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Old 10-06-2018, 03:54 PM   #61
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Name: Kathleen (Kai: ai as in wait)
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Glenn Baglo: good point. I wonder whether bear spray or wasp spray would be the most discouraging to someone trying to harm a person?

I'm not sure a single person/woman is more vulnerable to the rare bear or the rare mugger in a rare campground encounter?

I think mace and a baseball bat would be good.

Oh, and a loud whistle. In fact, has anyone mentioned...

...a LOUD WHISTLE? Our state tells us to have one in our emergency kits...you can wear it around your neck for fast access.

Good luck!

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Old 10-06-2018, 04:05 PM   #62
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Are you going to carry a can of bear or wasp spray around with you?
I was fishing on the Crowsnest River and another fisher came near and shouted, "did you see that bear"? I had not. It had walked past, a few feet behind me and was now about a hundred feet away. My bag with my lunch, beer and bear spray was about half way between me and the huge cinnamon bear.

Just glad I didn't hook him on my back cast.
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Old 10-06-2018, 04:09 PM   #63
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Slowpat do not use a whistle

Bears go for Marmonts all the time and their whistle is loud only making the bears want them more, use a bell to keep bears away from you, I have bells attached to me when I'm walking around in bear country and have never yet been bothered by them. They hear me coming and move away so I never see them. We lived in Grizzly country for a few years where they came into the yard at times for different products growing around our property that we thought were just weeds but the Bears loved the stuff, so in the end we just left it for them and got some neat pictures.
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Old 10-07-2018, 05:59 AM   #64
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I was thinking of the whistle for a mugger, not a bear. As I get older, my ability to shriek loudly is diminishing.

Again, question of safety of a single woman camping alone. Though I always wonder if an attacker would grab the whistle cord and use it to strangle you. But it would summon attention--if there was any to be had. Boondocking--not as many neighbors, good or bad.

Carrying cans of spray...that's the question, isn't it? And will it just make them angry?

Glenn, if you'd hooked a bear on the back cast, talk about a tussle landing it!

Good topic. Interesting questions and answers.

Paul thought the wasp spray idea was "interesting" but didn't lift a finger to tuck one into the travel toolbox. Apparently he, too, thinks like others here--not much use against a bear or a human attacker.

I like the ideas that one is safer in the campground than on the roads, safer camping than at the mall, probably safer camping, even, than at home.


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Old 10-07-2018, 07:35 AM   #65
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Very helpful

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce H View Post
People who own RVs and camp are a mostly a pretty tame crowd. The exception being those who's primary reason for going camping is drinking.


State and national park campgrounds and forest service campgrounds are great and are usually reasonably priced. Many offer season passes or discounts for seniors. As soon as you are old enough, get a lifetime national parks senior pass. That gets you and everyone in your vehicle free entry and half price camp sites. (and national park rangers won't put up with too much crap from unruly intoxicated campers)

.

Avoid stopping or sleeping at night in highway rest areas along interstates. Also avoid camping in and around big cities unless it is in a campground with tightly controlled access or you are surrounded by other RVers. Smaller towns are not so bad. If you are just traveling through and need to sleep for a night you can usually find a place to park on the front lot of major truck stops, TA, Pilot, Flying J etc. By the front lot I mean the lot with the gasoline pumps for cars and RVs, not the back lot where the big trucks park. It is not the most blissful setting but they are well lit and you can pull your shades and sleep and it is very unlikely that anyone would try to break in on you.



Aside from safety, managing your water and power will be your biggest issues. If you are in a campground with full hookups, no problems (except they cost more money). If you don't have hookups you have to conserve carefully. One nice long hot shower would deplete your freshwater supply and fill up your waste tank. Most campgrounds without full hookups will at least have a dump station for your waste tanks. Learn how to check the internet to find dump sites near where you are. You do not want those waste tanks full.



