Bolers and Bears - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-12-2003, 08:35 AM   #1
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Bolers and Bears

I've always tent camped up till now. In tenting days the rules when camping in bear country were always very strict (at least for me).
1. No food in tent.
2. Cook outside, downwind from tent.
3. Keep a clean campsite - no food, coolers etc left out. Food and cooler stored in vehicle.
4. No toiletries kept in tent (toothpaste, deodorant etc.)
5. No clothing used while cooking kept in tent.
...and so on.

Just how safe are these trailers and how do the rules vary from tenting? Is it really safe to store food and toiletries in there?
I had a grizzly bear encounter in a campground in the Rockies (no harm done) years ago, so I am always overly cautious about this topic.
Thanks!



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Old 07-12-2003, 09:13 AM   #2
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like wise

at least you were not up a tree with on PO bear below. I dont like Bears. i keep pretty much the same tent mentalty food in truck under cover ect a while backi asked the same question . Good answers carry a loud boat airhorn to scare away or annoy so he does not want to be around i allso learned that is the one of the steps park rangers used before shooting bean bags at em. and carry bear pepper spray i say bear because it seem so far that us and canandian customs does not have a proplem with pepper spray so long as it is for bears and not dellared for proction from people.
Bear safes are nice but expensive . If a park has ones you can use
use them but carry an old towle or something the ones in upstate ny are rust pitted and act like course sand paper on your cooler
and a nylon gym bag does not stand a chance so something to put under is helpfull.



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Old 07-12-2003, 11:33 AM   #3
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I would think the same rules would apply for your Boler as a tent. Think of how long those claws are and how easily a bear can flip logs. A fiberglass trailer would offer little protection if a bear really wanted to get in. So to be safe when in bear country, which is now just about anywhere, keep all food and toiletries away from your trailer.

Nancy



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Old 07-12-2003, 02:32 PM   #4
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I have no actual experience with bears, but where they have attacked tents in some areas of Yellowstone NP, you are allowed to camp in "hard sides", so someone feels there is some degree of protection.

I did turn my door handle over so if a bear should lean on it, or a 'coon try to climb on it, it will stay closed.

I dunno if food-safe containers will do the trick, unless you never cook in your trailer or even spit your toothpaste into the sink or gray water. The reality is, if a grizzly wants in, it will get in. I believe it was Yosemite where one bear discovered (open window) that white minivans contained food and proceeded to start "opening" only white minivans and had to be destroyed.

Pete in the RatHaus, confident that skunks won't unzip the Scamp because it doesn't have any zippers



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Old 07-12-2003, 06:38 PM   #5
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Bear Neccessities

I looked into this last year. The OFFICIAL rules (at Yosemite I think) is that all food must be kept in your trailer with absolutely NO food in your car (or anything a hungry bear might decide was 'food'). Only fully hard sided trailers permitted. (this was at certain sites only).

Now - I'm no expert, but I would think that if I bear can open a steel car/truck/van, that a fiberglass egg wouldn't be much of a challenge. Course - I also don't understand why a little plywood and aluminum is gonna keep a bear out when steel doesn't...

mkw



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Old 07-13-2003, 08:00 PM   #6
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Thanks everyone. I guess I won't change my camping habits much then. I won't have my LP system ready this year anyway, so cooking will all be done outside. Once the stove is operational, it will just be used for boiling water for tea, cleaning, etc. Cooler will be stored in car as always.

Still wondering though, once I have a fridge or icebox - what are the implications? Should I use it or do I keep using a cooler that can be stored away from the trailer? I do most of my camping in both grizzly and black bear country, or at least pass through those areas on each outing.



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Old 07-13-2003, 08:11 PM   #7
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beverage cooler

:cheers



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Old 07-13-2003, 08:38 PM   #8
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sounds like a pound of prevention....

Interesting........

