The safer thing to do would be cook outside the van, at least 50 feet, or
more, away.

'the standard rules' ..in 'real bear country' ..
like Alaskan wilds are..

you cook a few hundred  feet away from where you sleep.
You never sleep in any clothes you have cooked in, or worn while eating, and
you wouldn't have those clothes in your tent either.   Keep everything
associated with food completely separate from your sleeping body.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sheilah Rogers" <sheilah@SHEILAH.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 7:42 AM
Subject: camping amidst bears, safety question

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.