Bears and Balds

[zydecajun]

What do you do with your food when camping out on the balds? No trees or cables to hang it , so do y'all just throw it in the tent with you and hope the bears/ critters leave you alone?

[Lone Wolf]

Keep it in your tent. I've never hung food. The experts will tell you different.

[Kozmic Zian]

Yea.....Good Question. 1st of all, don't buy any 'stinky, meat or sugar smelling food' that a bear would like. Keep it all sealed in freezer locks. Keep it all in the food bag, when not eating or when sleeping. Keep the food bag in the pack, well stuffed down. Keep the backpack in your tent. Eat well away from where you are sleeping. Wash all pots and utensils before packing in. Keep food particles and debris off of your pack. In other words keep your area shipshape. Do not eat powerbars or snacks in the tent. Go to sleep and rest easy. Good Hiking. KZ@;)

[Alligator]

I can think of two options for protecting your food. One would be to carry a bear canister, which is uncommon practice on the AT. The second would be to camp on the bald but within a few hundred feet of a suitable tree to hang your food. Maybe cook near the trees, hang your food, then camp on the bald further out if you are so inclined.

[steve hiker]

The second would be to camp on the bald but within a few hundred feet of a suitable tree to hang your food.
Some balds do have a few trees scattered about, that are suitable for hangin. On Stratton Bald (in the Nantahalas) I had no problem hanging my food.