Sleeping Arrangements While Sasquatching

[norseman]

Nice rig!

[hiflier]

Thanks, we've had it for two seasons and have put about 18,000 miles on it. Going to upgrade the tires to a higher rated speed. You folks have some big country and some of it is 80 mph. can't make much time going on tires currently rated at only 60-65.This year we are going to go spend a month in eastern Canada. The PacNW was on out agenda last year but were too late in the year and the smoke from the western fires shot down those plans. Have an old friend in Port Angeles and I really want to get there. Maybe an earlier trip out would be better? Wanna take my spouse on a Sasquatch tour with Thomas Steenburg too. Ah well....someday. Nice to be this early in the game and have so much to see and do in front of us  

[Huntster]

3 hours ago, norseman said:

Camping in some Grizzly country requires people to use a hard shell. No tent camping. I encountered this up around Cooke city, Mt.

 

Campers are not only safety from bears, sasquatches, snakes, and scorpions, but they provide comfort approaching that of a home. Quite simply, if you can drive there, you can use a camper........if it's the right one. Obviously, motor coaches, 38' fifth wheels, and other such land yachts can't be used far off the paved highway, but even then, they are the ultimate base camps from which your tent camp can range from.

 

Brown bears at night may be the ultimate horror for a tent camper, with the possible exception of venomous snakes. But proper camp precautions minimize a bear in your tent at night almost to zilch, and the proper sidearm in the tent with you gives you (literally) a great fighting chance at ending a bear disaster under such circumstances. Moreover, if there is a bear mauling, the odds are much greater that it will be a surprise close quarter encounter while you're moving about, whether you just surprise the bear, get too close to a sow with cubs, or walk onto a bear's food cache.

 

Having tent camped in the foremost grizzly country on the continent for decades, and having paid close attention to local and professional experience in bear defense as well as close attention to firearms technological advances over the past 40+ years, I now go to bed alone in a tent in grizzly country with a Glock 20 with mounted TLR-1 Streamlight attached. The only mods to the gun is an extended slide release (not really needed at all.......just my preference) and a set of Meprolight tritium night sights. It is loaded with 16 rounds of Underwood 200 grain FMJ. This amounts to an investment of under $1000, including two holsters; one which fits the weapon with the light attached, and one with the light removed (again, only one needed, because the light comes off easily in seconds without tools). The number of Alaskan outdoorsmen, guides, and officials going this route has been breathtaking. My old S&W 44 mag has gone from a sidearm/tool to become an heirloom.

 

3 hours ago, hiflier said:

............we picked up this rig. Yeah, it's small but for dyed-in-the-wool tent campers, to us it is a palace. The truck now also has a cap on it.:

 

 

Nice rig! I'd love to have a small travel trailer like that.

 

2 hours ago, hiflier said:

.........This year we are going to go spend a month in eastern Canada. The PacNW was on out agenda last year but were too late in the year and the smoke from the western fires shot down those plans. Have an old friend in Port Angeles and I really want to get there.........

 

An eastern Canada tour is definitely on my bucket list. I've done all of BC, much of Yukon and Alberta, and have touched Saskatchewan. More of the Yukon is also on the list. Canada is the most beautiful nation on Earth.

 

You'll love the Olympic Peninsula. My next exploration of Washington will be the Cascades. 

 

My plans for retirement were to spend more time during trips; up to a month or more in any particular area so that I could see more of it and do more there. Family commitments have precluded such hopes, remarkably even more than during my career, and it doesn't look like that is going to change.

[hiflier]

35 minutes ago, Huntster said:

Having tent camped in the foremost grizzly country on the continent for decades, and having paid close attention to local and professional experience in bear defense as well as close attention to firearms technological advances over the past 40+ years, I now go to bed alone in a tent in grizzly country with a Glock 20 with mounted TLR-1 Streamlight attached. The only mods to the gun is an extended slide release (not really needed at all.......just my preference) and a set of Meprolight tritium night sights. It is loaded with 16 rounds of Underwood 200 grain FMJ. This amounts to an investment of under $1000, including two holsters; one which fits the weapon with the light attached, and one with the light removed (again, only one needed, because the light comes off easily in seconds without tools). The number of Alaskan outdoorsmen, guides, and officials going this route has been breathtaking. My old S&W 44 mag has gone from a sidearm/tool to become an heirloom.

