When bushwalking in Australia, you are moving through wildlife habitat, not the other way around. Preventing animals from accessing your pack and tent is a critical part of responsible overnight hiking. It protects wildlife from becoming food-conditioned, reduces the risk of dangerous encounters, and helps keep your food, shelter, and gear intact during a trip.
Keeping wildlife out of your pack and tent is not just about convenience. It is about safety, environmental responsibility, and ensuring that animals remain wild.
Why keeping wildlife out of camp matters
Animals that gain access to human food quickly change their behaviour. Even small species can become persistent, destructive, or aggressive once they learn that packs and tents are potential food sources.
In Australia, this most commonly involves rodents, possums, birds, goannas, wallabies, and dingoes. These animals are highly adaptable. Once food-conditioning occurs, the outcome is rarely positive. Animals may be injured, relocated, or destroyed, and campsites may be closed due to ongoing problems.
Preventing wildlife access is one of the most effective ways to protect both animals and future walkers.
Packs and tents are both targets
Wildlife does not distinguish between a backpack and a tent. Both absorb food smells, sweat, sunscreen, toothpaste, and cooking residue. In many popular Australian walking areas, bush rats and mice are capable of chewing through a pack pocket or tent floor in minutes if they detect food. Birds such as currawongs and ravens, particularly along heavily used tracks like the Overland Track or in places such as Wilsons Promontory, have learned to unzip packs and tents.
If food is inside it, animals will try to get in.
Store food and scented items deliberately
All food, rubbish, and scented items should be treated the same way. This includes meals, snacks, wrappers, cookware, toiletries, sunscreen, insect repellent, lip balm, and toothpaste. Never leave food or rubbish unattended, even briefly. Where animal-resistant containers or hard-sided storage lockers are provided, such as at many established Great Walk campsites, use them. These systems exist because food-related wildlife problems have already occurred.
At camp, avoid storing food inside your tent wherever possible. Food should be secured away from sleeping areas to reduce the risk of animals investigating your shelter overnight.
Food handling is where most problems start
Most wildlife issues begin during food preparation, not storage. Cook and eat in a defined area away from your sleeping setup. Collect all scraps while cooking and eating, and pack food away immediately when finished. Even small crumbs or spills can attract animals.
A campsite should not smell like food once cooking is finished.
Keep packs and tents clean
Packs and tents absorb odours over time. Food residue, spilled drinks, and greasy hands all increase the likelihood of wildlife investigating your gear. Before and after trips, shake out packs, check pockets, and clean off food residue. At camp, avoid placing packs on cooking surfaces or food prep areas. Never store food inside your tent as a matter of convenience.
Secure gear during breaks and overnight
Wildlife encounters often occur during short breaks or while you are asleep. During rest stops, keep packs closed and within sight. At camp, ensure all zippers and closures on both packs and tents are fully secured. In areas known for bird activity, consider clipping zipper pulls together with a small carabiner or short cord to prevent animals from opening them.
If you would not leave food unattended at home, do not leave it unattended in the bush.
Pack hanging and food storage in Australia
Food hanging systems are common in some parts of the world, but they are not always effective in Australia. Possums and rodents are excellent climbers and can often reach suspended food bags. In some areas, hanging food may offer limited benefit or create new problems if done incorrectly. Always follow local park guidance on recommended storage methods.
Where hard-sided storage lockers or canisters are recommended, they are usually the most reliable option.
Understand local wildlife risks
Different environments present different risks. Before your trip, research the wildlife commonly encountered in the area and how it behaves around food. In dingo-populated areas such as K’gari, food should never be stored inside tents. In these environments, the risk shifts from gear damage to personal safety.
Your food storage strategy should change with location, not habit.
Leave No Trace and wildlife protection
Preventing wildlife from accessing food is a core part of Leave No Trace ethics. Feeding wildlife, intentionally or unintentionally, disrupts natural foraging behaviour and damages ecosystems. Campsites where animals associate people with food often remain problematic long after a single group has moved on. Responsible food and gear management protects wildlife, preserves campsites, and helps ensure continued access for bushwalkers. Learn more about the importance of not interfering with Australian wildlife here.
In summary
Keeping wildlife out of your pack and tent is about deliberate behaviour, not specialised equipment. Store food and scented items carefully, manage food handling at camp, keep packs and tents clean, and secure gear whenever it is unattended. These simple practices protect wildlife, reduce risk to walkers, and help ensure animals remain wild.
