[pct-l] Cramming a BV450

Sun Feb 1 00:17:39 CST 2009

Patti,
who or where did you get this info that an approved container is required? 
is there new rules I am unawares?   This last season they were only required 
incertain areas, which has been the norm for a few years now, primarily 
along the eastern approach trails and then only required if spending the 
night.  I have been permitting through tthe eastern Sierra for ten years and 
have never been hassled, and I am honest with them that I am going over the 
pases the same day of entry.  I have never been searched, or detained by 
rangers other thanthe occasional polite request to know if I have a permit, 
and I have never been asked toshow my permit by an NPS ranger, only NFS in 
the wilderness areas, and then that is only about once or less per season. 
The particular regulation areas I know of are along the Rae lakes loop, 
where I believe a container is now required, but until someone asks I aint 
tellin. The JMT section through there is about a half day of walking. It is 
from Vidette/Bubbs creek jct , over Glenn Pass, and down to the Woods Creek 
bridge.  I know of no other area that might be mandatory now unless one 
plans to resupply over the eastern approaches and spends the night on the 
east side of the crest.  Last time I went through Vidette, and Rae the brown 
boxes were still in place, and on one I used a caribeiner as one of the dog 
leash snaps was out of action at Lower Vidette.  On the same trip I visited 
Woods Creek and those boxes were still in place and in good condition.
Also Patti, have you considered your choice of foods.  A couple things you 
have there are about as whole some as the wrappers, and while they might 
simulate eating and stave off hunger, they wont supply any good energy. 
Particularly the instant oatmeal and ramen. I know it's light and packs 
well, but the trade off isn't worth it. Mix up some good muesli, which is 
good hot or cold.  Add dried cranberries etc... Capt crunch probably has 
more nutrition than instant oatmeal, but I prefer puffed rice.  I'mnot 
saying ramen is bad.  I will uissually cary a couple packs smashed downsmall 
for an extra meal or two, or on one of those occasions when I get a migrain 
and can only barely funtion or keep anything down.  Quinoa (spell? Keenwah) 
or corn pasta will make a soup with only a bit more boiling and provide a 
bucket full of energy.  I carry a soup flavoring and dried veggie bag to 
make pastas and soups.  I'd be glad to give you a recipe or two you can try 
out.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "patti kulesz" <peprmintpati88 at yahoo.com>
To: "Erik The Black" <erik at eriktheblack.com>; "Michael Chamoun" 
<nano.michael at gmail.com>
Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 9:47 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Cramming a BV450

yeh but they're not allowed in the sierras which is the only place u need 
the canister...I think they are smaller too. If a ranger asks you to see the 
canister which some can be buttheads about...u'll be escorted off the trail 
and possibly fined...it's not worth it I'm thinking.

patti

--- On Sat, 1/31/09, Michael Chamoun <nano.michael at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Michael Chamoun <nano.michael at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Cramming a BV450
To: "Erik The Black" <erik at eriktheblack.com>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2009, 9:43 PM

I think I'm on board with you on that Erik. I have an Ursack (with the
liner though) sitting in my closet. I used it on the JMT in '06 and it
worked perfectly. It fits 7-8days of food and weighs (with aluminum liner)
19 oz. A whole lot better than the current (gulp)... 40 oz!

Nano

On Sat, Jan 31, 2009 at 9:37 PM, Erik The Black 
<erik at eriktheblack.com>wrote:

> I carried the larger BV500 (or whatever they called the big one back then)
> through the Sierra in '07, and could barely fit four days of food inside!
>
> Of course anyone who has read my blog knows that I'm a hearty eater. I
> can't
> imagine eating only 2,500 calories a day. Especially in the high Sierra -
> the steepest, rockiest, toughest, snowiest, mosquitoeiest, highest section
> of the whole trail. That stretch, more than any other, calls for big-time
> calorie consumption!
>
> In the future I will use an Ursack. I know they aren't "officially
> approved"
> but I don't really care that much about meeting requirements and following
> rules. I just want a practical way to keep bears out of my food.
>
> It would take a really determined bear to break into an Ursack. Plus, with
> all the "low hanging fruit" from JMT hikers camping by the lakes, roasting
> marshmallows and frying fish over the campfire, there are a lot more
> attractive targets for the lazy Sierra bears.
>
> Smoky would really have to have a craving for your stale Ramen noodles to
> hike way up into the mountains where you're dry-camped and gnaw through a
> Vectran bag for an hour and a half to get to it.
>
> An Ursack only weighs about 8 ounces and holds almost a much as the big
> Bearvault. Two of them combined fit perfectly in the top of most packs, 
> and
> that gives you 1,300 cubic inches of "almost" bear-proof food storage, for
> only 1 pound of extra weight.
>
> My Bear Vault is now a container for storing loose change ;)
>
>
> -Erik The Black
> www.eriktheblack.com
>
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