Camping out of your explorer

[Thelt]

There was a kid killed by a bear Smoky Mountains national park a couple of years ago. I always take a pistol just in case. I would not kill a bear unless I had to but if one attacks I want to have a chance. A pistol may not work well against a bear but if he is really close a head shot should stop him.

The Explorer measured out at about 48 inches wide at the rear opening. it is a little wider once you get inside because there is a lip there. A full size air mattress is supposed to be 54 inches wide but they never seem to be quite as wide as advertised. I expect it to fit nicely.

 

[alexk]

If you wanted to camp in your car the Pontiac Aztek had that tent thing attached to the back. That made it look so much cooler!

 

[mofkntep]

my boyfriend and I use my sport to sleep in on weekends when we go ride in the winter... we just throw a futon mattress in the back and its great, even with a sub/amp back there & it being a two door ... he's 5'10 and I'm 5'6 and its perfect for warmth in the winter but def wouldn't reccomend it in the late spring/summer. WAAAAYYY too hot in there! I'm glad I'm not the only lazy one when I go camp

 

[CALDWELL]

i went camping over the holiday weekend with my X... such a good idea !!!!

as in a post above, i hooked a tent up to my X it was awesome !!!!

mattress in the X, then chairs, radio and table with the cooking stuff in the tent... and i was suprised at how much room me and the chick had in the X !!!!! good times were had by all parties involved lol hahahahahahaha !!


also the X was awesome for tailgaiting in the other day for the Phillies Game !!!

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

I know I could probably get a better tent and it would not leak but I like to camp in bear country and I would feel safer inside the Ex. It is only black bears in my area but you never know....

Do you know what a bear calls a car window? A freshness seal...

Better keep your food, toothpaste, deodarant and any other things that bears think are candy somewhere in the trees. I've spent many comfortable nights in a 4 season tent in the back country.

I read somewhere that most people attacked by bears are armed with guns while crouching in the woods hunting bears...

 

[Thelt]

Do you know what a bear calls a car window? A freshness seal...

Better keep your food, toothpaste, deodarant and any other things that bears think are candy somewhere in the trees. I've spent many comfortable nights in a 4 season tent in the back country.

I read somewhere that most people attacked by bears are armed with guns while crouching in the woods hunting bears...

It would take a bear longer to get inside the Ex than it would to get inside a tent. I am probably just being paranoid anyway. They say you are more likely to be struck by lightening.

 

[patman]

yeah as long as you use a bear bag in the trees and don't kidnap a cub your fine

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

It would take a bear longer to get inside the Ex than it would to get inside a tent. I am probably just being paranoid anyway. They say you are more likely to be struck by lightening.

When overnighting in the back country I keep only 2 things with me in the tent: bear spray and a knife. The knife is to cut the tent open and get out quick. The bear spray is self explanatory. Everything else hangs in the trees.

Although it could take a bear longer to get into your truck than a tent - bears usually knock down tents if they want something inside - you will have a tough time getting out of your truck with a bear sticking its nose in your business. Bears are smart, strong and fast. The good thing I can say is that every time I have run into them they can't get away fast enough...they do not like people. The one's that do like people are the one's you need to be afraid of.

I have friends who sleep in the back of their open pick-ups when camping. Not one fatality due to bears yet...but several casualties due to wilderness Cabo Wabo attacks.

 

[Thelt]

Although it could take a bear longer to get into your truck than a tent - bears usually knock down tents if they want something inside - you will have a tough time getting out of your truck with a bear sticking its nose in your business. Bears are smart, strong and fast. The good thing I can say is that every time I have run into them they can't get away fast enough...they do not like people. The one's that do like people are the one's you need to be afraid of.

That is kinda what I am thinking. I carry a small pistol with me. If he his sticking his nose inside the car I can get a good head shot on him. A pistol might not stop him if he is charging me out in the open but if I am in a car and he is sticking his nose in then that is different.

Bears are not a big problem around here. We only have black bears and most of them are fairly small. Both of the fatalities that have taken place in the past ten years involved bears taking small children.

