Cooking in the wall tent?

[Tonybuell]

Hey Guys!

Looking for some advice/opinions.

The boy(14) and I are heading up to Fort ST James hunting in Sept.
We are used to cooking in the wall tent on our other trips but never in Grizzly country.

But I’ve heard that in Griz country we shouldn’t be cooking in the tent we sleep in.

Thoughts? What do you guys do ? Have a separate Screen tent to cook in??

Any other tips on griz country?


Thanks!

T

[cdub]

We have always extended the frame and had an open tarp covered area to cook in at the front of the tent. But we also usually made a lot of noise at night that should scare any preds for a couple miles.

[tko]

i keep a gun in the tent in grizz or black country , cooking or not, i had 5 foot porch for my walltent and used that as cooking station.

[albravo2]

We either set up a pop-up tent or, even better, our enclosed trailer as the cook shack. No food whatsoever goes into the tent.

The only thing we make in the tent is coffee.

[J_T]

Never cook in our wall tent. Ever. Immediately outside with a 10 ft awning, but never inside. It isn't a predator issue.

[squamishhunter]

Never had any issues cooking in the tent, plus side of dogs I suppose...

[firstshot]

No food in the tent rule at our camp. The convenience is not with the risk. Also one less reason for mice to come in.
Cooking in the cargo trailer works very well for us, easy to close the doors and lock all the food and booze up!

[XPEIer]

pick up a portable garage, they work great for kitchen shelters.... they come on sale at Canadian Tire for half price. We use a 10x20 for a sleeping tent and another 10x20 for kitchen. For 4 guys it works great.

XPEIER

[srupp]

in grizzly country..no cooking in your sleeping tent. EVER. PERIOD.
no gum, no chocolate bars..no brushing teeth toothpaste...
Kwatna..brand new tent used by guide..first day $2500 tent..within 4 hours destroyed.. for a chocolate bar..hmmm female bear lol
resident hunters near Ghost lk..tent destroyed at the falls turnout..eating in tent.

couple other tips to aid you..if you send PM with ph number I will call you...had more than a few encounters with grizzlis..most turned out badly for the bears a few had their moments on who was going to win..lol never had a friend or client hurt or harmed or their gear.

SEVERAL hundred guys seeking advice have successfully went and returned safetly from this site, HBC..

cheers
Srupp

[264mag]

Bears are always an issue with food and tents. The other thing to consider is the smell of your food on all of your gear when you step out the door. Wildlife is used to the smell of burning wood but not the smell of burning stag chili!!!

[Ride Red]

We never cook inside. Our tent has a 5’ porch plus we drag a tarp further out than that. All critters like food, not just bears.

Take Srupp (Steven) up on his offer, great guy, great advise.

[Salty]

Yup like the guys say cook outside and let the fresh air and wind get rid of food scent. Just extend with a tarp set up a table and your stove and you'll have more room in the tent and more dry storage area outside. Put all food and anything that smells like food in a cooler afterwards and keep in in the truck, best to be anal about keeping a clean camp food scent wise.

https://i.imgur.com/JryzAyJ.jpg

[mpotzold]

Never had any issues cooking in the tent, plus side of dogs I suppose...

Same here!
Used to live in the remote Yukon wilderness year-round living & cooking in tents. Couple FN brothers from Old Crow even made home brew. There were plenty of bears(grizz & black) & wolves but they never bothered us.
The only problem we had was a wolverine that was shot.
If you're worried surround the tent area with an electric fence.

[Hillerbillyvan]

I make a porch with a tarp that's 6-8' longer than the tent that I WAS putting my table and stove,
however last year I picked up a screen room on sale and now place that 10-15 yds away, its real simple to pop up and i like that set up way more, adds a lot more useable space to a camp
still didn't stop a young black from poking his nose in the window beside my cot last fall lol

[S.W.A.T.]

Call me nieve but where is it not grizz country?

Never the less it is not a good idea. We don't even cook in the camper but that's just being picky. If it's in the budget I recommend a pop up patio type tent and a folding plastic table. We paid about $300 for the tent at Costco in its pretty good quality and has 4 walls for when the weather doesn't want to cooperate and the table we picked from a garage sale or something. This gives you a dry cooking area that is easily cleaned doest take up much extra space in the vehicle. Another thing to consider about cooking in your sleeping area besides the bear factor us that most of us cook with propane. Burning propane in doors can cause a carbon monoxide build up. Not so wise......

[Tonybuell]

Great advise guys! Any more tips?

[Hunt_4_Life]

I was gonna say x2 on the CO emissions, I don't know where a guy would find stats on such things but I'm going to guess more campers die from CO poisoning than from Ol man Grizz. My propane stove crapped out this past November (maybe due to the cold? -27C?) so we did all our cooking on the woodstove in the tent. Made for an interesting experience. We weren't exactly in "Grizzly" country, but it would not have been unheard of to have come across the odd one. We did come back to came one evening and found a lynx poking around the text, that was cool.

As a general tip, I usually pre-make a bunch of meals (Chili, Butter Chicken, Soups, Spaghetti Sauce) and freeze them in freezer bags laid flat, they pack nicely in the cooler like ice packs, and then you just heat and serve with a simple starch/side dish that you can boil or fry (Rice, potatoes, pasta, or bannock).

I love my 14x16 Wall Tent, Thanks Deluxe Wall Tents!

[hunter1947]

I never cook in the wall tent stinks it up always do my cooking out side ,,just asking for trouble if you cook in the wall tent bears will come into the tent..

[S.W.A.T.]

Not to hijack but could someone please explain to me what is and isn't bear country because I see bears everywhere

[harbinger]

I'm surprised to hear so many guys never cook in the wall tent. To me one of the best things about the wall tent is cooking dinner in the cast iron on the cylinder stove! If you are concerned about the consequences of bear enters tent, cooking right outside the door is not going to have a different outcome. I realize lots of guys are thinking more for scent on your cloths but any animal you hunt that is down wind of you is going to detect your scent no matter what.
Your post is asking about sleeping and we sleep right in the glorious bacon scented wall tent. Having said all that you know I would be singing a different tune if a grizz had ever decided have a look see. Even if you sleep in a tent outside of camp the bear will most likely check you out.
The safest option is no food or anything in the tent at all...that would kinda suck though I think.

[RackStar]

Yup like the guys say cook outside and let the fresh air and wind get rid of food scent. Just extend with a tarp set up a table and your stove and you'll have more room in the tent and more dry storage area outside. Put all food and anything that smells like food in a cooler afterwards and keep in in the truck, best to be anal about keeping a clean camp food scent wise.

https://i.imgur.com/JryzAyJ.jpg
Nice Tacoma/camp setup.
Those Tacoma’s are the best.