View Full Version : Food protection method in NH
I've never dealt with the critters in NH so I don't know what is the best/prefered method up there. A few of the sites I'm going to be at have bear boxes which makes life a little easier.
Does anyone have a feeling over whether a good ole fashion bear bag hanging would work, are the Ursacks really that effective? Or is the bear cannister the way to go?
Lone Wolf
08-09-2009, 20:07
i sleep in my tent with the food
Wise Old Owl
08-09-2009, 20:08
Worst answer on the planet ... Hey LW no biggy we just can disagree on this one subject - won't hate you for it.
Lone Wolf
08-09-2009, 20:13
Worst answer on the planet ... Hey LW no biggy we just can disagree on this one subject - won't hate you for it.
yeah well that answer has worked for me for 23 years of AT hiking
Darwin again
08-09-2009, 20:14
My personal rule of thumb is that if there are bear cables or bear boxes, use them. If I know I'm in an area where bears are actively taking hiker food or trying to, I hang it as high as I can, 100 feet from my tent.
But I slept with my food on the AT in NH.
No worries, no problems.
If you hear a bear in the night, bang your cooking pot and/or use a whistle to make it have second thoughts.
(I have an Ursack, but I've never used it; just too heavy.)
There's a bear in the Adirondacks that has learned to defeat bear cans. I think he's called Double Yellow or some such, due to the two ear tags he wears. :D
you sure he doesn't mean "I tent with food in my sleep" ??
Food in tent, I'll second that. It's the only way to be absolutely positively sure it will be there in the morning.
Chaco Taco
08-09-2009, 20:26
Worst answer on the planet ... Hey LW no biggy we just can disagree on this one subject - won't hate you for it.
Cant disagree with your more, hangin food is for mormons
My personal rule of thumb is that if there are bear cables or bear boxes, use them. If I know I'm in an area where bears are actively taking hiker food or trying to, I hang it as high as I can, 100 feet from my tent.
But I slept with my food on the AT in NH.
No worries, no problems.
If you hear a bear in the night, bang your cooking pot and/or use a whistle to make it have second thoughts.
(I have an Ursack, but I've never used it; just too heavy.)
There's a bear in the Adirondacks that has learned to defeat bear cans. I think he's called Double Yellow or some such, due to the two ear tags he wears. :D
Double Yellow is a female...........;).
For me, I usually hang my food. If I'm near a shelter and there aren't too many people in it, I ask if I can hang my food there. Most times I get the ok, and haven't been pilfered by the mice yet.
Lone Wolf may have a point about sleeping with your food. As far as I know bears don't go into shelters with people to get at their food. It may be safety in numbers or just that bears are afraid of people (at least where there's a bear hunting season).
I noticed a bear box at the tentsite near Mizpah Hut in the Presidential Range. I guess the AMC would rather be "safe than sorry" especially seeing that there are a number of folks who hike with young children to that area. Small children have been attacked by black bears in other areas.
I've heard of bears in the Adirondacks who would find the bear cannisters where ever they were hiding and sometimes knock them into a stream.
Darwin again
08-09-2009, 20:33
I'm in the ADKs right now. (Weather cold and wet!)
Eastern High Peaks requires bear cans now.
Regular bear hanging doesn't work up here.
I've never had a bear come into my tent for my food, so I've gotta go with the wolf on this...
Darwin again
08-09-2009, 20:35
Here's an article on some crafty, bold bears:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/nyregion/25bear.html?pagewanted=all
If these bruins tell their friends on the AT how to do this, we're all done-fer.
Snowleopard
08-09-2009, 23:48
Fortunately, yellow-yellow in the ADKs is a shy female and avoids people -- she just steals their food. If she was aggressive towards people she'd probably be killed.
Mr. Clean
08-10-2009, 04:16
Bears, like all other animals, including us, survive with learned behavior. You may always be safe with food in your tent, but all it takes is one hungry bear to steal it and they will learn to do it to get food. Bears have learned how to get food from bear hangers and cables, and yellow yellow has figured how to open a canister.
It is suggested in NH to hang food 100 feet from camp and up in a tree. If there's a bear box, I'll use it. In a lean-to I'll use the mouse hangers, in the woods I usually hang. Hasn't been stolen or eaten yet, but that's how I do it.
The only bad thing about an inadequate method is that we create a nuisance animal, hopefully one that won't hurt someone.
I've never dealt with the critters in NH so I don't know what is the best/prefered method up there. A few of the sites I'm going to be at have bear boxes which makes life a little easier.
Does anyone have a feeling over whether a good ole fashion bear bag hanging would work, are the Ursacks really that effective? Or is the bear cannister the way to go?
I used the same system throughout the AT. Never changed based on the state I was hiking in. Used the cables or boxes or poles (in the Shenny's) if provided. Otherwise did not worry about bears.
Never saw anyone with a bear cannister on the AT. Way too bulky for most backpacks anyway.
brooklynkayak
08-13-2009, 13:43
I guess NH doesn't have the problem that they do in the north west and further north in the north east.
There have been many issues with bears on the AT. Tents ripped apart, hanging bear bags pulled down, ...
I don't agree with the Russian roulette policy of sleeping with food or cooking in your tent and I don't think hanging your food works that well with some bears.
The Ursack is an option.
Another option: http://wilderness-solutions.com/.
It doesn't appear to be as heavy as an Ursack and I would guess would be better in the long run for the bears.
At established tentsites where there is a critter problem, there is usually a bear line or bear box. So, use them. Elsewhere, it really doesn't take that much effort to through up a bear line and then you should be reasonable certain that your food (and you) will be safe from bears and other critters. Not that hard, just do it, and you will have piece of mind.
Now, in the High Peaks region of the Adrondacks, bears are another story. Over the years, they have gotten into too many people's food that wasn't hung properly. That's why bear canisters are now required. Not a perfect solution, but way better than it was.
Just sleep with it in your tent. If you smell bad enough, you'll never have a problem with a bear.
superman
08-13-2009, 16:47
I have a bearicade that I use out west. In NH I use those bullet proof plastic bags that the groceries come in at the grocery store. The bears in NH have been replaced by the people moving here from MA.:D
boarstone
08-13-2009, 19:56
Hikers beware...bear baiting season is upon us, at least here in Maine. Hunting will commence sometime next month. NH is pretty close to ME for bear season I believe.
OK, here is a different perspective. I usually have a LOT of time from when I get into camp to when I go to sleep, bear-bagging is a fun skill to perfect and easy to do. It is just part of my "setting up camp" routine. I enjoy getting more proficient at all that is invloved in backpacking.
Wise Old Owl
08-13-2009, 20:23
Just sleep with it in your tent. If you smell bad enough, you'll never have a problem with a bear.
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg275/MarkSwarbrick/toot.jpg
Wise Old Owl
08-13-2009, 20:50
The above post was not directed at Totem, I really am just joking around....
However, if you do not feel like hanging your food, that's fine! How about strapping your pack above eye level on the nearest tree, just not in your tent.
Give yourself an out! At least the mice will get the pack and not an expensive tent & pack at the same time.