-snip-
> It was my hail of rocks that caused him to drop the box and run splashing
into
> the lake with nothing but a bag of marshmallows, missing out on some
choice
> eats.
-snip-

Unbelievable. Even a 'small' bear can run you down and rip you to pieces if
it wigs out on you. There wasn't anything in that box that was worth the
risk to your life. If you think I'm being melodramatic, do a little googling
and see how often people get injured or killed thinking they can 'handle' a
bear.

> They stored food inside, and claimed that they scared the
> bear off by whacking against the canvas side when they heard him bumping
around
> out there. They had been camping there annually for years this way.

They didn't 'scare the bear'. And they've been lucky, not smart.
>
> Lacking bear-proof lockers, my vote is with the top of the van or maybe
inside
> as a last resort. -Phil

The old-school (as in, pre-white man) method is to pick a good tree limb
some distance from your camping/sleeping area that's convenient and within
sight, secure a rope to your food container, throw the rope over the tree
limb towards the end at a point where it's sturdy enough to support the
container but not a bear, pull the container up until it's at least four
feet under the limb and at least ten feet off the ground. Secure the rope to
the tree around shoulder-height. Assuming your local bear isn't Boo-Boo and
figures out how to work the rope, your food should be safe (also assuming
your container is secure against squirrels and the like).

Making contact with a bear in the woods is very much like making contact
with a shark in the ocean; your are in its element and you look like food.
Don't play with the bears.

Cya,
Robert