Smarter than the average bear.

[The Miracle Man]

Hang your pack and your food they said...
It will be safe they said...

[Birthright]

I actually want to try hiking sections without carrying food and just eat in towns. I think I can do it and cover more miles.

[JNI64]

You should at least take some tuna and corn pasta.
Maybe some sardines?

[HankIV]

I actually want to try hiking sections without carrying food and just eat in towns. I think I can do it and cover more miles.

You probably can, but you will also burn a bunch of time waiting for shuttle drivers on both ends (or waiting for hitches) and coordination to restaurant hours in little country towns. Just something to factor into that plan.

[peakbagger]

I actually want to try hiking sections without carrying food and just eat in towns. I think I can do it and cover more miles.

You are going to get mighty hungry in NH and Maine ;)

[No Match]

This reminds me of a bear in the Cohutta Wilderness years ago, climbed up the oak tree near camp where my food bag was 'properly' hung by 40 feet of Dyneema rope over the middle of a white water rapids in the Jacks River. The bear of about 300 pounds spent 3 solid hours chewing on the 6 inch limb where it met the main trunk of the tree, after which of course, weakened the limb enough to droop it down, jumping off the tree onto the limb and bag, ripping the bag open all while washing downstream abount 100 yards. It was a long way out on an empty stomach. I since have 2 bear canisters. It is common place to get laughted at or condemned for the 'weight.' My response after 50 years of backpacking, "if you can't handle a couple of pounds to insure a guarantee, maybe you don't need to be out here."

[HankIV]

I used an Ursack, with Opsacks on my thru last summer. Did notice the Opsacks would sometimes unseal overnight, you have to be diligent with them. Used bear boxes and cables where provided. Numerous times found a snack item that I had forgotten in my pack in the morning.

No bears or critters in 4.5 months. Didn’t hear any other hikers tell a tale of losing their food to a bear either. I know it does happen.

At least along the AT, I think this is a low probability/high impact event. Obviously for the bears ( a fed bear is a dead bear), and for the hiker losing their food. An AT hiker can almost always hit a resupply/regroup point in half a day. So not THAT much impact.

So I felt the Ursack was a good combination of further risk reduction and weight.

As a SOBO, I camped/sheltered alone probably a third of my nights south of Hudson,perhaps that improved my odds, by there being less mass of food smell to attract. And perhaps being down south in the fall when bears have fattened up, AND are being hunted, helps as well.

[The Miracle Man]

I used an Ursack, with Opsacks on my thru last summer. Did notice the Opsacks would sometimes unseal overnight, you have to be diligent with them. Used bear boxes and cables where provided. Numerous times found a snack item that I had forgotten in my pack in the morning.

No bears or critters in 4.5 months. Didn’t hear any other hikers tell a tale of losing their food to a bear either. I know it does happen.

At least along the AT, I think this is a low probability/high impact event. Obviously for the bears ( a fed bear is a dead bear), and for the hiker losing their food. An AT hiker can almost always hit a resupply/regroup point in half a day. So not THAT much impact.

So I felt the Ursack was a good combination of further risk reduction and weight.

As a SOBO, I camped/sheltered alone probably a third of my nights south of Hudson,perhaps that improved my odds, by there being less mass of food smell to attract. And perhaps being down south in the fall when bears have fattened up, AND are being hunted, helps as well.
nps.gov/yose/blogs/bear-series-part-one-a-bears-sense-of-smell-htm

[The Miracle Man]

nps.gov/yose/blogs/bear-series-part-one-a-bears-sense-of-smell-htmbear.org/senses-and-abilities

[gpburdelljr]

nps.gov/yose/blogs/bear-series-part-one-a-bears-sense-of-smell-htm

Couldn’t get that link to work. This one does.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/bear-series-part-one-a-bears-sense-of-smell.htm

[HankIV]

Understood. I still think a spring thru bubble campsite with 20 food bags will be more attractive than a solo camp; all else being equal. Or put another way, more wild source of food will out compete one food bag than 20

[The Miracle Man]

This reminds me of a bear in the Cohutta Wilderness years ago, climbed up the oak tree near camp where my food bag was 'properly' hung by 40 feet of Dyneema rope over the middle of a white water rapids in the Jacks River. The bear of about 300 pounds spent 3 solid hours chewing on the 6 inch limb where it met the main trunk of the tree, after which of course, weakened the limb enough to droop it down, jumping off the tree onto the limb and bag, ripping the bag open all while washing downstream abount 100 yards. It was a long way out on an empty stomach. I since have 2 bear canisters. It is common place to get laughted at or condemned for the 'weight.' My response after 50 years of backpacking, "if you can't handle a couple of pounds to insure a guarantee, maybe you don't need to be out here."


Understood. I still think a spring thru bubble campsite with 20 food bags will be more attractive than a solo camp; all else being equal. Or put another way, more wild source of food will out compete one food bag than 20
Oh I hear ya Hank. A big gob of 20 people are absolutely going to collectively have a large amount of food. That is bound to attract the attention of a problem bear. There is also no way to guarantee or expext that the entire group will practice and maintain adequate food control discipline. A solo hiker has 100% control over food security issues concerning animals. I am going SoBo solo with a bear vault and will be observing precautions with food. Bears really don't concern me anyway, deer ticks do, very much.