[pct-l] Bear Can - one for each person?

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Tracy,

The food must be protected in an approved bear ‘can.  Usually that means
one ‘can per person, but it could mean 2 ‘cans per person for a long, slow
trip; or 2 persons per ‘can on a shorter trip.

I can’t know your hiking effort, or your metabolism but for a 5-day trip
it’s likely each person could do OK on about 1.50-1.75 pounds of
low-moisture food per day.  That would total 15-18 pounds in the ‘can.  With
careful food selection and semi-fanatical packing methods that should fit
in a standard-size ‘can.  Read that to mean that fluffy rice cakes, bagels,
popcorn, and anything else that has a very low number of Calories per cubic
inch, should probably be off the list unless those items can be pounded
totally flat and solid.

Some of the first day’s food can be carried outside the ‘can because it
will be eaten before you reach the control area, then you will probably
finish the hike in time for a town meal.  Most of us carry the“extra” food
for that day anyway just for some contingency.

Enjoy your hike,

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/

On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 11:56 AM, Tracy Fisher <tfisher9 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Does anyone know if there is a regulation that states each person must
> carry a bear can?  So, if you are traveling with another person sharing
> meals do you both still have to have one even if all of the food fits into
> one? Or, maybe it's a question of practicality. Can food for two fit
> reasonably well into the BV500 for say a 5 day stretch?  What's typical?
>  Tracy
> _
>