Amy Clark
I have numerous anxiety disorders- and next week we are taking a tent camping trip with our 3 daughters. While I camped when I was younger- being a mom and a super high anxiety level has been giving me sleepless nights already.
We are going to a park camping- where I often camped growing up. I don't ever remember having problems with bears there- just at other locations in northern michigan when we camped. Anyways- when I called the park office to inquire about the bears- I felt so silly and irrational- that I was almost hysterically laughing when I asked if they had bears- so after that question, i thanked the young man and hung up. I am now wishing I had asked more questions. He did say "We are next to the woods, so there can be bears"
I've been up there recently visiting some family camping- and almost everyone (that i remember) has campers and pop-ups. I don't remember anyone or very people were in tents. We cannot afford a camper, nor can we afford to rent one right now- and we do have a very nice 10 person tent we have used before. But sleeping in a tent with the possibility of bears is freaking me the f out - to be honest.
(1) Should I call the park and inquire more about the bears? (How often do they come to the campground- etc...)
(2) Would I be better off paying 10 dollars more a night to camp at a location more south of where I am where they don't have bears? (peace of mind)
(3) If we do camp there- where would be the best place to camp to put the less likelyhood of a bear visiting our campsite? The campside is surrounded by a winding large river on two sides and the other two sides are a national forrest. Would we be better off camping as close to the river as possible- farther away from the woods as we could? Should we camp near other tent campers? My fear is that people in trailers aren't worried about the bears- and that they will leave food or something out to attract the bears and then they will come to our little measly tent next door.
(4) Please don't laugh- I know this fear seems irrational- because all fears are- but to me it's a very real fear.
ok this is where i get paranoid- i realize bears are attracted the food/scents. Because the campground isn't in bear country (northern michigan or the UP) and it's classified as "occassional bear sightings" on the DNR map- they don't have bear proof food storage lockers. People just leave their coolers etc sitting outside their campers. So this is why I am a little freaked out and considering finding somewhere more southern where its even less of a threat.
Answer
You think you have problems, read this article,
http://news.yahoo.com/bear-safety-lecture-yellowstone-interrupted-bear-220941425.html
Ok lets answer your questions. Anxiety can be treated with XANAX see a doctor.
1. Always talk with the rangers it makes them feel important like they are accomplishing something and you get the latest info about everything including any bear problems.
2. Yes it may also have better features since it costs $10 more sometimes these are worth it being closer to the lake or having bathrooms and showers etc.
3. It doesn't matter where in the campground that you pick, a bear follows it's nose, it is looking for food, trash anything that smells or looks tasty. Keep a clean camp, do not cook , eat or store food and smelly things in your tent. Use the the bear proof food lockers and camp about 100 feet away from that.
When in bear country wear red flannel so the bears see you coming. Wear bear bells so the bears hear you coming. Carry pepper spray for those sudden close encounters. One way to tell if your in bear country is to look for bear scat it will have red flannel and bells in it and smell of pepper spray.
Good Luck!
You think you have problems, read this article,
http://news.yahoo.com/bear-safety-lecture-yellowstone-interrupted-bear-220941425.html
Ok lets answer your questions. Anxiety can be treated with XANAX see a doctor.
1. Always talk with the rangers it makes them feel important like they are accomplishing something and you get the latest info about everything including any bear problems.
2. Yes it may also have better features since it costs $10 more sometimes these are worth it being closer to the lake or having bathrooms and showers etc.
3. It doesn't matter where in the campground that you pick, a bear follows it's nose, it is looking for food, trash anything that smells or looks tasty. Keep a clean camp, do not cook , eat or store food and smelly things in your tent. Use the the bear proof food lockers and camp about 100 feet away from that.
When in bear country wear red flannel so the bears see you coming. Wear bear bells so the bears hear you coming. Carry pepper spray for those sudden close encounters. One way to tell if your in bear country is to look for bear scat it will have red flannel and bells in it and smell of pepper spray.
Good Luck!
We just purchased a used starcraft tent trailer that does not have a heater. Can a heater be installed later?
Dan P
How much will it cost if an RV place can install one. Or are we better off buying a portable heater from a camping place, and which kind is better, propane or electric?
Answer
You can have one specifically made for tent trailers installed. Price depends upon heating capacity.
When we camped in our tent trailer, if there was electricity, we connected a small 1000 watt heater with a fan. Worked fine in all but the coldest of weather. No electricity means no heat. We also had an 1800 watt generator if we needed electricity. Otherwise, we slept in sleeping bags. First one awake started the generator (me 100% of the time; wife & kids stayed in bed until it warmed up). Propane would be your better option if you typically camp at places without electricity.
Do not ever use a stand alone propane heater inside the camper - you'll starve yourself of oxygen. Even though it's a tent trailer, you can burn up oxygen faster that it can be replaced.
You can have one specifically made for tent trailers installed. Price depends upon heating capacity.
When we camped in our tent trailer, if there was electricity, we connected a small 1000 watt heater with a fan. Worked fine in all but the coldest of weather. No electricity means no heat. We also had an 1800 watt generator if we needed electricity. Otherwise, we slept in sleeping bags. First one awake started the generator (me 100% of the time; wife & kids stayed in bed until it warmed up). Propane would be your better option if you typically camp at places without electricity.
Do not ever use a stand alone propane heater inside the camper - you'll starve yourself of oxygen. Even though it's a tent trailer, you can burn up oxygen faster that it can be replaced.
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