My real bear encounter at the Priest shelter

[skooch]

Right and why do I see people in all those photo gallerys cooking and eating at the shelters? Aren't we suppose to separate sleeping, eating and bear bagging? Aren't we creating our own bear problem? duh

[10-K]

Every single person that I have personally met who has lost food had it hanging up.

I sleep with mine - never had a problem - yet.

But if I'm hiking alone I'm never near a shelter... The wife likes being close to people so if she's with me we tent as far as possible from the shelter..

[Tipi Walter]

Every single person that I have personally met who has lost food had it hanging up.

I sleep with mine - never had a problem - yet.

But if I'm hiking alone I'm never near a shelter... The wife likes being close to people so if she's with me we tent as far as possible from the shelter..

Just a simple question---why don't you take the time to hang it?

[10-K]

Just a simple question---why don't you take the time to hang it?

I know you want a serious answer so I'll be honest with you.

Sheer laziness because I like to roll over and fix breakfast without getting out of my bag.

My rationalization is that many, many hikers with much more experience than me sleep with theirs and also by talking with so many people who had their hanging up food taken - but so far no one who has slept with it has (that I have personally met).

I've also hiked a few thousand miles myself and never had a problem....

[Tipi Walter]

In your years of hiking, have you never had a mouse chew a hole in your food bag?

[10-K]

In your years of hiking, have you never had a mouse chew a hole in your food bag?

No, not yet.

FWIW, when we talk about "years of hiking" I'm not implying that I'm a trail god. If anything I'm somewhere between a novice and an amateur.

[skooch]

Don't the bears go to shelters looking for hung bags and scraps? Won't mine be less attractive if it's hung away from shelters? I'm hoping to out smart them this way and let them mill around the shelters instead of my campsite.

[SouthMark]

Every single person that I have personally met who has lost food had it hanging up.

I sleep with mine - never had a problem - yet.

But if I'm hiking alone I'm never near a shelter... The wife likes being close to people so if she's with me we tent as far as possible from the shelter..

I do not have nearly the miles or years of experience as you but I now sleep with my food. The only time that I have had my food stolen by a bear was when I hung it. It was properly hung with the rope tied of to a separate tree. The bear bit the rope into. My hiking partner laughed at me for hanging it that evening. She slept with hers as a pillow and she still had her food in the morning. At least she shared until we could get to a resupply point.

[Pedaling Fool]

They dumped food right next to the shelter? Can't walk a little ways off and dump it...I sleep with my food, but I don't put cooked food out around my sleeping area, that's an invitation.

BTW, how many hikers had food hanging in the shelter on the mouse lines?

Don't the bears go to shelters looking for hung bags and scraps? Won't mine be less attractive if it's hung away from shelters? I'm hoping to out smart them this way and let them mill around the shelters instead of my campsite.

I've asked a similar question before in other threads and I asked it here; never got an answer.

My sense is that food hanging in shelters have never been stolen by a bear. I've heard of one case where a bear tore open a tent with a tenter inside for their food, but I'll still sleep with my food. Any bear wants my food they're going to get a whack across the nose with my saw.

And if that doesn't work I'll just scream like a women -- seemed to work for the OP

[vamelungeon]

Seems like there was a recent thread where a bear came into a 2 room shelter in GA, all the hikers retreated to the second room and the bear had his way with their food. I think I've seen a couple of threads where bears entered shelters. Shelters just don't have any appeal for me and I don't understand why so many want to sleep in them, or near them. I know HOW to hang food but it seems like a really bad idea for a number of reasons. Even the much touted PCT method.

[Hobbler]

The dumping of any food that close to the shelter by the “family” really shows the the lack of education and ignorance when it comes to safe food handling procedures and a total lack of regard for the welfare of others. The bear now knows to associate food with humans if he/she isn't already a problem bear. Hikers from here forth might be at risk from this and other careless acts of human food disposal stupidity. I always hang my food and practice safe food storage and the elimination of any scents that could draw in wildlife of any kind. I rarely stay in shelters because of the lack of cleanliness of prior hikers' food particle droppings and stay well away from the shelter if possible when I camp. Even as evidenced here, food was strewn between the shelter and a campsite, drawing the visit of the bruin, putting everyone in the vicinity in jeopardy. Sounds like the family in the shelter was not really trail-worthy and knowledgeable....Or just didn't care....The old..."We won't be here tomorrow...Let someone else worry about it"...attitude.

