Camping with a soft top jeep in bear country

I had a CJ-7 with a soft top back in the last century. I remember leaving it at a trailhead and backpacking for 3 days in Colorado. When we got back, we discovered that a rodent of some sort took a liking to a bag of trail mix that old what's-her-name number 1 left behind. It was a mess, but it could have been worse - like driving through the northeast corner of New Mexico on our way home (same trip), and getting pelted by a hail storm. That did to the top what a bear might have done.

Peg Leg wrote:
" they could even use the hood and top of the cab for a ladder to get in".

I read a story not too long ago that a bear climbed up on a hard side TC and stuck his paw down thru the vent over the bunk at night and was trying to fish out the occupants. Sure wish I'd of saved that!!

If a bear wants in to your Jeep you'll probably sustain less damage being a soft top rather than tearing a door off a hard top!!! :B

I camp in bear country a lot. Never had a problem. Well, back in '57 a mad Grizzly (a Yellowstone Ranger had just hit him with a cattle prod from tearing up the next camp) ran over me in my sleeping bag. Never touched me but Mom and Dad made me move into the tent. Really? Like that canvas is bear proof?

Besides practicing all the bear country rules I have an old beat up cheapie BBQ I leave set up after dinner and a good ways from the camper. Hopefully if an ornery, unafraid bear comes around he will start with it. The noise would wake me and I could get prepared rather than laying there snoring!!! I call it my sacrificial BBQ!!

People afread of bears shouldn't visit bear country.

Everyone was worried about me and the miss'ss going to Alaska with a popup TC. "The bears will tear right through that canvas". I told them they could even use the hood and top of the cab for a ladder to get in.

We called our camper Nabisco due to it's cracker box size and the fact that it contained canned people.

Jbrowland wrote:

I would not recommend firing a 44 at a bear in a NP unless you like prison.

There's a saying in Texas "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6". My rule of thumb with bears is to never get anywhere close to them. But if it was my life or their's.....

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

dmatt wrote:
One thing not mentioned here is coolers/ice chests, etc. DO NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE VEHICLE, EVEN IF EMPTY. In campgrounds, Nat'l Parks, etc., the bear know exactly what a cooler is and what's inside....food!

Actually 2Gypsies said "Just don't stash your cooler in there where it can be seen. A cooler = food and they know it." and I "2X"ed her.;)

The part about coolers was briefly edited out (hacked) by a bear "imposter" - posing as a....MODERATOR !!

"Smart" bears have joined the digital era - some are very proficient using laptops or tablets - even trying to place "go" orders from pizza delivery.

Once they first go online - they receive hacking training from their Chinese and Russian kinfolk via internet sites.

Duuuuuude - Don't be a victim!
Be sure to verify your firewall or anti-virus has the..... "Bear Necessities".

~

I bet if Safeway had delivery service back in the day, Yogi would have been using Ranger Smith's credit card and skipping the entire pick-a-nic basket stealing thing.

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

dmatt wrote:
One thing not mentioned here is coolers/ice chests, etc. DO NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE VEHICLE, EVEN IF EMPTY. In campgrounds, Nat'l Parks, etc., the bear know exactly what a cooler is and what's inside....food!

Actually 2Gypsies said "Just don't stash your cooler in there where it can be seen. A cooler = food and they know it." and I "2X"ed her.;)

The part about coolers was briefly edited out (hacked) by a bear "imposter" - posing as a....MODERATOR !!

"Smart" bears have joined the digital era - some are very proficient using laptops or tablets - even trying to place "go" orders from pizza delivery.

Once they first go online - they receive hacking training from their Chinese and Russian kinfolk via internet sites.

Duuuuuude - Don't be a victim!
Be sure to verify your firewall or anti-virus has the..... "Bear Necessities".

~

Now THAT S funny right there!

toedtoes wrote:

dmatt wrote:
One thing not mentioned here is coolers/ice chests, etc. DO NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE VEHICLE, EVEN IF EMPTY. In campgrounds, Nat'l Parks, etc., the bear know exactly what a cooler is and what's inside....food!

Actually 2Gypsies said "Just don't stash your cooler in there where it can be seen. A cooler = food and they know it." and I "2X"ed her.;)

The part about coolers was briefly edited out (hacked) by a bear "imposter" - posing as a....MODERATOR !!

"Smart" bears have joined the digital era - some are very proficient using laptops or tablets - even trying to place "go" orders from pizza delivery.

Once they first go online - they receive hacking training from their Chinese and Russian kinfolk via internet sites.

Duuuuuude - Don't be a victim!
Be sure to verify your firewall or anti-virus has the..... "Bear Necessities".

~

dmatt wrote:
One thing not mentioned here is coolers/ice chests, etc. DO NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE VEHICLE, EVEN IF EMPTY. In campgrounds, Nat'l Parks, etc., the bear know exactly what a cooler is and what's inside....food!

Actually 2Gypsies said "Just don't stash your cooler in there where it can be seen. A cooler = food and they know it." and I "2X"ed her.;)