Grizzlies in Yellowstone and Glacier

[ray b]

Based upon that I will probably invest in a new pair of panniers, as I used mine also heavily for grocery shopping.
I was thinking of something like the box in the picture - should still be portable on a bike and apparently you do not have to hang it.
Have a nice 2023 !

Depending on your budget - you can always wash soiled panniers. On the other hand - for most folks, any excuse to replace worn equipment prior to a big trip should be used.

Although carrying one's own bear-proof container saves some time and is a must in the treeless areas of Alaska or among the well-trained camp robbers of some of our national parks, they are bulky, cumbersome, and can be costly compared to a waterproof bag and 50 feet of paracord, to be used when campsite boxes are not available. Of course, I pitched baseballs as a kid, and still enjoy the capability of accurate rope throws over branches.... Some folks find this practice an exercise in futility. In the end, we've all tried a bunch of different ways to keep our food and toiletries away from critters big and small; everyone develops practices that work best for them.

If you search the forum for previous threads, you'll find plenty of additional advice and options and references to reviews in some of the American magazines that cater to backpackers and off-road "bike packers."

Have fun.

[PeteJack]

I was riding the Icefields Parkway from Jasper and staying in hostels. At one I noticed cans of bear spray that people had left and I asked if I should carry bear spray myself. I was assured not.

As I was approaching the highest point on the Parkway at a very slow speed a grizzly bear walked into the road in front of me about 20 yards ahead. I stopped. The bear stopped and looked at me for what seemed like forever but probably no more than a second. He/she decided it wasn't interested in me and carried on across the road. It was a stunning sight and I was too scared to take a picture, not wanting any clicking and whirring of cameras to get its attention.

They are amazing beasts that move like greyhounds despite their size. It's shaggy coat looked like an Irish setter's that had been rolling in gray mud. A lady from Alaska I was telling about this assured me it was a grizzly and I did the right thing keeping quiet. It's a strange experience being looked at by a teddy bear: black button nose, black eyes, ridiculous Fozzie bear ears and a head the size of a cow's. Not one I'll forget. Fortunately I'd no food that could have got its attention.