With regard to the power, you really need some kind of external power in hot or cold weather. The interiors of RVs heat up just like any other vehicle. If you want to be able to sleep in hot weather you need an air conditioner. And air conditioners will not run on batteries, you must have access to a plug in or a generator. In cold weather you will have the propane furnace. It will work great until the battery is depleted (usually about 3:00 am). Furnace fans draw down batteries quickly. If you are plugged in you can run a small electric heater and leave the furnace off. As an aside, it is a good idea to carry a good cold weather sleeping bag that is rated for below zero temps. If you ever need it you will be glad you have it.


Read up on the topic of generators. There are a limited number that have enough power to run an air conditioner yet are still light weight enough to lift in and out of your vehicle. You will constantly be lifting it in and out of your vehicle. You CAN NOT run a generator in a vehicle, except in the open bed of a truck. And especially you CAN NOT run one in the rain. Do not leave one outside getting soaked with rain even when it is not running. Also when a generator is sitting outside your camper on the ground (or in an open truck bed) it needs to be secured to the vehicle with a cable lock or chain with a lock so a thief could not just grab it and run. That applies even if you are in the camper and especially if you are away from the camp site.




Learn how to check gasbuddy for fuel prices and to plan your fuel stops ahead of time.

I would describe this response as very helpfull. Thank you
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Old 10-07-2018, 08:35 AM   #66
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This thread reminds me of brief but amusing conversation we had almost 2 years ago while staying at Rio Grande Village Campground in Big Bend National Park. Important to point out that the nearest town with a well stocked grocery store is 120 miles. Its a very remote, sparsely populated area bordered by huge cattle ranches covering hundreds of square miles.

We were doing a late morning walk around the campground and passed a gentleman sitting outside his Scamp 13. He remarked that camping here he could just sit there all day and didn't have to worry about being mugged, shot, blown up, etc.
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Old 10-07-2018, 08:56 AM   #67
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Agree. This thread is exaggerating the "DANGER". Really exaggerating it.

I am retired after working in the woods, much of the time alone, and only had two encounters with people that made me nervous. Nothing happened except I wanted to stomp on one guy with my calks. I didn't, but his attitude really riled me.

I usually only saw flashes of bear butts. There were two encounters when the bears took a while to run. A scarier moment was walking through tall brush and waking up a napping elk cow. Thought I might get trampled that time.

I did use my "Safety First" whistle to scare a bear. We were not in marmot country. I think one bear was deaf and near sighted though. The whistle, which I still carry, is so loud that my ears ring after blowing it.

I had no gun, other than a tree marking gun, and carried no bear spray. There were annoying people, and I got tired of the phrase, "Aren't you afraid to be out here all alone?"

My biggest fear while camping is hearing the dog getting ready to throw up during the night--happened once. Or other dog related things that require getting out of my warm bed to take care of. Or, and this is horribly scary, running out of good books to read! I carry spares.
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Old 10-07-2018, 09:00 AM   #68
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I think staying at home is more risky than camping. Now over nightingale at Walmart can be sketchy, depends on location.
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Old 10-08-2018, 07:09 PM   #69
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Ask the Police or Sheriff

I needed to stop overnight and all I could find was a small town off the interstate. I called the police non-emergency number and asked if I could park anywhere with my camper. A friendly voice directed me to the chamber of commerce parking lot and asked for my plate number so the cop cruising overnight would watch out for me. I felt very safe and welcome!
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Old 10-11-2018, 07:20 PM   #70
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I installed a Schlage stainless steel residential long-throw deadbolt in my Burro door. The original door latch doesn't give one a sense of security - it could be popped with a screwdriver, as could most RV door latch locks.

Now I sleep soundly - no way someone could get in without a crowbar to bust open the door.

I thought I took pix but can't find them...the Burro door thickness was comparable to a house door, and the deadbolt fits door thicknesses between 1 1/4" to 2 1/8". I used an optional stainless backer plate on both sides for extra strength. It looks great and substantial. The entire thing cost me maybe $80, including a hole saw for boring the correct size.

