Safety Tips To Keep Bears Out Of Your Car While Camping

Bears don't exactly respect personal space. They're big, burly, generally hungry, can be spotted poking around more frequently in people's backyards, and even chill in jacuzzis. And while black bears are far less dangerous than their brown counterparts, they're still strong and can mess you up in the wild. Bears can also easily break into your car while it's left unattended, say, while you're camping some several miles away. But have no fear, because human ingenuity wins out yet again. If you keep your car locked, your car windows rolled up, and all the stuff inside out of sight, bears will be far less likely to engage in bearjacking.

It all boils down to food. Even though bears tend to encroach on human territory because we build buildings near their habitats, humans are also excellent at producing trash. Black bears eat up to 20,000 calories of food per day before heading into hibernation, so if you've got some bits of gristle hanging on the grill on the lawn, beware. And if you're camping and have food with you, and maybe left some coolers or something else in the car, inquisitive and clever bears might find it. If your windows are down, you're practically begging for a bear to steal your stuff.

This means that you've got to act preventively and discourage bears from breaking into your car. This is especially true in a state like California, where it's illegal to use bear spray in national parks. Rolled-up windows will stop bear claws and snouts from gaining leverage and also prevent smells from wafting out. If items are stowed out of sight, bears will be less curious. "Out of sight, out of mind," as the saying goes.

It can be a little disconcerting to leave your car and the valuables inside when you set off to go camping. This is why the National Park Service recommends leaving valuables at home, or keeping small, portable valuables on your person at all times (keys, cell phones, garage door openers, etc.). After all, other mammals besides bears — the two-legged human variety, especially — might try to break into your car. Even snakes can slink into open windows and settle into a cozy place in your vehicle. Some states, like California, make it illegal to harm certain snake species, meaning there's little you could do to rid your car of such a creature if it's inside, except wait for a park ranger.

All this is to say: You should consider keeping your car safe from bears as an extension of general, common-sense safety practices. You wouldn't, most likely, leave your doors unlocked, the windows open, and your handbag on the back seat when parked in the middle of a city. Nor should you when out in the wild. A bear might bypass your Prada for a sandwich, but it still might chew up the Prada while looking to satiate its immense hunger. Even if you camp within eyeshot of your vehicle, you should keep the windows up and everything stowed — preferably in the trunk, to be honest. And if you live inside your vehicle, like in an RV (which is actually illegal to do in certain states), you should also be as cautious as possible when staying in natural spaces. Bears not only break into cars, but also into homes. Prevention and avoidance are the biggest safety tips we can offer.