Food in the trailer and animals

[Wingdreamer]

I have always followed the golden rule when camping in a tent (being NO food, gum or anything that might smell good to a raccoon or a bear.....).
Now, that I am new to pop ups, what can I keep in the trailer? If I kept meat in the fridge or chips in the cupboards am I going to attract a late night unwanted guest? The wife is getting a little nervous about the idea of an additional guest for supper if we prepare or eat food in the trailer...... Kids will want to munch on chips on a rainy day in the trailer, and I'm sure a few will get dropped on the floor...... After all, half of the trailer is STILL a tent......  Any thoughts or suggestions?

[flyfisherman]

For the most part I do not cook inside the PU, exceptions being brewing the morning pot of coffee and heating up something like soup. Try to do all major cooking outside, preferably over at the picnic table but sometimes have to set the outside stove up outside under the awning, just outside the door.

For food stuffs, do keep unopened can goods and those sealed plastic pouches. Opened dry food stuffs like bread, rolls, donuts and such I keep in the TV. Fresh meats, eggs, cheese and left-overs are kept in the ice cooler and that, too, goes to the TV after dark. I personally don't think fresh meats and such left in the 3-way frig would be a problem.

I've never had any type wild critter try to get inside the camper and I've stayed in a lot of off the beaten path places, in bear country and with lots of raccoons to boot.



Fly

[sacrawf]

I tend to do most all cooking inside the pop-up with the exception of using the grill for meats.  Food is either in the refrigerator or in a sealed plastic tote and the hanging pantry. As I want to be active during daylight hours hiking, fishing, bicycling, geocaching, etc., a lot of times we are cooking at dusk or after dark.  It is great to be able to cook bug-free inside the pop-up instead of fighting the bugs  outside with the light of a lantern, or in the rain and snow.  We haven't had any problems with animals with the pop-up, but agressive raccoons will try to get into coolers left outside.  I have ony camped only in areas where raccoons and stray domestic animals are the only real potential problems (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas), so base your actions upon the critters you are likely to have where you camp.

I have always followed the golden rule when camping in a tent (being NO food, gum or anything that might smell good to a raccoon or a bear.....).
Now, that I am new to pop ups, what can I keep in the trailer? If I kept meat in the fridge or chips in the cupboards am I going to attract a late night unwanted guest? The wife is getting a little nervous about the idea of an additional guest for supper if we prepare or eat food in the trailer...... Kids will want to munch on chips on a rainy day in the trailer, and I'm sure a few will get dropped on the floor...... After all, half of the trailer is STILL a tent......  Any thoughts or suggestions?