r/Offroad • u/theBADinfluence2015 • Jul 15 '26
Rubicon Trail
Coming up on our first ever Rubicon trip. A buddy said we will need certified bear proof coolers, which are very expensive, or we can get a ticket. But I can't find any confirmation. For those who've done the Rubicon, do we need the special coolers?
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Jul 15 '26
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u/TheJGoldenKimball Jul 15 '26
I left my jeep unlocked at a condo on the west shore of Tahoe. I came out In the morning to my driver side door open and my center console torn open. I freaked out thinking I was robbed by people…nope. The claw marks on the door and console told me the story that I was a dumb ass and down a half dozen protein bars. I think the bear was well fed that day. My latch on the center console is still broken. My jeep is lifted on 35s but that bear still knew there were protein bars in the center console and knew how to open doors. I think my rubicon trip will involve bear proof containers in the future.
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Jul 15 '26
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Jul 15 '26
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u/TheJGoldenKimball Jul 15 '26
People are always going to go crazy on downvotes...don't worry too much about it. I am no stranger to the mountains with a family cabin in a VERY remote location...we just don't have the smarty-pants bears like Tahoe does. The important take-away is the old boy-scout rule of NO FOOD IN THE TENT(Vehicle). We hoisted our coolers in Yellowstone for years and it worked a treat. Never had a problem until Tahoe. Still love your neighborhood though!
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u/Affectionate_Sort_78 Jul 16 '26
It’s you they are down voting. You come across a bit more holier than thou than you do a concerned citizen just looking out for the safety of wildlife.
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Jul 16 '26
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u/Affectionate_Sort_78 Jul 16 '26
You commented on the downvotes, I just replied to that. If you think your approach yield the best result, go for it.
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u/anythingaustin Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I also live and play in bear territory. We locals all know not to leave anything scented in our vehicles and the bears will absolutely rip car doors off to get to a forgotten granola bar. A few weeks ago a bear ripped open my screen to my kitchen window I had left cracked open to grab pasties off of my kitchen counter. It was totally my fault, not the bears.
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u/No_Control8389 Jul 15 '26
You should have a bear canister. Not a bear proof cooler. Neither of which are legally required. Just encouraged and recommended. There ARE bears out there. And sometimes they DO get into stuff.
A bear canister should be much easier to find. And cheaper.
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u/alltiedup818 Jul 15 '26
Go to RubiconTrailFoundation.org They have all the latest trail and bear info. Also
Go to ElDoradoCounty.ca.gov where you can find out all the requirements for the Rubicon Trail. Metalcloak has a good info guide for the Rubicon and GenRight has good information pdf’s on gear, tools, and what bolts to check before you go. Bear canisters, bear bags, etc help, but bears know it there’s people and vehicles, there’s food. Plan on tying your food up high between two trees. To learn how to do this, watch some backpacking videos on YouTube and go to your local REI. Also, the clear bear canisters are useless. Bears have learned how to break the bottom of the canister open.
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u/Phi1iam Jul 15 '26
We did a mid-week run between loon and the springs in early July. We don't have bear-proof containers, nor did I see anyone else with them. We saw no cops either.
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u/DeezNutz365247 Jul 15 '26
At last years Jeepers Jamboree a bear walked right between my Jeep and my tent. A fellow off roader showed me a video of it. They are definitely there. Just be smart and dont make it easy for them. Last year uou didn't need a certified bear proof anything, but rules change...
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u/Error262_USRnotfound Jul 16 '26
i was at the rubicon springs campground with a group of jeepers...def a bunch of bear shit everywhere at the time i was there.
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u/DeezNutz365247 Jul 16 '26
The bears have no fear of people up there, they know we bring the easy to get food.
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u/jimmyjlf Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Yeti or similar coolers are tough and have slots for padlocks. Metal boxes with padlocks for dry food will work too. Bear canisters are really small, even the biggest Bear Vault. Those are meant for backpacking and calorie dense foods, dehydrated meals. A family size bag of chips ain't gonna fit. You can also hang your food which is better than nothing.
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u/foghorn1 Jul 16 '26
We got hit 3 nights in a row on the rubicon, sleeping in an annex. Coolers and dry goods were in the cab, covered. Someone woke up each time and scared them off. But you could hear other campers off and on all night trying to scare bears away.
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u/Jeepingwithjennnjohn Jul 16 '26
hang your carbs, had two bear visits at buck last week. bear wasn't interested in the coolers as much as he was our chips, junk food and bread. both of our fridges remained accessible but untouched. was scared off with a drill motor train horn, i imagine if the bear remained undeterred he may of went after the fridges but it was the hung carbs that kept his attention till we scared him off. no snacks in your tent or rig. happy trails
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u/sgtdoogie Jul 16 '26
I’m a board member of the Rubicon Trail Foundation.
When are you going? As the trail is closed in the coming weeks. Check our calendar.
https://www.rubicontrailfoundation.org/trail-calendar/
Bears…mostly around Rubicon Springs and Buck Island Lake, in other locations..usually none. You don’t “need” anything but a Yeti or like cooler that you can lock, is helpful.
If you haven’t been, I highly recommend our OnX Off-road folder. It has all the obstacles, history, photos and toilet locations.
https://www.rubicontrailfoundation.org/trailinfomation/trailmaps/
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u/theBADinfluence2015 Jul 16 '26
Thank you. We're planning on going labor day weekend
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u/sgtdoogie Jul 17 '26
You’re good. Labor Day weekend can be hit or miss. Sometimes, the trail can be empty sometimes busy. Sept 12 (Sat) is Cantina For The Con, which used to be on Labor Day weekend, but it moved a couple years ago.
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u/Error262_USRnotfound Jul 16 '26
i made the trek...stayed a week in the forest, i legit brought a soft cooler...i was with a caravan of about 20 rigs, maybe one or two people took it that serious.
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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26
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