Sleeping in minivan, bear safety tips?

[Beachcamper]

I am going to dip my toes in the water and do a trip up towards Michigan from Florida this summer. I own a Honda Odyssey and bought a couple of cots for my SO and i to sleep on. Since it is summer, will bring a battery operated fan.  I also bought one of those tents you can attach to lift gate to get maximum ventilation.  All camping will be in state parks along the way.  

I have backpacked, camped for days from my canoe and kayak all in wilderness but never camped in a van in a state park. Food is kept in bear canister when in wilderness and away from tent. If in a state park or national park, I stash food in car and sleep in tent.  Where do you put food and hygiene products when van camping? I now feel that tent on lift gate might not be a good idea if my food is in the van with me?  

What do you all do?

 

[Suanne]

My experience when camping in state parks in bear country is that they have bear vaults at the camp site where you can lock up food and toiletries when not in use. If there's no vault available in bear country, I sleep with all windows rolled up tight and the vents closed (recirculation mode).

Your planned trip sounds wonderful. Safe travels!

Suanne

 

[DuneElliot]

Other than canned food and canned drinks I have always kept my food and trash in the truck cab with me when I sleep there in the back country. This includes the dog food. I do leave the windows cracked for ventilation, even in Grizzly country, but not wide open. My dogs are good at alerting when critters are nearby so I would have some warning. If you have a tent set up which attaches to the minivan with the tailgate open I wouldn't be doing this.

I would treat your set-up just like camping in a tent...don't keep the food with you. I wouldn't mess with the tent part personally and just leave the windows cracked at night...with some bear spray close by.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

My best advice is to ask at the state/national campground.  Rangers will have the best information for their area.

I grew up in Northern Minnesota, canoed, tent camped, and backpacked since 12 Y.O.  Most of my adult backpacking has been in grizzly country.  I've never had a problem; always hang my food when in a tent.  Problem I have had is with rodents getting into the food stash.

Camping in a vehicle:

1. Ask and follow the rangers advice.
2. Keep a clean camp.
3. Use bear vaults if provided; their presence means that they have had enough problems to install them.
4. If no ranger or vault, keep food in sealed containers, out of site in your vehicle.

Serious bear encounters are way down the list of dangers in the wilderness.

 -- Spiff

 

[cyndi]

Using the search function you'll find there are a couple of older threads that cover various issues with regard to camping in bear country

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-food-safety-in-bear-country?highlight=bear+safety

and

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Odor-proof-bags?highlight=bear+safety

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

As others have said if bears are an issue in the park you're in, the staff, rangers, signs, etc will make it well known and will they tell you how to handle everything. I have a Yeti Cooler which is rated bear proof and can stash my food in that and away from camp if necessary. At any rate, bear encounters are rare, attacks even more so, and once again even more rare from Black bears which would be all you might encounter on the East coast of the country.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Lots of good advice here.  One last bear safety tip:

 

[Beachcamper]

Well, I guess I won't be bringing that tent that clips on to the lift gate, LOL!  I will make some screens for the side doors and get more info from park management.  However, I am an avid paddler/camper here in Everglades National park and the rangers down here know very little about the backcountry. They are seasonal and it takes them a while to figure things out. Take what they say with a grain of salt unless they are year round rangers.

 

[Queen]

Can't speak for farther north, but I've never heard of a bear issue anywhere in Illinois or most of the Midwest.  So bring your tent, you will DEFINITELY need the airflow in the summer up here.  Think FL humidity, without the ocean breeze.  (I'm from IL and have a place in New Smyrna)

 

[Queen]

BTW, are you bringing something to paddle?? There are some wonderful lakes and rivers to throw a boat into.

 

[Beachcamper]

BTW, are you bringing something to paddle??  There are some wonderful lakes and rivers to throw a boat into.

I wish, have to visit relatives so no time for paddling and hiking much.  This is a test run to see if I can handle camping in my van during summer/fall months. If it works out, I will add a roof rack and bike racks for my toys.  Of course other stuff to that I think is important such as a refridgerator and cassette toilet. Maybe when I do my trail run will get more ideas. I have been reading alot of books on van camping to figure out some things.  Looks like alot of you have been doing this for a long time and have alot of knowledge to share    I am grateful for that.

 

[Queen]

Well, if you get the urge to paddle, a lot of state parks rent boats.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Def bring your tent. If you're worried just hang your food and keep it away from your camp. I live in Maine and look for bears on purpose and they are NOT easy to find even when you want too. In Michigan 90% of the bear population is in the Upper Peninsula just as an FYI.

 

[skyl4rk]

That is one of the problems with the tail veil system, you have to leave your vehicle open. I would leave the tail veil at home and take a screen tent. In Michigan, the mosquitos are what you should fear. There are not many bear in the lower peninsula.

 

[Beachcamper]

I am familiar with your mosquitoes up in the UP, Minnesota and Michigan. While horrific, they are slow and easily killed. Compared to our no see ums and lightening fast salt marsh mosquitoes here in the Everglades. This is why I got this DAC tent with no see um mesh. It is not a tail vail.

https://www.campmor.com/c/dac-explorer-2---minivan-and-sport-utility-vehicle-tent-20747

 

[TrainChaser]

Spiff's comment about rodents reminded me of something I saw many years ago (I had a Corvair -- THAT long ago). A couple who were tent camping next to me hung their food from a tree branch. But they had a 'contraption' hanging above it to keep rodents out (I asked). It looked homemade from some kind of sheet metal (like for metal roofs, but flat). He had formed it into a cone with wingnuts, and it was hanging above the food bag. If the rodent climbed down the rope and let go, he would slide down the metal, miss the food bag, and hit the ground. No part of the food bag extended beyond the cone. It was kind of like this, but larger, extending beyond the width of the bag underneath:
http://www.opentip.com/index.php?pr...pIgTRKliBN1n6yU8l5sA4l1jyyF0a4eJt8aAk9A8P8HAQ

Some bears know how to hook their claws in the crack above window glass and pull it. Like this one (save time and go right to the 3:00 mark):

 

[Cammalu]

Let's all stand real close to the bear to take photos..... make sure no one scares him away so he can learn real well how to open cars....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Beachcamper]

OMG! Even black bears break open cars.  I wonder why those stupid people just stood there filming instead of trying to scare that bear away. Def will NOT bring the tent and will buy bear spray. I will also remove center console so I can get in drivers seat and speed away should one come sniffing around. Honestly feel more comfortable camping in the wilderness away from habituated animals. All this camping around people and anywhere with road access is making me a bit paranoid.

Train chaser, I saw a similar contraption such as you describe while camping in a remote lake in aldonquin.  A couple used a tin pie plate over their bagged food they hung up in the tree.

 

[GotSmart]

I want to start out with an appology.  I have resisted temptation since this was first posted. ~~~

Any bear trying to get sleep in their minivan should always consiter location.  Avoid hiking locations.  There are stupid humans with pepper spray.  They do not even hve the brains to season themselves, but will try to spray you.  Avoid anywhere that you hear dogs.  During hunting season, go stealth.  Labeling the van as a tofu delivery vehicle is best.  Hunters will go the other way if they see it.   "Ask me about Amway"  bumper stickers are also good.  Always sh*t in the woods, and cover it carefully.  For some reason bear poo attracts hunters and philosophers. Cover the windows so you will not be spoted.  Always use your CPAP.  Nothing is louder than a snoring bear.  Bag your trash.  One gallon honey jars and pick~a~nick baskets around the camp is like a neon sign saying BEAR CAMP!  Also a clean campsite will lessin the chance that Ranger Smith will come exploring.  

Good luck.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Hilarious!