[pct-l] Bear Canisters: Good for Bear, not for Hungry Hiker?

[Chris Martin]

You folks are assuming that a typical hiker limits their carried food to
what fits inside a bear canister. This was simply untrue for the vast
majority of hikers that I met in the Sierra this year.

It's more like this: pack the bear bucket full, then put the rest of your
food in another sack. All your food will fit in the canister after a few
days.

Yes, this partially defeats the purpose of carrying a bear canister. We
never had any issues.


On Tue, Aug 12, 2014 at 4:39 PM, Jim & Jane Moody <moodyjj at comcast.net>
wrote:

> Ned,
> I have a different take on this.  I don't think it makes much difference,
> unless a hiker is going to try to go 10 days or more without resupply.  You
> can cram a lot of calories in a full size bear canister, plus the first
> day's food can be stowed outside the b.c.  However, if you opt to carry the
> smallest size canister, then perhaps you'll run short of food on a long
> segment, but that can be anticipated and avoided.
>
> Or, you could just do what Shroomer does, eat off the land.
>
> Take care,
> Mango
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Tibbits, Ned" <ned at mountaineducation.org>
> To: johnmuirtrail at yahoogroups.com
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 5:12:23 PM
> Subject: [pct-l] Bear Canisters: Good for Bear, not for Hungry Hiker?
>
> A little reflection on the use of Bear Canisters (BCs) by JMT vs. PCT thru
> hikers and weight loss...
>
> I was wondering, with the requirement of BCs thru some of the roughest
> sections of the Pacific Crest Trail (basically all of the JMT), could it be
> so simple a statement as to say their food-space limitations are the reason
> why PCT thru hikers lose so much weight?
>
> The JMT thru hiker starts out with a BC, but they aren’t that hungry at
> first, so the BC works for them (at least for a while).
>
> The PCT thru hiker starts using a BC after their first 30 or so days
> on-trail, certainly at the point already where they are really hungry, then
> are limited with the volume of food they can carry and must start a
> long-term food depreciation phase over the toughest trail and snow of their
> trip!
>
> Is there any sense to this? BCs are good for the bear, but not so good for
> the food-starving, long-distance hiker!
>
> So, I guess for the areas where BCs are required, it is best to major
> carbo-load before going in or do these sections after several weeks of
> packing in town food reserves, otherwise you’re going to lose weight!
>
> For some, this could be a good thing (to lose weight), but for the skinny
> people like me, I “bonk” pretty early without eating a ton of food (after
> being on the trail for at least a week).
>
> So, a Bear Canister can be a real food volume limiter and we can’t do
> anything about it except bring two canisters (which my son did when he
> flip-flopped the JMT a few years ago)...
>
> Food for thought. (Hey, just sayin’!)
>
>
>
> Ned Tibbits, Director
> Mountain Education, Inc.
> www.mountaineducation.org
> ned at mountaineducation.org
>
>
> Mission:
> "To minimize wilderness accidents, injury, and illness in order to
> maximize wilderness enjoyment, safety, and personal growth, all through
> experiential education and risk awareness training."
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>       Reply via web post  • Reply to sender  • Reply to group  • Start a
> New Topic  • Messages in this topic (1)
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo Groups
> Instantly Explore All Attachments Within Each Group Conversation
> You can now explore files, preview and download photos directly within
> each conversation.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Please strip out replied-to text if not necessary to your reply.  Just
> select the unnecessary text and delete it. Failure to strip makes it hard
> for our Daily Digest members to find the new postings among the repeats.
> For the crib sheet to take on JMT: http://tinyurl.com/JMT-Crib - Prints
> on 1 sheet all the essential phone numbers/addresses you&#39;ll want for
> all services needed on or off the trail. Update or view our member
> databases about packer-cost sharing, cell reception on the JMT, or see who
> else will be hiking the JMT when you do--all at http://tinyurl.com/JMT-DBs
> . We encourage all to join the JohnMuirTrail_Sidebar Yahoo Group, just send
> a blank email to:
> JohnMuirTrail_Sidebar-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
> Visit Your Group a.. New Members 24 a.. New Links 1
>  • Privacy • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use
>
> .
>
>  __,_._,___
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubscribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubscribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.