Sailing and Camping

When you are out camping in some National Park you are likely to dread encounter with bears. Keep safe by being in touch with the wildlife information center nearest to you. They have the right safety information for tourists, hikers and campers.

To help you, here are some useful safety tips while camping.

When Hiking:

* Always keep your food with you. Do not leave picnic items, backpack or trash in your tent when you are away on a hike.

* Throw trash safely. Throw away all food scraps in a bear- proof trash can. These dumpsters are available at trail heads, pull outs, and at the nearest visitor information center.

When Backpacking:

* Always check with the visitor information center for any updates on bear activity. It is possible that some site or trails may be closed due to bear activity.

* Always camp at designated places wherever there are bear cables.
* When packing, take care to consider the odor of your food. Remember, bears are very sensitive to smell. A jar of salmon will be irresistible to bears.

* Look out for bears approaching people, snatching food or entering a tent. Always report such bear activity to Park Rangers.

* Use bear cables to hang out your stuff when you are not using it.

Keep Cool When A Bear Approaches And Bear In Mind The Following.

* Whenever a bear approaches and disappears alternatively, consider it as a predator. Bears normally respond to aggressive actions such as yelling or throwing stones or sticks. If they do not, you need to be ready to fight back physically. One good way is to emit a pepper spray as a deterring blast when the bear is more than twenty feet away. This should be sufficient to scare away the beast.

* Learn defensive confrontations. This technique is widely circulated for all tourists at the information center of most of the National Parks. Bears usually resort to sudden confrontations whenever they are protecting their cubs, their hideouts or food caches. The reason for attack is the beasts feel threatened. Drop to the ground and play dead. Lie on your back and remain still. Bears tend to move away when they feel the threat is no longer there.

* All bears do not have similar behavior. Bear behavior varies with different species. The wildlife information center where you are recreating will provide you with the latest updates on the protective action one needs to take.

* If the animal identifies a tourist a human, it will no longer consider the person as a threat. Speak in a low pitched voice while backing away and avoid direct eye contact.

Grizzly bears are mostly found in northwestern states, Canada and Alaska whereas black bears are found in most of North America. It is important to note that bear attacks are rare. Attacks occur because tourists try to take photographs at close range or attempt to feed the animals. Remember conflicts with wildlife are primarily because of inappropriate human behavior.

Follow the above suggestions and make your getaway a safe and a thrilling experience.