Sleeping in my Xterra in bear country. Where should I keep my food?

[drunkbackpacker]

My food will likely be in a cooler. Should I bring one small enough that will fit in my vehicle when we sleep? Or would keeping it in there be dangerous?

Going to to Yellowstone/Teton NP. Probably won’t camp inside but will be dispersed camping outside.

 

[OverlandNA]

Depends on how exciting you want your trip to be & if you want to tell the story first hand to your grandchildren.
Bears know what's in the cooler shaped thingy. For dispersed camping you need a bag and a rope, hang it high from a tree branch away from the trunk, away from camp.

 

[Alloy]

A bear will pry a locked door open if it smells food inside.

Hanging works if the bears haven't been around humans. Park bears (smarter than a dog) have learned that there's an easy meal if they cut the line but it is possible to fool a bear with a second (black) line.

Storing Food - Bears (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

BC Parks - Province of British Columbia

Camping in bear country

You are in Bear Country

www.pc.gc.ca

 

[2Jeeps&PatriotX1]

Depends on how exciting you want your trip to be & if you want to tell the story first hand to your grandchildren.
Bears know what's in the cooler shaped thingy. For dispersed camping you need a bag and a rope, hang it high from a tree branch away from the trunk, away from camp.

Between meals for 2 people and dog food for 2 dogs, thats a big bag to send up to a tree. What do you do about cold foods? Pack ice in the bag you send up the tree? What about beer? Do bears like Coors Light? Am I supposed to send that up to?

I can see it now...following morning, wife asking where her coffee is and I tell her its up in the tree.


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[OverlandNA]

Between meals for 2 people and dog food for 2 dogs, thats a big bag to send up to a tree. What do you do about cold foods? Pack ice in the bag you send up the tree? What about beer? Do bears like Coors Light? Am I supposed to send that up to?
I can see it now...following morning, wife asking where her coffee is and I tell her its up in the tree.
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If you want, you can sleep with your food & coffee and maybe become a caffeinated soft shell taco for the bear.
The OP states that he's going to be sleeping in his Xterra so it would not be wise to store the food in it.

bear in camp - Google Search

 

[Outdoorsben]

Forgive my potential ignorance here. I've slept in Black bear country numerous times but admittedly have not slept in grizzly country or in campground with bear problems. I can totally understand how a park bear would be extremely smart, however I'm failing to visualize how a bear would open up a locked Xterra and get into the food. Now I can. understand the bear getting up on the Xterra with two paws or maybe even taking a swipe at a window or something along those lines. However I feel it would be relatively safe compared to say a tent or a pop up camper or even a RTT.

 

[drunkbackpacker]

Between meals for 2 people and dog food for 2 dogs, thats a big bag to send up to a tree. What do you do about cold foods? Pack ice in the bag you send up the tree? What about beer? Do bears like Coors Light? Am I supposed to send that up to?

I can see it now...following morning, wife asking where her coffee is and I tell her its up in the tree.


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You’re asking all the real questions. When overlanding you normally have an ice chest of food/drinks

 

[OverlandNA]

Forgive my potential ignorance here. However I feel it would be relatively safe compared to say a tent or a pop up camper or even a RTT.

 

[OverlandNA]

When overlanding you normally have an ice chest of food/drinks

You can get a certified bear proof cooler, keep it locked and away from your camp.

 

[2Jeeps&PatriotX1]

If you want, you can sleep with your food & coffee and maybe become a caffeinated soft shell taco for the bear.
The OP states that he's going to be sleeping in his Xterra so it would not be wise to store the food in it.

bear in camp - Google Search

Well we’d be sleeping in our RTT thats on top of the trailer that stores all these foods which is why Im curious.


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[OverlandNA]

Well we’d be sleeping in our RTT thats on top of the trailer that stores all these foods which is why Im curious.
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Bears can detect a dead animal from 20 miles away, thanks to their keen sense of smell. Bears can smell better than any other animal on the planet, because the olfactory bulb region in the brain is 5 times larger than in a human brain.
They are also incredibly strong.
If you are camping in bear country it is always best to do your cooking and keep your food well away from camp. Don't sleep in clothes that you wore while cooking.

 

[drunkbackpacker]

So much conflicting stuff in here.

 

[Alloy]

Canadian National Parks have open campgrounds for hard side trailers and fenced campgrounds for tents and pop ups.

 

[Alloy]

Forgive my potential ignorance here. I've slept in Black bear country numerous times but admittedly have not slept in grizzly country or in campground with bear problems. I can totally understand how a park bear would be extremely smart, however I'm failing to visualize how a bear would open up a locked Xterra and get into the food. Now I can. understand the bear getting up on the Xterra with two paws or maybe even taking a swipe at a window or something along those lines. However I feel it would be relatively safe compared to say a tent or a pop up camper or even a RTT.

Blackbears are unpredictable, worse than a brown bear.
If human can pry the top of a door open......

 

[jadmt]

remember in bear country this motto what doesn't kill you will make you tougher except grizzly bears they will kill you. Any one who thinks sleeping in a RTT will prevent them from becoming a bear meal needs to remember bears will reach up and pull you out before you even wake up...now sweet dreams...

as far as drinking your coors light yes bears love beer and will bite open the cans. Wife's coworker had a six pack in her new 4runner and freaking black bear was able to open her vehicle chew the seats up and bite thru every can of beer.

true story a few years ago we were camping in the campground near Cooke City were the this occurred. https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/th-grizzly-bear-captured-after-fatal-campground-attack/article_9a7ed018-9bea-11df-83a4-001cc4c002e0.html

and there was a guy on a GS camped close by and he was cooking his food in his tent. There were signs every where and I was dude like what are you doing and he thought it would be safer to cook and eat in his tent. My buddy and I were each sleeping in our jeeps and I never slept so good knowing he was the easier meal lol.
they can be cute and cuddly tho and they are not all that big in real life.