here i go with another "dumb" question, well actually, it's an admission of sorts. 

for all the camping i've done in my dear Vanna, i've somehow only gone to Yosemite once. for those who don't know, yosemite is famous for, among other things, having lots of curious and hungry bears. 

the one time i went, the ranger told us to stow our food in bear containers and to absolutely not leave any food in our tent or car. 

i looked at him flummoxed.

regarding his safety precautions, i sleep "in a kitchen". one that gets cooked in. one that's presumably permeated by food smells, at least from the perspective of a bear's nose. 

so i put the food in the bear container. decided not to pop the top just in case the smells of dinner were particularly delightful.

the next morning the ranger came by and asked us if we heard the bear rummaging next to the van. we had not. 

i thought about how i camp in more coastal areas, or in the desert, but usually not in the woods.

so fellow van owners who camp in bear country and cook in their van, do you pop your top? do you sleep soundly without dreams of bears ripping through your canvas top? 

do you think about the smell of your kitchen? 

do you think it's impossible to separate the smell of food from where you sleep, assuming you like to sleep in the cozy of your delightful van bed? 

s.