For frequent campers, fishers and hunters there’s always the constant risk of animals rummaging through your spoils. Nothing can be more disheartening than coming back to base after a long day’s work only to find out a bear made off with your food! While state parks do their best to deter their bear neighbors, they’re not foolproof. Fortunately, many state-of-the-art coolers and good old-fashioned common sense are. Cooler accessories are a must-have for anybody who wants to enjoy the great outdoors without losing their hard work and below I’ll describe state-of-the-art coolers as well as common habits you should exercise when you’re enjoying the great outdoors.
The best coolers for fishing can withstand a hungry bear as well as regulate temperature to keep your catch ready to eat or take pictures with. Well over 38 million Americans hunt and fish every year and camping is one of the most popular American pasttimes, particularly in the spring and summer. A ‘bear proof’ product is one that can withstand up to an hour of curious bear claws and teeth. Camo coolers have the added benefit of blending in with the forestry, which can be especially apt as a bear’s eyesight isn’t nearly as strong as their sense of smell. When cooking, you should cook at least one hundred feet away from your camp and preferably downwind to avoid alerting any bears in the area.
In fact, there are multiple things you can do to avoid bears while you’re camping. The most important element, by far, is to throw away your garbage properly. Bears have a very keen sense of smell (easily more powerful than even the sharpest hunting dog!) and are very attracted to our often sweet smelling wrappers and cans. It’s also necessary to keep any and all food and toiletries away from you when you sleep or move around the campsite, as a bear that’s curious will go straight for the source and the further away from you, the better! Top-of-the-line cooler accessories can help, but they’ll mean little if you don’t practice some common sense. Now get out there and fish with confidence!
