Bear rips into sleeping family's tent trailer

[TundraTire]

Bear rips into sleeping family's tent trailer

Happened last week at Rampart Creek campground, just north of Lake Louise, Alberta.

Of note, wildlife officials found nothing in the trailer to attract the bear (food scent). They suspect others of feeding the bear.

[RobertRyan]

Tripalot wrote:
That sure would be scary/. I guess this is why we sometimes see campgrounds out west that advertise no tents or soft sided campers permitted. That family sure was lucky. I do hope the mom reconsiders going back to the mountains; there are lots of areas her family could have a more positive experience. Glad everyone is OK.

Thankfully we do not have big furry things being a problem with Camping in Australia, so soft sides are not an issue

[avoidcrowds]

I wonder...If one put up a tripwire that had noisemakers on it (aluminum pots and pans, maybe), would the noise the bear created discourage him/her from coming into camp?

If I were camping where bears were commonly seen around campgrounds, I may rig something up like that. In all my Colorado boondocking, I have not had a bear in camp that I know of, whether tenting, pup-camping, or hard-side. If I went to Canada, or northern Minnesota, maybe I would try the tripwire. Might get to see a bear, anyway, if one awoke me at night. 🙂

[manualman]

Betcha they had cooked inside fairly recently.

We rarely cook inside the pup, but not because of bear worries. We just feel like cooking outside is part of camping!

[Serenlyretired]

Seen bears rip open Hummers so heavy metal is no protection.

[nineoaks2004]

If a bear wants in, he usually gets in...I sleep with a 44 mag anyway, and it ain't necessarily bears I worry about.

[bondebond]

Hard sided trailers are, in some people's minds, enough to stop a bear that is motivated. Hardly.

From this thread on RV.net:


or here:



Then, from elsewhere:
Class C:


Car doors seem to be structurally stronger than the aluminum skin and 1"x1" wood construction of most RVs but even that... (National Park Service picture)


Visual evidence would suggest that anything with doors and windows seems to be a welcome mat to a bear with a heightened sense of smell and a hungry stomach or a curious mind.

[jerem0621]

TundraTire wrote:

Bmach wrote:
Like a bear will be stopped by a hard sided trailer.

I have a hard sided trailer with fibreglass exterior walls, and the only weak points I see are the windows and door.

And walls

[TundraTire]

Bmach wrote:
Like a bear will be stopped by a hard sided trailer.

I have a hard sided trailer with fibreglass exterior walls, and the only weak points I see are the windows and door.

[alaska_dennis]

Bmach wrote:
Like a bear will be stopped by a hard sided trailer.

I have an aliner and thought it would be good around bears. At least better than a popup.
A bear would have no problem knocking one of the sides in and be right in there with you. More bracing. Maybe an electric fence.

Good post has given me a lot to think about.

[Bmach]

Like a bear will be stopped by a hard sided trailer.

[TundraTire]

I think a follow-up article quoted the mom as saying she would go camping again, but only in a hard-sided unit.

[bcbouy]

i camp with a mossberg 500 and 2 cans of bear spray.so far so good.i even have a can on my boat for when we do shore lunches.can't be too careful.we're almost always in bear country,but in bc,everywhere is bear country.

[Dog_Folks]

Tripalot wrote:
That sure would be scary/. I guess this is why we sometimes see campgrounds out west that advertise no tents or soft sided campers permitted. That family sure was lucky. I do hope the mom reconsiders going back to the mountains; there are lots of areas her family could have a more positive experience. Glad everyone is OK.

I believe she has.

The very first line of the article: " Ashley Bayliss hadn’t been camping in the mountains since she was a little girl, but after a scary encounter on Saturday, the Sherwood Park mom says she won't soon be back.

[Tripalot]

That sure would be scary/. I guess this is why we sometimes see campgrounds out west that advertise no tents or soft sided campers permitted. That family sure was lucky. I do hope the mom reconsiders going back to the mountains; there are lots of areas her family could have a more positive experience. Glad everyone is OK.