[pct-l] BEAR AVOIDANCE - BEAR REPELLENT - LITTER

[Jereen Anderson]

From: MendoRider/Ed Anderson
 
I am glad that Diane brought up the litter subject. That subject needs discussion and PCT 1 is an excellent format. I am one who hates litter. Although I rarely camp in the same sites as the hikers, I sometimes have. When I do I'm usually there earlier in the afternoon, before the hikers start to arrive. I leave camp later in the morning. I spend more time in camp so my horse will have plenty of time to graze.I hobble him. Leaving after the hikers, I do have an opportunity to observe whether litter has been left behind. I am glad to be able to report that PCT hikers rarely leave anything. Most PCT hikers respect this wonderful trail and its campsites. When I do find litter at a campsite, if I have room in my saddlebags, I gather it up. If there are cans I crush them and pack them. The PCT hikers, the thru-hikers and serious section hikers, rarely bring food in cans. If they sometimes do I'm sure they would not leave empty cans. 
 
I think that bear cannisters are great. They are needed and required in some areas for good reasons. Some bears have become bold, aggressive, and potentially dangerous. Please understand that I'm not advocating bear charms be used unstead of bear cannisters. From my point of view they have a different purpose. Dianne, if you have never experienced a close encounter with a 400 pound fearless and aggressive bear consider yourself lucky. Such encounters, fortunately, don't happen often, but they do happen. Bear cannisters are good at protecting your food but not necessarily your sleeping spot. While you are on the trail and when you have reached camp food smells are in the air. You might not be able to smell them but bears can. Not all food will always be in your bear cannister. Have you ever awakened in the night to discover that bears are checking out your tent or sleeping bag? Did you drip any of your last meal on any of your cloths or on your shoes? It
 only takes a tiny amount to attract a creature with a bionic nose. It might be comforting to know that your food is safely enclosed in a cannister 50 to 100 feet away, but how about this bear moment - - - at your sleeping spot? 
 
I've never suffered any ill effects from my use of mothballs ( "bear charms" mothballs in tobacco sacks). I never leave any behind when I leave a location.While stored they are in odor-proof bags. I never sleep with them inside my tent either. Picture this: A circle about 25 feet in diameter with a dozen bear charms out in the open air and spaced about six feet apart along this circle. My tent is in the middle of the circle. My routine, first thing in the morning, includes walking the circle and gathering up, by count, all of the bear charms. Next, I pick up the bear charms from the smaller circle that has protected my food/saddle pile.
 
I'm sorry to be so wordy, but this subject does require a more detailed explanation.