If you’re planning on going camping, the last thing you want to worry about is raccoons getting into your campsite. Unfortunately, these clever critters can often find their way into your campsite if you’re not careful. Fortunately, there are a few simple tips you can follow to help keep them away. In this blog post, we’ll be sharing tips to keep raccoons away from your campsite while you’re camping.
A Clean Campsite
One of the best ways to prevent raccoons from visiting your campsite is to keep it clean. When you’re ready to climb in your tent, hammock or vehicle for the night, make sure you pick up any scraps of food or garbage that may have been left behind.
Raccoons are attracted to messes and are often found rummaging through them. If you can keep your camp spot clean and free of debris, it’s less likely that a raccoon will be drawn to it. Be sure to store all food and trash in airtight containers or odor proof sealed bags, as raccoons are skilled at opening containers.
If you are car camping put all food and trash inside your car with the windows up or the trunk. If you have a cooler find a spot in your car to store it for the night or if there is a picnic table you can tuck it under the bench part of the table so raccoons cannot open the cooler. YES!
Raccoons can open coolers. Finally, make sure to cover any fires with dirt or sand when you leave to prevent any leftover food residue from being left behind.
Keep Petfood Away From Your Campsite
If you have a pet with you when camping, it’s important to keep their food away from the raccoons. Raccoons are naturally attracted to pet food and will go out of their way to get it if given the chance. To avoid this problem, make sure to store your pet’s food in airtight containers, or keep it inside your vehicle at night.
You can also try to feed your pet during the day when raccoons are less active. If possible, try to feed your pet in an area that is far away from your campsite. Additionally, be sure to clean up any leftover food after feeding your pet so as not to attract any raccoons.
Never Store Food In Your Tent
It may seem convenient to store food in your tent while camping, but it can be an invitation for raccoons to enter and cause a mess. Raccoons have an amazing sense of smell, so they can easily find the food you’ve stored in your tent.
Not only that, but storing food in your tent can attract other wild animals such as skunks and bears, which can be even more dangerous than raccoons.
To protect yourself and your campsite from unwelcome critters, always keep food away from your tent. If you do need to bring food into your tent, be sure to store it in airtight containers or bags.
This will help keep the scent of food away from the raccoons and other animals. You should also make sure to clean up any food crumbs or residue from around the entrance of your tent.
Hang Your Food
Hanging your food is one of the most common practice in bear country away from your campsite. It’s also a good idea to do this technique in any camping trip. Even on backpacking trips there are more critters other than raccoons such as mice and squirrels that can make it into your food.
If you don’t have a tree to hang your food from, you can use the “hanging hack” method. This involves hanging a length of rope between two trees and using carabiners or clips to hang items like backpacks and coolers. You can also use this method for hanging food such as bags of chips, sealed packages of meat, and other snacks.
Remember to keep the food at least six feet off the ground and away from the trunk of the tree. The higher and further away from the trunk, the better. Raccoons are good climbers, so you should try to make it as difficult as possible for them to get their paws on your food.
If possible try to hang a bright light near the food so that raccoons are less likely to come near it. Not only will the light make them uncomfortable, but it will also alert you if they attempt to get near it.
Raccoons are an unwelcome guest at any campsite, but these simple tips you can help keep them away. Personally I have witness raccoons chew threw tents to get to food. Save Your Gear and Your Next Camping Trip.
