[pct-l] Bear 'Can Usage

[enyapjr at comcast.net]

As Gary said - "...the bear can is not to protect your food from the bear...the bear can is to protect the bear from 
your food. And to protect other hikers..."
The main bear canister 'required' areas on the PCT are in the Sierra national parks - Seki & Yosemite...
>From the NPS website: "The fundamental purpose of the NPS “is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic
objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as 
will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
For EMPHASIS re. WILDLIFE: "...to conserve...the wildlife within...by such means as will leave them unimpaired..." 

FWIW, "food for thought" to consider about using (or not using) a bear canister in the Sierra:
1. In the dry stretches of SoCal, thrus may have carried 5 quarts (or more!) of water at one time - that's 10.5 pounds...
A bear canister is less than 3 pounds - and one does not need to carry multiple quarts of water in the Sierra...
Therefore, IMHO, a bear canister's weight cannot be used as an 'argument' for not using one...
2. Using a bear canister gives a thru 'freedom' both from 'worry' (losing food or ranger encounters) & to camp 'wherever'
they feel like stopping (not having to find a good 'stealth' site or having to use Seki's bear boxes - where/when available)...
3. Many thrus will not go from Reds Meadow (or Agnew Mdws.) to Tuolumne Meadows in one day without camping
somewhere in that stretch...  There are extremely very few hikers capable of going from Tuolumne Mdws. (or Glen Aulin) 
to Dorothy Lake Pass without having to camp somewhere along the way - even late in the season without any snow...  
In that respect, Yosemite NP is the 'crux' - all of the PCT from Agnew Mdws. (Inyo NF) until out of Yosemite NP at Dorothy
Lake Pass is a bear canister required area, with bear boxes only located at Tuolumne Mdws. & Glen Aulin...
4. 'Hanging' food is merely a "delay tactic" - one must still be prepared to defend their food bag - and Sierra bears are 
very adept at getting to 'properly' hung food, even outside the canister required areas in some locales...
5. A bear canister makes a pretty good camp stool while fixing a meal, plus it can be a 'washing machine', too...

My personal opinion - "suck it up" and use a bear canister in the Sierra...  Save a bear & 'help' future following hikers, too.  
The usage of bear canisters in the Sierra has been proven to have resulted in fewer bear/human 'incidents' in the backcountry.

Having said that, I do not use a bear canister when I visit far NorCal each year...  
I 'sleep with' my food - not under my head, but usually within arm's reach, using an OpSak as or in my food bag...
Never had any problems since I started using the OpSaks - never had any bear problems before the OpSaks, either - only
a few rodent incidents and one raccoon encounter...  I'll keep gambling & playing the odds in NorCal...

Happy trails!!!
Jim (PITA)