Eagle Enterprises Electro Bear Guard UltraLite Fence
I used to stick my nose up at the thought of using an electric bear fence, but after grizzlies made contact with my tent a few times (including a good ol’ fashion trampling with me in it), I’ve come to the conclusion that bears are lousy tentmates. An electric bear fence can make all the difference in keeping you and your gear intact. In some places in Alaska you’d be crazy to camp without one.
Eagle Enterprises, which specializes in outdoor survival, safety, and rescue gear, offers a variety of custom-made electric fences that can be used to protect your camp, plane, cabin, or other wilderness assets. They’re an old-school Alaskan company. You call them up and discuss the sort of fence you want, then they build it for you. I was stoked to test Eagle Enterprises’ UltraLite fence, which, at two pounds, is designed for backcountry and is the lightest fence I know of. It’s easy to set up, protects an area of 400 square feet, and runs for over 50 hours on two AA batteries. Its collapsible aluminum fence poles are more durable than others I’ve used. The fence pulses 40 times a minute with a max output of 9,500 volts, so it can double as electrotherapy if you get weathered in and start feeling bored and weird.
I spend a significant amount of each year in brown bear country, sometimes wandering, other times guiding wildlife film crews and viewers and, in the fall, hunting. If you’re thinking about buying a bear fence, I recommend checking out Eagle Enterprises and giving them a call.
