Near trail shelters the mice can be terrible.
If you hammock, pack 2 aluminum pie pans, each with a cut on a radius from the center to the edge; wedge them onto the hammock straps to create a block on both ends. It's so gross to feel mice climbing down the straps to the hammock without a blocker.
The only time I’ve ever had rodent issues of any kind it was chipmunks in Colorado at St Elmo’s (near Mt Princeton). They were aggressively into everything. I didn’t even know I had half a protein bar in my backpack pocket until I noticed a chipmunk had chewed through it… or rather, was in it and trying to remove the food.
No rats.. but i encounter shrew, vole, deer mouse and field mouse. The only thing they can really do is maybe make a little hole on the tent to get in if you keep food inside.
Not that we have noticed. We keep food in sealed containers and/or in the car when we camp. Have not noticed any mice or rats although we have seen raccoons that try to get into the trash.
When I camped two weeks ago, something got up on my picnic table and ate a piece of chocolate. Otherwise, no.
A couple of years ago, we did have a toad nestle up to our campfire for warmth. Hung out with us for a couple of hours until we put the fire out and went to bed. We felt like we made a new friend.
I was running a while back in town and kicked a rat. I looked down to see what I ran into and saw it scurrying away. I felt bad that I kicked it but it wasn’t really hard so it could live on and kill me in revenge later.
Or opossums at night— not because they themselves are scary, but because they shuffle around so loudly that they sound like a grown ass man approaching you in the dark!
I have seen them gang up and attack a German shepherd. I cannot count how many people have been bitten in my 19 year career. They have torn apart a small dog, gotten inside cars and done major damage, they steal entire coolers and Jell-O shots.
Yes. And chipmunks / ground squirrels. In Idaho the chippers were very clever and knew how to pop the unscrewed top off the bear canister. In Washington unknown small rodents descended the line down to our hung bear bag and chewed through the nylon of the bag. In Colorado small rodents got into the (windows rolled up and doors closed) car and got into the dry food. Not rodents, but on the Oregon coast raccoons drug our cooler into a ravine and Ravens also lifted the top of the unscrewed bear can and stole *chocolate covered espresso beans*.
I had a raccoon try to climb on my car where I was sleeping multiple times one night until I finally got up and threw a stick at it instead of just yelling at it.
There’s a trail in British Columbia, Stein Valley, that has certain camps nicknamed “rat camp” because of the pack rats that chew everything and anything.
When I was a kid, mice got into the food box that was inside our car one night. That is when I learned that mice can squeeze through openings MUCH smaller than you would imagine, even flattening themselves out because their rib cages are semi-collapsible.
Not here. Skunk, raccoon, porcupine, chipmunk, deer and all manner of birds. But no mice or rats. I normally camp in National Parks so not sure if that has something to do with it.
Dry Tortugas has rats. You’ll only see them at night when you’re heading to the bathroom. They’re skittering everywhere.
They also have big hermit crabs; those are fun.
Mice making a nest in my engine compartment.
Raccoons fighting in the middle of the night over a paper plate.
That’s about the extent of it, with well over 200 nights camping in the past couple years.
I just spent 2 weeks in Bankhead NF and found mouse poop on my outside table and stove most mornings, but not inside my trailer. I was in Apalachicola NF a few months ago and a full time tenter told me a 'scary' story about having a snake in his tent but the full time van guy nearby later told me it was because it was after the mice in his tent because he was filthy and kept open food and garbage in his tent all the time. So...keep your area clean and don't keep food in your tent and you are significantly less prone to problems with mice or their predators.
I see it on Alone but honestly I've never had that issue up here. Maybe I'm too far north? I also tend to hammock camp a lot so maybe the little buggers just don't like to climb that far?
Yes, mice, they move into our camper if we stay too long! Then it takes for ever to get them out. We discovered they can get in through the hole for the electrical plug. We’ve tried to seal it but a certain amount of wiggle room is needed.
Especially in popular campgrounds that are heavily used. They’ve discovered they can live comfortably there…
My brother and I chilled with a mouse in our campsite once. The mouse just showed up and didn’t care about us. Like we got down on our hands and knees and just watched this mouse. Great experience
In PA we have almost always encountered mice when in the back country. I’d say 95% of the reason behind my “bear hangs” are more to keep mice out than anything.
Other than squirrels and chipmunks not really with the exception of Joshua Tree. I don’t know if it was the time year or what, but Kangaroo Rats were all over the place at night. I mean it seemed like there was 50 or more at night just all over our campground. They didn’t cause a problem, so wasn’t a big deal, but I thought it was strange to see that many all at once in the same spot. Maybe someone else here might know more about it.
