How We Did It in the Good Old Days

The view looking out over the Sierra Nevada from near Sonora Pass.

When I first started looking at gear for this past summer’s hiking trip in Colorado, one of the items that immediately jumped out at me were bear canisters – – – something that hadn’t existed when I had last gone backpacking in the early 1990s. Back then we would store our food in “bear bags” […]

Are Grizzly Bears Endangered?

Grizzly bear on a river bank

The Grizzly Bear Low-Down | Endangered or Prolific | Visiting Grizzly Bear Country | How-To Stay Safe in Grizzly Territory

What’s Up With the Bears in Los Angeles?

The view out over Hot Springs mountain in San Diego.

I didn’t know black bears lived in Los Angeles County until one shut down my high school for the afternoon. I remember the day well– our typically quiet English class was interrupted by the wailing of a lockdown alarm, followed by a loudspeaker blaring instructions to get inside and lock the doors. Our class formed […]

The Fear and the Light

Franklin Roosevelt famously said “The only thing to fear is fear itself”. He must not have gone camping in the mountains with bears! There is something about the darkness of the woods at night. The silence. Each day the woods are alive with the sounds of birds, chipmunks, insects. The buzzes, squeaks, hums and taps […]

Do Bear Canisters Work?

Years ago, when I was working in the camping department at an outdoors store, I heard a customer refer to bear canisters as “expensive Tupperware.” I did a full halt, spun on my heels, and politely but insistently interrupted and proceeded to tell a very flowery love story about the glory of bear canisters and […]

Thru-Hiking the CDT and Beyond with a Bear Canister

Towering peaks of the continental divide.

Do you remember the day when you first heard about thru-hiking?  An epic multi-month adventure a few hikers are crazy enough to attempt, in which they live completely off the contents of their backpack, their resupplies, and a little trail magic? As soon as Jason Brocar, or “MAV” (on the trail) learned about this wild […]

Where are Bears in North Carolina?

Throughout North Carolina, from the mountains to the sea, the American black bear population continues to grow. These highly intelligent animals captivate the imagination of the public who may encounter them in the mountains, on trails, near campgrounds, in the forest and through swamps and marsh. One of my favorite ways to learn about these […]

What is Grizzly coexistence?

Bear proof bear existing on ridge

More than 100,000 grizzly bears once roamed western North America. By the 1920s, the United States were only left with isolated clusters or island populations and far fewer grizzly bears.  Today, grizzly bears in the lower 48 have been reduced to 2 percent of their historic range, with most grizzlies persisting near the US/Canada border, […]

A Tale of Two Bears

Have you seen BearVault’s newest educational tool and artwork – A Tale of Two Bears? View the Full Artwork A Tale of Two Bears illustrates the inspiring story of two bears, Ash and Arbor. One bear is exposed to proper food storage and the other is not. What happens next is illustrated in captivating artwork […]

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