I have a question for those using an electric cooler that is stored in the Galley of the Camp Inn. What do you do when you are camping in bear country? How about when there is a bear box that you need to store your cooler in? Do you just switch to a regular insulated cooler for those trips?
Fridge / Cooler Electric Cooler and Bears
- Thread starter PoodMood
- Start date
I put my fridge in the bear box. I would rather not have a bear exploring my trailer or tow. Having said that, I have an auxiliary battery for my fridge, I move that into the box as well to keep the refrigerator refrigerating. I normally have the fridge in the tow with the aux battery which is charged when I am driving, or in some cases I hook up a solar panel to keep it charged if it is not in the truck.
Cary Winch
Camp-Inn Staff
One thought on camping where a bear box is required. Using a portable fridge (not an electric cooler, they are different) you can set the the temperature to a freezing temp and use the fridge as a freezer instead of a fridge. Then carry blue ice packs (and ice if you like) in the freezer and swap out with ice packs in a conventional cooler as they warm up. That way you can keep your fridge running in the camper on the battery and put the food in the cooler in the bear box. The small 23qt fridge we sell works well for this and only costs $199.
Cary
Cary
That is very clever.
That's a great idea.
I've been thinking about what you said. I assume you would just plan on swapping the ice packs every day. Do you have any idea what rule of thumb to follow for how many ice packs will keep a cooler cold for 24 hours? I have one of the thick walled coolers (like Yeti, but not Yeti) that I currently fill 2/3 with ice and ice blocks for longer trips and it keeps things cold for a good 5 days or more. I'm wondering if 1/4 full of ice packs would be enough? I may be doing some tests, ha!
Cary Winch
Camp-Inn Staff
Should get several days before having to swap ice packs with the ones in the freezer.
The Postman
Ranger
I do this with the Dometic previously sold by CampInn; run it to freeze and rotate blue yeti blocks and frozen water bottles;
In out of the regular Coleman cooler that also fits the galley alcove.
I'd recommend a Yeti now vs Coleman as the insulation is better. In hot envirinments like 95 degree desert or FL heat, you need to do the swap daily in the Coleman.
In cooler environments, say in the Sierras or Rockies where bear boxes are required you can get by for longer.
You could toss a wet beach towel over the cooler in hot dry environment for evaporative cooling as well.
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Steve and Karen
Ranger
We use a Dometic powered by an EcoFlow battery. And a Yeti 35, if we have to double up.
Since almost all bear boxes at camp sites and trailheads are not lockable, either by design or by regulation, I would have a hard time leaving $1,500 of tech, not to mention my food, in something where a 2-legged, rather than a 4-legged, thief is now the main concern, were we to be away from the site. We haven't made it as far west as the bear boxes yet with the trailer. So I haven't had to worry about this. But I have used the boxes for other types of travel out west, and would likely opt for Cary's routine. You just have to keep the freezer out of sight when it's in the vehicle. Even though it doesn't hold any food and shouldn't have residual smells if it's just producing ice, bears act just as reliably on visual cues and past experience.
Since almost all bear boxes at camp sites and trailheads are not lockable, either by design or by regulation, I would have a hard time leaving $1,500 of tech, not to mention my food, in something where a 2-legged, rather than a 4-legged, thief is now the main concern, were we to be away from the site. We haven't made it as far west as the bear boxes yet with the trailer. So I haven't had to worry about this. But I have used the boxes for other types of travel out west, and would likely opt for Cary's routine. You just have to keep the freezer out of sight when it's in the vehicle. Even though it doesn't hold any food and shouldn't have residual smells if it's just producing ice, bears act just as reliably on visual cues and past experience.
Cary Winch
Camp-Inn Staff
For bears, a lot of it is indeed visual clues. You don't want to leave any "cooler looking thing" visible around a bear because years of careless campers have conditioned them to see that as a food source. Bears do work off of visual clues, that is why the camper gets mistaken for a dumpster occasionally when bears will rock the camper aggressively to try and tip it over. They mistake it for a dumpster and try to tip it over and see if food falls out. Luckily the camper does not tip over from a bear pushing on it, but has been reported to me to be a bit disconcerting to the customer inside the camper at that moment.
