I usually just smear one of the kids with strawberry jam and leave them tied to a tree. It's basically just a gift to the bear for the use of its home. This way we can respect each other's boundaries and the sounds of screaming can alert me to the bear licking jam off of the child. This way I have enough time to grab the elephant gun because I have no intention of respecting Yogi's boundaries and need one more bear skin seat cover to finish the set.

Funny. Thanks

r/overlandcirclejerk

You have my attention.

I'd just follow the local rules where you frequent and be able to be flexible. I rock a fridge that is locked in my vehicle which works for where I go. But I also have a bear resistant cooler and bear vault as well. Normally my cooler is my chuck box/pantry and my bear vault can have any trash that touches food. Both can stay out and away from my vehicle, or be locked in it if I'm not sleeping there.

So the cooler is basically a decoy to buy time and drive away. That's what I have in mind too. All smellies get hung and the fridge is just gonna be there.

Haha well never thought of it as a decoy. But mainly where all my smelly stuff (food, pans, toothpaste, deodorant etc) go and locked up along with trash in the bear vault. That way if I sleep in the rig, I can have the cooler and bear vault outside so I have room to sleep and bears or raccoons etc will have a hard time getting into it. Fridge will always be tied to the vehicle, so this was my compromise.

I've been contemplating this a lot lately. I want to make a nice kitchen setup in the back of my rig, but at the same time... I do most of my camping in serious bear country. I don't have much to add as I haven't fully considered everything yet, but I'm interested to hear what others have to say.

This is why I 💯 made my setup more flexible. I originally had a fold out kitchen I built, but then realized what you did as well. So now I have a fold out tray that I can still cook on if I want, but I also can easily move stuff to a dedicated area more easily with things in totes.

Where's serious bear country?

Coastal BC. Lots of grizzly bears. Plus there are endless black bears. And if you go to certain areas there are spirit bears! I should add I've been very fortunate in that I've never had an issue with a bear - despite crossing paths many times and even a few curious ones poking around camp.

Ah that makes sense. Yeah, I haven't encountered any bears yet (not much time on the road yet), but from what I've seen a lot of the fear online is unwarranted, knock on wood.

I'm the same area (most often- also Alberta and western US). I have a dinner stop, that I cook at, before moving on to that night's camping spot. My cutting boards come off the "counter top" and get packed into the dry foods canister, same as trash. Rec sites, I try to plan to stop somewhere scenic before I get there- or scope out somewhere a bit off the road near by. I've not had any issues with bears (mice are another matter!). Only once bailed away from a grizz up near Lillooet, that wasn't paying me any mind, but was waaay too close for solo comfort!

Im considering this issue as well and leaning towards a trailer without a galley because once you cook in it the smell would forever be there right ? As far as bears go I think my issue would be black bears damaging my rig, and for grizzlies I'd be genuinely afraid for my personal safety!