RVing in Bear Country

[MudQueen22]

Does anyone here take their RV into places where bears are common?
I read on another thread that if you ever intend to take your RV into bear country, you should NEVER cook in it.
What is your opinion on this?

Do most of you cook outside? Does anyone frequently have meals cooking in a crock pot while you go hiking? (When not at Disney.)

 

[North of Mouse]

Does anyone here take their RV into places where bears are common?
I read on another thread that if you ever intend to take your RV into bear country, you should NEVER cook in it.
What is your opinion on this?

Do most of you cook outside? Does anyone frequently have meals cooking in a crock pot while you go hiking? (When not at Disney.)

Well, guess I've never heard this!! We've been camping in RV's in the Smoky Mtns. Park for 48 years and have done most of our cooking outside. It's true you 'never' leave food out when you're not at your site, but otherwise no problems with cooking.

We've seen bears in the campgrounds and picnic areas lots of times - one time a bear robbed food off a grill , but it's not an issue usually, and no bans on cooking.

There can be no leaving a crockpot out when you're gone, or any food/ice chests, etc. that aren't locked up or you can/will be fined.

 

[MudQueen22]

Do you not leave the crockpot going inside the RV when in bear country at all? Or do you simply not have a crockpot going outside?

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

When we were in Yellowstone we cooked inside the trailer only (no grilling) and were very careful to clean up when we ate on the picnic table. The Rangers said that something as small as spilled ketchup will attract them. Anyone that did not have a hard sided RV was required to put their food in the metal storage container in the middle of the loop.

 

[bjschil]

About four years ago, we camped at Yellowstone. At that time, if you left your coolers outside at night, or when gone in the day, they were confiscated by the park rangers. Not sure if that is still the rule at Yellowstone National Park. We have a fifth wheel, and yes, we cooked outside lots, but made sure there was nothing dropped at our site.

 

[PaHunter]

Never heard of such a thing and we just moved out of the black bear capitol of the world. Old wives tales at coffee clatch, more dangerous than ......

 

[peg110]

Heck we have black bears come into town where we live. They will go in your garbage looking for food. Just using some common sense I think would go a long way. Know that bears can smell the food from a distance and would rather NOT want a confrontation with you. So if you are around, then usually won't be an issue. I don't think I would leave a crock pot with highly "Aromatic" food going if I wasn't going to be around most of the day. Even if I was in a "Hard Shell" Camper.

Don't leave any food or garbage (with or from food) lying around outside either. Not only bears, but raccoons, squirrels, skunks, etc... will search it out.

 

[KristinU]

Was it in reference to pop-ups and hybrids with canvas rather than full hardside campers? That I totally understand and have seen mention of in the pop-up world. I grew up tenting in black bear country and it was just a hard and fast rule to not bring food into the tent or even bring in clothes that you had spilled on. Everything was hung from a bear bag if backpacking or placed in a closed vehicle if car camping.

 

[North of Mouse]

About four years ago, we camped at Yellowstone. At that time, if you left your coolers outside at night, or when gone in the day, they were confiscated by the park rangers. Not sure if that is still the rule at Yellowstone National Park. We have a fifth wheel, and yes, we cooked outside lots, but made sure there was nothing dropped at our site.

This is definitely what will happen in the Smokies campgrounds. Don't even leave them if you're just taking a walk around the campground. We've seen rangers confiscate coolers/other containers of food.

 

[MudQueen22]

This is definitely what will happen in the Smokies campgrounds. Don't even leave them if you're just taking a walk around the campground. We've seen rangers confiscate coolers/other containers of food.

What do you do with coolers when you leave the campsite?

 

[North of Mouse]

What do you do with coolers when you leave the campsite?

They need to be in your vehicle or in a hard side RV. Think that people in tents just put them in there, and usually out of site of Ranger is just that!! Not sure how that would stand up if bear got into it!! They do have locker type chests near tent sites to store food.