I'll try to take pix this weekend and post them. Here's a photo of the type I used.http://https://www.schlage.com/en/ho...B60CENFFF.html
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Old 12-13-2018, 06:35 PM   #71
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Chef on a bike... By any chance did he have a sidecar with a dog wearing motorcycle goggles?
Just curious...
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Old 12-14-2018, 12:30 PM   #72
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Bears go for Marmonts all the time and their whistle is loud only making the bears want them more, use a bell to keep bears away from you, I have bells attached to me when I'm walking around in bear country and have never yet been bothered by them. They hear me coming and move away so I never see them. We lived in Grizzly country for a few years where they came into the yard at times for different products growing around our property that we thought were just weeds but the Bears loved the stuff, so in the end we just left it for them and got some neat pictures.
stude
The trick with the bells is well known and in fact it is one of the clues that professional trackers use to determine if they are seeing poop from a black bear or a grizzly. The grizzly poop is usually a lot bigger and has lots of little bells in it.
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Old 12-15-2018, 01:08 AM   #73
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Chef on a bike... By any chance did he have a sidecar with a dog wearing motorcycle goggles?
Just curious...
oooh, if that bike-with-sidecar was a BMW, ahh, I think I've met him a few times at motorcycle ride-n-camps, heh. I used to ride my BMW quite a lot around the west coast, although I never ventured much farther east than Nevada or Arizona...

Man, I'm not remembering the name (this was about 10 years ago), but he was a celebrity caterer, but got sick of that all and went on the road pretty much full time. his dog was a brindle pit. we bought a bunch of basic groceries and provided him with some extra cooking gear (cribbed from our various travel kits) and he threw together an awesome meal for about 20 of us

ahhh, googled a few keywords, and bingo, Ara and Spirit (his dog), The Oasis Of My Soul » Ara and Spirit: Life Under the Stars
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Old 12-15-2018, 03:17 AM   #74
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The grizzly poop is usually a lot bigger and has lots of little bells in it.
John, being I live in coyote and snake country you had me going....until the last line .
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Old 12-15-2018, 04:05 AM   #75
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around these parts i'm more afraid of mountain lions than bears.

this is right behind my bedroom, just outside our back fence. the fence he jumps at the end is 6' tall.

https://youtu.be/1IryUGoFKBU
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Old 12-15-2018, 12:26 PM   #76
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This has become a discussion about being "on the menu".
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Old 12-15-2018, 01:23 PM   #77
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
around these parts i'm more afraid of mountain lions than bears.

this is right behind my bedroom, just outside our back fence. the fence he jumps at the end is 6' tall.

https://youtu.be/1IryUGoFKBU
John,

I noticed that cat is tagged and looks like it has a transmitter. Do they leave some of them alone that seem to pose no threat? Around here we have a lot of bears and they can show up on the trails, or in the yard in front of the house. Some are just "neighbors" and some become a nuisance and must be re-located. Seems like it would be tricky to trust a cat and predict it was safe to have in the area.
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Old 12-15-2018, 01:48 PM   #78
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John,

I noticed that cat is tagged and looks like it has a transmitter. Do they leave some of them alone that seem to pose no threat? Around here we have a lot of bears and they can show up on the trails, or in the yard in front of the house. Some are just "neighbors" and some become a nuisance and must be re-located. Seems like it would be tricky to trust a cat and predict it was safe to have in the area.
The Santa Cruz Puma Project tags them and tracks them in the area. its amazing how far they range. the one in my vid was a young male, about 88 lbs, and was tagged between my first sighting and 2nd, jumped the fence in that same spot a couple times, trying to get to our goats. after a few weeks, he wandered off to a different part of the county and we never saw him again. the trackers stay on around 6 months then drop off. You can follow his meanderings on this, Puma Tracker | Santa Cruz Puma Project select '77M' on the right, then move the slider along the top
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Old 12-17-2018, 01:07 PM   #79
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Yup, thats Ara. Spirit was the pup's name.
Really cool guy. Taught me how to roast coffee.
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Old 03-03-2019, 07:23 PM   #80
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I believe it is safe, but you should always practice caution. Make sure you have the best lock system in place to keep yourself safe and it never hurts to carry some type of protection, at least pepper spray. This site helped us choose the lock for our RV and I feel much safer being alone when my husband runs errands or goes fishing.

https://campingmoz.com/best-rv-door-lock/
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