 

I have given going this route a lot of thought in the past couple of years but, metaphorically speaking, haven't pulled the trigger on the decision yet. So far haven't seen the need but as you, Norseman and others have said better to have one when not needed than to not have one when needed. I always carry a high end bear spray. I also prefer to not hike trails on windy days. Better for hearing things and better for spray defense should the occasion arise. I have hiked and camped for over 50 of my years and never had an encounter with bears, but I also know all it would take is once to send me to the store. I like your set up. I also like that it costs less than I ever figured it would. Food for thought. 

Edited April 20, 2019 by hiflier

[Catmandoo]

1 minute ago, hiflier said:

I always carry a high end bear spray. I also prefer to not hike trails on windy days. Better for hearing things and better for spray defense should the occasion arise.

 

Be careful with bear spray. Read the label to see if the carrier is vegetable oil. The irritant lasts several hours and after that you have a vegetable oil residue.  I believe that you know that temperature and windage will get you into trouble with bear spray.  You need something besides a time-delay bear attractant.

 

Good comment on hearing. I wear a classic deer hunter hat. Hearing ground snaps around me is important.

[Huntster]

I forgot; I also did a trigger job on it. Did it myself. The cost of that was under $20. I do trigger jobs on all my handguns simply because it makes for much better shooting. It’s easy. YouTube “25 Cent Glock Trigger”. Made it as smooth and light as silk.

[Huntster]

17 minutes ago, Catmandoo said:

.........Good comment on hearing. I wear a classic deer hunter hat. Hearing ground snaps around me is important.

 

I’m a “ball cap” kind of guy. The boll keeps the sin, rain, & snow out of my face, and a hood on a parka or rain jacket works perfectly with it. In fact, the bill of the cap keeps the hood out of my eyes, too. When temps are freezing, the summer cap goes in my pack and the waterproof Mackinaw style cap comes out, which is simply a ball cap with fold down ear flaps. 

 

I also don’t use ear covering if on foot and traveling unless it’s in horrid weather, in which the bears most certainly have more brains than I and are holed up somewhere.

 

[hiflier]

1 hour ago, Catmandoo said:

 

Be careful with bear spray. Read the label to see if the carrier is vegetable oil. The irritant lasts several hours and after that you have a vegetable oil residue.  I believe that you know that temperature and windage will get you into trouble with bear spray.  You need something besides a time-delay bear attractant.

 

Good comment on hearing. I wear a classic deer hunter hat. Hearing ground snaps around me is important.

 

All bases covered, Cat. Darwin awards to those who thought spraying their gear and tents was a good idea. And yes, hearing one's surroundings is an absolute must even when in familiar stomping grounds. Roger on the orange hat too. Lot of people know this but it is ALWAYS worth the reminder.

 

46 minutes ago, Huntster said:

 

I’m a “ball cap” kind of guy. The boll keeps the sin, rain, & snow out of my face, and a hood on a parka or rain jacket works perfectly with it. In fact, the bill of the cap keeps the hood out of my eyes, too. When temps are freezing, the summer cap goes in my pack and the waterproof Mackinaw style cap comes out, which is simply a ball cap with fold down ear flaps. 

 

Just took the dog for a walk. Weather here is a mess, wind and rain on the coast where I am and that's been my approach as well. Learned that get up when he was a pup 11 years ago.

 

53 minutes ago, Huntster said:

.....unless it’s in horrid weather, in which the bears most certainly have more brains than I and are holed up somewhere.

 

Hunger can do strange things to a bear. No comment on the "brains" part  

[Huntster]

23 minutes ago, hiflier said:

........No comment on the "brains" part  

 

I'll do it for you; the bears are much smarter than I am, and almost as mean........

 

1 hour ago, Huntster said:

I’m a “ball cap” kind of guy. The boll keeps the sin, rain, & snow out of my face...........

 

It's amazing what a keyboard design invented in 1872 and still used 150 years later on single-finger devices can result in. The u-i-o vowel arrangement can pop out all kinds of fun and games when a fat fingered guy who is always in a rush uses it. 

 

I wish I could keep the sin out of my heart and soul as well as my face..........

[Incorrigible1]

Avid tent camper and outdoorsman, lifelong Nebraskan. No bears. I find the advice to camp in bear country darned interesting. Glad I've not had to take overt precautions.

 

We've had mountain lions return, in number, to their historic range,  but bears haven't inhabited NE since grizzlies followed the buffalo herds 150 years ago.

