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?

[Kevin_and_Maris]

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.

[_DJ_1]

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!!

[Boon_Docker]

[coolbreeze01]

People afread of bears shouldn't visit bear country.

[Peg_Leg]

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.

[DallasSteve]

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.....

[toedtoes]

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.

[dmatt]

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!

[ol_Bombero-JC]

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".

~

[toedtoes]

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.;)

[dmatt]

Jbrowland wrote:
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!

Spot on.....

We've camped in bear areas for over 15 yrs. Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, all over the Sierras. Have never had a problem with bears as long as the food is kept in bear boxes or sealed in fridge inside.

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! I have seen car doors ripped off after the bear wanted in for the cooler. We have had a number of occasions where there are nose and paw imprints on the windows of the TV.

Don't stress it and just be smart.

[Opie431]

We tent camped for years in bear county.

We always have very good bear spray, never had to use it.
And good bear spray is expensive.

In fact we lived in bear country when I was a child and we children often played in the same woods that my uncle went bear hunting in.

[Cloud_Dancer]

I don't let bears spoil my camping. But, I've done a drive-by or two,

[run100]

When we're camping in bear country, I just set out some of wife's cooking. That keeps them far away. (just kidding, honey!)