View Full Version : Food protection
tomsawyer222
03-05-2008, 07:19
Any ideas on the pros and cons of the great old bear canister? Would it really be worth the weight vs hanging your food? Is hanging your food quickly becoming against the rules inside parks? i have seen that out west it has.
Lone Wolf
03-05-2008, 07:38
nobody uses a canister. i sleep with my food in a tent
nobody uses a canister. i sleep with my food in a tent
I remember when I first got on WB that I said that was not a good idea. I have changed my mind as far as the AT is concerned. I have changed my mind about a lot of things since I arrived here.
--
I still get in a "funk" here and there but overall I am feeling much better about things. (Please forgive me
Thanks WB'ers! :sun
minnesotasmith
03-05-2008, 08:31
I did on my thruhike. Mice tried repeatedly to chew through, with the results being painful frustration for them, and amused satisfaction for me.
They're lightweight, very durable, and scrunch up when not needed. They also reduce what needs to get hung from shelter rafters/put on bear cables/placed in bear boxes, so using them is public-spirited IMO. Just need to keep them out of sunlight most of the time.
I've never seen a bear canister used on the AT. I understand they're a requirement in the DAKs now and on parts of the PCT. I hang my food (or use supplied bear boxes or bear poles if they exist.)
Hanging food bags is definitely not against the rules in Georgia, at least. Every shelter I passed by had a bear cable nearby.
The "PCT" method I first heard of from Backpacking Light seems to make the most sense if you don't have a cable. The only animals I've ever had trouble with besides mice (concerning food) are red squirrels.