Date:         Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:19:03 -0800
Reply-To:     Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: camping amidst bears, safety question
Comments: To: Sheilah Rogers <sheilah@SHEILAH.ORG>
In-Reply-To:  <00069931-E49B-4BEC-9510-450358D34FDA@sheilah.org>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Yup, cooking, eating and storing food in the van. No problems. Bears are
supposed to be pretty smart and can figure out how to get in but other
vehicles must be easier cause vans just don't get busted into that I ever
heard of.

mike


On 2/11/11 8:41 AM, "Sheilah Rogers" <sheilah@SHEILAH.ORG> wrote:

> (okay good. i'm not nuts for thinking about this)
>
> so are you guys not only cooking in the van, but also popping the top in bear
> country when you camp?
>
> because unlike an RV, we got some fairly easy access (considering bears are
> climbers), i would think?
>
> s.
>
>
>
> On Feb 11, 2011, at 8:33 AM, pickle vanagon wrote:
>
>>
>> the one time i went, the ranger told us to stow our food in bear containers
>> and to absolutely not leave any food in our tent or car.
>>
>> i looked at him flummoxed.
>>
>> regarding his safety precautions, i sleep "in a kitchen". one that gets
>> cooked in. one that's presumably permeated by food smells, at least from the
>> perspective of a bear's nose.
>>
>>
>>
>> I laughed out loud when I read this.  I've often worried about the same
>> thing---the idea of separating food smells from the van does seem like an
>> absurd goal.  Like Mike, we've camped in bear country and never had problems,
>> but that's no proof that its safe...
>>
>> I guess a relevant question here is what RV owners are supposed to do.
>> They're in the same kind of situation.  Presumably they don't clear out their
>> fridges and put everything in bear containers.  Presumably the bears usually
>> just don't try to enter the vehicles?  That's what I've told myself in the
>> past...