Cooking in Alaska and Canada

[gmadams]

We like to grill outside a lot when we travel in our RV. Is there any issue using a propane BBQ grill in Canada and Alaska? What about at campgrounds and other places we might stop for the night? I guess that I'm concerned about cooking outside and having some unwanted guests (bears?") wanting to join us.

[Skip426]

Campgrounds would be able to tell you at check in if any problem animals are close by.
Boondocking , your on your own, 10 mins to cook burgers , you shouldn't attract too much attention , 3 hrs doing a roast , well that's a different story.

[Ron_H]

As stated above, if there is a currently a problem with an animal around the campground, some form of notice will likely be given.

There may also be an issue with open flames being prohibited in high fire risk areas though this usually refers to ground fire such as fire pits and typically excludes propane grills and campfires.

As for food... If you are in a motorhome, having open food in an occupied campsite while cooking and eating is not a problem. If you are sleeping in a tent, cook at least 100 meters (approximately one football field) downwind from your sleeping area.

Do not leave food out overnight or when you are away from your campsite. During these times food should always be locked away. Also, do not leave food in a cooler or similar container visible in your car as some bears are familiar enough with these containers that they can also recognize these containers and if a bear wants into your car during the night, there is a good chance they'll get in or cause damage while attempting to do so.

Living in and travelling throughout western Canada all my life I am somewhat familiar with being outdoors in bear country and where other wild critters can be a problem. Other than being chased once by a moose we surprised while off-roading, it has never been a problem. Most wildlife will try their best to avoid humans. Food is something that can tempt them to come visit however.

You might also want to check out the Parks Canada, You Are in Black Bear Country webpage for more information.

With a little knowledge and some common sense, the wild creatures won't be a problem.

[twogypsies]

We had no issues with BBQing and we boondocked most of the time. After grilling we let it cool down and then stored the grill in our basement bay, as usual. Don't leave anything outside with spilled food on tables, etc. Also, if you tend to have a bird feeder at camp - seed or hummingbird - this will definitely attract bears. Even homeowners have problems when they have them on their decks, etc. They are likely to see a bear peering in their patio door!

[jrwalkerpa1]

We've never had any problems. The one thing we do avoid is cooking outside after dark if we are in bear county off boondocking by ourselves. But in campgrounds we don't worry about it unless known problem bears are around.

We don't leave the grill out overnight. Although we often thought it might be better than having the bear tear a storage compartment door off to get to the grill 😊

[jpharley]

We traveled to Alaska last year and we used our grill extensively. We just cooled it down and stored it in the basement. We never saw a bear in a campground although we did see signs warning of them.

[MaverickBBD]

I find the flame on my barbecue is different in Canada. It must be metric, especially after a few Molsons.

[msy4us]

Mosquitoes both cooking breakfast in the morning and cooking dinner in the evening were our only problem that we did not anticipate while traveling through Canada and Alaska. Lots of mosquitoes.

[ChasA]

This thread reminds me of when we used to camp in a little Apache pop up in the early 1970s.
We were grilling a nice steak on our Hibachi (remember those?) . I was sitting there enjoying a beer and watching the smoke drift into the woods. Suddenly a bear appeared in the smoke, nose held high, heading right for our steak. No damn way that bear was going to eat my steak. I jumped up put the Hibachi, steak and all into the back of my 1970 Chevy Kingswood station wagon, slammed the tailgate shut and retreated with the wife and baby daughter a safe distance away. As the car filled with smoke, the bear went all around the car trying unsuccessfully to get to the steak. Eventually the bear left and we anxiously ate our steak while looking over each other's shoulder.
The car smelled of steak for months.
Oh Alaska? No, this was in Cade's Cove in Great Smoky National Park.

[marcham]

When we camped in bear and cougar country in British Columbia we cooked outside, never inside. Never had a problem. We stored the grill in the back of the truck (which had a cap). The last thing you want is food smells emanating from inside the trailer (ie: where you sleep). I've hiked z canoed and camped all my life with bears, never had a problem. Raccoons on the other side... they get into everything and can growl! LOL.