Food/Truck Camper/Bears

[Sundance]

I've been reading some of the other threads about how to safely handle food in bear territory. I'll be living in an aluminum commercial-grade camper shell on my pickup bed.

I have a restricted diet, so I'll be needing to keep food in my 12-volt compressor fridge, which due to weight limitations will need to remain in my camper shell.  And that food needs to remain cold. I have disabilities and permanently damaged hands which limit how much I can lift and haul around.

I don't see how I could use bear-proof containers in campgrounds for food that needs to remain cold (or hang food in trees).

Most of the time, I should be able to handle cooking food outdoors - though I do plan to use a small microwave to reheat my food, and the outlets for that are inside my camper.

Any suggestions on how I could remain safe, given my limitations? I'm looking into getting a really loud air horn, but I'm not sure that will save me from a hungry bear.

And when I'm sleeping at night, I can't just jump up and drive away, since I'm in a camper separate from the truck cab.

Thanks!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I'm not exactly sure what your situation is - as in whether you plan to stay in one place for days or weeks at a time, or plan to be moving around a lot.

I do know that bears are attracted to the scent.  So if you could stop somewhere - Location A - to cook, eat, clean up, and dispose of your garbage; and then drive away a few miles to Location B to spend the night, you would b e much less likely to have a problem.

Other than that, I would say get bear spray.  You should be aware of the fact that if you spray a bear and he runs off, but then comes back, the bear spray will be much less effective the second time, so if you drive a bear away with pepper spray, plan to leave immediately for another location.

 

[GotSmart]

I am guessing you do not need any power questions answered.  (Fridge and microwave take a lot!)

The best bear repellant and alarm is a dog.  As noisy one as possible. 

Triple bag any trash, and put in a sealed container.  Keep the camp site clean.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

You should honestly be fine, especially if you're not leaving your camper unattended for long periods of times. Just use common sense and don't leave leftovers around the campsite, trash bags with food should be thrown away, etc. The chances of a bear breaking into your camper for food in a sealed cooler is going to be pretty rare.

Bears don't particularly like being around humans, the ones in national parks seem to be a bit more comfortable with it because they are around humans a lot, that being said I've done quite a bit of camping in both Yellowstone and Glacier national parks where there were a lot of bears and a lot of campers with food in them and if anything they'd cruise through the campground at night looking for easy pickings, as soon a a person spots them and tries to get a closer look they disappear.

There are only a handful of bear attacks a year in the United States and in a normal year even a smaller number of fatalities. You have a better chance of being hurt and/or killed by a Moose than you do bears.

As previously stated, keeping a clean camp is the best insurance and what you mentioned doing in your original post should be more than adequate.

PS. Sorry to hear about your hands. I'm in the exact same boat so I know how you feel. My right hand only has about 30% range of motion and my left has around 65%.

 

[arctic cat]

As you may already know bears are attracted to scent and the attacks are rare.   If you take a few precautions you should be ok.    I have an ARB reefer and I have the same dilema. I follow a couple of rules.   I never eat where I sleep.   Even if I cook inside my vehicle I eat outside.   I leave all my cooking utensils out of the vehicle (I prefer that the bear smell them and look for them out of my vehicle)   I never sleep the clothes I cook on.   I leave most of my food and utensils and cooking clothes outside on container like the one below.     Bear are very attracted to bacon smell.   I you take tampons and dip them on bacon grease and place them far away from your camp      Leave your bear containers half away from your camp.   All the bear can do is play with them.   I only had an issued with a bear once in Yukon Canada and it was my fault.   I left a box of Ramen Soup in the back seat of my Jeep.     Ohh take bear spray is very effective but you must wait until they are a closer range to be effective.   Good Luck