mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 14, 2018 11:00:30 GMT -8
One of my students from my on-line class sent this to me. Thought I would share it here.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Dec 14, 2018 12:23:37 GMT -8
Hopefully they weren't inside.
I once saw a bear pick up a giant cooler loaded with food and throw it against a tree to open it. My parents made us stay in our camper (where we were safe. ) while the bear ate our dinner.
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Alaska Shasta
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Post by Alaska Shasta on Dec 14, 2018 15:11:16 GMT -8
This is the teardrop I built for overnight trips in Alaska. I figured an Alaskan Grizzly could swallow it whole, so I always have my 12 gauge inside the camper. IMG_0720 by Bryan Port, on Flickr
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 14, 2018 17:12:46 GMT -8
This is the teardrop I built for overnight trips in Alaska. I figured an Alaskan Grizzly could swallow it whole, so I always have my 12 gauge inside the camper. IMG_0720 by Bryan Port, on Flickr Very impressive. You did a beautiful job on the Teardrop.
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turbodaddy
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Post by turbodaddy on Dec 14, 2018 18:43:59 GMT -8
Greed, that teardrop is drop-dead cool.
Bears and sharks are two things I fear. During our epic 8000 mile cross country trip a few years ago, we were often in bear country, as evidenced by the bear proof storage containers at many campgrounds. I was a little uncomfortable cooking inside the camper, knowing that when tent camping it is advised to cook about 100' away from where you sleep...you should never sleep in the clothes you cooked in, etc. Fortunately we didn't have any problems. I had a 10,000 candle power light and an air horn always in reach, thinking that I might be able to blind the SOB or at least scare it away with the air horn. I think that might have worked if we were in the camper when the beast came around, but if we were not inside I fear the beast would be able to wreak havoc like the photo shows. Has anyone here actually had bear problems while camping in these old trailers?
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Post by bigbill on Dec 15, 2018 9:08:10 GMT -8
When it comes to bears is there a difference between an old trailer and a new trailer? A 44 mag is a decent bear repellent if all else fails. Easier to handle in a small space.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Dec 15, 2018 10:52:20 GMT -8
Turbo daddy has the right idea. We spent many, many summers backpacking in bear country.
Never, never leave any type of edible out. Clean up prep and cooking areas thoroughly. Hang food away from where you sleep or use a bear proof canister. Always keep something noisy handy.
Mobiltec, I noticed that the bear attack happened at the rear of the trailer. I’d bet a nickel that someone left a snack out on or near the bed. In all our years of backpacking, we only had one instance of a bear in camp. One of the kids had left trail mix in an outside pocket of his pack. The next morning there was a surgically neat slice in one pocket and the only thing left of the trail mix was a few scraps of zip lock bag.
For us, it’s kind of like living with a very bright toddler. You have to use all available means to prevent total destruction of your home, because the toddler isn’t going to go away.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 16, 2018 8:28:36 GMT -8
I've had one face to face encounter with bears. Yep I said bears. Plural. A mother and her two cubs. And I found myself in between her and the cubs. Not a good place to be. Luckily all worked out well and the cubs went on there way with mom. Believe it or not I happened to have my camera in hand and got a few shots of the incident. Momma looking at me from about 15 yards away. Momma zoomed in a bit. Cub one running past me to get to Momma. Cub two running past me to get to Momma.
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Dec 16, 2018 9:28:11 GMT -8
I love these pics! I think you posted the one of the mom a couple years back, but I may be thinking of another bear. Our favorite bear sighting (because he wasn’t paying any attention to us), was on a cold morning at a remote lake in the Emigrant Wilderness. We heard a splash and saw a black head swimming around. We first thought it was a large dog, but we hadn’t seen any other hikers. It was, of course, a black bear fishing for breakfast. He caught his fish, swam to the other side of the lake, climbed out with trout in tow and ambled off into the woods to dine in peace. But he was a big boy and I’m glad I wasn’t fishing for our breakfast at the same time!
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Post by Teachndad on Dec 20, 2018 8:57:21 GMT -8
For us, it’s kind of like living with a very bright toddler. You have to use all available means to prevent total destruction of your home, because the toddler isn’t going to go away. LOL! That made me smile. Very funny, Hamlet. You are right, toddlers don't go away, they just morph into bigger ...things.... Cheers, Rod
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Post by bigbill on Dec 20, 2018 18:00:57 GMT -8
When around Bears the best thing to do is pray the Hunter's prayer "Lord if you won't help me please don't help that bear". Loud noise is great around brown & black bears but a grizzly or a polar bear is a totally different thing. Until you have seen a wild grizzly's claws at three feet away you can't believe how large they are. Yellowstone Park 1961 a grizzly came up to the car while we were stopped in traffic and put one foot on the roof and the other on the windshield with her claws extended up and out away from the surface, she never made a mark on the car. The rangers said she was looking for food because most likely people had been feeding her from their cars.
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