Odors are the other big thing with bears. You need to not attract bears to your campsite looking for something it likes the smell of. The big one is toothpaste and the next one is dish water, both are solved easily by using the sink and sprayer hose to flush these potential smell sources down the drain and past the sink trap into the gray water tank. The third is residual cooking odors, this is why we strongly recommend using a good stainless steel cleaner to clean up after food prep on the all stainless galley of the Camp-Inn. The oily film that the cleaner leaves behind as a protectant works as a sealant to prevent cooking odors from being smelled while trapped in small nooks and crannys.
Cary
Odors are the other big thing with bears. You need to not attract bears to your campsite looking for something it likes the smell of. The big one is toothpaste and the next one is dish water, both are solved easily by using the sink and sprayer hose to flush these potential smell sources down the drain and past the sink trap into the gray water tank. The third is residual cooking odors, this is why we strongly recommend using a good stainless steel cleaner to clean up after food prep on the all stainless galley of the Camp-Inn. The oily film that the cleaner leaves behind as a protectant works as a sealant to prevent cooking odors from being smelled while trapped in small nooks and crannys.
Cary
The Postman
Ranger
Good tip on the SS cleaner.
What size Yeti fits in the Campinn galley alcove with room for side table on top?
(Upgrade from the Coleman which is fine for cooler temps but not so great in desert heat)
Cary Winch
Camp-Inn Staff
The Yeti 35 is what fits in the galley.
The Postman
Ranger
Thanks Cary.
As far as storing things in the galley of the CI, I would for sure check with the campground you are visiting for specific rules. That said here's my experience....
I've camped in Yosemite many times before and after owning a CI. When I asked at the campground, I was specifically told a hard sided teardrop is treated the same as a large RV. As long as it's closed up you can store your fridge in the CI. I've done it multiple times with no problem from bears or rangers.
I also camped once at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone. It is a campground that only allows hard sided campers. The CI was fine and welcome. I've camped at Madison campground (in Yellowstone) as well with no problem keeping the fridge in the CI.
I've also camped at both Colter Bay and Gros Ventre in Grand Teton many times. It's never been a problem leaving the fridge in the CI. Bears routinely pass through Colter Bay campground day and night. Gros Ventre tends to attract moose more than bears but you should always be prepared for anything.
As Cary said, it's really about not attracting bears to your camp site. Don't leave stuff out and wander off. Clean up any messes before you lock up and/or leave the area yourself. Be smart. There's always somebody who isn't. Let the bears find them instead of you.
Oh, and I've also camped in Zion with no problem keeping the fridge in the camper.
I have at times stored dry foods in a bear box out of convenience.
If you are traveling with two food coolers/fridge I will just offer this advice...never leave a full or empty cooler looking box in your vehicle where it is visible. Bears have often been conditioned to recognize them as a food source and will break into a vehicle to get at one. If you do need to carry or leave one in the car for a regular period of time, always cover it with a blanket or the like so it doesn't look like a cooler from the outside.
I've camped in Yosemite many times before and after owning a CI. When I asked at the campground, I was specifically told a hard sided teardrop is treated the same as a large RV. As long as it's closed up you can store your fridge in the CI. I've done it multiple times with no problem from bears or rangers.
I also camped once at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone. It is a campground that only allows hard sided campers. The CI was fine and welcome. I've camped at Madison campground (in Yellowstone) as well with no problem keeping the fridge in the CI.
I've also camped at both Colter Bay and Gros Ventre in Grand Teton many times. It's never been a problem leaving the fridge in the CI. Bears routinely pass through Colter Bay campground day and night. Gros Ventre tends to attract moose more than bears but you should always be prepared for anything.
