Do a PCT bear hang. Or just carry a canister.

If you don’t have a bear box, your two real options are a proper bear hang or a hard-sided bear canister. The canister is easier, the hang is free.

The classic mistake people make is throwing a bag over a branch and calling it done. Black bears will solve that in seconds. Do the PCT method: find a branch at least 12 feet high, 6 feet from the trunk (so a bear can’t climb out and reach it). Tie a rock to a line, get it over the branch, hoist your bag, then tie the line off on another tree so the bag hangs at least 4 feet below the branch. Counterbalance if you have two bags. It’s fiddly and annoying, especially after a long day.

A bear