Judy in Texas 150 Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 For those with small campers or who tent camp, how to you store your non-refrigerated food items while at The Fort? I'm thinking about putting it in a bin with clips that hold the lid on and keeping it under the picnic table; but, I don't know how crafty The Fort critters are. Also, with the Florida humidity, must you do anything special to keep bread, etc from molding quickly? Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
freshlybarked 4 Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 We are not tent/pop-up campers, but we still have storage issues. I like the Rubbermade or similar totes with the lids that have the two clamps on each end. We use different sizes for everything. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brerroadrunner 8 Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 I have had critter foot prints all over our outside refrigerator trying to get it open. Raccoons are pretty crafty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GOBA Mom Lynn 18 Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 We tent camped, and although we didn't bring too much food with us, what we did bring we put in plastic bins with lids and then kept them in the van when we were in the parks. We took WDW transportation almost exclusively so the inside of the van became a big storage unit by the end of the trip. We left the cooler outside either on or under the table and had no problems. Now, our neighbors did have a squirrel invade their screen room and stole a Hershey bar out of a bag of goodies they had stashed. So beware..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Memphis 105 Posted February 28, 2011 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 When we tent camped we kept our food stuff in a Rubbermaid bin with snap-on top in the back of the truck. My trucks have always had either a topper or tonneau cover so items are out of the weather and secure. We do have a Tupperware bread keeper but it is more to keep the bread from being squished than to keep it fresh. Squirrels and brides are the biggest food thefts I have encountered at FW. There are armadillos, bunnies, deer, turkeys, beer stealing otters and you would think raccoons but I have never seen one in the campground. I don't know if Disney has a program to remove them or not. But thank goodness coons are not the problem they are at say Fort Desoto or other state parks in the area. Coons at Fort Desoto can open a safe inside an armored car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
beccaewert 10 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 the fort squirrels are clever little rascals,..I had left a jar of peanut butter on my kitchen table, thinking that no animal could unscrew the cap or bite thru the lid bc it was the really thick plastic lid,.....well guess what? they chewed thru the side of my peanut butter lid and chewed a hole in the jar,......they are very very clever! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AuburnJen 771 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 I have found that zip locks were not my friends when we had our popup (our first one). We had those rubbermaid tight fitting thingies. I would invest in them as you can afford them. With the humidity in FL, you will need them anyway. I am currently running an experiment in my classroom growing life cycles of darkwing beetles (mealworms) and I have not appreciated the extra wildlife that has shown up on my decomposing apples. They were SUPPOSED to be for the mealworms. :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JCJRSmith 6 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Squirrels and brides are the biggest food thefts I have encountered at FW. BRIDES??? Husbands - lock up your thieving brides!!!! :rofl2:Sorry - couldn't resist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Brides are BROKE cause they just spent all that money on the wedding, so they HAVE to snatch food from unsuspecting campers!!! :rofl2: :siren: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
beccaewert 10 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Brides become a problem, because they have to diet for 6 months to fit into there dresses....LOCK UP THE FOOD....the BRIDE IS LOOSE! :popcorn: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stefa70 205 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 BRIDEZILLAS!!! :popcorn: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sensei 18 Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Go to JC Penney and look for "Lock-N-Locks". They run them on sale frequently for 1/2 off. They are by far the best plastic containers I've found. We use them a lot in geocaching because once closed, they are watertight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 I can tell you what not to use.. those "pantry" style cabinets that most camping places sell, they are made out of a thick fabric.. You'd think a squirrel wouldnt be able to penetrate that but WRONGO!! Check out my trip report for a picture of mine AFTER the demon squirrel got ahold of some hamburger buns. He would only take the buns.. not the loaf bread, not crackers.. just hamgurger buns, go figure!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BRDof3...Rob 40 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Another vote for good quality Rubbermaid-type containers. We tent camped for years, and I never lost anything from the tubs. We kept them clicked closed and stored under the end wings of the tent, so they were out of direct sun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Roller ... aka Ed 351 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Squirrels and brides are the biggest food thefts I have encountered at FW. OMG - Here Come the Brides! Lock up the food! Even though I've been beat to the punch, that was too good to resist. :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YodaGirl 13 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 We tent camped for close to 10 years, and we've had wildlife get into all sorts of our containers.Honestly, your best bet is to keep your food in a plastic container either in your vehicle or your tent. You'd be surprised what animals can do to get into your containers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stefa70 205 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 They are crafty little things. Years ago tent camping in Croom we set up two tents, one to sleep and one for bags/changing area. Before bed, we made sure every bit of food was locked up in the truck, or so we thought. My son had chicken nuggets on the way there and left 1, licked clean, sauce container in the garbage bag. Coons ripped the tent open to get it! :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 This happened to me at Hillsborough State Park outside of Tampa. We took about 30 kids from church camping for the weekend. I had an old style metal coleman cooler with the metal rotating lock (the cooler was new when this happened) and raccoons were able to open it and stole a plastic bag full of pre-cooked spaghetti and meatballs!!! I'm tellin' ya, that cooler was difficult for a human to open - but not for the coons!!Fortunately, in almost 40 years of camping at the Fort I have never seen a raccoon. Lots of squirrels and armadillos, but no raccoons. Still and all I would not leave food outside in anything but a rubbermaid container with clip-lock handles & secured with bungees. I cannot attest to what critters roam around the Fort after I've gone to bed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Judy in Texas 150 Posted March 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 For our last two trips to Mineral Wells State Park, TX, the raccoons have not been shy. Weekend before last I was on a late night trip to the comfort station when I surprised a very fat raccoon dragging a whole loaf of bread across the road. Last year the people at the site across the road hung a garbage bag full of stuff from a low branch. Just after dark a raccoon came by, batted the bag around till it hit the ground, then they made off with several prizes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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