[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [pct-l] bears and food



In a message dated 9/10/99 9:48:23 AM Pacific Daylight Time, drufner@ucsd.edu 
writes:

<< Bears can not  climb the wire or chew through them, as they do to even 
large tree  branches.  Anyone know what the resistance is to these? >>

I believe bears are able to defeat cables by hanging on one end which leads 
to the hung bags sliding down the cable to the low end where the bear is able 
to get them.  Car Break ins in Yosemite and other popular camping areas is 
way down this year where boxes are used.  I've talked to some back country 
rangers in Yosemite that favor their being used more widely in the Sierras.  
Bear food raids are also way down from what I understand in the Yosemite back 
country because of canister use.  New high tech canisters such as the Wild 
Ideas prototypes have 1/2 the weight to volume ratio as the Garcia making 
them more practical for ounce weenies.     As an alternative stealth camping, 
scent control, and counter-balancing in combination would work well virtually 
every time for black bears.  Not being a S to N PCT thru-hiker yet myself, I 
can't rely on bears' early season inactivity in the Sierras after July 1.  I 
think sleeping with your food much after that date in Yosemite would be quite 
risky.  Whether it increases the risk for others because of training bears to 
enter tents without a food scent is an interesting question.  Bob R
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================