Mt Whitney Webcam
Mt Williamson Webcam
Who's Online Now
1 members (1 invisible), 219 guests, and 8 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
#27160 08/22/12 04:18 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
A
Arne Offline OP
OP Offline
A
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
I like this site since no question is ever a dumb question. I have a bear cannister and am planning on a series of day hikes out of Horseshoe Meadows and wanted to bring a very large container of water to refill my camelback, etc. Is this a dumb idea?
Thanks for not laughing.


Arne

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". John Lennon
Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
Arne #27163 08/22/12 05:32 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 56
J
Offline
J
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 56
First off it can't be in view of the bear. He'll think it looks like an ice chest and break in.

That means it has to be in the trunk.

--

Has anyone ever heard of a bear smelling the plastic of something in the car and breaking in thinking it's an ice chest?
What does an ice chest smell like to a bear? smile

Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
Joel M. Baldwin #27164 08/22/12 05:54 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
A
Arne Offline OP
OP Offline
A
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
The container will definetly be well hidden but it seems as if animals can sense water so...

Any doubts from anyone and the container stays home.


Arne

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". John Lennon
Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
Arne #27166 08/22/12 06:02 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,507
Likes: 103
S
Offline
S
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 8,507
Likes: 103
Bears have 1000 times better sense of smell than humans -- If you have seen diagrams of their noses vs humans' you can see why.

So if you hide water in the trunk vs food, they can smell the difference. They will leave the water alone. If you are really in doubt, just put the water container under the car or right at its front bumper -- somewhere where people will know it belongs to you. The animals will leave it alone.

...but I think there is a water supply at HM, so a large container wouldn't be necessary. I hope someone can confirm this.

Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
Steve C #27169 08/22/12 08:27 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 319
W
Offline
W
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 319
What about storing the water container in one of the many bear boxes at HM? There are plenty at the TH and I have seen stuff stored in the boxes in the campgrounds. Leave a note of your expected return.

I was there last Sept, and there was water at the campgrounds.

Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
Steve C #27177 08/23/12 08:05 AM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 849
Likes: 3
Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 849
Likes: 3
Originally Posted By: Steve C
...but I think there is a water supply at HM, so a large container wouldn't be necessary. I hope someone can confirm this.


There is a spigot next to the pit toilet near the kiosk.


Also there is a stream up the trail and down in the meadow.


Journey well...
Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
+ @ti2d #27180 08/23/12 10:19 AM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
A
Arne Offline OP
OP Offline
A
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 13
Thanks folks.


Arne

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". John Lennon
Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
Arne #27181 08/23/12 11:11 AM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 849
Likes: 3
Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 849
Likes: 3
Originally Posted By: Arne
The container will definetly be well hidden but it seems as if animals can sense water so...

Any doubts from anyone and the container stays home.



Whatever you do...don't store your water in those 5-gallon Gatorade containers!


Bears like orange... whistle


Journey well...
Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
+ @ti2d #27182 08/23/12 11:23 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,572
Offline
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,572
Originally Posted By: + @ti2d
Originally Posted By: Arne
The container will definetly be well hidden but it seems as if animals can sense water so...

Any doubts from anyone and the container stays home.



Whatever you do...don't store your water in those 5-gallon Gatorade containers!


Bears like orange... whistle


I thought the bears in the eastern Sierra had learned not to mess with anything orange . . .


Wherever you go, there you are.
SPOTMe!
Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
saltydog #27183 08/23/12 11:29 AM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
Offline
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 582
Originally Posted By: saltydog
Originally Posted By: + @ti2d



Bears like orange... whistle


I thought the bears in the eastern Sierra had learned not to mess with anything orange . . .


I just choked on a gummi bear! LMAO!!!

I don't think the bruins will mess with water jugs, but I agree with just putting them outside the front of the car on the ground. I doubt they will be disturbed when you return each day.

I would also NOT drink the water from the creek in HM. Cattle are grazed there regularly. It's the only place above 10K in the Sierra that I wouldn't just dip and sip.


Facebook

Flickr Pics

Think outside the Zone.
Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
MooseTracks #27184 08/23/12 11:34 AM
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 583
Offline
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 583
It is much better to store beer in the car than water. And quality matters -- good beers hold up better. Oh, and please leave your itinerary and license number with me -- I'll keep an eye on it for you.

Re: Is water safe to be stored in a car in bear country
MooseTracks #27186 08/23/12 01:11 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 849
Likes: 3
Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 849
Likes: 3
Originally Posted By: MooseTracks
...I just choked on a gummi bear! LMAO!!!




See? Bears like Orange and MooseTracks like gummi bear cuz Moose likes orange, too!



Hope you are not traumatized, Laura grin


Journey well...

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4
(Release build 20200307)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.4.33 Page Time: 0.034s Queries: 38 (0.027s) Memory: 0.6288 MB (Peak: 0.7227 MB) Data Comp: Off Server Time: 2024-03-29 08:49:20 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS