[pct-l] How to handle and pack a bear canister........

[t.n. turner]

I was lucky enough to get to use the "free bear canister" program run by Jim Payne and the Saufleys, thank you again!! It really did help me out quite a bit. That being said, I hated carrying my canister, it made my pack sit funny on my body and I never could figure out where to put it, bottom, middle, top, that would make it 'feel' better. I was very happy to send it back from Bridgeport/Sonora Pass. 

I saw one bear and that was in the Mission Creek area, much earlier than I was told I would see them! I saw one bear print outside of my tent in the sierras, none near my bear canister, 15 feet away between some downed trees! I did find some fig newtons in my pack that morning that I had forgotten about, boy I would have been p.o'd if my tent had been ripped open for a couple of those!

Packing the thing, well I had never even seen one before I picked my up at the Saufleys' and then mailed it to Kennedy Meadows!! It was basically hit and miss for me packing it, for the whole time. But each night after making my dinner, I would put my next day's food at the top of the canister so that in the a.m. I would just move it from there to my pack for the day. But yes, I found that what I wanted every night for dinner was at the very bottom or hiding somewhere. Sometimes I could decipher through shape/feel what I wanted, but mostly I would just unpack and repack it. It wasn't that big of a deal, and your trash ziplock just took the space that your uncooked food had taken up before. 

Anyway, that's what I remember about it. Uncomfortable for me, but not a big deal in the packing of food or dealing with it on a day to day basis.
Tammy T.


> Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:09:37 -0800
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> From: cvano at tmail.com
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] How to handle and pack a bear canister........
> 
> I'm still not sure about all of this.  What if I want a tortilla or 
> something else on the second night that I didn't plan on in the 
> morning.  I think that a bear can, just like a backpack or purse, moves 
> every desired item somehow to the bottom.  So you unpack the whole thing 
> at the meal stop, find the one item on the bottom, pick up all the stuff 
> from the trail, dirt, rock, etc. and somehow put it back in.  Now, the 
> trash goes on top?
> 
> Meanwhile, you tell the nearby patiently waiting nice cute bear that 
> you're sorry but he will just have to wait till you get all this stuff 
> back in the can and the lid secured.  He understands and of course just 
> shrugs his shoulders and goes on about his business.  Realistically, is 
> it part of breaking camp to pull the days food out and repack the can?  
> Do you do it at first break?  Throughout the day?  I'm sure that with 
> much time, a heated carpeted living room, and perseverance one could 
> pack a lot in there.  You still have to get it all out and back in on 
> the trail, along with the trash.  I'm so confused.  Anybody want to take 
> me along and teach me how to use a bear can on the trail?
> 
> Actually, that would make a very good class or a long thread here on the 
> list in my thinking, not just on how to pack the damn thing at home, but 
> how to access, use, and repack on a daily or more frequent basis on the 
> trail.  Hey, you always forget to keep one thing out for some meal - 
> maybe its the p'butter - maybe it's the Snickers - whatever, it requires 
> another trip into the can and the subsequent repacking on the trail.  
> Then you have to pick up all the loose rice and beans and seperate it 
> from the forest duff to repack it.
> 
> At this point I'm thinking of just carrying two on my upcoming JMT.  
> Twice the food, half the headache, 2.7 more pounds.  Also I'm just 
> thinking of going all commercial freeze dried.  Still haven't found the 
> dehydrated rum, but an empty plastic fifth of Captain Morgan makes a 
> dandy fuel storage bottle and it fits nicely in the pack.  Due to 
> Murphy's law, I'll use Powerade bottles for water.  Even in the dark, 
> and with a snoot full, I can tell the difference.  C
> 
> On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 4:27 pm, Andrea Dinsmore wrote:
> > Here's an interesting read I found on a bear canister site. Never 
> > packed one myself. Maybe someone experienced could comment on this 
> > idea. Newbies might not know how to pack one. Hopes this info is good 
> > and helps.
> >
> > PCT MOM
> >
> > The Care and Feeding of Your Bear Canister
> >
> > Or
> >
> > Care for Your Canister and You'll Eat Better Than the Bears
> >
> > by Tom Reynolds
> >
> > Using a Canister
> >
> > Most weekend hikers rarely get more than 8-10 pounds of food, 6-8 days 
> > supply in a canister. However, it is possible to carry over 18 pounds 
> > of food, a 12-14 day supply totally within the canister. From Kennedy 
> > Meadows the Keasarge Pass trailhead (Onion Valley) is 140 miles ahead 
> > while the Vermillion Valley Resort (Lake Edison from Mono Creek) is 
> > about 230 miles. Cramming 18 pounds of food into a canister may, at 
> > first, seem impossible. However, following these instructions and a 
> > little planning and patience will accomplish the task.
> >
> > Volume
> >
> > Volume must be considered as well as weight. For example 1 ounce of 
> > regular rice makes 3 cooked cups while 1 ounce of minute rice makes 2 
> > cups. In terms of weight they are equal because of the additional fuel 
> > required to cook regular rice. However, in terms of volume the regular 
> > rice is better.
> >
> > Food Choices
> >
> > Choose foods with a high weight/volume ratio:
> >
> > I prefer regular rice and cous-cous as carbohydrates over noodles, 
> > spaghetti and other pasta. They have a much higher weight/volume.
> >
> > I also prefer tortillas over bread. They have a much higher 
> > weight/volume.
> >
> > Pack foods that waste a minimum amount of space in the canister. One 
> > size tortilla fits perfectly. The other sizes waste space.
> >
> > Pack foods that are compressible, like powders as opposed to elbow 
> > macaroni.
> >
> > Choose foods with a minimum of water [Obviously, this doesn't apply in 
> > the San Felipe Hills.]
> >
> > For your chocolate fix choose baking a chocolate cake to a Hersey's 
> > bar.
> >
> > Used powdered refried beans, chili and/or black beans.
> >
> > Use dried mix powders for sauce and/or seasoning.
> >
> > Carry dried fruit and/or Jerky.
> >
> > Choose foods with a high calorie content.
> >
> > I prefer fat like peanut butter to sugar, protein or carbohydrate. It 
> > is double the calorie/gram.
> >
> > I prefer nuts as snacks to candy (sugar).
> >
> > Pack simple foods that can be combined into many different meals. My 
> > favorite is tortillas/rice and several bean powders. I could write a 
> > chapter on the number of meals that could be made with these staples.
> >
> > Pack in bulk, not by meal. Depending on a lot of things your appetite 
> > will vary. Cook each day to your appetite
> >
> > Cooking Style
> >
