Ok, being an RV'er with a 5th wheel I've been on other websites and learned that people have taken their Rv's on a ferry from Seattle to Alaska and gotten off and camped, returned to the ferry and moved on down the line and saw Alaska. We took a cruise to Alaska and I saw more of the inside of the cruise ship than I did the state of Alaska! That being said, I really want to do that with the Raindrop...HOWEVER, my biggest concern is bears. The Raindrop is so small it wouldn't take much for a bear to rip it open like a tin can and lying prone, we'd be invited to dinner...ah hm... SO, anyone here go camping in Alaska with their Camp Inn? I know a man borrowed his son's and went to Alaska up the Alcan highway and it was a pretty fast and furious rough trip. He didn't say anything about bears, so I was just wondering...anyone out there thinking of doing the same thing?
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Alaska Question
- Thread starter Ladymc
- Start date
Kent Kanipe
Novice
Linda, I did the Alaska trip last August. There were lots of bear warnings, yet the closest I came to a bear was one that went through a camp the morning before I arrived. Still, it makes you think. I was never worried about it and a fellow in Watson Lake, admiring the trailer, reported that they use stainless steel food boxes because the bears cannot break into that slick surface. He said I'd have nothing to worry about. Of course a quick examination of a door suggests he may not have been correct. Anyway, I always felt safe and sung as a bug! Not to worry.....
Kent
ps, my avatar picture is at the Scenic View RV Park just above Homer at Ninilchik. They love teardrops, have great clam feeds, pot lucks and evening camp fires if you want to participate. It is not to be missed.
Kent
ps, my avatar picture is at the Scenic View RV Park just above Homer at Ninilchik. They love teardrops, have great clam feeds, pot lucks and evening camp fires if you want to participate. It is not to be missed.
Kent Kanipe
Novice
OOPS! No, I never saw a bear. There is a handle on the door and I suppose a bear could get lucky and hook it. The thing is, all your food is locked up tight in a sealed galley. All trash is in bear secure bins provided by the RV park, campground or rest area. No food source means bears do not visit regularly and when they do they find nothing of interest. I would be a lot more trouble as a food source than I would be worth. In addition, I carry a marine fog horn that makes a bunch of noise, scares humans at least, and would certainly bring attention, perhaps even assistance. Read The Milepost a couple of times as homework before you go and your concerns will fade. Heck, just go buy a Milepost now.
The ferry had my interest until I figured the cost. I drove round trip.
Kent
The ferry had my interest until I figured the cost. I drove round trip.
Kent
abccampinn
Novice
Hi Linda,
We have done the cruise/land tour to Alaska as well and didn't care for the land tour portion. We told ourselves we would go back and camp with our own camper. One of the many things we liked about the Camp-Inns is the hard sides, which I believe you have to have in Alaska. (Anybody please correct me if I am wrong about that). So anyways, we do intend to make a trip to Alaska from Maine, but we aren't worried about bears.
I hope your house sells soon so you can get your camper!
Charlie
We have done the cruise/land tour to Alaska as well and didn't care for the land tour portion. We told ourselves we would go back and camp with our own camper. One of the many things we liked about the Camp-Inns is the hard sides, which I believe you have to have in Alaska. (Anybody please correct me if I am wrong about that). So anyways, we do intend to make a trip to Alaska from Maine, but we aren't worried about bears.
I hope your house sells soon so you can get your camper!
Charlie
Steve & Ellen
Novice
Charlie, My brother and his family has been in Alaska for 35 years now, Anchorage. We have a daughter in Fairbanks, 2 years now. I have done a Fly in hunt for Caribou. Obviously we were in tents. Also we all had loaded rifles and hand guns with us, in the tents while we slept. I don't know about in commercial camp grounds.
My brother has an RV park on the Cook inlet and a fish camp on the Kenai Pennsula. He was home, TN, this last Christmas and did check out our 550. If anyone heads to the last frontier, I will get you in touch with him. Maybe he will have something to offer. He has Halibut boats and charters them for the day or 1/2 day. The RV park has been adding more and more facilities as the yeras have gone by.
Steve
My brother has an RV park on the Cook inlet and a fish camp on the Kenai Pennsula. He was home, TN, this last Christmas and did check out our 550. If anyone heads to the last frontier, I will get you in touch with him. Maybe he will have something to offer. He has Halibut boats and charters them for the day or 1/2 day. The RV park has been adding more and more facilities as the yeras have gone by.
Steve
abccampinn
Novice
Steve,
Thanks for the info. I don't know where I heard about needing a hardsided camper in Alaska. Although hardsides do seem safer. We did love the country when we were there, but when doing a land tour with a cruiseline, you just get shuttled from one place to the next. There wasn't any time to explore. Homer was one of the places we wanted to go to, per a friends recommendation but didn't have the time because of the schedule. We did get to go kayaking in Kenai though, it was great fun. I'll be sure to ask for your brothers info when the time comes.
