bear bagging on a bald

[leaftye]

Bears aren't the only issues I was referring to, although that is often the reason people hang their food. My primary reason for not wanting to get up is that I want whatever little precious little sleep I'm able to get especially if I get the adrenaline rush of scaring away a big critter, I'd hate to give up the warmth I've put into my quilt, and I REALLY don't want to get up if it's raining. Plus what's to keep the critter from coming back again like that night in early April that a cougar kept coming back within 10 yards of me to check out my food even though I scared it off multiple times?


I quickly moved to an Ursack one night earlier this year when a mouse got into a food bag laying next to my head during a very windy night that saw rain after midnight and despite me scaring off the mouse many times. I don't like my food being messed with at all, at least not if it bothers me. I now carry an Ursack as a minimum level of protection for my food on every overnighter, even where bears are uncommon. I'm leaning towards adding an odor proof bag to my food container to further reduce the possibility of encounters with hungry critters. Sure, this level of protection for my food is hardly ultralight, but it keeps me out on the trail. That trip where the mouse got into my food was supposed to be a 10 day trip, but I cut it short after the 4th day because having my food compromised took the wind out of my sails and I didn't want to be out there anymore.

[vamelungeon]

For those that are so afraid of being attacked in your tent by a bear that wants your food, doesn't scare you even more to be walking around the woods with all that food strapped to your back?

[Miner]

I quickly moved to an Ursack one night earlier this year when a mouse got into a food bag laying next to my head during a very windy night that saw rain after midnight and despite me scaring off the mouse many times.

My past response to that almost exact situation on the PCT was to move my campsite 1/4mile away in the middle of the night after I realized the mouse (and his tag team partner) was going to keep coming back and I wasn't likely to sleep well. When it happened again 6weeks latter, I was smarter and moved as soon as I saw the first mouse rather then fighting it. The hikers I was with killed 2 mice that night after they choose not to move with me and there was still a 3rd mouse.

I own an Ursack and like to use it in places where bears are a big problem but hardshell bearcans aren't required. But as I don't like using the alum. insert, leaving the bear alone all night to work on it means your food may end up crushed. Some hikers don't appreciate the new flavors created as everything is mashed together into a paste and was one of the factors in it being banned in some of the national parks in the Sierra. So I still like having it close enough that I can see it with my flashlight if something happens to awaken me in the night. The problem with the standard Ursack is it isn't rodent proof. If rodents are you big concern, their lighter weight Ursack Minor product is what you should be using; though its not bear proof. Seems like you can't have your bear and your mouse protection at the same time.

[Tin Man]

For those that are so afraid of being attacked in your tent by a bear that wants your food, doesn't scare you even more to be walking around the woods with all that food strapped to your back?

I don't think a bear has much of a chance to lock onto a moving scent of food versus a stationary scent. And I haven't heard about this being an issue with the eastern Black Bear.

[GGS2]

The problem with the standard Ursack is it isn't rodent proof. If rodents are you big concern, their lighter weight Ursack Minor product is what you should be using; though its not bear proof. Seems like you can't have your bear and your mouse protection at the same time.

Bummer! I didn't know that.

[leaftye]

My past response to that almost exact situation on the PCT was to move my campsite 1/4mile away in the middle of the night after I realized the mouse (and his tag team partner) was going to keep coming back and I wasn't likely to sleep well.

I should've done the same. Actually, I probably would have if I had pulled out my map and realized how close I was to a nice campsite.

I own an Ursack and like to use it in places where bears are a big problem but hardshell bearcans aren't required. But as I don't like using the alum. insert, leaving the bear alone all night to work on it means your food may end up crushed.

Fortunately the vast majority of my food is powdered. My main concern is that the freezer bags holding my food will fail. I suppose the damage would be minimized if I double bagged my food as I would be doing if I used an odor proof bag. Unfortunately that doesn't help anyone else. I was certainly concerned about that when I had a more traditional diet with stuff like peanut butter and olive oil that would make quite a mess if the bear gave the Ursack a beating. I have the insert too, but like you, I prefer to leave it at home.

The problem with the standard Ursack is it isn't rodent proof. If rodents are you big concern, their lighter weight Ursack Minor product is what you should be using; though its not bear proof. Seems like you can't have your bear and your mouse protection at the same time.

I wish I knew what tried getting into my food when I left it in the Saddle after Apache Peak for two weeks. The tiny holes were good evidence that the bag wasn't rodent proof, but at least it was enough to protect my food for that period of time. I'm pretty sure the regular Ursack is tough enough to keep rodents out during one night stints. Still though, this is another reason to use an odor proof bag. In addition to keeping away the annoyance of critters during the night, it should also allow me to use my Ursack longer since it wouldn't be getting nibbled on during the night.

[Big Dawg]

How do you take care of your food if you camp on a bald like Max Patch?

same as any other camping spot.... I sleep w/ my food..... never a problem.

[SawnieRobertson]

same as any other camping spot.... I sleep w/ my food..... never a problem.

