Birds, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, deer and more. They look cute, but when your back is turned, be careful. They will easily risk picking at your food. Although many of these animals are small, they have a large, strong bite and their sharp teeth can cut through almost anything, their sharp claws can open most boxes and containers.
I lost a fleece jacket to a squirrel after leaving it on our picnic table for an afternoon with some nuts in a pocket. That squirrel made its way through my zipper to get into the pocket and eat the nut pieces.
We have also had what we thought were raccoon proof containers invaded. The lids ripped and tore and the food inside became a buffet for a family of raccoons one night.
Even some types of food coolers are easily breached by bears. With cunning paws, sharp teeth, and a desire to stop at nothing to chew their food, the only animal-proof way to protect your food and containers is to hang your food or, better yet, when camping with your family, keep your food stored in your vehicle when you are not at your campsite.
Even dry food that is sealed in resealable containers or bags can attract wildlife. Their sense of smell is far greater than a human’s sense of smell and even sealed food can become easy prey for them.
Also, do not store your food inside your store. You risk losing your store in the wild if they really want a sample. These animals can tear fabric, rip zippers, and will stop at nothing to get to their nice-smelling food.
Our best advice is to keep your food inside the large containers and coolers you have brought with you to camp. Only bring food for mealtimes and snacks. When leaving your campsite for long periods of time, place your food containers inside your vehicle. And never leave open food or any food item on your picnic table, eating table, inside your tent or just lying around your campsite unless you want it to disappear. Doing so will attract more animals as they will view your site as easy prey.
Some coolers are more resistant to bears than others and if your cooler is very large and heavy, you can risk leaving it outside overnight. It also depends on how friendly the area where you are camping is. If there are bears in the area, I wouldn’t leave your fridge to chance.
Protect your food, protect your food containers, and keep animals at a safe distance from your campsite. They look cute but they don’t mind stealing your food. Do not leave any food out after eating, keep all your food in containers, and place those containers inside your vehicle for extended periods of time away from your campsite.
Happy camping!