As Cary said, it's really about not attracting bears to your camp site. Don't leave stuff out and wander off. Clean up any messes before you lock up and/or leave the area yourself. Be smart. There's always somebody who isn't. Let the bears find them instead of you.
Oh, and I've also camped in Zion with no problem keeping the fridge in the camper.
I have at times stored dry foods in a bear box out of convenience.
If you are traveling with two food coolers/fridge I will just offer this advice...never leave a full or empty cooler looking box in your vehicle where it is visible. Bears have often been conditioned to recognize them as a food source and will break into a vehicle to get at one. If you do need to carry or leave one in the car for a regular period of time, always cover it with a blanket or the like so it doesn't look like a cooler from the outside.
The Postman
Ranger
Thanks @JohnC
Reminds me of that old joke about hikers in bear country- one takes off boots and laces up running shoes...
Part of the reason for upgrading from tent to tent-popup in desert when camping with toddlers was to get off the ground away from scorpions and rattlers...
And now to the CampInn was for bears, just to be a harder target than the other guy.
Creator Of New Public Bear Attack Database Says 2026 Has Been ‘Unprecedented’
An outdoorsman with a network of wildlife-agency contacts has created the first public database for bear attacks. He said 2026 has been "unprecedented."…
cowboystatedaily.com
Sleep with one eye open instead of two ...j/k.
Staying Safe Around Bears - Bears (U.S. National Park Service)
Staying Safe Around Bears
www.nps.gov
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The Postman
Ranger
You're welcome.
If you have not yet visited the Great Cathedrals of Europe, never fear- they are dwarfed by Gods Creation of the Great Cathedrals of the US West: the National Parks and Wilderness Areas, the most protected and accessible by the camping public.
I hope to emulate @dirty6 , @David Rossiter and others who have traveled further north, thru the Yukon and Alaska, to see more.
Bears are a wonderful part of those ecosystems. You just have to be wise and well informed, as in anything else, to enjoy them.
One more:
wessiler.substack.com
Short answer: hike with a wingman in bear country
If you have not yet visited the Great Cathedrals of Europe, never fear- they are dwarfed by Gods Creation of the Great Cathedrals of the US West: the National Parks and Wilderness Areas, the most protected and accessible by the camping public.
I hope to emulate @dirty6 , @David Rossiter and others who have traveled further north, thru the Yukon and Alaska, to see more.
Bears are a wonderful part of those ecosystems. You just have to be wise and well informed, as in anything else, to enjoy them.
One more:
Bear Spray Is A Placebo
A hiker in Glacier National Park was just killed by disinformation. Here’s how to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to you.
wessiler.substack.com
Short answer: hike with a wingman in bear country
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“Bears do work off of visual clues, that is why the camper gets mistaken for a dumpster occasionally when bears will rock the camper aggressively to try and tip it over. They mistake it for a dumpster and try to tip it over and see if food falls out. Luckily the camper does not tip over from a bear pushing on it, but has been reported to me to be a bit disconcerting to the customer inside the camper at that moment.”
Cary please don’t tell the wife this one!
Any area that may have a sign of Bears…. I am not worried…. The Bears I am sure are running because she will talking or singing a song loudly enough to scare every critter away!
Cary please don’t tell the wife this one!
Any area that may have a sign of Bears…. I am not worried…. The Bears I am sure are running because she will talking or singing a song loudly enough to scare every critter away!
Jenn
Ranger
Yeah, I've had that experience of being in the "dumpster". and it doesn't tip, but sure is nuts.“Bears do work off of visual clues, that is why the camper gets mistaken for a dumpster occasionally when bears will rock the camper aggressively to try and tip it over. They mistake it for a dumpster and try to tip it over and see if food falls out. Luckily the camper does not tip over from a bear pushing on it, but has been reported to me to be a bit disconcerting to the customer inside the camper at that moment.”
Cary please don’t tell the wife this one!
Any area that may have a sign of Bears…. I am not worried…. The Bears I am sure are running because she will talking or singing a song loudly enough to scare every critter away!