[pct-l] Bear Canisters in North cascades

[mara at jeffress.net (Mara Jeffress)]

Geoffrey,

This is just my opinion, there are certainly others and you will have 
to weigh your own requirements for weight, ease and bear safety and 
decide what works best for you.  I don't carry bear canisters because 
they are heavy.  I ALWAYS bear bag or use a bear box,  if one is 
available.  Personally, I think sleeping with one's food is dangerous.  
Even if there is <1% chance that a bear will venture into my camp I 
don't want my food anywhere near me when it does.  That said, lots of 
thru-hikers report no problems with the sleeping with one's food 
method.  For me, I just wouldn't sleep because I would be too worried, 
so hanging is a better option, for me.

I think one can hang food well, if you have experience.  There are lots 
of good tutorials on how to hang food properly in USFS literature.  The 
trick is to find the right tree (Of course this doesn't work above tree 
line) which can take time.  I posted earlier that I line my bear bag 
with 2 oven roaster bags (the kind you buy from the grocery store to 
roast whole turkey's in) which I tie off with a rubber band.  These 
bags are designed to seal in turkey fat and flavors while roasting, and 
consequently, they seal in smells from your bear bag so the bear can't  
or has a hard time smelling your food and would have to get close 
enough and look in the right place to see the bag.    I am sure others 
might argue with me.  It has drawbacks, you have to spend time bear 
bagging, you have to find the right tree, you have to carry rope,  and 
you can't make breakfast in your tarp or tent awning in your cosy 
sleeping bag because you have to get up and retrieve the bag in the 
morning.  For me, though, I prefer all that for the piece of mind it 
gives me.  I think the oven roasters are the key to my past success.

You need to decide what works for you.

HYOH,
Mara