Bear-Proof Food Storage for Camping, RVs & Cabins

Which Bear-Resistant Container Programs Exist?

Two certification programs matter for camping gear, and neither one is a government permit to use a product anywhere.

• IGBC (grizzly bears). The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee runs the certification. A product has to either pass a live test with captive grizzly bears or pass a technical evaluation. Live testing happens at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana, and the Washington State University Bear Center in Pullman, and the Wildlife Management Institute gives financial and administrative support. IGBC says certification means a product met minimum standards for the effort a grizzly must spend to get in, and that it does not guarantee a product is bear-proof. Our full IGBC list transcribes the published products.
• WMI (black bears). The Wildlife Management Institute, a nonprofit and not a government agency, runs a separate Black Bear-Resistant Product Testing program, with start-up funding and expertise from the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Its page says captive-bear tests cover items such as coolers, backpacking canisters, and panniers, and that a product must withstand at least 60 minutes of test-bear effort. A pass means "resistant to black bear entry," not a promise about every bear or every park.

Manufacturers have to re-verify their IGBC listing each year; IGBC moves products whose makers have not done so to an unconfirmed list. A product can therefore be missing from the current certified list while a park still names it, so always match the exact model to the list your destination uses. See how we verify what we publish.

Parks and Forests Set Their Own Accepted Lists

IGBC itself says many public land managers use its list, but consumers should check with the specific agency. Here is how different agencies we read handle it:

• Yosemite National Park (NPS) keeps its own "Allowed Food Storage Containers" page covering canisters, one hard-sided backpack, and panniers. That page does not mention IGBC or any certification. The backpacking page says only the Garcia Backpackers' Cache 812 is available for rental in the park.
• Denali National Park (NPS) says its approved bear-resistant food containers come from the IGBC "backpacking & small storage containers" category (the page reflects the April 2026 list). If you bring your own, park staff must approve it before a permit is issued. Storing food, garbage, and scented items in one is required for overnight camping in Units 1 to 21 and 23 to 43, and recommended elsewhere.
• White River and Gunnison National Forests (USFS) require campers in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness to use a container "certified through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee." The rule applies at night and whenever items are unattended, and the page defines attended as someone within 100 feet and in direct sight. The page points to an occupancy and use alert for the order itself; we cite the Forest Service page, not the order text.
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (NPS) require containers in named areas, including Dusy Basin, Rae Lakes Loop, North Dome, Rock Creek, and Pear and Emerald Lakes, from May 1 through October 31. Elsewhere they are highly recommended, and shared food storage boxes (locks not permitted) may be available.
• Inyo National Forest (USFS) says bear-resistant containers are mandatory in eight listed areas and strongly recommended elsewhere in wilderness. The page does not name an approving program or list models.
• Voyageurs National Park (NPS) says campers should use a park food locker, a certified bear-proof cooler or canister used per the manufacturer's instructions, or a backcountry bear pole, and also describes a hanging option. Check the park for the current hanging specifications.

BearWise says the same thing in general terms: food storage rules and recommendations vary by region and jurisdiction, including national parks, national forests, state lands, and developed or primitive campsites. Our certified products hub shows what is on each list.

Backpacking Food Container: What to Check Before You Buy

1. Find your destination's own rule first (park or forest page, or the ranger office).
2. Match the exact model to the list that agency uses. For IGBC, that means the certification number, not just the brand. IGBC notes that not every manufacturer prints the logo and number, and that matching the product number to the list is the reliable check.
3. Use it as designed. BearWise says canisters are meant to be left on the ground, and that even a good canister can fail if dropped from hanging height. It also says to keep canisters closed and locked unless you are adding or removing items, and to practice opening and closing before the trip.

The IGBC list's backpacking and small storage section also includes some soft-sided food storage bags and open-head steel drums, which suit different trips than a hard canister. Browse the certified canisters and coolers and certified bags, and check that your destination accepts the type you pick.

Coolers for Camping: The Lock Rule

IGBC's wording is direct: an unlocked cooler is not bear-resistant. Certified coolers can be secured with a padlock, carabiner, or nuts and bolts. In practice, that means the certification applies to the cooler used with its lock or bolts, not a cooler sitting open or latched only by its lid.

Agencies add their own layers. Yosemite's campground rules count ice chests as food, even when empty or certified bear-resistant, so they must still be stored properly. Voyageurs lists a certified bear-proof cooler as an accepted way to store food at a campsite. BearWise says that if you must keep items in an open pickup bed, use a sturdy bear-resistant cooler secured in place, and warns that bears often recognize coolers and grocery bags as food. See the full model list on our bear-proof coolers page.

RV and Car Camping Food Storage

We found no national RV rule. What we can report is what specific pages say.

• Yosemite: during daylight, food may be kept inside a vehicle, out of sight, with windows fully closed. After dark, food should not stay in a car or truck, including the trunk; use a food locker. Hard-sided trailers and RVs (solid, non-pliable material) may keep food out of sight if windows, doors, and vents are closed when no one is inside. Pop-up, tent, and other soft-sided campers may not. The page says these rules carry the force of federal law.
• BearWise: a nearby locked vehicle can hold food if local rules allow it, with items in a locked trunk and anything visible covered. It says to keep vehicle doors locked and windows fully closed, and to remove food, drinks, trash, pet food, and scented items. For a camper or RV parked outside, it says bears can get in through windows or doors left open even a crack, so remove all food, clean thoroughly, and check vents.

Do not assume a vehicle counts as storage everywhere. Yosemite, for example, restricts it after dark.

Cabin and Rental Food Storage

BearWise says a porch or deck is not a safe place to leave food, trash, recycling, beverages, or coolers, and that food, drinks, and condiments should not sit outdoors, even briefly. For cabins it advises locking all ground-floor windows and doors plus any a bear could reach by climbing a tree, staircase, or post to an upper deck, and notes that bears can work lever handles but struggle with round knobs. It also says to ask a rental host about recent bear visits and whether the property has bear-resistant trash containers. Voyageurs says that at cabins and resorts, coolers should be kept inside a vehicle or hard-sided camper, out of sight and smell.

For trash at a cabin, see our guides on the short-term rental bear safety guide and keeping bears out of your trash.

If Your Container Is Not Certified

IGBC says that on most public lands a non-certified container must be stored in an approved manner, generally a locked hard-sided vehicle, camper, or trailer; hung high and away from anything climbable; or placed inside a working electric fence. It tells readers to check local rules, because they vary.

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