Here in alaska I don't hesitate to keep food in my scamp, cook, and sleep in it. True, hungry and determined bears have torn holes in a cabin or house just to get inside and broken windows out cars. But that is the exception (ie a dumpster bear) I have never heard of people not keeping food with them in a hard sided camper, even in alaska.

With its smooth shell and lack of hard edges for mr. bear to get a grip on I think the fiberglass scamp type camper would offer excellent bear resistance.

Previously, while camping I slept in the back of my truck, thin aluminum topper, same set up never had an incident. Tent camping I would keep the tent well away from the car and the smelly things with the car.

Of course, in the backcountry bear safety has to be followed strictly.



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Old 07-14-2003, 12:31 PM   #9
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Have you ever heard the phrase:

"Bolers, Kindersuprize for Bears"

:omy

sorry, I probably shouldnt have said that huh?:quiet

I thought it was funny. We only have an icebox in the Boler so it will be mostly for beverages and I prefer to cook on the mini portable propane BBQ outside. Food will be kept in a cooler , but putting it in a Softtop Jeep wont be much help.
:conf

When I was young and went on fishing/camping trips up north. Dad used to suspend the cooler 8' off the ground by slinging a rope over a nearby tree branch. :thumb

Mike



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Old 07-21-2003, 07:44 PM   #10
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After seeing how grizzlys can tear the bark off of trees in large hunks during my Yellowstone trip, I have no doubt htat if they wanted to get into my Burro they could get their claws in the sloppy gap of my door and just tear that door right off.



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Old 08-15-2003, 06:42 AM   #11
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bear facts

We camped in Jasper last year with grizzlies. Common sense and a few rules regarding food. Sealed and locked in a hard case ie; car trunk or car. Not any cooler or even a dog dish should be left outside.

What I did notice however was that NO-ONE stayed out after dark to have a fire!:o

Would I sleep in grizzly country in a tent? No.



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Old 08-15-2003, 10:23 PM   #12
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Unhappy Scamper

One bear said to the other after ripin a Fiberglass trailer open "Crunchy on the outside soft in the center":O



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Old 08-15-2003, 11:40 PM   #13
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:laugh :laugh



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Old 08-16-2003, 06:32 AM   #14
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way way back, years ago, a friend had a metal U-haul trailer torn into so the bear could get to the saddle. So don't carry any thing with horse sweat. drives them crazy with the munchies. She showed me the bears claw marks on her sewing machine which had been in front of the saddle.



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Old 08-20-2003, 09:41 AM   #15
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Back in the mid 80s, shortly after we camped at Lake Louise in Canada ... a grizzley came into a tent and attacked two campers.

I read that Lake Louise campground is having so many bear problems, that they installed an electric fence around the tenting area of the campground this year... For the past two years (2001,2002), they did not allow tent or pop-up campers into the campground ... only hard sided trailers or motorhomes.

http://parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banf...n/plan10a_e.asp

For whatever reason, bears quickly associate tents and pop-up trailers with easy pickings ... yet for the most part, leave hard-sided trailer alone.

However, a couple of years ago, near Fairplay, Co, at a commerical campground, where people rent campsites and store their trailers there year-round ... during the off season, a hungry black bear tore off the door of every trailer in the campground and rummaged around in search of food ... because the bear had once found food in an hardsided trailer.

http://www.dnr.state.co.us/news/press.asp?pressid=2385

The bear was caught and killed because forest service folks thought it could never be "untrained" and could possible teach other bears how to break into trailers.

All in all ... I'm more afraid of a human than I am a bear.



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Old 08-21-2003, 09:07 PM   #16
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Bears

Our neighbour just had his dog mauled by a bear in his front yard.
Made a real mess of dog but he survived after the vet patched him up. Our Sheltie stays in or on the doorstep.
I am always nervous when outside at dark and let the horse have free range on property so they can't get him. Nasty creatures
and we have so many in the area.
Just saw a pretty deer down the road. Hope he isn't bear bait.
Willma



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