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

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning,

I don’t know for sure whether mothballs will, or will not, repel bears but I
do know there is disagreement that an interested hiker should investigate.



For example: 1) I always carry a spoon on the PCT.  2) I’ve never been
troubled by elephants on the PCT.  3) The only time I was troubled by wild
elephants was in Republic. of S. Africa’s Kruger National Park when I didn’t
have a spoon.  Therefore …..



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 9:38 AM, Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>wrote:

> 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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