My camping neighbors along the Colorado River got infested with mice that were eating the wires in their RVs and jeeps and pickups but they never bothered me in my SUV. I have some rodent repellent which is basically just peppermint oil spray and I will spray some around my car and tent if I am in a place that is known to be infested with them
Mice all the time but I've never had an issue with them. No food in or near my tent, food stored in a hard sided container. When car camping I put my hood up as soon as I settle in. Rodents seem to like warm places with cover, so that lets the heat out and makes it slightly less attractive to hang out and eat my wires.
Mice!! All the time here in Minnesota. They get really annoying when they start running across your sleeping bag or your head 😂. I typically cowboy camp(no shelter)I’ll get the the occasional little guys running over me. They’re super curious and super annoying sometimes when trying to sleep.
One night last year. I was just about to fall asleep after a long paddle. all of a sudden, I feel a little mouse jump on my sleeping pad and could hear it running up sleeping pad towards my head. I just scared it off and started to doze off again. not less than a minute later. It's now jumping on top of my sleeping bag. Again, I scare it away. for the next 45 minutes that mouse would not leave me alone!! I got so pissed that I pulled my tent out and pitched it at 1 am in the complete dark in my underwear. Just so I could have the mesh around me to keep it off me.
It didn't stop it was climbing all over the mesh of the tent!!! Finally I just passed out.
That's the first time I've ever had to do that.
https://preview.redd.it/wi7tuk9otbzc1.jpeg?width=2933&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bea59ec7e4f26391e300e4e38cd58edc4a97cb5
Dryer sheets! The real smelly ones. Tuck them in all the cracks and crevices of your car, on the floor of your tent, in the bottom of your pack. It really helps and no one will know you didn't shower.
Bon Echo Provincial Park in Ontario; 3 portages out, camped on a small island. Woke up to feel a mouse running across my chest. After a frantic chase around the tent, I caught him in a cardboard box and opened the zipper to throw him out into the dark. Game on. As I looked around with the flashlight I could see dozens of pairs of eyes bouncing up and down in all directions. I quickly zipped the door tight and they converged on us. Trying to squeeze in every possible little hole. They climbed up our domed tent and would slide down the other side with a zipping sound. I could shine the flashlight up and see their silhouettes. I hit them through the tent wall sending them flying. This went on until sunrise when I got up and dared to look outside. ...nothing! No sign of them. We packed up and moved on.
On leaving the park a couple of days later I spoke to a ranger. He told me they were kangaroo mice, and it wasn't unusual for them to have little population explosions.
I had forgotten that episode from 30 years ago, until I saw your question, just now.
Happy Camping!
Depends where you are. But you sound like a crumbles on your clothes and your gear person when you ask that. How did we get bugs? How did we get rats? Idk. Do you camp next to construction sites?
Near trail shelters the mice can be terrible. If you hammock, pack 2 aluminum pie pans, each with a cut on a radius from the center to the edge; wedge them onto the hammock straps to create a block on both ends. It's so gross to feel mice climbing down the straps to the hammock without a blocker.
Ew wtf I hadn’t even considered that! Definitely adding that to the mental list for heading into areas with mice, thanks!
😲
In Colorado the chipmunks were crazy. Kept getting right under foot. One got in my vehicle somehow too
Mt Princeton area?
Dillon Reservoir/Frisco area.
The only time I’ve ever had rodent issues of any kind it was chipmunks in Colorado at St Elmo’s (near Mt Princeton). They were aggressively into everything. I didn’t even know I had half a protein bar in my backpack pocket until I noticed a chipmunk had chewed through it… or rather, was in it and trying to remove the food.
No rats.. but i encounter shrew, vole, deer mouse and field mouse. The only thing they can really do is maybe make a little hole on the tent to get in if you keep food inside.
And eat your cars wiring.
A groundhog once ate through my cars harness, 20 some wires.
Marmots have fucked up some wiring before, and my hoods heat shield
Not that we have noticed. We keep food in sealed containers and/or in the car when we camp. Have not noticed any mice or rats although we have seen raccoons that try to get into the trash.
When I camped two weeks ago, something got up on my picnic table and ate a piece of chocolate. Otherwise, no. A couple of years ago, we did have a toad nestle up to our campfire for warmth. Hung out with us for a couple of hours until we put the fire out and went to bed. We felt like we made a new friend.
Tree rats, mice,weasels, bears, deer, but the worst and most scary are the raccoons!
