Camping with a soft top jeep in bear country

[concord_05]

Our new to us tow car is a jeep with a soft top. Heading to Colorado for the month of September and will be camping in bear country. Will be doing most of the cooking in our 30 foot motorhome. Except for the obvious of never leaving food in the jeep. (I keep visualizing a forgotten French fry under the seat). Is there anything to deter a bear?

[Jbrowland]

While some if the information given here is in jest, some of it isn't exactly spot on.

Bear rules and laws can change depending on where you are camping. Many mentioned camping in National Parks. Judging from some of the bear comments here, I am guessing some folks didn't participate in the Junior Ranger program at their NP. 😉

I would not recommend firing a 44 at a bear in a NP unless you like prison. I wouldn't even leave a single frie in a soft top jeep as well as toiletries like toothpaste and deodorant. Bears have 10x the sniffer of a blood hound. They can smell through cans. They don't know the difference between beans, taco meat or shampoo. Anything with a scent left in a car or not in a bear box in a NP could potentially cause bear vandalism. I have seen bear damaged cars due to small traces of crumbs left in baby/car seats. The result is usually a bear that has to be destroyed due to campers not following the rules. I have also seen many campers receive a ticket for leaving food in their cars and tents. All that said, you may leave smelly items in your RV with the windows and doors shut.

When campers follow the rules the Bears don't have to get destroyed. Same goes for soft tops. Have a glorious time. Colorado is a beautiful place! Hopefully, you will see many bears and it will be a peaceful and wonderful experience. I was just in King's Canyon a few weeks back and had the pleasure of hiking closely past 7 bears in a few days including tiny cubs. Amazing animals!

[PA12DRVR]

Trackrig wrote:
Had a rag top in Alaska for years, never had anything try to get into it. Just don't store your freshly cooked pot roast in it.

Bill

^^^^ This. The 'ol PA-12 is just a very very expensive soft top Alaska jeep. No fresh fish left in it unattended, no significant cooked food of other sorts.

Have also used No. 1 Son's rag top Wrangler quite a bit....no bear trouble, but no food storage either.

.....and say what you will, but when out in the boonies (i.e. where the bears are wild and not human-acclimated, I mark a decent perimeter around the tent and -12. I think it helps.....

[Boon_Docker]

Bumpyroad wrote:

I usually dump my tasties under a RV at the far end of the campground.
bumpy

RoyB wrote:
Did you all see the trailer photo on here where a bear tore the side off of the trailer to get inside. Was on here about a month ago. Unbelievable what a bear can do if he wants inside...

Roy Ken

BoyB, was that trailer at the far end of the campground? :B

[coolmom42]

coolbreeze01 wrote:
Leave the doors open and no food in the Jeep.

Yep.

[IdaD]

Outside of national parks bears are generally very scared of people. Don't be an idiot about having some smelly food in the Jeep and you'll be fine. A can of bear spray or a 44 would be a good idea, though.

We camped in Idaho for years with a pop up and had no issues. The only bears I've seen in the wild either didn't know I was watching them from a distance or they were beating feet to get away from me once they noticed me.

[Bumpyroad]

Grit dog wrote:


I usually dump the leftover bacon grease from breakfast on a nearby tree, but it hasn't worked yet.......bears show up if they're around and curious but most of the time they don't want to be seen.

I usually dump my tasties under a RV at the far end of the campground.
bumpy

[Grit_dog]

Lol. That French fry will be safe. Just don't leave the whole sack of Mc Ds cheeseburgers in it and the windows down!
Besides how you gonna photograph a bear up close unless you give em a reason to pose for the camera?

I usually dump the leftover bacon grease from breakfast on a nearby tree, but it hasn't worked yet.......bears show up if they're around and curious but most of the time they don't want to be seen.

[toedtoes]

2gypsies wrote:
How strong is your top?:W

Way back when we had a popup pulled by the Ford Mustang convertible we were in Smokey Mtn. Nat'l Park back when you'd see bears all day long - no fear. We got up one morning to see bear tracks across the convertible top. No breakin just a route from A to B.

Same day a bear cruised the campground, found a can out of the trash, leaned its back side against a tree, slide down to a sitting position and just like it was a paper cup - pulled that can apart and started licking the inside.

For the most part, the national parks have removed troublesome bears and gradually they haven't been such a problem as they were many years ago.

OP: There are plenty of Jeepers up in the Colorado mountains with soft tops. We've been on Jeep trails with them and we never heard the problem mentioned. I'm sure we would have around a campfire. I really don't think it's a problem nowadays. Just don't stash your cooler in there where it can be seen. A cooler = food and they know it.

X2

[coolbreeze01]

Leave the doors open and no food in the Jeep.

[2gypsies1]

How strong is your top?:W

Way back when we had a popup pulled by the Ford Mustang convertible we were in Smokey Mtn. Nat'l Park back when you'd see bears all day long - no fear. We got up one morning to see bear tracks across the convertible top. No breakin just a route from A to B.

Same day a bear cruised the campground, found a can out of the trash, leaned its back side against a tree, slide down to a sitting position and just like it was a paper cup - pulled that can apart and started licking the inside.

For the most part, the national parks have removed troublesome bears and gradually they haven't been such a problem as they were many years ago.

OP: There are plenty of Jeepers up in the Colorado mountains with soft tops. We've been on Jeep trails with them and we never heard the problem mentioned. I'm sure we would have around a campfire. I really don't think it's a problem nowadays. Just don't stash your cooler in there where it can be seen. A cooler = food and they know it.

[RoyB]

Did you all see the trailer photo on here where a bear tore the side off of the trailer to get inside. Was on here about a month ago. Unbelievable what a bear can do if he wants inside...

Roy Ken

[Trackrig]

Had a rag top in Alaska for years, never had anything try to get into it. Just don't store your freshly cooked pot roast in it.

Bill

[Muddydogs]

mikebreeze wrote:
Bears usually don't bother a vehicle if there is no food in it. I know that when I tent camp in bear country I 'mark my area' just like animals do. That has worked for me.

Ya right marking your territory is going to work kind of like a snake won't crawl over a rope around your bed roll. Good one.

Dude, don't leave any food in the Jeep and don't worry about it. If a bear happens to get into your Jeep there is nothing you can do about it. I spent more nights than I care to remember in a tent heck I even spent 3 months working in the backcountry of Yellowstone and never had a problem. Keep a clean camp and this is a non issue.

[RoyB]

I carry Bear Spray on my off-road trips. This is made by UDAP and is popular with the Rangers. Available from AMAZON...



Never been that close to the bears but haven't camped any in Colo either haha...

We have alot of Bears around the high country here in Virginia...

One guy Tent Camping in the Smoky Mtn Nalt Park TN went to Gatlinburg and did the CARRY-OUT for BBQ and brought that back to the woods for dinner... That didn't go well for him... We too was Tent camping at ELKMONT when this happened and the Rangers came around to tell us all not to have food around. They have bear proof garbage cans for that there...

My OFF-ROAD POPUP camper has fabric tent beds ends...

Roy's image

Roy Ken

[mikebreeze]

Bears usually don't bother a vehicle if there is no food in it. I know that when I tent camp in bear country I 'mark my area' just like animals do. That has worked for me.