Galley Back Wall Protection

Not quite perfect (did I mention I have OCD?), but they cut super easy with an Xacto knife.
 
Probably won't be able to slide anything over the mats OP, they are really tacky, but they are easy to remove. Love the dryer sheet idea, I beleive I saw a post on here about some bear scratches on the galley door.



Old_Prospector said:
Randy, nice work. I assume you can slide the cooler over the mats on the storage bins. This will prevent long term scratching of the stainless steel surface.

The following is a tip from a camping guide. "All animals hate the smell of fabric softener so bring lots of fabric softener sheets and put them everywhere. Put them in your knapsack, your tent, in your sleeping bag and even in your cooler. This is extra protection and will help mask the smell of food and keep curious animals away."

After cleaning up the galley, it might be wise to pinch a dryer sheet between the galley hatch and camper when closing up for the night. The smell of the dryer sheet might have the varmints and bears looking elsewhere for a snack.
Click to expand...
 
Gina and Bob,
I know from experience that bears will break into cars if they smell food. That's why bear boxes and canisters make good sense. We worked at Sequoia NP and you would see bear paw prints on car and cabin windows now and then. We haven't yet camped with a trailer so not sure what could happen if anything.
 
I thought maybe you used an Xacto knife to cut the mats. I guess I'm wondering what surface and template you used. They look so precise that dare I imagine you using and cutting on top of the galley storage lids themselves?
 
Nope. Just took measurements, placed two marks on the mat, lined up a metal level on the marks and zipped across with the Xacto. Cuts clean and super easy with a new blade. I have an old piece of granite on my work bench that I cut on.
 
We just line the backsplash area with aluminum foil and use a few dots of museum putty to hold it in place. Museum putty works to keep bins from sliding around, too.
 
I have one problem with using Bounce dryer sheets to repel Bears.
The Bounce vapors gives me a terrible headache, especially when heated.
I even used to get a headache occasionally through a weatherstripped solid core apartment door
when a neighbor used them in the laundry room across the apartment building hall. It wouldn't apply
if used against bears, but I also get a rash from Bounce dried sheets. I am fine with the liquid softeners.
My younger daughter is similarly sensitive to Bounce, some perfumes, and Paper White blooms.
We both wonder why the makers put "Instant Death" in some products...

"All animals hate the smell of fabric softener" - Does this make me a wild animal? ;)
 
Mark, sorry to hear that you and your daughter have a reaction to dryer sheets. Bummer.

The camping guide information that I referenced stated that typically varmints (raccoons, skunks, possums, field mice) are more problematic in camping than bears, but that the dryer sheets were effective.

I guess you will need to rely on bear spray. The active ingredient in bear spray is capsaicin and related capsaicinoids. Maybe you could get some dilute mixture (don't know if this is even available over the counter), eye drop on some paper towels (not much, varmint's sense of smell is much better than ours), pins the towels on the perimeter of your camp site for the night, and dispose of the towels in the morning.

Parks have a regulation about the concentration of ingredient in the bear spray, which is much lower than us human "wild animals" get from a pepper spray. More research on what can and cannot be used will be necessary.

Dan and Vanessa, thanks for the tip about museum putty. I can definitely see application for trailers.
 
Thanks for the sentiment Old Pro, but the liquid softeners are fine if we want one.
The low hardness of New England water makes it less needed.

I think Siracha (sp) sauce or one of the other similar extra hots is a good commercial weak capsaicin HaHa.
I will have to see what the literature says about them repelling bears before I go to Yosemite or Yellowstone.
I have heard toothpaste can attract bears (wierd), but then I guess mint plants are found all over.

My brother-in-law keeps bear spray and air-horns hanging by the back doors of his Anchorage house.
Of course they are up the base of the slope starting the Chugach Mountains. In addition their house
backs onto a finger of Far North Bicentenial Park and Hilltop Ski Area's cross country trails.
It is a path for Moose and Bears from huge Chugach State Park into the east suburbs of Anchorage.

They have a NICE view over downtown and across to Mt Susitna from the front porch,
and Wolverine Peak through rear two story picture windows though. Gotta get back! Maybe 2016?
 
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