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



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Sly-

If YOU train bears to crash tents it becomes MY problem. That is what I
believe is happening because people sleep with their food.

However I intend to take Greg Hummel's advice and shoot people not bears. I
will organize a vigilante posse armed with wrist rockets and steelies to
police the PCT and run off any pesky thruhikers who don't store food
properly. I consider this hunting "freedom in the wilderness" The freedom to
rid it of vermine. Hunting season will open the weekend of July Fourth.

Hike your own hike.....but watch your a$$.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Slyatpct@aol.com [mailto:Slyatpct@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 9:52 PM
To: reynolds@ilan.com; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] RE: Food storage/Bear Boxes


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,
provide all the justification/documentation necessary.