How do you store food/coolers?

[lattet]

On a recent camping trip we had a little situation...My Aunt has a cooking tent, where coolers and tubs are stored along with a table for prep and eating.  (Even though we were tent camping, I think the same question can be posed for PU's.)  One night the coons attempted to get into the cook tent, yes, everything was closed/sealed, etc. and they actually cut a hole in the tent.  In prior trips, I would store the cooler and tubs in the car overnight.  

Has anyone come up with innovative solutions to keeping the critters out?

[sewserious]

Nothing any more innovative than keeping stuff put up in the tow vehicle where they are much less likely to get to it.  I personally don't keep any food in my pup, we camp where there are worse than racoons, that being BEARS!  

We don't cook in our pup (nor would we have ever cooked in an enclosed tent when we were tent camping), all garbage (there is no dumpster at our favorite campground and no bear lockers either) and coolers are put in the van at night, food tub is kept in there except when being used during meal prep.

[AustinBoston]

We stayed in one campground (Indiana Dunes SP) where you could not just put the food in your vehicle, you had to lock the vehicle.  The 'coons had figured out how to open some vehicles (if they were not locked).  :yikes:

Now if I were awakened to a 'coon rummaging around for my keys to get into my van, or if they were carrying a lock-pick kit, I think I'd camp somewhere else.

BTW, it was recently pointed out to me that 'coon and coon are not the same thing.  'coon is short for raccoon, while coon is a racial slur, and considered deeply offensive by some.

Austin

[flyfisherman]

I camp in bear country quite often and it's not uncommon to see one on my outings. Racoons, too, but I've been noticing a decrease for their presence for the past four years or so. Usually when racoons come snooping around camp and they rattle around the pots and pans, their looking for a snack. Learned some time ago to take care of the garbage after the evening meal and clean-up time. One time we forgot to clean out the large iron skillet after a big fish fry supper and during the night the racoons carried that big, heavy thing off and we found it next morning maybe 100' from the camp! But let me say ... it was licked clean!

The only food stuffs I keep in the camper are the unopened can goods and some of these sealed plastic containers such as you see tuna coming in these days. Anything opened, like crackers, bread, cookies all go in the back of the truck come night fall. That includes the ice chest(s) with the milk, eggs, bacon and such.

The garbage is always the first place bears and racoons head for. Anything else left out is just so much icing on the cake. But clean camp site practices pretty much has lessened their hanging around too long. That includes food stuffs being closed up in the truck. To date, never had an intruder inside the camper.


Fly

[fshnfool76]

Before turning in, we put the coolers under the bench seat of the site picnic table which is usually slightly lower than the hieght of the coolers. That way you have the weight of the bench holding the cooler closed and in place. Any totes that have stuff like bread, crackers or smore supplies goes into the TV. It's worked for us the past few years. We haven't had any coons come thru that were strong enough to move the table yet.

[wavery]

BTW, it was recently pointed out to me that 'coon and coon are not the same thing.  'coon is short for raccoon, while coon is a racial slur, and considered deeply offensive by some.

Austin

Tell that you your neighbors in Coon Rapids, Minn :p
http://www.ci.coon-rapids.mn.us/

[AustinBoston]

Tell that you your neighbors in Coon Rapids, Minn :p
http://www.ci.coon-rapids.mn.us/

Actually, that is how I learned it.  There are people attempting to change the name of Coon Rapids for that very reason.  It is starting to interfere with some people's ability to do business nationally.

Austin

[garym053]

Our coolers are always locked in the tow vehicle before we retire for the night. No exceptions, there are worse critters than 'coons where we camp!

[jpreiser]

BTW, it was recently pointed out to me that 'coon and coon are not the same thing. 'coon is short for raccoon, while coon is a racial slur, and considered deeply offensive by some.

  he was talking about raccoon's so why even bring up racial stuff on a camping forum?

[AustinBoston]

he was talking about raccoon's so why even bring up racial stuff on a camping forum?

Because he spelled it wrong, and may not have known that some people would find the spelling offensive.

I know I tick people off at times, but if I do so without realizing it, I personally would appreciate being told of the problem.

I assumed he was typing in ignorance.  If not, then he intended to be racially offensive.  I don't think that is the case.

Austin

[jpreiser]

It was obvious he was talking about a critter.

[AustinBoston]

Note: Edited to reflect jpreiser's change in vocabulary.

It was obvious he was talking about a critter.

To some people, I did not bring race into this.  The person who used the term "coon" without an apostrophe did.

Are you saying that it's OK to be offensive if you are talking about a critter?  Or are you saying persons of that race are critters?

Note: I do not believe that sentence, but include it to show that anything can be misconstrued.  I believe any knowledge that can help a person from being deeply offensive is valuable.  This minor difference in spelling is something I did not know until recently.  I was making that knowledge available to others who may not have been aware of the difference.

The vast majority of people who have an account here never post.  In addition, there are some who read without ever getting an account.  What makes you so sure none of them would be offended by the term "coon" when used in any context?

If it's really that hard for you to type an apostrophe, I feel sorry for you.

Austin

[jpreiser]

what ever ... I would not even have thought about the coon comment meaning anything other then a critter,
and we are A racial blended family.  most people know when talking about camping and coon or 'coons it is about the animal. not about racial slurs.

[PattieAM]

Haven't had critter problems at the campgrounds I've visited, so would probably store perishables in cooler in tow vehicle.  

A camping buddy of mine had racoon problems once and kept a bowl of mothballs on top of the cooler and it helped.  He was very upset when his old metal Coleman cooler died as that seemed to be critter proof!

[sacrawf]

When solo bicycle tent camping off season at an Indiana state park, I had to ask the only other camper in the campground for assistance in storing my food in his tow vehicle overnight to protect it from the over-agressive raccoons.  Unfortunately he drove off very early in the morning forgetting about my food.  When he saw a crazed half-dressed cyclist wildly pedaling behind him in his rear-view mirror, he remembered the food and turned around.