Date:         Wed, 18 Aug 2004 18:53:53 -0700
Reply-To:     Leon <korkwood@WSHOST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Leon <korkwood@WSHOST.NET>
Subject:      Re: bears burgling for food?
In-Reply-To:  <fc71b1a9040817234266eac141@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-15

This topic generated lots of mail including one almost suggesting that
we all take shotguns and kill "bad" bears...We should never forget that
WE are the visitors in Bear Country
having frequently camped in Sierras the problems are usualy limited to
places with high concentration of visitors like Yosemite and Sequoia NP
etc. I spend more time in much less visited (but just as beautiful to me)
places and bears are wild there, never bothering people.
Needless to say i never store food outside and insist that others camping
nearby(it takes some persuasion sometimes)not to leave their food outside.
Some people will absolutely not put food inside their fancy expensive SUV
thinking bear will open it like a can. Like in Yosemite.
Alternative? they keep food inside their tent thinking their vehicle is
more valuable than they are!Or simply outside of tent inviting bear for
dinner.
When there aren't any lockers to put food in, the only realistic method of
storing food is inside Vanagon.In coolers and closed boxes.It has to be
closed and sealed so that odors are kept minimal. Most bears accustomed to
human food are opportunists and will take only the the most accessible
food.
When backpacking the only way to keep your food for yourself is bearproof
containers.In fact they are required on most popular Sierra trails.
Leon
85 Subwagen



On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 23:42:53 -0700, alan sinclair <anadem@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> In places that have bears, warning signs say not to keep any food in
> the car, with photos of vehicles which have been "can-opened" by
> bears.
>
> How do list members handle this problem?  How do we keep bears out of
> our '81 westie bedroom?  It wouldn't be fun to wake to a burgling
> bear, nor to have a door pulled off.
>
> thanks for any advice
> Alan
> (off to the Sierras in a day or two, and hoping to keep food on-board)
>



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