Yeah, but you are the BIG Dawg with the BIG, deep voice. Bears have a sense of proportion about whom they will approach/attack, don't cha think?

Well, anyway, speaking of wars and defense, hope all are enjoying their Memorial Day 2010.--Kinnickinic

[GalHikingTheGap]

Bear Attacks-Their Causes And Avoidance is a great read to answer many of these questions, and the author has the historical data on deaths/injuries. Though it does mention that menstruation might be a draw, which is pretty highly insulting and feels very dated. Anyway.

L, Baby D, Gal Hiking The Gap

[GalHikingTheGap]

Oh, right. I was going to say that I often bag, but the box is better (many new boxes have loops that make hanging your food off the bottom ideal for keeping away mice). In NJ, if there is a bear box, you must use it, as the bears know that if they gnaw at those lines food is going to come down. So said the attractive ranger at Mashipacong.

Playing dead like the boy scouts did is dumb, as a reminder. Many of the lethalities in the Bear Attacks book were from people doing just that.

L

[Connie]

bulldog49,

Banff, Alberta

...candy bars in tent, bear ripped the tent open disfiguring one person involved, killing the other.

Snickers bars.

GalHikingTheGap,

Insulting? True fact. If it makes you uncomfortable, so?

The odor is well like a bear, and bears are very territorial. Sorry, not!

In the 1950's the Yellowstone National Park ranger said: if anyone in your car is having their period, roll the windows up and drive straight thru the park or turn around and leave. Bet he lost his job for that, at the time. Not very PC, was it?

I know my mom was livid!

[Pedaling Fool]

bulldog49,

Banff, Alberta

...candy bars in tent, bear ripped the tent open disfiguring one person involved, killing the other.

Snickers bars.

Do you have a reference for that? I don't see it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._North_America

I find it strange that a bear would smell candy bars, but after ripping open the tent take a person instead...so who's to say the candy bars attracted the bear. If you look at my above link most attacks (by BLACK BEARS) are not on tents (there are some), but more are from predatory tracking.

So how do you feel about carrying around a Smörgåsbord on your back out in the woods?

[Pedaling Fool]

GalHikingTheGap,

Insulting? True fact. If it makes you uncomfortable, so?

The odor is well like a bear, and bears are very territorial. Sorry, not!

In the 1950's the Yellowstone National Park ranger said: if anyone in your car is having their period, roll the windows up and drive straight thru the park or turn around and leave. Bet he lost his job for that, at the time. Not very PC, was it?

I know my mom was livid!

Is this because of Black Bears?

I don't know the answer, but I tend to think it's a myth. How many female thru-hikers take time off their hike during this time

[Gray Blazer]

One time a bear tried to come in our tent while my ex-wife and I were sleeping. I've posted about it here before. We wouldn't even take candy wrappers in the tent because we were worried that a bear would smell them.

However, my ex was on her period.

[Pedaling Fool]

I just saw this link on Trailplace: http://www.11alive.com/news/news_sto...44878&catid=40

Hungry Bears Force Closing of Section of Appalachian Trail

Guess who's coming to dinner on the Appalachian Trail?
Hikers in north Georgia have been getting some unwanted company coming into their campsites for mealtime -- at least one bear, perhaps not more.

"There seems to be not just one bear" said Winton Porter, owner of the Mountain Crossings store, holy ground for hikers of the Appalachian Trail. "There seems to be two, three, four bears. And the location behind here is very active."

Hikers come to the store for equipment, and advice. But they don't come here for bear encounters. About five miles of the Appalachian Trail have been closed to overnight campers because bears have been coming into the campsites, ripping apart backpacks and eating the food.

"He wasn't very aggressive toward humans," said Kevin Lowrey, wildlife biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "He was just more indifferent to humans and didn't mind eating their backpacks right in front of them."

When backpackers and campers don't properly secure their food it's easy pickings for the resourceful bears. The bears associate backpacks with food.

"A guy, you know, he bought all his food here and went up camping," said Porter of Mountain Crossings. "And so the bear stole his food. He insisted that I pay him back and buy his food."
Hikers can still walk the bear section of the trail. They just can't camp there overnight. And it will remain that way for the time being, until Mother Nature takes over.

"We also have in our favor, coming up this month, a lot of the soft mass foods," said the DNR's Kevin Lowrey. "A lot of the blackberries will start to ripen. They'll get onto a more natural food source, and hopefully the problem will get solved."

Winton Porter has to smile. The bear stories he hears are becoming epics.
"Right now, I think the bear has reached over 1,000 pounds and stands up and blocks out the sun," he said with a deadpan." Last week he was about 500 pounds. I think when the final picture gets taken, he's going to be about a 150 pounds."

So the question is when you've developed a taste for Power Bars and Doritos and Beanie Weenies, will you be able to go back to roots and berries?




The problem isn't people that keep food in their tent it's the hangers. And I still say it is VERY difficult to properly hang food from a bear. They are smart and show an impressive learning curve.