Fwc Food Storage And Cooking In Bear Country

[rich]

Hi Guys,

Last weekend my wife and I took the camper to bear territory for the first time over at the devil's post pile. Only black bear territory so not a big deal. I've been traveling in the mountains a long time and have been sleeping with my food (outside, not in tent) rather than bear hanging and never in over 12 years in the mountains had a bear problem. With the addition of my wife came using a tent so I started having to bear hang. With the FWC we were in a campground with bear boxes so we put all the dry food in there but were not sure what to do with the food in our built in ice box. I talked to a ranger that said while you are day hiking leave it in there but put the top down figuring that the hard sides would be a deterent, even though we have all seen videos of them ripping the doors off a honda civic for a snickers bar. I even had a bear break into our van to eat a tub of snow sealer for boots once. At any rate, I'm wondering what you all do in bear country.

Also we cook inside and it seemed to me that after filling the camper with the lovely smell of bacon it wouldn't really matter what was in the ice box, but just a thought. This upcoming summer we plan to drive to Alaska, which will put us in grizzly country where you are supposed to eat, sleep and crap in a triangle with each site at least 100 yards from the other. I'm wondering if people do the same with their FWC's and cook outside away from the camper in Griz country and store all food out in bear canisers away from the camper.

I'd love to hear your experiences with your campers in bear country,

Thanks guys

 

[Steve Scearce]

I was just having this conversation with my neighbor. I too would like to hear others' strategies in griz country.

 

[CJinCA]

...........Also we cook inside and it seemed to me that after filling the camper with the lovely smell of bacon it wouldn't really matter what was in the ice box, but just a thought. This upcoming summer we plan to drive to Alaska, which will put us in grizzly country where you are supposed to eat, sleep and crap in a triangle with each site at least 100 yards from the other. I'm wondering if people do the same with their FWC's and cook outside away from the camper in Griz country and store all food out in bear canisers away from the camper.




Pre Fourwheel camper days…..

Four trips up the Alcan to Alaska interior and above the Arctic Circle, though none more recent than about 1988. Longest trip was 35+ days. I either tent camped or slept in the back of a truck camper shell.

I never had a bad bear encounter. Actually I only saw a few blacks along the way and one Brown/Grizzly. The Brown couldn’t get away from me fast enough when crossing the road. I left my food packed in the truck and camper shell and slept with a large rifle next to me. I felt safe.

I only camped twice that I recall in established campgrounds during those four trips. And back then I don’t remember any bear boxes anywhere. All the other overnight stays were in the boonies – not a soul around for miles. Obviously a big part of the bear problem is habituation. Truly wild bears generally want nothing to do with Man.

The only food related wildlife encounters I had up North was when eating breakfast outside. You can’t turn your back on the Grey Jays as they’ll steal anything they can right off your plate in the blink of the eye. Smart birds – and bold too. I didn’t really begrudge them tidbits leftover on my plate, just let me have first dibs.

Oh, and depending on time of year, the mosquitoes can be murder. I fear them more than bears. Don’t forget to pack lots of DEET repellant.

I would save frying really aromatic (smelly) foods like bacon or fresh caught fish for an outside stove, if for no other reason than in a little unit like a FWC, that smell permeates everything inside the camper. I hate it when everything stinks of a strong food odor, e.g. bedding, clothes, couch, etc. And no sense in tempting fate with the bruins.

Bottomline – Today I’d lower the camper as suggested. If leaving the camper unattended overnight I’d use bear boxes if available. If I’m in the camper, I’m not worried as one way or another I’m confident I can deter a problem hungry bear.



.

 

[chnlisle]

OK I'm buying a Marlin 1895.

 

[5 Speed]

We spent two months in Alaska and drove every road. On one drive as the snow was leaving an amazing huge brown bear was walking along the road, it was almost as large as the old VW bug that was following it, as I pulled into the other lane and drove around the bear it was evident that a tank couldn't have kept that bear out of wanted inside, I think it could open a truck with a single swing of its paw like we open a beer. It was light most of the time and never really got dark when we were there and when we were north of the Arctic Circle the sun was up for about a month! Didn't see bears where we camped which was anywhere and everywhere, I did wake up one morning outside of Deadhorse where we camped alongside the river on a gravel bar and were surrounded in caribou, an amazing sight and funny that we couldn't find any the few days before and then were surrounded. Saw lots of black bears in Canada on the way up but as soon as they saw us they blazed as fast as they can.

 

[craig333]

I think habituation is the key. I never worry about it unless I'm in a designated campground known for bears.

 

[Skeeter]

Rich,
I just wanted to ring in on this subject because visiting Griz country is so misunderstood. First, the black bears of the Sierra's can be dealt with very easy now with the addition of metal boxes at most car camping spots. I used a portable cooler to place my perisables in and it fit in the bears boxes nicely. Just make sure you use one that is in the shade so your ice doesnt melt as fast. Leaving your camper at the trailhead should be ok as long as it is a busy spot with a lot of people movement. You want to avoid areas where the bears become habitutaed to human food, these bears are not afraid and can be very fearless. So you want to make sure that you keep a clean camp and never leave food accesible. This is extremely inportant in Alaska as well.
Alaska, with metal where food boxes are few and far between. The short story is that you should never cook where you sleep. I stripped out my Ranger II to rid the camper of any food smell. We cook and clean everything outside of the camper and I have a portable fridge/freezer that goes into the cab of the truck when we go to sleep. Depending on how remote and active the bears are, will depend on your level of preperations. Living in your camper/truck means that you have few options where you place your food. If your at busy RV campground, go ahead and leave your food in your camper, if your boodocking in the Wrangells, you may want to use a portable electric fence. They have several models that run off "D" batteries and they are easy and effective. I can sleep easy knowing that nothing is going to get near when we are sleeping. I could go on and on, but If you have any specific questions, plese do not hesitate to ask. -Joel

 

[rich]

Thanks Joel,

That's great info. I've seen the electric fences before and used them on rafting trips in habituated black bear territory, that may be the way to go for peace of mind. When you say you stripped your ranger II you just mean a deep cleaning right. Also did you transfer food from the ice box into the camper into the portable or did you not use the ice box in the cameper at all for the duration of the trip?

 

[Skeeter]

I completely stripped out the inside, gutted it to the floor pack. It had been stored out in Oregon for many years and everything was wet at one time or another. I did not want to sleep over a propane tank, so that went too. I only wanted to have a place to sleep, that would give me a little more protection than a tent would give. I use a coleman cooler. I think it is a 30 quart that fits perfect in the bear box. I wet a towel and cover it before I lock it up. So the only transfer is simply moving the cooler. I bought a ultra efficient stirling powered fridge/freezer that runs on 12 volts to replace the fridge and it makes ice for the cooler on less than 42 watts! So the freezers stays in the camper making ice off the solar panel and 100 amp battery and supplies the cooler with ice. Coleman does not make the stirling cooler anymore, but I found one on Ebay. Hope that helps. -Joel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896718001

 

[rich]

Wow, nice system Joel. A built in ice maker, I've been at hotels that couldn't pull that off.