Camping and travel safety - R-pod Owners Forum

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secretbard View Drop Down

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Joined: 12 Apr 2011
Location: Budd Lake, NJ
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Topic: Camping and travel safety
Posted: 13 Feb 2012 at 2:25pm

Sounds good guys. I like talking pods. Smile

2010 Rpod 172 :)
2004 Chevy Trailblazer

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Posted: 13 Feb 2012 at 1:16pm

I agree with Techntrek. There are strong feelings about various sides of this issue. Somebody's feelings will get hurt sooner or later. There are plenty of gun forums out there, if one chooses to partake. Let's keep Rpod Owners a Rpod and camping related forum. Let's all choose to respect our individual choices on weapons, religeon, politics, etc. and return the conversation to Podding and camping.....and the topic of camping and travel safety.

techntrek

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Posted: 13 Feb 2012 at 1:09pm

I thought of another topic related to camping safety - bears. If you are camping in a "bear problem" area, or even just in an area within their habitat, you need to take special precautions.

Keep food inside approved containers for the area. Some times inside the camper is enough, some times special steel containers will be provided that are bolted down and require steps to open them that are impossible for a bear to do. Don't think that anything you do will eliminate the smell of the food and thus make you immune. You can put it inside 3 ziplock bags and bury it in the middle of a vat of activated charcoal and they'll still smell it. There are areas which require you to cook away from your camper (and when backpacking even cooking in a separate set of clothes which you must store with your food) to keep the smell away. And certainly keep it out of sight - even just an empty wrapper or empty can on the floor of your car is all they need to invite themselves in to check it out.

If hiking in a bear area, make constant noise or carry something like a bell attached to your belt, especially in the spring after cubs and their mothers have emerged. If you accidentally end up between a mother and her cubs you'll likely end up on the national news. You can buy high-strength pepper spray as a last defense but I've read of accounts where it wasn't enough. It is better to keep them away with noise, first.

If you haven't seen it yet, look up a video of a bear opening a car like a beer can, it happens often in Yosemite because of empty wrappers and cans. That may help you remember to use the bear containers next time you camp. Oh, and don't forget anything else that smells - deodorant, toothpaste, etc.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

techntrek

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Posted: 13 Feb 2012 at 12:55pm

Let's ease up on the firearm discussion, we've reached that magical point where discussions quickly turn into shouting matches and hurt feelings. This is one of those topics which usually devolve into chaos... guns, God, government. I'm not immune, just on Friday I had a major disagreement with a good friend of mine who I usually get along with great, but let's say if we were in the Senate we would be sitting on either side of the center aisle, on the far sides of the chamber. We don't usually discuss politics for this reason, but we broke the rule and as a result I felt bad all weekend.

I don't want anyone feeling bad.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

secretbard View Drop Down

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Location: Budd Lake, NJ
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Posted: 13 Feb 2012 at 1:21am

All good things mentioned already. Thanks for sharing. Smile

2010 Rpod 172 :)
2004 Chevy Trailblazer

secretbard View Drop Down

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Posted: 13 Feb 2012 at 12:30am

2010 Rpod 172 :)
2004 Chevy Trailblazer

dsmiths

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Location: Southern Ind
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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 at 9:10pm

good tip goose

Dane and Donna Smith
2011 RP-172
2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4
lift kit
prodigy wireless brake controller

dsmiths

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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 at 9:05pm

Oh P.S. the pods wall wont stop a .44 magnum, or a .22, get youself a good short pump shotgun. 12 gauge is better but a 20 does a good job. number 6 or 7.5 shot is good for close range, the 7.5 wont go through a normal house wall, probably will go through the pod, the long and short is as I tell Donna , "I would rather have it and never need it that to need it and not have it" and another thing old Sgt Guy Schroeder used to tell me "I would rather have 12 men try me than 6 men carry me" thats good advise from a retired Indiana State Police Sgt and a former 101 first airborne Trooper.

Dane and Donna Smith
2011 RP-172
2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4
lift kit
prodigy wireless brake controller

dsmiths

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Location: Southern Ind
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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 at 8:58pm

David, keith and dar, tpierce and others have posted some great advice, but David has posted some sage advice, as a Former Indiana State Police employee, 1975 to 1982, I believe in people and I know that 99.9 % of us are trying to enjoy our time on Gods great earth, the woods, the sound of birds calling, the water, the wind through the trees, all the things we persue podding around, the great friends and fireside chats, but, and I hate it there is one tenth of one percent that will take what you have and hurt and or destroy your family in 1 minute, In 1975 when I came on the ISP within 6 months I was appalled of mans inhumanity to man. I was so shocked as to what can happen in a few minutes, I have been to fatal car accidents, suicides, homicides, and domestic and alcohol induced brawls, I know what man is capable of, I hate it but I am prepared in home and on the road to defend myself, my loved ones and my friends. David has given some good advise, read it an d understand. I will do anything to help a friend, I also will do anything to stop someone from huring my friend. Anything.

Dane and Donna Smith
2011 RP-172
2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4
lift kit
prodigy wireless brake controller

tpierce220 View Drop Down

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Joined: 14 Jan 2011
Location: Oswego IL
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Posted: 12 Feb 2012 at 10:06am

Not sure if your "attack cats" can do that, Tim. Wink

My attack cats would be the first to go up to them and lick them. LOL

Adventures with ¡Podtástic!--Life in a Forest River RPod 182G with Tim and Louis and our two cats, Desi and Lucy. Check our website at http://podtastic.info for information on our journeys.