[pct-l] Food Bags

[Devon Taig]

I'm not really sure if the various claims are true or not, but it seems like
when you talk to locals, there's only just a handful of miles that *aren't* in
bear country along the whole PCT.  Even the miles just north of Warner
Springs apparently have bear.  I bear bag where I can and bring a bear
canister where I must. For those tempted to not pack a canister due to
weight concerns, I'd recommend against that.  (A) they work (B) I was asked
twice last year by park rangers in Kings Canyon to show them I had one (C)
they make a nice albeit heavy chair.

When I'm uncomfortable with food in the tent and can't bear-bag, a technique
I have used before is to place my pack or bear can outside of the tent at
the foot of the tent (I'd rather have bears at the foot than the head) and
balance my pot stove atop it such that *most *animal movement will cause it
to fall and clang against rocks which I've piled below.  The sound will
(hopefully) scare away skittish critters and also wake you up if there's
something brown, big, and less skittish lurking outside.

I'm definately looking into odor-hiding bags too. That sounds like ounces
well spent.

River

On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 4:06 PM, Gerry Zamora <gerry0625 at gmail.com> wrote:

> So if not in a area with bears is it relatively safe to just leave your
> food
> in your pack and leave your pack in your tent?  Sounds like a few people
> use
> this method with out any issues while out of bear country of course.
> Gerry0625
> On Mar 25, 2011 1:50 PM, "Ate Tuna" <atetuna at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I have had a mouse not only try to get into my food in that exact
> situation,
> > but had it succeed even though I shooed it away multiple times during the
> > night...and I thought the rain and high winds that night would surely
> blow
> > that critter off the side of the mountain. I was wrong.
> >
> > Now I use a regular Ursack all the time. An Ursack was good enough to
> > protect my food when I left it on Apache Peak when I left the trail for a
> > week to attend kickoff. I haven't use an Opsak, but I agree with those
> that
> > think I should.
> >
> > On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 8:02 AM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>
> wrote:
> >
> >> I’ve never had lil' critters try to get into my food when it’s lying on
> the
> >> ground at the head of my bed -- and that’s while sleeping under the
> stars.
> >>
> >> On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 9:29 PM, <dnielsen at djmurphycompany.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Just curious what people are using for food bags to keep the critters
> >> out,
> >> > other than at bear vault areas. Ursack, wire mesh bag, just hang it
> etc.
> >> > ???
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
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