Hilltop Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 We are heading to Yellowstone in a week and will be camping in our pop-up camper. I have never camped in serious bear country before and just looked over the list of items that cannot be left in our pop-up. I am a little overwhelmed and am looking for any tips/advice on camping in bear country. I know many people say this is why they won't camp in Yellowstone or why they will only rent a hard sided RV to camp there, but we want to camp there. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 When we camp, it's always in bear country. We have big bins with good lids that we keep the smelly stuff in that get closed and put back in the vehicle when not in in use. Keep the pop-up for sleeping and not food storage and keep the campsite clean. Have fun. I love camping in Yellowstone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 in yosemite, they have bear bins at each camp site. do they do that at yellowstone? i pack rubbermaid bins that all food, scented toiletries, crayons, etc go in.... and then they just slide right into the bear bin. (most hold 4 of them). it makes it pretty simple.... we take the bins out for meals, crafts, etc, and then put them back in the bear bin when we are done. in yosemite, the bears will open cars, destroying them in the process, so no food is allowed in them, either. hth, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 in yosemite, they have bear bins at each camp site. do they do that at yellowstone? n We have heard that the campground we are going to (Madison) has small bear boxes that are shared by up to a dozen sites. We are trying to cull our camping gear as much as possible so that we can fit everything into our vehicle and use the pop-up only for our sleeping bags and maybe clean clothes. Thanks for the tips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Wow! We'll also be camping in Madison next week! :001_smile: We are tent camping, with a small hard-sided homemade trailer. We've tent camped there before, but that was before kids, DH and I were still basically college kids going light and fast at the time. Since then though we've dialed-in our kid-friendly, much larger car camping kit system...Like PPs we keep our food in rubbermaid bins, easy to slip into the bear boxes or car or trailer. I usually start out trying to have bins roughly sorted by meal...breakfast bin with oatmeal and cereal, lunch bin with bread and snacks, dinner bin with canned soup and hot dog buns, etc. They usually get pretty mixed up a few days into a trip, though. :tongue_smilie: But we'll make it work. Attitude is everything. I am so looking forward to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKamp Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 We live in Alaska and always camp with the bears. Keep food in totes and away from the camper/tent. If you leave for the day, put it all away. Put trash in provided cans or tight container. Mainly it's the food that attracts them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAmom Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Yikes, you guys are scaring me. We are road tripping from CA through Utah,,Colorado, Kansas to Pennsylvania. I'm not an outdoorsy type nor have I camped before. My family of 7 has a big tent we are using. My kids drop crumbs and food and get sticky stuff everywhere. Tell me KOAs don't have bears. :tongue_smilie: So, what do you do if you see a bear? At a conference I was at in the "woods" where we stayed in cabins, I was outside visiting with some people and slowly around a corner came a bear. What did I do? I didn't tell the 4 guys I was standing there with, I didn't scream, I froze and then turned around and RAN. Bad. I don't think the bear had any interest in us. It went on its own way. Two of the guys ran after me but the other two laughed at us. Sorry! Didn't mean to take over the post. I'm just anxious......:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene Austen Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Yikes, you guys are scaring me. Don't be scared! I promise you the bears are just as scared of you as you are of them. Like everyone has said, keep your food in bins in the car, and make lots of noise while you're out hiking. :001_smile: Any bear within hearing distance will rapidly head in the other direction. As a lifelong Montana/Idaho girl, I've camped all over the Rocky Mtns. (in a tent) with never a hint of bear trouble. Honestly, bear attacks are extremely rare. I love the West so much; I know you'll have a wonderful time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) I may be wrong, but didn't I hear that the bears were becoming increasingly aggressive in Yellowstone? Good advice everybody has given. Yes, here it is... http://www.npr.org/2012/06/18/155263982/yellowstone-tourists-warned-to-watch-for-bears Edited June 22, 2012 by Blueridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Yep...here's a tip. Don't go! :leaving: Just kidding! Be safe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 We are heading to Yellowstone in a week and will be camping in our pop-up camper. I have never camped in serious bear country before and just looked over the list of items that cannot be left in our pop-up. I am a little overwhelmed and am looking for any tips/advice on camping in bear country. I know many people say this is why they won't camp in Yellowstone or why they will only rent a hard sided RV to camp there, but we want to camp there. :) With a list like that one might as well eat all meals at a restaurant and get dressed in a hotel room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) nvm Edited June 23, 2012 by ksva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 With a list like that one might as well eat all meals at a restaurant and get dressed in a hotel room. :hurray::hurray: This would be my vote, but I am outnumbered. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 I may be wrong, but didn't I hear that the bears were becoming increasingly aggressive in Yellowstone? Good advice everybody has given. Yes, here it is... http://www.npr.org/2012/06/18/155263982/yellowstone-tourists-warned-to-watch-for-bears Thanks for the link. We have our bear spray and will follow all of the guidelines. The odds are that I will report back that we didn't see any bears, even from a great distance, but I am cautious by nature and like to be well informed/prepared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Thanks for the link. We have our bear spray and will follow all of the guidelines. The odds are that I will report back that we didn't see any bears, even from a great distance, but I am cautious by nature and like to be well informed/prepared. Well, it's reasonably likely driving and hiking around you will see a bear. It's reasonably unlikely you will be attacked, though. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Well, it's reasonably likely driving and hiking around you will see a bear. Possibly. We try to go to Yellowstone every year and have only seen bears on 2 trips (and one of those was in Grand Teton National Park going into Yellowstone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 When we camp, it's always in bear country. We have big bins with good lids that we keep the smelly stuff in that get closed and put back in the vehicle when not in in use. Keep the pop-up for sleeping and not food storage and keep the campsite clean. Have fun. I love camping in Yellowstone. :iagree: We often pull our mini van up to a picnic table so it's easy to load/unload food stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 When we camp, it's always in bear country. We have big bins with good lids that we keep the smelly stuff in that get closed and put back in the vehicle when not in in use. Keep the pop-up for sleeping and not food storage and keep the campsite clean. Have fun. I love camping in Yellowstone. Just this. We follow the guidelines and keep anything smelly out of the tents, but we do that when we are not in bear country as well. Dh and I lived and worked in Yellowstone for several months after college graduation. We always camped in the back country and never had any issues. We took the kids and our nephew out there a couple of years ago and even though there was a bear siting in the campground, there were no problems. Oh. If you have teens, leave them at home. One night in Yellowstone, I looked in the tent the kids were all sharing to ask my dd and my nephew a question. The two of them were sitting in there quietly talking and eating orange chocolate sticks. :svengo::toetap05: I think my deadly hiss of "What do you two think you are doing?" carried nicely through the adjoining campsites.:tongue_smilie: Have fun! It will be a glorious excursion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I don't have any advice, but I remember camping once in bear country with extended family. I was up all night because I had accidentally left some gum in my pocket -- I think I ended up eating it because I was so scared. The next morning I come to find out my sister in another tent had forgotten to take the trash out and left it right outside their tent all night long. Luckily no bears came, but I still have to laugh at myself about the gum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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