Bear proofing on vehicle-based expeditions?

[Ozarker]

They may keep odors out to humans, but not bears. The reason most bear-proof containers work is not because they block smells, they don’t. Bears can still smell what’s in them, the containers are just durable enough to outlast the bear’s interest and require opposable thumbs (and/or tools) to open. The bears treat them like toys until they get bored. And your food is still there for you (assuming you have tied the container up so you can find it again).

-Mike

I'm not sure that's fair to say, do you have evidence that Tupperware has not been tested with bears? I've not found it. I understand the playful nature of the bear, I've seen many Nature videos, but I've never seen them attack Tupperware. Please point me to video evidence where any type of bear has attacked a Tupperware container and won a prize.

 

[Ozarker]

Is there a possibility that some of you guys are off the mark in this discussion?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/soda-car-bear-1.6812541#:~:text=Sweet%2Dtoothed%20bear%20breaks%20into%20car%2C%20guzzles%2069%20sodas&text=A%20bear%20in%20Earls%20Cove,and%20the%20bear%20drank%2069

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Who the HE** carries 69 cans of Orange Crush, Denver? No, No one in their right mind has 69 cans of soda in a Jeep, that story is a total set up against bears!

 

[ThundahBeagle]

What about Tupperware, they lock in freshness and keep odors out?

Or in the case of Mr. Kotter's wife's tuna casserole, Tupperware locked odors IN.

 

[Ozarker]

Or in the case of Mr. Kotter's wife's tuna casserole, Tupperware locked odors IN.

I suppose it works both ways. But, after heating up a Tupperware container I'd like to see a bear take the lid off. I'm pretty sure those "official" bear containers are a product of a capitalistic conspiracy by fringe elements attempting to limit bear populations by depriving them of fine casseroles.

 

[IdaSHO]

Backpacking, and with a wife working the high sierra for the Forest Service, it was commonplace to find cars opened like a tuna can by a bear after something, anything, that even LOOKED like an ice chest. Didnt even have to have an odor about it. The bears had it figured out, and went after any car with something inside that resembled a (white) ice chest. Ice chest or not, food in it or not, it was game on. Ive watched first hand on multiple occasions a bear grab the top of a car door, between the window frame and the drip rail, peal that frame back like it was opening a bag of tortilla chips...

 

[Simple Jack]

Despite my shame, I feel compelled to put this out there as a PSA. Last fall I took a trip to Death Valley and Alabama Hills. On the way from the Bay Area, we camped at Lee Vining in the north east part of Yosemite. Four trucks in a row, each with a 12v fridge with food inside and all dry food in the camp bear box. I slept near the stream for white noise and was not awakened when the bear got in my Defender 110. Why my truck as we all had fridges? Probably due to the three pint lunches by the guys who put my truck together at Solihul. Defenders not known for the fit and finish - door gaps way off.
The bear easily opened my truck with aluminum skinned doors and actually broke the window. A couple guys woke up but were too scared to do anything. It ate 3 lbs of ground beef, 2 lbs bacon and a dozen eggs. Let me assure you that when a bear eats anything, let alone eggs, it does so without any type of decorum or table manners.
Luckily it didn’t tear up my Scheel-Manns or take a smash in the truck. After about an hour of cleanup by 6 men, we bent the upper door back into place and got back on the road. A call to the other guys that were already at our rally point in Vegas replaced my groceries. Didn’t need a window anyways as we were going through Death Valley and my rig doesn’t have A/C.
Im pretty conflicted with the scenario and dont know what I’d do differently. If I have to put all my refrigerated meats in a bear box - what’s the point of having a fridge?
My take away is be very wary of camping in Sierra region national parks as the bears have been conditioned as many have noted in this thread. I like the idea of an electric fence and will look Into it.
Trading in the Defender isn’t an option.

 

[ntsqd]

I've seen extension cords run from the vehicle to the bear box to keep the fridge going. Some will latch over it, others won't.

I don't think that you have to stop the bear. You just have to frustrate them long enough for them to loose interest and going looking for easier food. And while they're doing that, LEAVE.

16-17 years ago while there for a wedding we watched the camper next to a friend in Yosemite Valley open the locker and put out a loaf of bread and set it on the table. She turned around to pull out the peanut butter and jam. By the time she had those in hand and had turned back around a little female bear had claimed the bread and vanished. The look on the gal's face was incredulous. There were probably 1500 people in that camp ground, and only a couple saw it. The Rangers knew her and tracked her down. We heard that she got shipped out the next day.

 

[Mfitz]

I had a 50 gallon plastic pickle shipping barrel which I made into a compost bin with a 12'x12' trap door for loading. A black bear was attracted to the smells and tried to get into it everywhere but the trap door. The bear bit holes through the heavy plastic, which was amazing mostly in that it was able to get its mouth wide enough to get an angle on the barrel! Had the bear located the trap door it would have been smashed in with only a tiny effort. I guess my bear was not smarter than the average bear..... It took the barrel off the rolling cradle I made for it and rolled the barrel 50 yards down a hill. I rolled it back up the hill, and my composting barrel now had new drainage and aeration holes. Only happened once.

 

[MiamiC70]

They may keep odors out to humans, but not bears. The reason most bear-proof containers work is not because they block smells, they don’t. Bears can still smell what’s in them, the containers are just durable enough to outlast the bear’s interest and require opposable thumbs (and/or tools) to open. The bears treat them like toys until they get bored. And your food is still there for you (assuming you have tied the container up so you can find it again).

-Mike

So bear proof but not Bigfoot proof ?

 

[Ozarker]

Another strategy might be just to leave some grub out on the table to feed them and satisfy them, will they eat chili, red peppers in potato beef soup, how about some pepper cabbage with pork sauce? They might be trained to never attack a picnic table again.

Just a thought.

 

[Koabean]

Bears will get into anything they can get a grip on. Had my Jeep's soft-top ripped open a few years ago so a bear could get a pack of hamburger buns inside. Since then, we put everything in a certified bear resistant cooler (we use Yeti) with appropriate locks, and stash it 100 feet or so from camp at night or when we aren't there. It has been rolled a couple of times but the bear failed to get in. Since then, we now put a tarp over it because bears know what a cooler looks like. That seems to help.

 

[AbleGuy]

But bears don’t have to be starving to work on discovering how easy it is to break into your vehicle…just curious likely will do.

Video shows Colorado wildlife officer freeing bear that became trapped inside truck with food

A video has emerged showing a bear being freed from a truck in Evergreen, Colorado, outside of Denver, after it became stuck during a search for food.

www.foxnews.com

 

[ramblinChet]

My Zarges K470s are certified bear resistant.


Here are the stickers that are applied to each case.


Grizzly bear testing.


Other testing.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Bears beating on stuff I could watch for hours.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

"certified resistant", still trying to get my head around that one...

I do like the stickers, I wonder tho if they would be more effective on the outside of the camper ??
I'm thinking the bear might not see them until after he's ripped off the camper door or slashed thru the vinyl sides.

Took a quick look at the IGBC site. Came across this map. Wonder if avoidance might not be that difficult in the lower 48. Not that you'd necessarily want to, just that you could travel quite a bit and likely not encounter a grizzly.

The stickers are on the cases not the camper.

And yes, Grizzlies are not common place in the lower 48. Back bears are a lot more prevalent.

I think resistant is the key term. If it wants in bad enough, it’ll find a way. Usually between brute force and messing with it. Finding the weak spots.