Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2007 23:35:31 -0400
Reply-To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: in bear country - food in the van or not?
In-Reply-To: <002001c7d646$d2a0d940$6401a8c0@TOSHIBALAP>
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My lesson was learned the hard way, and i ALWAYS put food in a bear bag up a
tree. Its just that simple. Thats how its supposed to be done. How i
learned? I once left a cliff bar in the bottom of my backpack while
backpacking. Took the pack off for the day, hung it on a low branch while i
slept.....awoke in the night to hear a dramatic rustling and find that i
bear had torn the ENTIRE contents of my pack apart, destroyed pretty much
everything but the clothes on my back and the tent i was in, and eventually
got the Cliff bar. needless to say, the hike out was "interesting" and
people looked at me like they should be calling the news
reporters....clothes all torn and pack tied together with rope.
I once had a chipmunk do the same thing, equal damage....but under the
shining warmth of the sun. It was horrendous.
Do it right, follow what you learned in the boyscouts. Put your food in a
big bag, tie it to a big rope, throw it over a limb that way out from the
tree and way high, and raise it. It works, no one dies, everyone wins.
(except the bears. The idea here is that the bears consistantly loose)
-Craig
'85GL
On 8/3/07, Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
> It depends on where you are, and what the bear situation happens to be at
> the time.
>
> It is well known that in Yosemite, bears know what coolers are about,
> And they can just tear a door or panel right off the side of a car, no
> problem.
>
> So 'it depends' .
> But for 'real' anti-bear practice.....no food in coolers of any kind in
> cars.
> That's what the metal bear boxes are for.
> Scott
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> mike
> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 8:13 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: in bear country - food in the van or not?
>
> I've kept food in the van at Lake Tahoe camping, no problems. Pop top van.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 8/3/07 7:50 PM, "BA" <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM> wrote:
>
> > On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 18:49:05 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >> ... Keeping the
> >> cooler inside in black bear country is essential if food is wanted in
> >> morning.
> >
> > Oooooh!
> >
> > Erm ...
> >
> > We only once camped in bear country, and they provided bear boxes at
> > the campsites. I moved all our "attractive" stuff over to the bear
> > box. I didn't want a bear to decide to breach our canvas pop-top,
> > especially since I was sleeping within a few inches of it.
> >
> > Anyone have any estimate of what's "safe" versus what's "paranoid"?
> > I'd really like to go happily back up into bear country (California's
> > Sierras ... among the most glorious parts of this earth that I've ever
> > seen!!! :-D)
> >
> >
> > (Just becuz yer paranoid duzn't mean they're not out to get ya!!!)
> >
> > B&S
> > '87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
> > SoCal
>
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