Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Occasional Definitions: Bear Bag

1 - Bear pinata.

2 - A bag that a hiker carries food in. The bear bag is suspended from a tree branch at night in order to keep bears from getting into it.

Some high-tech bear bags are made from space age Kevlar fabric to make it harder for bears to rip open (if a bear does find the bag). Some have reported that this can result in an intact, saliva-covered and well-chewed bag containing food crumbs.

The usual bear bag consists of a bag (clever choice there!) and rope or cord long enough to hang food and supplies out of the reach of bears, usually from a tree branch. The bear bag and rope are used while in bear country, and wherever other annoying animals could get to the food.

Mice, skunks, raccoons, woodrats, chipmunks and anything else with teeth and an appetite are honorary bears. Items that must be protected include toothpaste, soap, deodorant, sunscreen and anything else with a scent. Some claim that anything carrying a human smell qualifies, including clean, scentless odor proof plastic bags.

Savvy critters frequently exposed to campers are known to have learned that anything associated with humans may contain munchies, and some of them are rumored to be attracted to the smell of new, clean, ostensibly scentless plastic bags.

3 - Property of a bear: what your food bag becomes after the bear gets it. If this happens, then give up already.

 

From: Fire In Your Hand