Thanks,
Charlie
Thanks for the info. I don't know where I heard about needing a hardsided camper in Alaska. Although hardsides do seem safer. We did love the country when we were there, but when doing a land tour with a cruiseline, you just get shuttled from one place to the next. There wasn't any time to explore. Homer was one of the places we wanted to go to, per a friends recommendation but didn't have the time because of the schedule. We did get to go kayaking in Kenai though, it was great fun. I'll be sure to ask for your brothers info when the time comes.
Thanks,
Charlie
mewton
Novice
While I live in Washington state I've worked in Alaska for over nine years now. That said I have limited experience touring in and have never camped in Alaska but I work with lots of people who do. I talk to Alaskans who camp all the time, some in RV's some in tents. Bears are just part of life in Alaska and you are generally safe if you just use common sense and keep out of their way. As far as camping with guns, you are much safer having a can of bear spray with you than a gun. Only use it if a bear is close and aggressive but it will stop a bear attack much more effectively than a gun and without permanently damaging the bear. The main thing is handling your food properly in bear country. As long as you don't keep ANY food items (anything edible including toothpaste) in the teardrop and have it either locked up (car or steel food locker) you should be fine. One last note to anyone crazy enough to want to camp along the northern coasts of Alaska, polar bears are a completely different animal and much, MUCH more dangerous than grizzlies, which are much more dangerous than black bears. I plan on taking camping trips in Alaska as soon as my boys are a little older and I'm not worried about bears.
Louie R Magdaleno
Novice
Hey all,
I just recently returned from " Mammoth Lakes " . The " Campgrounds " had a Bear Warning Sign posted , along with some very heavy fines, for leaving food or Ice Chest out,unattended. We didn't have a " Bear Box" @ our site. So, we decided to somewhat dry camp; No food stored in Camp, which meant eating out on the road, while sightseeing. We did prepared a few meals,but only enough to eat, without leaving any leftovers.
6/2/2010
" The bears are out and have been very active breaking into cars and roaming the campgrounds.
This car was parked at El Capitan and was owned by some climbers up on the wall. They did have food in the car. Notice the bear tracks on the tops of the cars, he walked right down the line on top of the cars.Please do not leave food in your cars or out in the campground! If a bear gets into a bad habit of breaking into cars he may have to be put down. "
http://www.myyosemite.com/content/yosemite-daily-photo-2-cars-bear-damage-yosemite-valley-6210
I'm not afraid of them. But, who needs to worry about the damages,while out of camp, which might not be covered by the insurance carriers(??). They might consider the " Food items" left inside, as a " Negligent Act / or Preventable ".
It's my understanding that the " Momma Bear ", teaches the Cubs foraging habits, which might include breaking into " Trashcans , Homes , Vehicles, RV's ".
L.M.
I just recently returned from " Mammoth Lakes " . The " Campgrounds " had a Bear Warning Sign posted , along with some very heavy fines, for leaving food or Ice Chest out,unattended. We didn't have a " Bear Box" @ our site. So, we decided to somewhat dry camp; No food stored in Camp, which meant eating out on the road, while sightseeing. We did prepared a few meals,but only enough to eat, without leaving any leftovers.
6/2/2010
" The bears are out and have been very active breaking into cars and roaming the campgrounds.
This car was parked at El Capitan and was owned by some climbers up on the wall. They did have food in the car. Notice the bear tracks on the tops of the cars, he walked right down the line on top of the cars.Please do not leave food in your cars or out in the campground! If a bear gets into a bad habit of breaking into cars he may have to be put down. "
http://www.myyosemite.com/content/yosemite-daily-photo-2-cars-bear-damage-yosemite-valley-6210
I'm not afraid of them. But, who needs to worry about the damages,while out of camp, which might not be covered by the insurance carriers(??). They might consider the " Food items" left inside, as a " Negligent Act / or Preventable ".
It's my understanding that the " Momma Bear ", teaches the Cubs foraging habits, which might include breaking into " Trashcans , Homes , Vehicles, RV's ".
L.M.
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George Johnson
Novice
Although we didn't camp in Alaska, we traveled extensively (even Kodiak) and did not see a bear.
On the other hand, we saw several bears during our visit to Yellowstone. Because of their familiarity with humans, I was much more concerned about them there.
It's already been said, but never keep your food in the trailer or keep anything that might smell like food (lozenges, gum or breathe mints are often overlooked).
Here's one of the bears we saw.
On the other hand, we saw several bears during our visit to Yellowstone. Because of their familiarity with humans, I was much more concerned about them there.
It's already been said, but never keep your food in the trailer or keep anything that might smell like food (lozenges, gum or breathe mints are often overlooked).
Here's one of the bears we saw.
L.M. said:
Those shots are pretty amazing. We were in Yosemite for the Memorial Day weekend and saw a bear while on a walk in Cook's Meadow, right in the heart of the valley. The rangers in the park were very serious about ticketing cars with food, or even food wrappers, inside.
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