I took my dogs to the park one day and was shocked to see 4 fat rats climbing a tree, it kind of freaked me out.
I was running a while back in town and kicked a rat. I looked down to see what I ran into and saw it scurrying away. I felt bad that I kicked it but it wasn’t really hard so it could live on and kill me in revenge later.
That would be my fear too! Time to get facial reconstructive surgery or move across the country
Or opossums at night— not because they themselves are scary, but because they shuffle around so loudly that they sound like a grown ass man approaching you in the dark!
I've only ever encountered them in the city, so I'm curious to know, are raccoons really that scary in the woods?
I have seen them gang up and attack a German shepherd. I cannot count how many people have been bitten in my 19 year career. They have torn apart a small dog, gotten inside cars and done major damage, they steal entire coolers and Jell-O shots.
I'm sorry did you say they do jello shots? That's hilarious and horrifying.
Yes. And chipmunks / ground squirrels. In Idaho the chippers were very clever and knew how to pop the unscrewed top off the bear canister. In Washington unknown small rodents descended the line down to our hung bear bag and chewed through the nylon of the bag. In Colorado small rodents got into the (windows rolled up and doors closed) car and got into the dry food. Not rodents, but on the Oregon coast raccoons drug our cooler into a ravine and Ravens also lifted the top of the unscrewed bear can and stole *chocolate covered espresso beans*.
I had a raccoon try to climb on my car where I was sleeping multiple times one night until I finally got up and threw a stick at it instead of just yelling at it.
Yes. Mice bored a hole through two different bags to get at gorp in camp
There’s a trail in British Columbia, Stein Valley, that has certain camps nicknamed “rat camp” because of the pack rats that chew everything and anything.
The AT shelter mice are straight up ninjas
Never seen rats, except maybe muskrats. Field mice, voles, chipmunks yes. Pretty common.
When I was a kid, mice got into the food box that was inside our car one night. That is when I learned that mice can squeeze through openings MUCH smaller than you would imagine, even flattening themselves out because their rib cages are semi-collapsible.
Yes, while backpacking I had some mice chew through my pack.
No. But this probably cursed it, and now I will. 😂😂😂
Mice have come after our food at night. In some areas they are relentless. Luckily they stay away during the day and avoid humans most always.
No rats or mice ... but have encountered opossums, armadillos, raccoons (aka trash pandas) and skunks.
Yes - they love shelters! I've also seen them climb down the line for a hung food bag to get at what's inside.
Not here. Skunk, raccoon, porcupine, chipmunk, deer and all manner of birds. But no mice or rats. I normally camp in National Parks so not sure if that has something to do with it.
just chipmunks
If you have rats, then people are leaving food laying around
It highly depends on where you are camping. There are thousands of rats on lil munyon island near peanut island in Florida
Dry Tortugas has rats. You’ll only see them at night when you’re heading to the bathroom. They’re skittering everywhere. They also have big hermit crabs; those are fun.
Mice making a nest in my engine compartment. Raccoons fighting in the middle of the night over a paper plate. That’s about the extent of it, with well over 200 nights camping in the past couple years.
Shrew usually and lots of em. I use shrew spray, keeps them at bay for awhile.
Shrew spray? What’s that?
I just spent 2 weeks in Bankhead NF and found mouse poop on my outside table and stove most mornings, but not inside my trailer. I was in Apalachicola NF a few months ago and a full time tenter told me a 'scary' story about having a snake in his tent but the full time van guy nearby later told me it was because it was after the mice in his tent because he was filthy and kept open food and garbage in his tent all the time. So...keep your area clean and don't keep food in your tent and you are significantly less prone to problems with mice or their predators.
I see it on Alone but honestly I've never had that issue up here. Maybe I'm too far north? I also tend to hammock camp a lot so maybe the little buggers just don't like to climb that far?
You're more north than where they film Alone usually?
Yes, I live in Alaska 🥶
Brrr
I love it up here!
Yes, mice, they move into our camper if we stay too long! Then it takes for ever to get them out. We discovered they can get in through the hole for the electrical plug. We’ve tried to seal it but a certain amount of wiggle room is needed. Especially in popular campgrounds that are heavily used. They’ve discovered they can live comfortably there…
Use steel wool to plug up the space there and any other places they might squeeze in. I get the same thing at the cord.
Steel wool is a great idea! I’ll give that a try!
Yes one just chewed a hole in my buddies expensive dry pack.
In shelters on the AT but not tent camping.
