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Bear Bag & Food Storage Card

What goes in. How to hang it. What to do if the bag comes down. One page keeps your food — and the bear — safe.

Single-page printable · Letter / A4 · Free with email signup

Bears that get human food become habituated and must be euthanized. Hanging your food correctly takes 10 minutes and protects both your trip and the bear.

Goes in the Bear Bag

  • All food — packaged, fresh, cooked, or partially eaten
  • Food wrappers, foil, and cooking waste
  • Cooking pots, utensils, plates with food residue
  • Toothpaste, lip balm, chapstick
  • Soap, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, bug spray
  • Pet food and water bowls
  • Empty water bottles that held flavored drinks
  • Scented candles, air fresheners, baby wipes

Stays Out (Safe in Tent)

  • Water (unflavored)
  • Prescription medications (keep in tent pocket, ask ranger if unsure)
  • Empty pots rinsed clean and aired out

Bear Canister Sizing

1 night — 450–500 cu in per person
2–3 nights — 650–700 cu in per person
4–7 nights — 900+ cu in per person
Required by permit in some wilderness areas. Check before you go.

PCT Counter-Balance Hang Method

  1. Rope50–70 ft of 550 paracord. Attach to bag with a bowline.
  2. Find the branchAt least 20 ft high, 10 ft from trunk, 4 inches thick — enough to support ~20 lbs.
  3. Throw one end overTie a stick or rock to the throw end. Aim for 5–6 ft out from the trunk.
  4. Attach first bagClip the food bag to the rope as high as you can reach.
  5. Attach second weightTie the second bag or a counterweight to the free end, same height as the food bag.
  6. Push up with a stickUse a long stick to push the bags up until they're equal height, at least 12 ft off the ground.
  7. Retrieve in the morningHook the lower bag with a stick or trekking pole to pull it down.

If a Bear Gets Your Food

Don't chase it — you won't win and you could get hurt. Make loud noise to drive it off once it has moved away from camp. Report to the camp host or ranger station: date, time, location, and bear description. The trip is not over — most campers who lose food finish the trip on camp store supplies.
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What you get

  • Complete "goes in the bag" checklist: food, wrappers, toiletries, lip balm, dog food
  • PCT counter-balance hang method with rope length and branch-height specs
  • Bear canister volume guide by trip length and party size
  • What to do if a bear gets your food — the actual steps
  • Letter / A4 sized

Use it for

  • Pair with the Food Storage & Bear Bags skill — the field-carry version
  • Brief a first-timer co-camper before a backcountry or dispersed trip
  • Keep in a bear canister lid as a nightly reminder

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