Camping in Colorado

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
So with that camp counselor getting his head gnawed on a few days ago my wife is freaking out about camping with the kids(9,11,13).
She's talking about electric perimeter fences and crap which is totally killing my Colorado boner.

Advice on how to minimize our chances of having our heads gnawed on while we sleep? And advice on realistic ideas to make my wife less freaked out, short of setting up trip wires for the Bear Cong?
 

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,899
450
Darien Gap
We camped in Yosemite and Big Trees when my son was 1. Bear central. Keep food and anything that smells far away. There's barely 1 death per year from black bears, out of the millions of idiot campers that completely disregard bear safety.
 

RhinoRover

Well-known member
Sep 13, 2016
54
0
Palmer Lake
Like ERover82 said: Keep your food in the truck or in bear proof containers. Black bears are not anything to worry about. I don't know the circumstances of the kid that was sleeping on the ground without a tent, but I guess it's now happened once in history. Grizzlys are a different story which you won't find in Colorado. Just keep the food away and you'll be fine. FYI, standard coolers are NOT bear proof.
 

RhinoRover

Well-known member
Sep 13, 2016
54
0
Palmer Lake
This is what we do.... Not because we're worried about wildlife in Colorado, but more for comfort and ease of setting up camp. However, we always have a rooftop tent when we're in Africa, especially around Kalahari lions and Brown Hyenas!
 

RhinoRover

Well-known member
Sep 13, 2016
54
0
Palmer Lake
How do you keep food far away? Would love to camp in Yosemite.

1. Keep it in a bear proof food locker or container

2. Sling it more than 10 feet up a tree

3. Keep in the car with the windows closed

I have not been to Yosemite, but I am betting that they have bear proof lockers at their campsites. Many of our National Parks are using lockers these days.

AND never eat inside the tent!!
 

jim-00-4.6

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2005
2,037
6
61
Genesee, CO USA
FYI, standard coolers are NOT bear proof.
I'm sure the over-priced east-coast-posuer Yeti coolers are bear proof.

I have a "standard" cooler.
After dinner, all food waste is cleaned up & bagged in "standard" garbage bags.
Garbage bags & cooler go inside vehicle, with all windows closed.
No critters.

I wonder if Yeti makes garbage bags?
 

RhinoRover

Well-known member
Sep 13, 2016
54
0
Palmer Lake
I'm sure the over-priced east-coast-posuer Yeti coolers are bear proof.

I have a "standard" cooler.
After dinner, all food waste is cleaned up & bagged in "standard" garbage bags.
Garbage bags & cooler go inside vehicle, with all windows closed.
No critters.

I wonder if Yeti makes garbage bags?

I think I struck a nerve and that you are taking what I said way out of context. What I meant by "standard" coolers was to suggest that many people think that leaving the food in a cooler outside and around the campsite is good enough to keep bears out of their food. Bears easily get into any cooler regardless of brand unless it is designed to be bear-proof.

I was attempting to distinguish between coolers and bear-proof containers/coolers.

I too use Coleman coolers or the like and an onboard refrigerator/freezer and find they are more than sufficient. I agree that cleanup is very important as well as closing the windows.
 

Jimmy

Well-known member
Apr 10, 2006
740
64
Aurora, CO
To add to the bear topic, saw my first one in the wild this weekend. It was in Gilpin County.

It's their time of year. Got to put on the weight for hibernation.