Quick question on food and food storage

[JLorenzo77]

Hey guys - Rookie backpacker here, getting ready to head out for my first overnighter around McAfee in a couple of weeks. I just had two questions for you guys (and gals). We'll be staying at Lambert's Meadow shelter. I am torn over how much food to bring for two full days of hiking and one overnight. I generally don't each much on long hikes but I always know I'm going home that same day so it isn't a big deal.

And I also don't know how to store food. Should I just get a dry sack and hang it in a tree?

[DuneElliot]

For a two day overnight hike I take one hot meal (half a mountain house, one Lipton pasta side or similar), one breakfast (Snickers bar and small breakfast bar) and two "lunches" (jerky and cheese and cookies) plus 2-3 snacks per day (nuts, M&Ms, Goldfish etc). It goes in a small silnylon stuff sack or cheap dry bag and then is hung at night, depending on where I am.

If you are hanging your food you need 30ft of cord and a way to tie something heavy to the end (I used my stake bag and put a rock in it) to throw it over your selected branch. Light rocks don't work well; I usually pick something the size of a tennis ball.

[Sarcasm the elf]

This is generally considered the best method of hanging food. Search youtube for "pct method" and you will find good tutorials.

Keep in mind that a poorly hung bearbag is worse than not hanging it at all, so make sure you do it correctly, high enough up, far enough away from the tree trunk, and from a branch of the correct size.

http://theultimatehang.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Hanging-A-Bear-Bag.pngMake sure your bag hang doesn't look like any of these.:eek:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYzmdbplAMk/VhAmHqGtK-I/AAAAAAAAAiU/ZZ6wknqSP4M/s1600/Crappy%2BBear%2BBags%2B2015%2BFinal.jpg

[chknfngrs]

all smellable items go into a sack, and then hung high off a tree branch. I use a Home Depot tote bag, nothing special. As for what food, the other guy nailed it. Aim small, miss small. Backpacking gives me the chance to experiment with food. Breakfast on the trail for me is nothing more than coffee and a PopTart. Lunch I like tortillas, peanut hitter and Oreos; and for dinner some kind of one pot Tex-Mex beans and rice dish. If you're feeling saucy a little chocolate pudding for dessert around the campfire. And can't forget the whiskey.

[Sandy of PA]

Due to major bear problems this year Lamberts Meadow now has a bear box, put your food in it, do not hang it.

[JLorenzo77]

Due to major bear problems this year Lamberts Meadow now has a bear box, put your food in it, do not hang it.

Awesome. You guys are great. Much appreciated. Glad they have bear boxes there now.

[swisscross]

My last few over nighters I have gone stoveless.
Day one...
I take a foot long subway sandwich (mayo, mustard packets, not on sandwich). Eat half for lunch, half for dinner. Cookies for dessert. Snickers,peanut mm's, jerky or mixed nuts for a snacks.
Day two...
Nido, instance breakfast and instant coffee for breakfast, probar meal for lunch and finish off snacks.

[swisscross]

OR if you are going with you buds, freak them out by taking steak and lobster, breakfast...fresh eggs and bacon.

Have a good trip!

[Runsalone]

Just saw a bear bout 200yds south of that shelter yesterday. Then slept there lol.

They have a great bear box now. Very convenient!

[rhjanes]

Practice that PCT method. Make SURE you put everything in it. My last trip into Arkansas, I'd forgotten the small baggie of trail mix in my hip belt pocket. I'm a hammock hanger, and had hung my pack off my hammock suspension. Around 11 PM....BUMP BUMP....after a few of those, I bailed out of the hammock. But couldn't see what I have to assume was a racoon. BUMP again....THEN I remembered the trail mix! I got up, didn't pull down the PCT Bear bag, just took the mix into my hammock. There was one more BUMP. next morning, Racoon had REMOVED my hip belt pouch (was on with elastic) and drug it into a bush! REMEMBER to check for all smellables and hang them (or in the bear box).
There is also some great YouTube videos on the good, bad and ugly PCT methods. There is also an ALTERNATIVE when you can't get a branch far enough out from a tree. Check that one also. the main difference is that you pull the free end of the string, over to another tree, which pulls the food bag away from the tree it is hung up in.

[atraildreamer]

Of course, some bears have adapted to outwit the best bagging techniques: :D