[pct-l] Bear canisters and duct tape

[Jason Whitworth]

Jackrabbit,

I spend 90% of my hiking time in the Sierra's and have yet to even have my canister touched let alone moved by a bear. We have had several come through camp sites at night and they tend to sniff around and move on. I did have a friend last year that had one batted around a little bit one night - it moved about ten feet. I have about 8 orange circle stickers on mine - more for identification from my hiking group than the bears. 

Jason 






-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Pierre
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 10:54 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Bear canisters and duct tape

I have a large bear canister, (Bear Vault) for an upcoming 4 week section hike in the Sierras. I understand that bears often check out the canisters, bat them around then lose interest. I've put some orange duct tape in 1" strips around the top, bottom and sides to make it easier to find the canister in the morning. Will this give the bear some purchase on the canister by getting his nails under the tape such that he may carry the whole thing off? Do they do this? Do I need to spray paint orange instead of the tape? Any other tips with bear canisters with these habituated animals?

Thanks,

Jackrabbit
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