Bear Spray for AT thru hike

[Fredt4]

I must be doing something wrong. I hang every night unless there is a bear box available. I am yet to lose food or see a bear when I hang it. Perhaps I should hang it lower or closer to the tree.

Yes, hanging works if there's no bears. I've yet to see a hang defeat a bear. Seen many attempts that were defeated by bears. Bear poles and wires generally work. Once a bear got a food bag from a wire. Sleeping with your food works 100% of the time unless you leave the food near the door of the open tent. The rule should be to simply never leave your good unattended. When it's in a tree it's unattended and most any bear will get it if they come around.

[BirdBrain]

Yes, hanging works if there's no bears. I've yet to see a hang defeat a bear. Seen many attempts that were defeated by bears. Bear poles and wires generally work. Once a bear got a food bag from a wire. Sleeping with your food works 100% of the time unless you leave the food near the door of the open tent. The rule should be to simply never leave your good unattended. When it's in a tree it's unattended and most any bear will get it if they come around.

I live in Maine. We have a few bears up here. Bears are not the issue though. I have zero worries about a bear getting into my bear hang. If a bear gets it, it was hung wrong. The real culprit is a raccoon. They are bold and smart. They will stand on your face if that will get them food. The 2nd culprit is "minibear" (squirrels). I hang in a way that bears have no hope of getting it. If you sleep with mice (in shelters), you have another thief to contend with. It can be done. You are wrong. However, I am trying to thwart the efforts of the primary threats to my food. I am not saying it is the only viable method. Sleeping with your food is a good option if done right. It has its own perils though. Ask the hiker that had a bear rip his tent down to get his food at Liberty Springs while he was in it. I am not going to be ignorant and say he did it wrong. Blanket statements are ignorant. I am saying it works if done right. I do it right. I do it in bear country. Now call me a liar if you want to persist in your ignorance.

[Fredt4]

@ BirdBain, one must learn that one's anecdotal experience isn't proof of a good method. I agree that mice, squirrels and chipmunks are the real problem. That's why I use a Ursack. I won't call you a liar because you seem to honestly believe what you're statements, but your just wrong. As proof of my position I'll refer you to all the areas where hanging has been prohibited and bear canisters are required. Why prohibit food hanging if it works? It's prohibited simply because it's been proven not to work. Perhaps a rare individual will camp a site that has proper trees with bears that don't know how to grab a bag, but the vast majority of hikers either don't know how to hang, are to lazy to hang properly or the bears know how to get the food bag either way. I believe all three occur. So, the question is should you hang or not hang the food if you're in a black bear area. The rangers in problem bear areas have spoken, 'm food bag hanging, bear canisters required'. You may think you're disagreeing with me, but you're actually disagreeing with the experience of rangers that have collectively concluded that only bear canisters work, and food hanging doesn't.

[BirdBrain]

The only thing that you, I, rangers, and anyone that has hiked the trail to any extent agree on is that the vast majority of hikers do not know how to do a proper hang. Improper hangs create problem bears. It is not the only thing that creates problem bears, but it is part of it. This reality has created places where people must be protected from their own inabilities, stubbornness, and ignorance. It is done to protect the bears. I begrudgingly agree with that practice when it is done because I do not want bears killed because of ignorant lazy hangers. The only place I have ever had a bear mess with me was at a spot that required my food to be in a bear box. That bear went from tent to tent waking people up all night long. I hike where bears are present. I hang my food where bears are present. I know how to do it and it works. I am not going to convince you and you are not going to convince me. I grant you that hanging food creates many problems on the trail for the hanger and everyone that follows because bears are getting trained to get free food. This problem will likely cause more restrictions. I see the logic. These restrictions are necessary to protect bears from lazy people unwilling to learn how to hang properly. It is easy to restrict hangs and solve the issue. It is impossible to force information into a closed mind and thus force them to do it right. I am passionate about this because it can be done right. I do it right where bears are around. Unfortunately all hangs are judged by the people who are too lazy to learn to do it right. I am an early riser. I am on the trail early and at camp early. I have spent as much as an hour searching for a proper place to hang. There is an easier way. Just sleep with it. I choose to hang... where I am allowed. If you could hear and believe me, you would see that I do not disagree with much of what you say. I protest the statement that it cannot be done. It can. I do it where bears are present.

I am not going to continue this debate. Those that know how to do a proper hang know what I am talking about. Besides, this does little to contribute to the OP.