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I worked in yellowstone national park for a while, and learned about backcountry living out there (camped at least 3 weekends a month while I was there). Now that I live in civilization again, my friends get mad at me about camping. I really don't consider it camping if you are in a campground at all...and driving to pitch a tent? That is as bad as an RV in my mind!
I use a hammock, string a tarp out over it, and sleep great. There is a dry spot under the hammock where you can sit/cook, and the hammock is almost more comfortable than my bed back home. I have a hard time camping anywhere I don't have to find a stream to get water, but then again, old habits die hard. There is something very satisfying about hiking into the woods and knowing you are sleeping 20 miles from the nearest road.
How do you keep black bear and mountain lions out of a tent? Isn't a camper/rv much safer to sleep in?
People think so but i've seen a bear tear a door off a car so really it's all in a persons mind, I've slept in tents with bears walking around the camp site, no big deal. Bears that hang around camp grounds are looking for ice chests and food left out, I would rather be in a tent with no food smell than a RV filled with food.
How do you keep black bear and mountain lions out of a tent? Isn't a camper/rv much safer to sleep in?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roaddog
People think so but i've seen a bear tear a door off a car so really it's all in a persons mind, I've slept in tents with bears walking around the camp site, no big deal. Bears that hang around camp grounds are looking for ice chests and food left out, I would rather be in a tent with no food smell than a RV filled with food.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hnsq
If a bear wants to attack you, it will attack you. An RV door won't do much to stop a 600 lb bear.
The national parks certainly think a hard-sided camper is safer in bear country, as there are campgrounds that will only allow hard-sided campers.
I'm wondering if the bear you saw, Roaddog, was a black bear or a grizzly/brown bear. Not many blacks will grow to 600 pounds, and there aren't too many places in the U.S. where grizzlies or browns are a problem.
I think people who camp where bears are our usually pretty careful not to have their tent smelling like food but when it comes right down to it, if a bear is hungry enough, we smell like food to them.
The national parks certainly think a hard-sided camper is safer in bear country, as there are campgrounds that will only allow hard-sided campers.
I'm wondering if the bear you saw, Roaddog, was a black bear or a grizzly/brown bear. Not many blacks will grow to 600 pounds, and there aren't too many places in the U.S. where grizzlies or browns are a problem.
We camp in the Cibola NF, and, the rangers post signs for people to be bear aware.
We've always kept our refrigerables inside of a small fridge which is run off of our van battery with a power inverter. We use tupperware to keep other perishable items stored, and we use those heavy duty freezer bags for food storage too.
We either burn the rubbish parts, and leave no food scraps anywhere. Disposing of cans while camped is always a problem. Other than putting our trash in a rubbish sack and tying it tightly, does anyone have any suggestions of how to handle trash? I know animals have a keener sense of smell than people do. Sometimes when we have fire restrictions, we can't burn our stuff. When we leave, we always pack our garbage out.
I won't say I am afraid of bears, I do respect them. We know to make noise and wave arms, etc.., to ward off a bear. I would say my greatest fears are of mountain lions, and we have some in New Mexico.
The national parks certainly think a hard-sided camper is safer in bear country, as there are campgrounds that will only allow hard-sided campers.
I'm wondering if the bear you saw, Roaddog, was a black bear or a grizzly/brown bear. Not many blacks will grow to 600 pounds, and there aren't too many places in the U.S. where grizzlies or browns are a problem.
I don't really know what kind of bears are around here, sure not grizzlies, black bear brown bear I don't know but they know what an ice chest is for sure, if they see it in your car their going to get it, no door will stop them, I saw one peel a door off a motorhome where the guy had some sweets stored, from time to time they come in and trap a few that are causing problems and about 10 years ago they had to kill a couple of young bears who were coming into camp and grabbing peoples dogs for dinner, the ranger said their mother had probably been killed during bear season, bears are the theme of a place we camp named Balch park, they even had one named Browny, it would come out in the evening and take your fish right out of the pond stringer and all
We have camped in tents there many times, my wife doesn't care for it but I've heard bears walking around the tent checking things out many times.
The only time one scared me was when I was alone at night sitting by the fire, I kept hearing things behind me but couldn't see anything, a car came up the hill and his lights lit up the camp just as I heard a noise, I turned around and there was a bear looking me right in the eyes, I jumped up and ran and so did he or she, some other campers seen it and were freaked out.
I started out tent camping and always loved it. However it is true that it is much more of a challenge especially in areas with unpredictable weather (ie the Northeast). Spending an entire weekend in pouring rain in a tent is almost the very definition of misery. This isn't so bad when you have a lot of free time and can just try, try again the next weekend for better weather; but a lot of us have very rigid job schedules and our vacation time can only be arranged far in advance.
I now camp with a small popup trailer, which is not as expensive and ostentatious as an RV but also a lot drier than a tent.
I do think it's ridiculous not to allow tents in RV parks, though. Apparently they are trying to keep out "the riff raff" that way? Whatever.
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