[pct-l] Food in tents

[Mary Kwart]

This is a controversial  topic so what I tell the people in a
backpacking strategies for success class is:

1. Always carry food in a bear canister in the places it is
required--there is a good reason. I have worked for the Park Service
at Yosemite and regale people with stories of how smart and
resourceful the bears are in the Sierra. By the way, bears there know
people use canisters and have learned diversion tactics to get to food
before it is in the canister at night--like when you are preparing
dinner. I have experienced bears batting around my bear canister at
night, but that has only been in popular campsites when camping with a
group. Using bear canisters in these areas saves bears lives.

2. When in doubt, in places other than where you have to carry a bear
canister by law, carry a lightweight rope to hang your food and hang
it as often as you feel you must--That may be every night. Be aware of
indications of bear activity--bear scat, bear paw prints and talk to
others on the trail to get information and let that and common sense
guide you. When camping near a popular area like by a lake a short
distance from a trailhead, take extra precautions or camp miles away
from these areas. If you are caching food for any length of time or
leaving your camp for a day hike, it also makes sense to hang your
food or use an Ursack.

3. The longer you hike in the areas where bear canisters are not
required by law, the more your decision to protect your food from
critters will be informed by your experience, hence the need to hang
your food will diminish because you have learned to be more aware of
bear indicators. That is why people with a lot of hiking experience
keep their food in their tents at night with no problem for
years.Until you reach that level of knowledge, by all means hang your
food, or use an Ursack.

It is hard to convince new hikers that in 99% of all long distance
hiking areas, the animals have better things to do than target you and
the small amount of food you carry. Once again, I impress on people
the need to carry bear canisters where required by law and to hang
their food if they have the least bit of anxiety. or will be leaving
their food unattended. 

--Fireweed