Canoe Camping: Bear Safety

6-minute read + 2 short videos

If you canoe camp in bear country—which includes much of North America and parts of Scandinavia—you need to understand and follow bear safety to protect you, your group and the local bear population.

Black bears range throughout North America (photo courtesy of Sharon Brodin)

Most canoeists travel through bear territory each year without issues. But that requires you to follow common sense guidelines and, in many cases, park regulations. And you need to know what to do in the unlikely scenario that you encounter a bear on a portage or in your camp.

Here are important things to keep in mind when canoe tripping in bear territory:

Don’t Attract Bears

The best bear strategy is to not attract them in the first place. This includes things like:

• Don’t camp at a site with obvious fresh bear sign (scat, claw marks on trees, tracks).
• Never keep or even take food in your tent. This also includes scented personal hygiene items like toothpaste, soaps and lotions.
• Don’t leave your food pack unattended at your campsite or on a portage unless it’s stowed properly. (We’ve heard stories of canny bears stealing unattended food packs at portages!)
• Don’t clean fish anywhere near your campsite.
• Keep your campsite clean. Bears are attracted to things like dirty dishwater, empty bottles and cans, grills and fire pits with food residue, garbage with food residue and pet food.

Keeping a clean camp is a challenge with a large group, but vital—and possible (photo courtesy of Sarah Rinke)

Different parks and protected areas have differing regulations concerning bears. Be sure to check the regulations of the area where you plan your canoe trips.

Never Feed Bears

A human-fed bear becomes a constant nuisance that can develop into a dangerous bear with future campers. This includes unintentional feeding, like leaving a dirty campsite or tossing a backpack or fish to distract a bear that’s approaching you.

Bears are very intelligent. They’ll learn very quickly to associate people with food and easy pickings. Bears like this eventually have to be destroyed because of potential (or actual) harm to people.

So following bear safety guidelines protects the bears as much as the people.

Store Your Food Properly

There are several options for storing your food packs or containers to keep them away from bears as well as other critters that would love access to them. There are ongoing conversations (some rather heated, actually!) about the best way to do this. In the end, just pick one that works for you and practice it consistently.

The first option is to use a standard nylon or canvas canoe pack or dry bag, depending on the size of your group and the length of your trip. If the pack isn’t waterproof, store your meals in watertight containers like Ziplock bags inside the pack. Hoist it between two trees at least 12 feet above the ground and 6 feet from the trees. The easiest way to do this is with a pulley system. For some ideas, visit this conversation thread.

Hanging food packs is one strategy for keeping them out of reach (photo courtesy of Sharon Brodin)

Another option is to use a “blue barrel” like those from Recreational Barrel Works. Keep in mind these are NOT certified bear-proof, so you’ll still need to hang them as described above. However, they are waterproof, so they make sense when canoeing. It’s easy to keep your food organized in them either with the aforementioned Ziplock bag system or a “basket” set like this one.

Finally, you can opt for certified bear-proof canisters like those made by BearVault. Their downside? Not waterproof. These are sized to fit in the blue barrels, so that’s a great option if canoe trips are a regular part of your life. Or, use the Ziplock system inside the canisters. The big advantage of these is you don’t have to hang them. And these are really your only option if your trip takes you into areas without trees.

What to Do if You Encounter a Bear

What if a bear comes into your camp or you meet one on a portage? Bear spray is the easiest and most effective way to convince it to leave.


If it’s a black bear (which ranges in color from light brown to black) you can also try shouting, waving your arms and banging objects together to try to scare it away. It’s rare that one will show aggression to people. But if you encounter the odd bear that won’t leave your camp alone and you don't have bear spray with you, you may have to move to a different site.



If you’re canoe camping in grizzly country, be sure to have bear spray with you, keep it accessible and know how to use it. Here's a video from bear spray manufacturer SABRE on how to use it correctly:

Here’s what you need to understand: Bear spray isn’t like bug repellant. Don’t think you use it to spray your tent, food pack or (God forbid) people to keep bears away. (Yes, people have done this.) It’s a high-charged dose of pepper spray you don’t want anywhere near you or your gear. Learn to use it the right way. Hopefully, you’ll never need it.

Here’s a video from our friends at REI on what to do if you encounter a bear. It’s geared towards backpackers, but the same info goes for us canoeists as well:

Dogs and Bears

Many canoeists like to take their dogs into canoe country for overnight trips. If you’re one of them, be sure you know and follow the pet regulations of the areas you travel. Many wilderness areas that make ideal canoe country are home to large predators like wolves and mountain lions that would see your dog as a potential meal. And if it came down to a wrestling match between your dog and a bear, chances are your dog would lose.

On the other hand, dogs will usually pick up bear scent and awareness long before people, so it can be comforting to have yours along. They can provide early warning signs of a bear approaching your camp, giving you time to prepare.

Only bring a dog into the wilderness that you can keep under your control at all times, either with a leash or obedience training. Some parks don’t allow dogs in the backcountry, for example, the Bowran Lakes Canoe Circuit in British Columbia. So do your research ahead of time to be sure it’s even a possibility.

Grizzly territory spans through Alaska, western Canada and into the northwest US (photo courtesy of Sharon Brodin)

Thousands of people canoe camp in bear territory every year without any problems. You can too! Practice these safety tips and enjoy your trips.

[This post was originally written in 2017 and has been rewritten and updated.]

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