[pct-l] Bear Canister thoughts

[kdpo@xxxxxxxxxxx (Ken Powers)]

This whole issue has always been in the back of my mind. Especially after
talking to Yellowstones "bear" ranger last year. She told us that a wolf has
1,000,000 times the sense of smell that a human has, and a bear has better
sense of smell than a wolf. I have also been told that bears can smell the
contents of a soda bottle  even after it has been washed out with soap
and/or baking soda multiple times. Even after many repeated uses with pure
water.

Now if a bear can smell that well, how can he distinguish between that candy
bar I missed putting in the bear canister and my breath several hours later
(in my tent). And for that matter the bit of chocolate that I wiped on my
hiking shorts inadvertently.

The only answer that I can come up with is that the bear can also smell the
long distance hiker associated with the candy bar. I have heard that bears
dislike the smell of hikers and much as hikers dislike the smell of bears.

Yep, that has to be the answer. So get out there and work up a sweat and
quit fighting about bear canisters / sleeping with food.
Ken Powers
http://home.pacbell.net/kdpo/
----- Original Message -----
From: <Slyatpct@aol.com>
To: <pct-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 9:19 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bear Canister thoughts


> --
> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> In a message dated 1/24/2003 11:52:37 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> yumitori@montana.com writes:
>
> > >I'm more likely to believe that one's breathe gives off more food odors
> > than
> > >a packaged Liptons in a ziplock.  Now what, stop breathing?
> >
> >   Brush your teeth?
> >
>
> LOL... Yeah but they like tooth paste too!
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