High_Country
Adventurer
I have to ask. I'd be shocked if this wasn't discussed here before, BUT, I've searched. I've 'advanced searched'. Heck, I just plain ol' google searched and couldn't find a thread about it. I then looked thread by thread in this section of the forum back a year and half. Couldn't find anything.
I come from a history of backpacking and always employed all the best practices for bears - eating and cooking 100 feet or more from camp, NEVER have food in the tent, always hang your food at night, clean yourself up after dinner, maybe even change clothes before bed, etc. I try to carry some of that good logic into my vehicle-based trips as well. The ONLY time I had an issue - heck, even SAW a black bear - was in an established campground in southern Colorado where I'm sure the bears were habituated to raiding vehicles for food.
The wife and I (and kids) are looking at getting a rooftop tent. The only reservation I and the wife have, is our uncertainty about the [increased] risk of bears or other critters. We'll be cooking out of the back of the 4Runner, storing our food in it, likely have trash in or around it. It doesn't seem logical to then sleep on top of all that if you're in 'bear country' given all the preached recommended bear precautions. But, my goodness, all the threads, ExPo articles, groups like "Expedition Overland", etc., all cook and eat out of these kitted out vehicles and/or trailers, complete with refrigerators and trasharoos, and then sleep right there with them.
What am I missing? Is it just not that big of a deal? Is it different if your in 'grizzly country' vs. 'black bear country'?
If there's a thread already, please point me to it. Thanks for your input and opinion.
I come from a history of backpacking and always employed all the best practices for bears - eating and cooking 100 feet or more from camp, NEVER have food in the tent, always hang your food at night, clean yourself up after dinner, maybe even change clothes before bed, etc. I try to carry some of that good logic into my vehicle-based trips as well. The ONLY time I had an issue - heck, even SAW a black bear - was in an established campground in southern Colorado where I'm sure the bears were habituated to raiding vehicles for food.
The wife and I (and kids) are looking at getting a rooftop tent. The only reservation I and the wife have, is our uncertainty about the [increased] risk of bears or other critters. We'll be cooking out of the back of the 4Runner, storing our food in it, likely have trash in or around it. It doesn't seem logical to then sleep on top of all that if you're in 'bear country' given all the preached recommended bear precautions. But, my goodness, all the threads, ExPo articles, groups like "Expedition Overland", etc., all cook and eat out of these kitted out vehicles and/or trailers, complete with refrigerators and trasharoos, and then sleep right there with them.
What am I missing? Is it just not that big of a deal? Is it different if your in 'grizzly country' vs. 'black bear country'?
If there's a thread already, please point me to it. Thanks for your input and opinion.