 

[X6StringerX]

I'm an avid gun nut. Out of curiosity, what caliber do you carry when camping? Even for black bear, I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a .357 Magnum for revolvers or a .40/10mm for semi-autos. 9mm are great for SD against the bad guy, but they don't have the power needed to defend against a bear unless your shot placement is absolutely ideal. Thats not a chance I'm willing to take... despite having sent thousands of rounds down range.

Of course, there is always the 12ga. Mossberg 500 (<$300)... preferably with a pistol grip for close quarters maneuvering.

 

[Thelt]

I'm an avid gun nut. Out of curiosity, what caliber do you carry when camping? Even for black bear, I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a .357 Magnum for revolvers or a .40/10mm for semi-autos. 9mm are great for SD against the bad guy, but they don't have the power needed to defend against a bear unless your shot placement is absolutely ideal. Thats not a chance I'm willing to take... despite having sent thousands of rounds down range.

Of course, there is always the 12ga. Mossberg 500 (<$300)... preferably with a pistol grip for close quarters maneuvering.

My carry gun is a Kel Tec P32, not a bear gun unless you stick it up his nose and fire, which might be possible if he is breaking in the Ex. I have an SKS rifle that would probably drop a black bear but I do not take it camping because it is so big. I think I am going to get a shotgun for home defense and maybe for camping too. There is nothing much better at close range than a good shotgun.

 

[X6StringerX]

My carry gun is a Kel Tec P32, not a bear gun unless you stick it up his nose and fire, which might be possible if he is breaking in the Ex. I have an SKS rifle that would probably drop a black bear but I do not take it camping because it is so big. I think I am going to get a shotgun for home defense and maybe for camping too. There is nothing much better at close range than a good shotgun.

If you're really concerned about bears, I would definitely urge you to ditch the .32 in favor of something with more power. If a bear is brave enough to try to enter the vehicle, its coming in for a reason. The .32 will just make it mad, lol. As for the SKS, you could always stab it with the bayonet, haha! I'm a firm believer in the 12 gauge. It'll stop just about anything that's coming at you. As I suggested before, the Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip would be a great and affordable solution for a bear problem. Mossberg actually offers a shotgun now called the JIC (Just-In-Case). It comes in a waterproof container with a small survival kit. They make about 3 variations if I remember correctly, one for survival, one for marine use, and one for something else. Anyway, I think they're around $319. Of course, if you're camping with it, you'll want to keep it loaded and by the bed instead of in the container, lol.

 

[macknos94]

i say just get a .45 cheap and easy. head shot would be a tough one you ever see their skull!!! its thick as hell. if you can hit a weak spot like eye nose area mouth or something like that. a good shoulder shot will take it down tho the lungs are right there. with the exit wound left by a .45 it will drop before you know it. i know what a .45 round does to a human and you should see the impact that has. we were the first deployed aviation unit to go back to .45s since then went to 9mms. jump on a taurus 1911 acp .45 samething i have at home and samething we use here. tried and true it sits well and not much kick so you can fire a tight grouping.

 

[ld50]

Black bears are usually so skiddish around here (BC Canada) I only see them as they are running away. If you`re just camping and have a gun I would suggest loading a couple blanks so you can fire them first. Unless you have a very large caliber weapon, the poor ******* will run into the bush with a painful wound and possibly a long and painful death.
"Bear bangers" are also great- and very LOUD.
If you are hiking and see a bear, back away slowly, if he advances, raise your arms and tell him firmly to get lost. Attacks by black bears are very rare and usually happen when you surprise them by walking up silently from downwind, so make noise when you hike around, if they know you are there, they will take off. If you are charged by a black bear, stand your ground and face it, they will stop since they do this purely out of fear. -keep backing away. If you turn and run, it may ignite their hunt instincts to run you down and bite. You cannot outrun a black bear, you cannot outclimb a black bear, I don't care who you are.
If one does knock you down, roll on your stomach and lace your hands behind your neck and cover your face by putting it to the ground and holding your alongside your head. They may try to turn you over, if so, roll back to that position, you don't want to fight them at this point. This technique is put forward by the belief that black bears usually attack out of fear. Unfortunately you won't know if this is one of those one in a million black bears who is going to try to feed on you. If in this position and you are bitten, you should immediately fight for your life, kick, punch, scream, etc.