> > Learn to bake in a BakePacker [4 oz.] or possibly an Outback Oven [I 
> > have not used one].
> >
> > This is the #1 volume saving tool I have found. You can turn low 
> > volume, lightweight powder into high volume, high weight foods simply 
> > and easily.
> >
> > Get a stove that simmers. For BakePacking or cooking rice-simmer for 20 
> > minutes-you need control. I personally tossed my MSR Flame-thrower 
> > years ago [I know this is heresy] in favor of a simple iso-butane 
> > stove. For a hike on the JMT (200 miles) the total weight of stove and 
> > fuel will be lighter. On a thruhike, where fuel resupply is a problem, 
> > an iso-butabe stove may not be practical. Regardless of the stove you 
> > carry, make sure that you leave Kenndy Meadows with enough alcohol or 
> > other fuel to successfully cook foods that take longer to cook but 
> > require less volume to store.
> >
> > Carefully measure all food.
> >
> > Figure out exactly how many breakfasts, lunches and dinners you will 
> > need.
> >
> > Opening Your Bear Canister
> >
> > Do not open the bear canister until you need to.
> >
> > Your canister should be closed (lid on) unless you are in arms' reach 
> > of it.
> >
> > Your first day's food doesn't need to be in the canister. You are going 
> > to eat it before the bear comes [night]. If there is a bear box your 
> > first day you can carry 2 days food outside the canister. Once you open 
> > a properly packed canister you will NEVER get all that stuff back in. 
> > You need a BEFORE bear canister [is opened] salt supply and an AFTER 
> > canister [is opened] salt supply and on and on--get it?
> >
> > RePacking Food
> >
> > Repack food so that all air can be eliminated.
> >
> > Repack food so that the package is flexible and will squeeze into any 
> > available space.
> >
> > Pack powders in sandwich size baggies --not ziplock. Pack about 1/2 
> > full then carefully squeeze all air out. Twist the top several times to 
> > make a tight tail and a body with NO air. Put the tie-tie at the top of 
> > the twist, then untwist the tail and flatten out the bag. A relatively 
> > flat bag will waste almost no space while a tight round bundle will 
> > waste lots of space.
> >
> > Waste NO space. Peanut butter in a plastic jar [you know, good old 
> > Skippy, not that gourmet kind that rots] is a staple. However, there is 
> > lots of space on top, even in a new jar. Fill it full.
> >
> > Puncture air holes in tortillas wrappers and the like. This way you can 
> > force air out of the package when you compress.
> >
> > Store some stuff loosely. In small nooks and crannies toss some loose 
> > rice or peanuts.
> >
> > Once you open the canister and take some food out, they will pool and 
> > you can easily them for later use
> >
> > Packing the Canister
> >
> > You now have two piles. You have a pile of before canister food that 
> > you have in a stuff sack and a basket of carefully repackaged food that 
> > goes into the canister. How much can you get in?
> >
> > Flat stuff, like tortillas, go in first followed by a layer of powder. 
> > You smash and knead around these bags and push down with your fingers. 
> > Use a glass jar to further press down and compress the powder. You will 
> > be amazed how much more they compress.
> >
> > Next irregular, uncompressible items like a peanut butter jar. Press 
> > more powder bag down around the irregular items, smashing and kneading 
> > till all space is used. If necessary, fill nooks and crannies with 
> > loose rice or nuts. Compress further with the glass jar. Continue this 
> > process -- layer by layer till the top.
> >
> > At the top, no more room. Get a ram - a full glass jar - and lean on 
> > it. I mean ALL your weight - I weigh 250 pounds. When you think you are 
> > done you still have another inch. Then force the top on.
> >
> > OK, If the canister weighs 20 pounds you have 17-18 pounds of food in 
> > there. If it
> >
> > weighs less than 18 pounds, start over. No kidding, I have repacked 
> > many canister. Typically, the second time I get 1-2 more pounds in.
> >
> > Canister Do's and Don'ts
> >
> > Don't
> >
> > Do not put a plastic liner inside! It just wastes space, makes packing 
> > hard and costs money. The bear can smell right thru the plastic -- 
> > trust me. Besides you want the bear to spend his time on the canister 
> > and not the packet of M&M's you inadvertently left in your shirt 
> > pocket.
> >
> > Do not hang your canister. The only known way a canister fails is to be 
> > dropped from a great height.
> >
> > Do not put a strap around the canister to tie it so something so it 
> > won't roll off -- you just are giving the bear a handle to carry it 
> > off!
> >
> > Do
> >
> > Toss it 25 yards away from camp in a shallow depression so it can't 
> > roll away, down a hill or into the stream. If this is not possible 
> > block all routes of rolling with logs branches. Bushes are great. 
> > Nothing rolls in them. Toss it in the briar patch.
> >
> > Paint part of it pink or "day glow" orange. Reflective tape also works 
> > well and is wilderness friendly. This allows you to find the canister 
> > after the bear moves it.
> >
> > Keep it closed and locked ALL the time. (Except when you want to eat 
> > something!)
> Beyond this point
> There be dragons...
> 
> Chris ~ S/V Drifter
> Anacortes, WA. ~~~_/) ~~~
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