Bears & Fridges

[PeteCole]

I'm new to overlanding...and building out my rig. But I'm wondering how having a Dometic (or other) fridge is going to do with the potential for bears. Any one have any advice? Stories?

I want to get a fridge, but not sure if I should just plan on keeping in the rear seat of my Dual Cab Tacoma....or if I should build a sliding tray in the bed and leave it outside the truck. I get my roof top tent on Monday and I'm not sure how I feel about food being directly beneath me while my kid and I are asleep out in the cuts.

Am I just trippin or should i be worried? I plan on having bear spray and an air horn...not to mention a firearm or two. But still....I would rather avoid a confrontation with our furry friends if possible.

 

[rgallant]

The fridge is not your issue, bear issues basically fall in to 3 types :

1. A dirty messy camp. Bag your garbage, seal all open food in to zip locks inside air tight containers. Keep the garbage up a tree away from camp
2. Human habituated bears. These guys are almost always at dirty camp sites or places people do not camp bear aware. If you find a dirty camp site in bear country move on, you are likely to have a problem.
3. Curious bears, they tend to be young cubs or yearlings. No telling when one could show up but generally loud noises move them right along bear bangers or even 2 pots banged together

In nearly 20 years in bear country camp wise I have 3 cases 2 were young bears, 2 cubs who thought my 5 gal red fuel can was the world's biggest salmon berry. I just went back to sleep, their mom had it under control. And the other young one was a nosey yearling, he scared himself off when he knocked a cast iron frying pan off a table it was pretty funny to watch.

Had a grizz amble by when I tent camped, moved into the truck after that, did not sleep well that night he was a big fella. But he was just on his way somewhere,thankfully.