[pct-l] Bear Cannister, (and Ursack?)

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

As you know I have tracked bear canisters for more than a dozen years. Since
1988, when plastic canisters were redesigned to have triple latchs [one
latch, two turnbuckles] I have heard of zero failures to plastic canisters.
If they are latched properly they seem foolproof. This doesn't mean that
bears can't learn to break them. Monte makes a good point that modern,
lightweight plastic canisters are not as sturdy as the older 4 pound models.
However, to date, bears can't crush them or claw them open. Bears don't seem
to pick up canisters very much but this isn't to say that they couldn't. I
am also interested to see if/how Brer Montebear cracks a Garcia next year at
ADZPCTKO.

The Bearicade has about 500 copies in use with zero failures. It has VERY
sturdy connections but is aluminum covered with graphite fiber for
stiffness. How a significant impact will affect it is unknown, and since the
current price is $200, I ain't volunteering mine.

The Aluminum Gia is, IMHO, less foolproof. It could fail. Mine did but not
to a bear.

As for Ursacks, I believe that they will work wherever counterbalancing will
work. Like counterbalancing, the Ursack depends on the hikers ability to
scare off the bear. However, if a bear gets to the Urscak, the food may be
crushed and the knot pulled very tight. My analysis is that the Ursack is
far more convient than counterbalancing .....unless the bear shows up.

Sleeping with your food seems VERY dangerous in the Sierra these days. The
combination of more bear canisters and a poor berry crop has yeilded some
very agressive bears. I would advise thruhikers who plan to sneak through
the sierra next year by stealth camping to simply throw their food bag on
the ground and hope for the best. If you are simply hungry another hiker can
help you but a two inch deep gash across the face is beyond the talents of
most hikers/first aid kits.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: ROYROBIN@aol.com [mailto:ROYROBIN@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2001 10:25 AM
To: campy@mtnhighwest.com; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bear Cannister, (and Ursack?)


In a message dated 8/12/01 2:51:51 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
campydog@earthlink.net writes:

<< A large Sequoia bear learned how to crack a cannister by leaning on it
 with its elbow, according to a news article I read long ago. >>

Still another secondhand report about a bear canister failure.  I have never

seen a firsthand account, but am anxiously awaiting my chance to see if
Monte 
is smarter than the average bear, or beer!  Does anyone have an eyeball 
experience of a failure of a Garcia or any other commercially available bear

canister that wasn't left open or improperly closed?

The Ursack, from reports on this list, may not be quite up to an extended 
assault by a Yosemite Yogi, but I have two of them, one large and one small,

and am not yet ready to write them off.  

First, in other than our most popular National Parks where WE have trained 
the bears to expect handouts from us, I still believe the Ursack provides 
adequate protection till we can get to the scene and scare them off.

Second, in areas where bears are not a major threat, an Ursack makes a lot
of 
sense to carry as a primary protection against mice and other rodents 
(marmots, in particular.)  Bears are not a major problem on the AT because 
you can stay in the shelters.  But the shelters are heaven-on-earth for 
rodents.  

Bears are usually not a problem at high altitude on the PCT or anywhere
else. 
 (Okay, Kearsarge Pass is an exception, but WE trained them to expect dinner

there by camping enmass just over the pass from the trailhead.)  You will
not 
have serious bear problems above 11,000 feet in most of the Sierra or 
anywhere else.  Tell me if I'm wrong.  It's just a simple matter of bear 
economics.  There isn't enough food of any kind at high altitude for a bear 
to waste its energy going there.  Bears habituate forests, streams and 
established campgrounds where they can find food, either natural or what WE 
provide.   
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