[pct-l] Fw: Ursaks

[Edward Anderson]

Hi Iceaxe,

You mis-understood.  What I wrote was that, in the Washington Cascades, hikers 
who were concerned about bears were hanging their food sacks high in trees. That 
was, indeed, my observation. I did not write that all hikers hung their food. 


 It is my opinion that it is foolish, in bear country, to use your food as a 
pillow. It's sort of like playing Russian Roulette.  If you are unlucky, one 
night a hungry bear might just come along who has previously eaten human food 
and pull the pillow right from under your head!

Try to stay safe.

MendoRider/Ed Anderson



________________________________
From: Matthew Edwards <Hetchhetchyman at aol.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Mon, February 14, 2011 7:50:33 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Fw: Ursaks

"Rodents never got into my OpSaks.  They navigate by smell.  No food smells, no 
rodents. Just be careful that you don't get food smells from your fingers on the 

outside of the sack. And, of course, seal it properly.  These saks worked with 
bears too.  In the Cascades of Washington, where concerned hikers were hanging 
their food sacks high in trees. At night  I just stored my food and my horse's 
food in OpSaks at ground level along with my saddle and packs and covered all 
with a tarp. I also surrounded that pile and my tent with bear charms (moth 
balls - bears don't like that smell).  I had no problems with either bears or 
rodents. 

If you put your food inside an OpSak and that inside your Ursak, you would solve 

the rodent problem.

MendoRider"

Actually we were not "concerned hikers" because we just slept with our food. 
Anywhere outside of the bear canister required areas simply wrapping your food 
up in your compactor garbage bag pack liner and using it for a pillow is fine. 
Rodents will go after your socks before they go after food. Wild, non man 
habituated bears have no interest in sleeping humans. 

-Iceaxe



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