[pct-l] Purchase Bear Canisters

[enyapjr at comcast.net]

>From Yoshihiro:
> Bear Canister Rentals.
> <http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bearcanrentals.htm>

Unfortunately the federal agencies do NOT ship canisters to renters, they must 
pick them up in person - and most of those rental locations are AFTER bear canisters 
are 'required' on the PCT - thus it is not a viable option for PCT thru-hikers...  
The Yosemite rental does work very well for sobo JMT hikers, however!!
Inyo NF also has rentals (must pick up in person, again) at Lone Pine and Mammoth
for $2.50 per day or Bishop and Lee Vining for $5 per week - no mention of a deposit; 
see <http://tinyurl.com/4t5jg29>...

The BearVault 'PCT purchase', as Iceaxe mentioned (& Kevin gave link), can be found
at <http://www.bearvault.com/bearvault_pct.php>...  His advice on shipping food to KM
is accurate, but one might get just 'enough' there if definitely planning on exiting at 
Trail Pass (2 days out of KM) to hitch down to Lone Pine from Horseshoe Meadows (can be 
a tough hitch many times except perhaps on weekends) prior to going through the Sierra...

Wild Ideas (Bearikade) has a rental program geared towards PCT (& other long-distance)
hikers, <https://www.wild-ideas.net/rent.html> - "Call Wild Ideas, LLC for special 
rates applied to long thru-hikes JMT, PCT, AT and others." (sidebar left of 'Shipping').
Their phone number is 805-693-0550.

>From Kevin ("Hayduke"):
> If I may be so bold... if you think you will have little use for a bear can after you 
> hike, might I suggest donating it to the loaner program? I'm not sure how you would do 
> that off the top of my head...

If I may also be so bold(!) - canister donations after the Sierra portion of your 2011 
thru-hike to the PCT Community Perpetual Bear Canister Loan Program ("PCTCPBCLP" in 
keeping with a recent thread) would be greatly appreciated by future nobo PCT thrus!  
When at Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce, ask L-Rod (Donna Saufley) for an address label:

PCT Bear Canister Loan Program
c/o The Saufley's (Hiker Heaven)
11861 Darling Road
Agua Dulce, CA  91390 

Thanks in advance for considering donating your canister to the loan program!!

Happy trails!!! (and "Happy Hanging!!!" to Hayduke hammocking the PCT)
Jim (PITA)


"You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be 
no result." - Mahatma Gandhi