[pct-l] Bear Charms, was: Re: Sierra resupply strategy/bears

[Edward Anderson]

Hi Geniajim,
Cotton Tobacco sacks are used by surf fishermen. You can find them in Coastal Towns in California. While I lived in Mendocino I could buy them at Rite Aid and any store where they sold fishing tackle. On the PCT, in bear country, I always made a circle around my tent and either hung them or placed them on the ground. I also put them on and around my saddle, saddlebags and food bags(Best to store all food in OpSaks as it fully contains food smells). In the morning I was always very careful to pick them all up, by count, for reuse. I also used them in my caches. You can read about that in an article that appears at:  
  equestmagazine.com/Ed Anderson

I will also re-post a pct-1 that I had sent to Reinhold M. 

Have a good hike,
MendoRider

--- On Mon, 4/12/10, giniajim <jplynch at crosslink.net> wrote:

> From: giniajim <jplynch at crosslink.net>
> Subject: [pct-l] Bear Charms, was: Re:  Sierra resupply strategy/bears
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Monday, April 12, 2010, 2:34 PM
> What's the deal on these "bear
> charms"?  Where do you get tobacco sacks these days or
> something similar?  And what do you do with them; hang
> them in bushes around your camp?  Do they actually
> work?  
> 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Edward Anderson 
>   To: Jim Boatwright 
>   Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> 
>   Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 10:28 AM
>   Subject: Re: [pct-l] Sierra resupply strategy/bears
> 
> 
>   Jim,
>   Too bad bear canisters are now needed. When I hiked
> the JMT back in the days when bears did not go into the
> Sierra high country, I never saw one above about 8500'. The
> year was either 1957 or 1958 - can't recall which. I went
> from Whitney Portal to Toulomie Meadows. I went solo, took
> about two weeks, and did not need to resupply. I
> supplemented the food that I brought with trout and wild
> plants. I saw very few backpackers compared to today - and
> there was not yet a PCT. The bears then were either wild or
> hung around lower elevation campgrounds where they could get
> food from  humans. They were to learn that the
> backpackers had food and in the years after about 1965 or so
> started to follow them into the higher elevations - and
> became bolder. If it were not for the law requiring
> canisters I would just use OpSaks and my "bear
> charms"(mothballs in cotton tobacco sacks) as they work well
> in keeping bears away from camp - including keeping them
> away from your
>    tent or sleeping bag. 
>   MendoRider 
> 
>    
>     
> 
> 
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