Be sure to read the discussion in the posts that follow the above link. Particularly #96.Originally Posted by DrRichardCranium
We have them at most shelters in MA, CT, NJ and some in NY. They work great and for the most part the only boxes I've seen filled with trash are the ones that are at shelters built close to road crossings.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Never bear bag unless at a designated camp site with bear cables or a pole.
There are numerous animals that will eat your food if given the chance. A chipmunk ate thru my buddy's $400 tent to get to some trail mix he had inside. I try to secure my food based on the threat of food loss in the area. When in doubt, take more precaution. An oz of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
But the debate seems to be about what is the oz of prevention?
Some seem to think keeping food in there tent prevents theft because animals are less likely to come into their tent.
But clearly they are wrong in that that doesn't always work.
Some seem to think hanging food prevents theft. But if hanging by string in a tree (even the PCT method) bears can find a way to get at the food (such as jumping from a tree and catching the bag, part of the string, or simply knocking down the limb). Hang it from bear cables, and mice can still climb up the cables.
There seems to be no practical solution that always works in all situations.
Many years ago in the Smokeys, we took a side trail off the AT @ 1/2 mile to camp for the night. Slept with the food but placed a small bag of m&m's in the crook of a tree short distance down trail. The next morning woke fixed coffee and went to get CHOCOLATE for brekfas. Found the bag still nestled in the crook with small hole in one corner, empty, very delicate extraction during the night!
We are having increasing sightings of bears between the river road (VA 670) and Partnership Shelter. They come into our yards, particularly at night, to make sure that all of our apple trees are clear of any apples within reach.
They enjoy walking undetected when our corn fields are full grown. IOW, they certainly are not starving but do seem to be less wary of us.
You never know just what you can do until you realize you absolutely have to do it.
--Salaun
The best method to use if you want to keep bears and other such animals out of your food, is simply use a Bear Cannister of some kind, in my oppinion if a animal is hungry enough he/she will go to whatever lengths it has to in order to get the food, no matter how you store your food weather you hang it by using a string " PCT method" bear cables, sleep with it " which is the way i go most nights " or even a bear cannister, the best system i have seen through out my years as a hiker is the system the SNP uses. which is a steel pole about 20ft tall with hooks on the top. but still if the animal is hungry enough it could probably get to those too.
Bring along a well behaved k 9...no besrs
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Probable everywhere, and hang it correctly... Here's a tidbit from a hiker I've been following... Skip to 11:00 for the bear part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4GWf...B_khVxXJzrEJWw
I don't understand why he hung his entire pack, apparently with a food bag inside the pack. I've got to think that he would have been way better off with the pack inside his tent with just his food hung. At least his pack wouldn't have been destroyed.
I frequently use this method, for some reason bears are terrified of a 35lb border collie mix.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
My 20lb jrt is a bear killer!!! They would choke on him...With him I have never seen a mouse or a bear at a shelter or tent anywhere....
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