[pct-l] RE: Food storage/Bear Boxes

[Slyatpct@aol.com (Slyatpct@aol.com)]

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Tom-  It's Sly not Sky!  :)

What do you want me to tell you?  What do you think, the bears are more
respectful or perhaps even afraid of the all mighty thru-hiker and only go
after section hikers?  Bears don't want to mess with people, only their food.
 If you're willing to defend it, it could solve the problems, no matter what
the law says or what the rangers think.  I'm sorry, but just because it's a
regulation, it doesn't always make it right.  If I get hit up by a fine, it's
my problem.

Sometimes, as another pointed out, there just aren't any trees for a proper
hanging!  And many times a hiker will lose their food, if they do hang it.
Regardless of the law, speaking of moral judgements, would you rather have a
bear steal food out of a tree (which the CA bears are well known for) or have
a hiker keep it safely in their tent?

If anyone wants to leave your food unattended, go for it , but be prepared to
go hungry and feed a bear that will continue to cause problems.

For those that are inclined to hang their food, forget tying it off or
counter balancing, you should learn the "PCT method."  Take a branch 20 feet
above the ground (if you can find one) toss your rope as you would normally
do, attach bag, tie a loop directly above bag, thread loose end through loop,
hoist foodbag as high as possible, fasten stick to rope as high as possible,
let bag down until stick reaches loop and leave loose end dangling.  Bears
can't cut the rope or shake from tree.  I think Glen Van Peski showed me
this, it works....

Sly





In a message dated 11/6/2002 11:38:15 PM Eastern Standard Time,
reynolds@ilan.com writes:


> Sky-
>
> I agree that most thruhikers intentionally break the law concerning proper
> food storage. The obvious solution is to effectively ban thruhiking on the
> PCT. The relatively trivial way to accomplish this is to require all hikers
> to get a wilderness permit from all zones that they enter before entering.
> That would make it practically impossible to hike the trail.
>
> The scum would adjourn to the AT and CDT leaving the PCT to responsible
> hikers that care about the long term effect of human food on the wildlife.
> It would also free our trail towns post offices and all-you-can-eat joints
> from the smelly vermin.
>
> How could one admisistratively justify such an action? Well fortunately
> their is an email list of thruhikers that documents the habits of
> thruhikers. Posts like: "99% of the thru-hikers I know only use mandatory
> techniques when there's a bear box, bear pole, cable etc.  The rest of the
> time they store their food in their tent" --from Sly, a past thruhiker,
>