Eating in the tent?

[Smokey]

I don't allow food in the tent. I would rather not have food anywhere near the tent to avoid attracting animals. I don't care if it's a bear or a 'possum. I don't want any animal anywhere near.

I can totally agree with you on this. There have been some bear problems around the area where I live so keeping food out of the tent is just the smart thing to do.

 

[FernGully]

No. Eating is done outdoors if we use a tent. Shoes are not allowed in the tent at all. If we are using a camper snacks can be eaten indoors, but that defeats the purpose of camping out. We can eat in the house.

 

[campermom]

No eating in our tent although we do let our 3 year old drink his night milk from his sippy cup...

 

[Newanderthal]

I eat inside all the time, but I'm very neat and tidy.

 

[Yab9]

I prefer eating around the campfire but if it rains I try and lean outside of the tent as much as I can. I don't have any kids so things don't get that messy and I'm always careful not to bring bread crumbs inside.

 

[Marshmallow]

Unless there is an emergency such as weather or bugs, we don't allow food in the tent. We also insist on the children taking their shoes off. I cannot abide sand in my bed.

 

[IndianaHiker]

Never a good idea. Even if you are in an area with no bears or large animals. By eating in your tent you are asking for holes to be chewed in it by mice. Leave a few things that have a scent and see how many holes get chewed in your once dry tent.

 

[RingTwist]

We do not eat in the tent (unless we're stuck in it due to rain). It's too messy and attracts pests and animals.

Really, we’re only in the tent to sleep or get dressed.

 

[GROUNDpounder]

For the most part they don't. They might have a snack in there, but not the main meals. Our tent stays pretty clean. Everybody has to take their shoes off before they can step into the tent. Stays cleaner that way.

This, I leave part of the tarp under the tent exposed in the front so you can kick your shoes off. No reason to track crap all over the place you're about to sleep and certainly no reason to eat in there and attract bugs!

 

[ppine]

I do not eat in small nylon tents. I have cooked often in the wall tent during bad weather and on cold mornings. There is some risk around bears because the food odors remain in the canvas for a long time.

 

[carmen]

Unless it was ever storming and I mean heavy freak storming there is no chance it is allowed. Too many messy eaters make for a bad nights sleep. I remember one year we headed out with the kids and I found melted marshmallow in my pillow, the next morning when I woke up with it in my hair and on my face.

 

[JeepThrills]

We will eat in the tent if it is raining or the bugs are bad, but I prefer not to. As to the comment about taking off your shoes --- I do have to have my boots or shoes on unless they are really muddy. I always feel the need to be "ready" in case something happens. No idea what that is all about, but I do.

 

[mccallum]

As others have said; no food in the tent. I have an idea that my son and his friend did take candy into the tent last trip which we will talk about the next time we go!!!!!!!! No matter who he takes!

 

[Judy Ann]

Water and a mini bottle or two of scotch...food never! Bears sniffing around my tent would probably bring on a heart attack!

 

[ponderosa]

Absolutely not, never. About half our camping is in grizzly land, and there are no scented items in our tents at any time. We spent a week on the OR coast this summer with lots of rain, and it didn't even occur to our kids to ask about eating in the tent. They just know we don't do that. That's what the rain jackets are for.

 

[Grandpa]

Absolutely not, never. About half our camping is in grizzly land, and there are no scented items in our tents at any time. We spent a week on the OR coast this summer with lots of rain, and it didn't even occur to our kids to ask about eating in the tent. They just know we don't do that. That's what the rain jackets are for.

Unfortunately, I have had some heavily scented socks in my tent before :tinysmile_tongue_t:

But Ponderosa is right, never ever in our part of the world. I've told the story before about my 5 and 7 yr old grandkids emptying their stashes in the bear bag faithfully. Later that night a bear did come into our area, stuck his nose against the tent, sniffed a couple of times and went on to the next camp and raised cain with their stuff. I shudder to think what would have happened if one of those boys had tried to hide a piece of jerky in their pants pocket.

 

[shaun]

I usually prefer eating outside the tent, around the campfire. When it's raining we will eat inside the tent but if the weather is clement we will eat outside. Alfresco eating is fun, I don't eat outside much when I am home so it's a nice change.

 

[Gunny Webb]

I would not eat in a tent in bear country, or store food there. I would not even eat a candy bar in a tent with a bear around.

 

[ppine]

I was on the Chilkoot Trail at Sheep Camp packing up to climb the Golden Stairs. The morning before a lady was rolling up her Thermarest in her small nylon tent at about 0800. A bear opened the nylon with a claw and came in the tent with her. She was scared to death but not badly hurt. She admitted that she "had some granola bars in her pack in there with her."

 

[ghostdog]

We never eat in the tent. That is what a good cheery tarp shelter is for, cooking, eating and lounging in inclement weather away from the tent.