Bear cache

A permanent bear cache in Alaska

A bear cache is a place designed to store food outdoors and prevent bears and other animals from accessing it. They are often used by campers when staying in bear habitat. They can also be used by hunters for storing game.

Designs

A makeshift cache can be made by hanging the food from a tree branch using rope. The cache should be 100 metres from your campsite and downwind if possible. To be effective, the food must be distanced from the branch, the trunk, and the ground. When a suitable tree isn't available, hanging the food over a cliff is a possible alternative.

In areas popular with both people and bears, permanent caches are often built. These include poles for hanging, steel cabinets, and raised structures with removable ladders.

Gallery

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  A metal pole with pulleys and rope
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  Metal boxes with bear-proof latches
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  A wooden structure with a ladder
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  Traditional Sami bear cache, ájtte.
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  Traditional Finnish bear cache, patsasaitta.

See also

• Bear danger
• Bear-resistant food storage container