And the peppermint patty by the OP was not helping the situation either with an over-sight that could have been disastrous for the tenting couple. A double-whammy! Ir-resistible for the bear or anyone/thing I am sure.

I was planning on doing that section next week but will now focus my hike elsewhere. I will wait to see/hear of other reports before I hit that section again in confidence. I live close by The Priest/Three Ridges Wilderness Areas and know they are home to many bears. Hunting season just outside their boundaries is a popular and productive affair. At times human carelessness allows them to be a problem. I would hope that those at the shelter are more aware now and follow a better approach to food storage.

Come on people...Be trail smart!

[1234]

I think whom ever wrote the cartoon Yogi Bear got it right. The bears know where we are and they really do not want to mess with us, they just want the "picnic basket" That is why the food in tents does not get messed with and food hung in shelters does not get messed with. Now food hung away from people does get messed with. The proof in in your comments.

I tried to hang food a long time ago and I lost my caribinger (sp) and rope. It is hard to not get it tangled. It must be what 10 feet away from the tree trunk and 10 feet up in air this is hard to do. I looked at some of the pics of some of the commenters and noticed a 20 day supply of food hung on the tree trunk only 3 feet off ground right next to tent. ?? what is the purpose in that?

Mice have never eaten my food in a food bag, In tent or in shelter hung. I have had mice chew up my TP and make a nest in my pack.

Oh I did fail to mention that that I rubbed my feet down with peppermint lotion also and that does have a strong aroma. Fact is nobody was harmed by the bear, it just wanted an easy snack, which it got. I did not call in the troops, I do remember years ago that this shelter did have a bear problem.

Hunters seldom stray far from a road, that being said, I bet there are far fewer bear issues near roads (1- 2 miles). The priest shelter is quite remote and not easily accessed (3,000ft climb from road). So little hunting pressure. So what is a bigger danger bears or people near a road?

[WingedMonkey]

You also proved fire crackers are useless.

[10-K]

You also proved fire crackers are useless.

Roman candles maybe?

[Tipi Walter]

I tried to hang food a long time ago and I lost my caribinger (sp) and rope. It is hard to not get it tangled. It must be what 10 feet away from the tree trunk and 10 feet up in air this is hard to do. I looked at some of the pics of some of the commenters and noticed a 20 day supply of food hung on the tree trunk only 3 feet off ground right next to tent. ?? what is the purpose in that?

That was probably my picture. Have you ever tried to haul up 40lbs of food on a kelty triptease line over a rough branch covered in bark? By yourself? I'd need a full blown climbing rope to get any real leverage. Anyway, the whole point was to get it away from rodent reach as I already had several mouse incidents at that camping spot.

I don't know how you guys get away with food bags not chewed into by mice. Over the years I've had at least 30 plus chew holes made by mice in my food bags. I've gotten to the point where I hang my food anyway I can as long as it's far enough away from my tent to keep them from crawling over my face thru the night.

[Wise Old Owl]

You also proved fire crackers are useless.

OMG! WM IT was a PEPPERMINT PATTIE - A BEAST COULD AVOID A FIRE CRACKER TO GET THE SENSATION>>>>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyjsZ...eature=related

[Ol Mole]

Do bears go in shelters with people inside?

That is why the shelters in the Smoky's have cages in front of the shelters. It's not to keep the hikers in, it is to keep the bears out. Sleeping with food is a lesson waiting to be learned.

Happy trails,

[10-K]

Do bears go in shelters with people inside?

That is why the shelters in the Smoky's have cages in front of the shelters. It's not to keep the hikers in, it is to keep the bears out. Sleeping with food is a lesson waiting to be learned.

Happy trails,

Somebody more familiar with GSMNP will be along shortly to give more detail but I believe all the cages have been removed from the shelters in the park - at least on the AT.

Well, there *is* still a cage on Laurel Gap shelter on Mt. Sterling but I think it's scheduled to be renovated soon.

[WingedMonkey]

Roman candles maybe?

You would NEVER carry anything that heavy.

[SouthMark]

Sleeping with food is a lesson waiting to be learned.

Speaking from experience or speculation or from information suggested by the authorities to protect them from the litigious culture of America?