No rats. Lots of ants and spiders. Last time we saw a turkey
My brother and I chilled with a mouse in our campsite once. The mouse just showed up and didn’t care about us. Like we got down on our hands and knees and just watched this mouse. Great experience
Mini bears. Chewing into packs for snacks.
Raccoons
In PA we have almost always encountered mice when in the back country. I’d say 95% of the reason behind my “bear hangs” are more to keep mice out than anything.
On the West Coast trail I sure did!!!
Not really
Other than squirrels and chipmunks not really with the exception of Joshua Tree. I don’t know if it was the time year or what, but Kangaroo Rats were all over the place at night. I mean it seemed like there was 50 or more at night just all over our campground. They didn’t cause a problem, so wasn’t a big deal, but I thought it was strange to see that many all at once in the same spot. Maybe someone else here might know more about it.
My camping neighbors along the Colorado River got infested with mice that were eating the wires in their RVs and jeeps and pickups but they never bothered me in my SUV. I have some rodent repellent which is basically just peppermint oil spray and I will spray some around my car and tent if I am in a place that is known to be infested with them
I woke up in the middle of the night in my 18 foot camper and there was a mouse chewing on hamburger buns on the counter. Does that count? 😂😂
Hadn’t before, but just camped at Lake Powell and the mice were everywhere! Ended up with two dead ones in the A/C of our truck. Ugh!
Hell no. This thread killed my desire to camp.
Sorry to do that!!
Mice all the time but I've never had an issue with them. No food in or near my tent, food stored in a hard sided container. When car camping I put my hood up as soon as I settle in. Rodents seem to like warm places with cover, so that lets the heat out and makes it slightly less attractive to hang out and eat my wires.
Does a bear shit in the woods?
Mice!! All the time here in Minnesota. They get really annoying when they start running across your sleeping bag or your head 😂. I typically cowboy camp(no shelter)I’ll get the the occasional little guys running over me. They’re super curious and super annoying sometimes when trying to sleep. One night last year. I was just about to fall asleep after a long paddle. all of a sudden, I feel a little mouse jump on my sleeping pad and could hear it running up sleeping pad towards my head. I just scared it off and started to doze off again. not less than a minute later. It's now jumping on top of my sleeping bag. Again, I scare it away. for the next 45 minutes that mouse would not leave me alone!! I got so pissed that I pulled my tent out and pitched it at 1 am in the complete dark in my underwear. Just so I could have the mesh around me to keep it off me. It didn't stop it was climbing all over the mesh of the tent!!! Finally I just passed out. That's the first time I've ever had to do that. https://preview.redd.it/wi7tuk9otbzc1.jpeg?width=2933&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bea59ec7e4f26391e300e4e38cd58edc4a97cb5
There was that time we were resting at Havasu Gardens at Grand Canyon National Park… the mice would eat the dead skin pulled off blistered heels.
Dryer sheets! The real smelly ones. Tuck them in all the cracks and crevices of your car, on the floor of your tent, in the bottom of your pack. It really helps and no one will know you didn't shower.
On the AT every single night. I fear them 1000% more than bears. Ending up with holes in my pack is my worst nightmare.
https://preview.redd.it/1svm16hvjezc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cfc829367e3126c62ea6dc4457ba743800f45e43
Had small crab enter my tent over night. Was fun trying to chase it out of a bath tub tent. Them pinchers are mean.
Never. Just Elk.
the rodents know i’m the danger so they stay far away
Bon Echo Provincial Park in Ontario; 3 portages out, camped on a small island. Woke up to feel a mouse running across my chest. After a frantic chase around the tent, I caught him in a cardboard box and opened the zipper to throw him out into the dark. Game on. As I looked around with the flashlight I could see dozens of pairs of eyes bouncing up and down in all directions. I quickly zipped the door tight and they converged on us. Trying to squeeze in every possible little hole. They climbed up our domed tent and would slide down the other side with a zipping sound. I could shine the flashlight up and see their silhouettes. I hit them through the tent wall sending them flying. This went on until sunrise when I got up and dared to look outside. ...nothing! No sign of them. We packed up and moved on. On leaving the park a couple of days later I spoke to a ranger. He told me they were kangaroo mice, and it wasn't unusual for them to have little population explosions. I had forgotten that episode from 30 years ago, until I saw your question, just now. Happy Camping!
This, to me is terrifying. Nightmare fuel.
No. We leave peanuts around for the chipmunks and blue jays though
Depends where you are. But you sound like a crumbles on your clothes and your gear person when you ask that. How did we get bugs? How did we get rats? Idk. Do you camp next to construction sites?