Grizzlies are a little more unpredictable, if they knock you down, you should always view this as an attempt to feed on you, otherwise, use the above methods if encountering one.

I`m not an expert on bears, but having to work in the back country, we have training on dealing with bears.
All these years I`ve seen plenty, and they always run as soon as they become aware that I am there.
I only pack bear spray with me, and have never had to use it on a bear yet.


Anyway, I'm doing some camping this weekend and am going to sleep in the back since it will just be me and my boy, I`ll take some pics!

 

[Thelt]

I did not buy a .32 for bear defense, I know better than that. It is a great little gun to conceal though. North Carolina has concealed carry. I figure it has enough power to disuade most bad guys. I do not plan on getting in a fire fight against a group of Taliban soldiers with it.

If a bear stuck his head inside my car to try and eat me I figure I have a fair chance of hitting him in the eye or nose or something with my .32. I do want to get something bigger though and I want a shotgun anyway. Do you think buckshot would work on a bear or does it need to be slugs?

 

[X6StringerX]

Ideally, a slug should be used. However, in a situation where you are THAT close, buckshot would probably do the trick. However, I would recommend a slug for camping because you won't be spending all of your time in the back of the Ex. What about dinner time around the campfire?

 

[Thelt]

Ideally, a slug should be used. However, in a situation where you are THAT close, buckshot would probably do the trick. However, I would recommend a slug for camping because you won't be spending all of your time in the back of the Ex. What about dinner time around the campfire?

Do you think it needs to be a 12 gauge, would a 20 work?

 

[ld50]

I did not buy a .32 for bear defense

I didn't suggest owning a gun that could take down a bear, just wanted to point out that they are normally non-threatening and if you can avoid injuring one by instead firing blanks, using pepper spray, or hollering at it, it might be a nice, nature-respecting thing to do.


Conceal permits for hand guns, still amazes me. In Canada it seems like some sort of alternate reality. It is such an ordeal to even own a gun here, let alone transport one in a vehicle. I don't think a conceal permit is even allowed at all unless you are a police officer.
hmm.. Hitler was big on gun control wasn't he?

 

[Thelt]

I didn't suggest owning a gun that could take down a bear, just wanted to point out that they are normally non-threatening and if you can avoid injuring one by instead firing blanks, using pepper spray, or hollering at it, it might be a nice, nature-respecting thing to do.


Conceal permits for hand guns, still amazes me. In Canada it seems like some sort of alternate reality. It is such an ordeal to even own a gun here, let alone transport one in a vehicle. I don't think a conceal permit is even allowed at all unless you are a police officer.
hmm.. Hitler was big on gun control wasn't he?

Most states allow concealed carry and respect certificates issued in other states. It is only the states that have big cities that restrict our constitutional rights. The Northeaster states, Illinois (Obama land) and California are the most restrictive.

I would never shoot a bear unless I had to. I would try to scare him off first. A shot into the dirt is just as loud as a blank. I might get some pepper spray. I have heard it has to be a special strong kind made for bears, normal pepper spray for people will not work.

 

[X6StringerX]

I would recommend the 12 gauge over the 20 gauge for a few different reasons.

1 - With a slug, it is a one shot kill as long as your placement is correct. Just as LD50 has suggested, we must be responsible for our actions. I personally don't want to wound an animal and make it suffer, but don't get me wrong though, if it came down between me and my loved ones or the bear, I will shoot whatever I have as many times as I can and hit it every opportunity I get. I would feel better in the long run if it was a quick kill, but when your life is on the line, as long as the bear vacates the area without harming someone, that is priority numero uno.

2 - A 12 gauge is a much better choice for home defense. In this case, someone is in your home and possibly trying to hurt you or your loved ones... lets not take any chances on a minor flesh wound where they can retaliate.

3 - A lot of people are scared by the kick of a 12 gauge, but you can shoot softer recoiling shells for practice. When the real situation takes place, you'll want to use full power rounds, but have so much adrenaline pumping that you won't care how much recoil the gun has. For this reason, the 12 gauge is much more versatile. A 20 gauge will only be as powerful as a 20 gauge.


As a side note, I would pass on loading the gun with blanks. You can always miss on purpose with a live round, but you can't hit if you need to with a blank.