I'm getting ready to take my Niagara into bear country (Wyoming). I will be boondocking (no campgrounds) in isolated areas. I'm familiar with the basics about how to keep bears at bay; however, I would appreciate input from anyone with experience (not many bears where I come from in the desert). Repellants, bear boxes, tying everything(?) up into a tree, food/toiletries in TV or not, other tips, etc...
Lock your food in your tow vehicle at night and when you're away from camp. That goes for smellables (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo etc.) as well.
If possible, cook and eat outside of your tent trailer. Always keep a clean campsite, especially when you retire at night.
When I hike in bear country I make a lot of noise - talk, sing clap my hands - basically I want to let the bears know I'm coming. The worst scenario would be to surprise a bear at close range.
If I'm hiking into grizzly bear country I carry bear spray and make sure everyone in my party does.
We avoid cooking things like hamburgers or bacon. But just as importantly, bears are attacted to the smell of fresh veggies. (We had one break into our cabin to get them.) In some ways, boondocking away from established CG's is better, as bears have learned that CG's are a place to get food. They can usually find at least one camper that has left their food in an accessible location so they return there often.
With respect to putting food in the tow vehicle, I thought Bears broke into cars and trucks at will?
That is a learned behavior, and a real problem in some regions like Yosemite. It's much less common where you're going.
In any case your only alternative (as you won't have access to a bear box) would be to hang all that stuff up in a tree, a not insignificant job if you're going to do it correctly.
I know all this sounds scary, but if you follow the rules and use common sense you really are quite safe.
I've been camping in or near Yellowstone every year since 1982 and have never had a problem. Literally millions of other campers have done so too.
Ron
p.s I carry Counter-Assault bear spray.
* This post was
edited 05/02/08 12:45pm by Eurocamper *
I still find the best advice given to me on this subject is to call the closest ranger station to the area you will be in, and ask thier advice. They tend to know the area best and have the most recent info on activity of the bears.
Some years back, our extended family spent a week at a guest ("dude") ranch next to the Absaroka NF, on the east side of Yellowstone. One of the highlights of the week was an overnight in the NF wilderness area, where the ranch had established a backcountry camp. We rode 5 hours to get there (one way). The camp was pretty comfortable, with several sleeping tents, a big tarp-sheltered outdoor kitchen, and an interesting storage area which consisted of a platform built about 12-15' up in between 4 large trees, and covered with a tarp. We packed food in on pack horses, but sleeping bags, cooking utensils & pots, etc. were kept on this platform. The most interesting thing about the platform was that the 4 tree trunks forming the corner posts of it were sheathed in metal, from about 5' off the ground up to the bottom of the platform. That was to keep the bears from climbing up & getting into the stuff. And that was with no food stored there, just washed cooking equipment. When we bedded down at night, they told us not to have any food in our tents with us. Not sure if we had toothpaste with us - probably - but if it had been mentioned, it would have gone up on the platform overnight too.
All that said, Kevin's advice is definitely the most appropriate.
In my ten years as a Back Country Ranger I have encountered several bears and the action you take to reduce risk is always tested. I have never had a bear in camp but also never fail to take the appropriate precautions to prevent that type of an encounter.
This material was taken out of the USFS back country manual:
"Messy kitchens and food odors attract bears. A conscientious low-impact camper always keeps a clean camp. Kitchens should be placed at least 200 feet (80 adult paces) from tent sites. Food must be stored at least 200 feet from tent and kitchen sites, hung at least 12 feet off the ground between trees, 6 feet away from the trunk of the trees, and 6 feet below a limb. All food items and trash must be hung to keep them away from bears and other wildlife. Food brought to your tent invites danger to your sleeping area."
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