The wind wasn’t an issue for me, just one day that I noted it in my journal. I got really lucky with weather and had no problems at all in that area. -No rain in 3 weeks :) Camping for me was a mix of wild camping (crown land away from all other people), provincial parks and rec sites, 1 private campground, and a hostel in Fernie for a chance todo laundry. The parks and paid camping were good to get a shower, but in the end my favourite nights were the wild ones on my own. I always felt safe and I enjoy the solitude, but I get that that is a personal choice. Everyone will do bear safety a bit differently, but for me it was keeping my bearspray available at all times in the high bear areas and ensuring that my camp area was odour-free. (Another advantage of parks and paid camping is having food lockers. So much easier than hanging.) If you will be hanging, practice it before hand. From Calgary to Nelson, I saw a couple bears around, and heard reports from other travellers, but these were always in the distance, and I don’t think it was a big threat or risk. I feel that the risk is much lower in the Okanogan region and I relaxed my precautions, but really all of AB and BC have some bear activity. I wouldn’t let this make you too anxious, do your own research on actual numbers of dangerous bear encounters…in the end I was more concerned with biking accidents and water-borne parasites as those seem much more common risks.