[hiflier]

12 minutes ago, Incorrigible1 said:

We've had mountain lions return, in number, to their historic range,  but bears haven't inhabited NE since grizzlies followed the buffalo herds 150 years ago.

 

Buffalo are big and can be deadly but add teeth, huge claws, intelligence, and a nose with no equal, and you've got the makings of an apex predator with a well deserved reputation.

 

[Catmandoo]

1 hour ago, hiflier said:

. 

1 hour ago, hiflier said:

Darwin awards to those who thought spraying their gear and tents was a good idea.

 

Trying to keep you safe. I had to go to the paper Catmandoo files on bear  spray for references:

 

www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1998-02/USGS-UCPU-100298.php

 

latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-15-mn-19305-story.html     The LA Times quotes Smith, the researcher, : "like mayonnaise on baloney".   Read the last line.

 

 

Quote

42 minutes ago, Incorrigible1 said:

 

We've had mountain lions return, in number, to their historic range,  but bears haven't inhabited NE since grizzlies followed the buffalo herds 150 years ago

 

 

Incorrigible1, did you jinx yourself?

 

 

 

Hiflier, you can visit the PNW with your camper. I am not sure what camp sites are available in the 'Capitol Forest'. It is real close to Olympia, so you can hang out in the lobby of the DNR.

Edited April 20, 2019 by Catmandoo
add more text

[Incorrigible1]

Nah, not even black bears.

 

I camp with a defense handgun in easy reach, though.

[hiflier]

32 minutes ago, Catmandoo said:

Hiflier, you can visit the PNW with your camper. I am not sure what camp sites are available in the 'Capitol Forest'. It is real close to Olympia, so you can hang out in the lobby of the DNR

 

Hanging out in the lobby would be for amateurs  I can easily take the chiding though since I haven't sent a 6th email to the WA DNR yet. May not need to.

Edited April 20, 2019 by hiflier

[Huntster]

1 hour ago, Incorrigible1 said:

Avid tent camper and outdoorsman, lifelong Nebraskan. No bears. I find the advice to camp in bear country darned interesting. Glad I've not had to take overt precautions.........

 

In my opinion, the very best precaution is a kitchen area no less than 100' away (if possible). A cheap and easy way to do this for government campground dwellers is a 12'x12' or 16'x16' tarp over the campsite picnic table.........the one Yogi and BooBoo are already well familiar with, and already smells interesting. That is where all your cooking and stored food is, unless you lock that in your vehicle. A rifle or shotgun in your tent along with your handgun/light combo completes the package. If/when Yogi (or Patti the sasquatch) shows up, he's going to be focused on the kitchen, which gives you ample time to zip open, shove the muzzle out, rack the bolt, and prescribe the proper medicine.

 

My brother had his daughter and her cousin (both about 7 or 8 years old) in a tent in a federal campground in central California some years ago. The shotgun was in the tent with them, and the food was locked in the car (legal food storage). During the night his daughter threw up. He got up and cleaned the mess by flashlight. Took a while. Just as he was finishing up, here comes Yogi. Walks right up the the car a few yards away and begins tearing his way in. 

 

WTF?! He thought that was justification for a warning shot, and he popped one off. Yogi leaves, brother goes to bed (never slept well, anyway, and that event guaranteed a sleepless night). 

 

The next morning the campground host shows up inquiring what happened. Brother explains. "Oh. Thanks". 

 

An hour later, here comes Mr. Useless........the federal park cop. Gives brother a citation for unlawful discharge of a firearm, and made no offer to pay for the damage his bear did to the vehicle. This document caused brother another 500 mile round trip for an appearance in court. Had there been no damage to the vehicle, he likely would have lost his 2nd Amendment rights for life and ended up with Ahmed in Gitmo. Costed him just $150 in the form of a fine I think, plus repairs to the window and window frame of his vehicle. (Federal non-felonious crime is a funny thing that I've never understood).

 

Here in Alaska, when I tent camp, I carry an ice fishing tent for my "kitchen". If a bear wakes me up in the middle of the night tearing into my stuff, he's dead. It's literally open season here year round, and even though I'm not much interested in eating bear meat, I'll kill him just on principle.

 

..........

We've had mountain lions return, in number, to their historic range.........

 

I've never heard of lions tearing into tents at night, but I suppose it's possible. I don't think they're difficult to kill or deter. One round from a 38 Special into the boiler room would likely send a big tom running off to die somewhere out in the brush. 

Edited April 20, 2019 by Huntster