[pct-l] bear canisters too small for long stretches on PCT?

[Richard Sturm]

Regarding bear canisters the larger 2 lb 9 oz BV500 supposedly holds 7 days of food, per the manufacturer (and this is written on the box it comes in).  I can only get  about 5 days of food into mine including packaging.  You'd have to dump all your food together out of the packages to fit in 7 days, right?


Even if you can fit in 5-7 days worth of food, the distance between resupplies in the Sierras can be 10 days from what I can see, at least at my slow hiking pace. Doesn't this force many hikers to "cheat" and carry a separate food supply kept outside the approved canister?  It wouldn't be practical to have two canisters.  One might consider the lighter Ursack (about 8-13 oz, depending on the model) as a backup to the canister, but apparently the local rules don't approve of that.


How do other hikers handle this issue?


Thanks,


RS

r-sturm at msn.com