Rodents Can Wreck Your Food Supply—and Your Gear—on the Trail. Keep Them Away With These 4 Tips.

One night in the Grand Canyon last year, hiker Ang Rodriguez felt the tickle of a mouse run over her foot. Then, by the light of their headlamps, her group noticed more mice scampering up the tables. The grubby rodents were headed toward their campsite’s food box. Luckily, their meals were safely stowed away and they didn’t lose any snacks—but her encounter was a visceral reminder that you’re more likely to run into hungry little critters than a bear in the backcountry.

“Animals are wild, and there’s no determining how they may react if they’ve already gotten their eyes on a meal,” says Rodriguez, who shares tips from her adventures on social media.

With her helpful advice, we compiled a few different ways to keep your food safe from squirrels, chipmunks, mice, marmots, raccoons, and other hungry varmints.

Practice Proper Food Storage

Before you head out, do a little research on the different animals in the area and what safety rules are in order. Are mice an issue? Do campsites come with lockers? Are bear vaults required? Even if you’re not in bear country, a hard-sided bear canister can keep your food protected from sneaky rodents. If you don’t want to carry the extra weight, Ursack or Ratsak bags are another option. These sacks come in different sizes and fabric strengths to keep critters both small and super-size from chomping their way through your backpack.

Stow Other Scented Items

So you stored your food securely, but in the morning you find a tunnel of destruction through your toiletry bag. It’s probably because the little dudes wanted to investigate your lavender lip balm. “Animals have a much stronger sense of smell than us and will be able to pick up on traces of old food or fragrances,” Rodriguez says. If you want to keep the buggers entirely away from your pack, consider setting aside other scented items with your food like you do in bear country.

String Up Your Pack—or Sleep with It

Tying up food and toiletries in a tree is the age-old method of keeping your stuff out of reach of animals. But bear in mind: squirrels and raccoons know how to tightrope. Though we recommend against sleeping with your food in places where bears are known to roam, in areas where the big guys aren’t an issue you could sleep with your pack inside the tent to ensure little critters stay out. “There’s no perfect way to keep animals out of your gear in the backcountry, but it’s important to always try your best,” Rodriguez says.

Lastly, Leave No Trace

Once a squirrel gets a taste of GORP, they’ll only want more. It should go without saying that you shouldn’t actively feed wildlife human food, but it’s also good practice to pack out the wrappers, trash, scraps, and crumbs that attract them in the first place.