienced), who trust the practice of sleeping with your food. First I would say that the low number of bear attacks are probably just as influenced by the infrequency humans venturing into bear habitat (compared with other risks) as by the shyness of bears (black bears in particular). My second point would be that most of the reasons given here for the willingness to sleep with food are personal anecdotes; not based on research or expert opinions. A hiker might hike for 1,000 miles sleeping with their food, and conclude that it's safe to do. But the conclusion can still be wrong. And the possible consequences of being wrong on sleeping with food are 1) Facing a life-threatening situation, 2) Increasing the chances that a food-conditioned bear will have to be destroyed, and 3) Increasing the chances that other hikers will face life-threatening situations with a food-conditioned bear.
I'd like to inject a couple of things that I don't think have been mentioned here that probably indicate that sleeping with one's food is unwise and risky. First, in my reading of reliable sites (National Geographic, National Park Service, Geology.com, Smithsonianmag.com, and others, I have yet to find any bear expert who has not strongly advised against sleeping with food. Second, bears may be undergoing food stress because of environmental conditions that we may not recognize or be aware. Third, Smithsonianmag as well as other sources advise that the most dangerous human/bear interaction is not with a mother bear defending her cubs, but instead with hungry, lone, male bears.
According to Smithsonianmag.com, "Keep food and garbage away from bears. Food or garbage was present in 38 percent of the documented fatal black bear attacks, and the scent may have attracted the bears. In addition, the scientists speculate the presence of food may make the bears more aggressive, thus increasing the possibility of an attack."
I am far more inclined to trust the advise of bear experts, who have had a career observing and studying as well as often being involved (or at least being knowledgeable) with research than I am to trust anecdotes, logic, or limited personal experience. I'm not saying this to criticize anyone; just to address the original question with what I consider to be the best available information.