What is the latest and greatest best make and model? Looking for portability and power.

I’m very familiar with the use of charged fence. Looking for a camp model.

I use this Kencove charger. It'll run at least a couple of weeks on 4 D cells or much longer on a small 12v battery. The trick is to get a good ground. During hunting season, the soil here is usually very dry and I can't get a decent ground without some work. I dig 2 shallow holes a foot or more apart and pound in 2 18" rods which I connect together with wire and clamps. Then I fill the holes with water. After it soaks down a bit (possibly refilling the holes with more water), I get a pretty good ground.

KENCOVE STRIP GRAZER

I use the tractor supply brand for around my garden.

Built in battery and solar charger.

It’s the pulse type, maybe all battery powered are...

No tractor supply here.

How many total feet of wire/tape do you use typically?

About 750' but it'll handle more than that. I read somewhere that you need 1 joule/mile. This is .35 joule so if that's true it would be good for about 1800'.

Do you prefer the tape or the rope? I've ran both off bigger chargers. The tape always seemed to have places where it arced and ate through the plastic. The rope was easily fixed with some wire wrapped around it. Been a long time since I ran a string around camp with a battery powered charger. At least that's testable with the back of your hand. But then again, if it's that weak will it do what I'm asking it to do?

I use tape only because it's more visible. I think rope has better conductivity. What matters is how much bare wire is on the outside of the rope or tape where the animal hits it. Since the ground here is usually very dry during hunting season, the animal might not be in conductive contact with the ground so it doesn't get much of a shock. I had to train my llamas to respect it by setting it up at home when the ground was wet and letting them learn what it does. I haven't had a problem in the last 5 or 6 years.
I also had to go to 3 wires. I had 1 llama that would lay flat on his belly, put his chin on the ground, and belly crawl under it. The fleece insulates their backs and necks. It was funny to watch but I had to add a wire about a foot off the ground that would hit his ears. It only took a couple times to eddycate him. They aren't dumb.

Yeah, when I was running drift fences for a ranch I worked for the dry ground was a bitch. Both for grounding the charger and hoping the cows'd be zapped. Tape was visible enough you hoped twixt the 2 it'd work. But for toothy critters that DGAF I still wonder.

A few months ago, I ordered the Parmak MAG-12-SP. Cost about $300. So far it's been flawless. Not a deer track in the pea patch.

I run a Parmak Solar Pak 12 with the tape. Don't touch it!

The OP wants this one for camping so it has to be portable. A battery operated one is as portable as you can get.

I will admit that I know nothing about electric fences but I need to learn. Is there any risk of a short or other situation that could cause a dry grass fire?

You usually get the sparks when the grass is wet, not dry. A lightning strike can run the length of the wire. THAT will get dry grass cooking. That can happen with any fence, though, not just electric.

My understanding is the oooooold chargers that didn't pulse it yes. I have been told they still sell those chargers, but I've never seen one. On modern fence chargers, the spark if present, would maybe ignite some gas vapors but not dry grass.

Gallagher S20.

gotta ask. Why do you need a electric fence around camp?

Bears

Gallagher or Parmak. I've had good luck with both.

We have bears. Also intend to use it for horses. Maybe near home where extension cords won’t reach.

makes sense. I should have checked your location

Here's one that popular with backpackers for bear fences, sold by UDAP.COM. It uses 2 D cells and costs 50% more than the Kencove. They don't give a joule rating in their specs. When I bought the Kencove, I did a lot of looking and at the time, it was the best one of it's type for the money.
With most chargers, it's operation is highly dependent on the ground and whether the animal has good ground contact. When those are equal, most chargers will do the job. The question is how long the fence needs to be. More powerful chargers will operate longer fences.

I've heard about campers training bears by smearing peanut butter on the wires or hanging some kind of conductive bait bag on the wire and pouring water on the ground by it. That attracts the bear and he gets shocked. Usually they learn. When I read about a bear that keeps going through a fence, I have to question whether he's in contact with the ground.

We have 3-4 Gallaghers.

Couple S20's in the mix.

One of the links I can across was not impressed with UDAP. Don’t recall the model.

I know of 2 or 3 locals that used foil with jam to teach the bears. Gives a shock on sensitive tissues and leaves an impression. I also know of one where they watched the sow push the wire to the ground with her feet, shorting it out.

Appreciate the brand mention fellas.

I haven’t been to a Tractor Supply in 30 years.

They have a website.

I've had calves that learned to do that. I suspect a bear is as smart as a calf.

Rural King’s is better, just like everything else about Rural King.

Rural King might be the best retailer on the planet.

"When I read about a bear that keeps going through a fence, I have to question whether he's in contact with the ground."

Air-bear? Gives a flying f**k?

Ok, I know what you meant.

Ground the other wires?

Helpful. Thanks.
😟

Its a POS.

You need at LEAST 1 full Joule of power to keep bears out and 2 are better.
I make my own.
2.4 joule charger, 4' aluminum ground rod, solar panel and 18 amp hour Dakota lithium battery

Then again, the bears on Kodiak are a little bigger than some

This sounds like the hook-up....With enough left over power to run a blender for margaritas to drink while watching Yogi try to put the flames out on his fur.

🦫

What's the weight on those Gallaghers?

I've got a Parmak 6v one and it's more than I'd like to take camping and maybe not enough for a determined bear.


Years ago, over on the coast, I had a bear get in a beehive. A borrowed 110-120 charger stopped him when he came back, then when I got the solar one I had no more problems, but don't know for sure that one would try again. He got quite a jolt, bent the hell out of the chickenwire garden fence, went through a barbwire one, and left a trail heading away through the grass. When I first discovered the broken into hive, I asked Game and Fish guy about deterring or having to shoot him. Was told electric fence works, unless the bear has had success, then they just bull through it.

The Parmak 6v works good for deer though.

Kinda the plan

[img]http://https://cyclopsfence.com/collections/battery-powered-energizers/products/cyclops-stallion-2-5-joule-25-acre-12v-battery-powered-energizer[/img]

This one