View Full Version : questions about bears
My husband and I are new to hiking and are hoping to do our first over-nighter here soon. (Probably Standing Indian) Are bears a problem? Do you need bear canisters? Will large ziplocks work?
The other question is about food smell. We have two hammocks that we want to use, but we took them camping recently and a package of dehydrated food spilled in the bag that one of the hammocks was in. :(
What will get the sent out? We both hunt as well and have the spray that hunters use that is supposed to mask human scent, but I do not know if that will just add another scent that a bear might want to investigate (and chew on).
I would appreciate any advice on this subject.
Thanks a bunch
Sheryll
You won't need bear canisters but you should hang your food. You won't need to cover up your human scent with spray or anything like that. The only critters you should fear are mice. I wouldn't worry about your hammocks.
ChinMusic
08-19-2010, 14:47
The only critters you should fear are mice.
Please add ticks to that list.
bigmac_in
08-19-2010, 14:47
and other people . . .
sheepdog
08-19-2010, 14:50
and lightning
ChinMusic
08-19-2010, 14:55
and lightning
....not a "critter";)
sheepdog
08-19-2010, 14:55
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/4/9/2/0/smokies_bear_thumb.jpg (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showimage.php?i=28403&catid=member&orderby=views&direction=DESC&imageuser=14920&cutoffdate=-1)
I always carry a small can of pepper spray when I hike. An ounce of prevention.....
Do not fear bears but respect them. GSMNP has the most problem bears I have ever seen.
sheepdog
08-19-2010, 14:56
....not a "critter";)
no nitpicking allowed :D
couscous
08-19-2010, 15:07
Sheryll will be about 80 miles south of GSMNP
83.3-Deep Gap, USFS 71-NC-4341
84.2-Standing Indian Shelter-NC-4760
85.7-Standing Indian Mtn.-NC-5498
91.8-Carter Gap Shelter-NC-4540
96.4-Mooney Gap, USFS 83-NC-4400
98-Albert Mountain-NC-5250
Please add ticks to that list.
Actually ticks are really the only critter you should fear but as far as your food is concerned you should worry about mice.
couscous
08-19-2010, 15:46
If you were going to Incline Village, Nevada .. you would have to watch out for Bubba (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703723504575425670167473634.html).
Bears smell distinct odors so you can't cover up a smell. It's like the way we see color. You can't cover up a pink dot on a wall by painting a bunch of blue around it to us and you can't hide a scene from a bear by putting another odor around it.
I'd wash the hammock. A bear vault is not terribly expensive and is not that much more weight if you're hiking with a couple of people as long as you make sure it's large enough in volume for your food. If you forsake the bear vault then make sure you know how to hang your food properly and don't neglect it and just throw it up in some six foot tree. Bears aren't going to eat you (probably) but they'd love to have at your nuts and oats if you give them an easy target.
ChinMusic
08-19-2010, 16:28
Sheryll - If you already own a canister and are not concerned about the additional weight.......then take it for your trip.
Short of that read about the proper techniques for hanging your food. Practice at home. It looks easy but can be a pain. You gotta find a branch that is the correct size, the correct height, etc.
I do not know if the shelter(s) you are planning to visit have bear cables. If they do your answer is to use them.
Improper hanging of food is a quick way to ruin your trip AND put a bear at risk. Problem bears are largely a creation of people mismanaging their food.
Your contaminated hammock could/will smell of food. IMO, that is not a problem for you on the AT. If you were headed to Griz Country I would get it washed (twice).
Blue Jay
08-19-2010, 17:05
A kayak dry bag is cheaper, lighter and more compact especially when empty. I also think it blocks the smell completely as no air can enter or leave. I've had bears walk right underneath mine when they could just stand up and snag it.
Blue Jay
08-19-2010, 17:09
If you were going to Incline Village, Nevada .. you would have to watch out for Bubba (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703723504575425670167473634.html).
Stop scaring people. We have plenty of Bubba around here. As long as you don't flip them the bird, they are completely harmless.
My husband and I are new to hiking and are hoping to do our first over-nighter here soon. (Probably Standing Indian) Are bears a problem? Do you need bear canisters? Will large ziplocks work?
If you mean "odor proof bags" when you say "large ziplocks", then the answer is that it should, so long as you don't contaminate the outside of the bag. I think you should still use an additional method of protecting your food, like a bear canister, Ursack or hanging. You can get a bear bag for hanging and an odor proof bag that weighs about 3 ounces.
As far as real ziplocks... I had a mouse try all night to get at a ziplocked food bag that was sitting next to my head. Eventually it succeeded in getting into my food and keeping me up all night. I now always use at least an Ursack. I put that at least 30 yards from me knowing that critters can (unsuccessfully) try to get into it all night without bothering me.
Bear Cables
08-19-2010, 22:17
First go to Bear.org and read up on black bear behaviors. They have great videos of what different behaviors mean. This site will relieve some of the bear heebie jeebies.While your there check out the videos and notes on Lily and Hope and be prepared to fall in love. Second either bring a canister or practice hanging your food in a waterproof study bag also hang anything that has a smell; toothpaste, repellant, lotions etc. Go to youtube and search PCT method of hanging a bag and practice. We hike just beyond that area, Rock Gap to NOC and never saw a bear. I've hiked through the Smokies and only saw a bear off the trail down in a valley and a mom and cubs near the Fontana Dam road. Never in camp even at Cosby and Tricorner where bear activity signs were posted. I wish I had seen more.
Second the idea of washing the hammock. There are bears in the Standing Indian area, but bear hunting is allowed in much of the national forest there, so the bears don't normally get out of hand. (There is a bear sanctuary there, too.)
A mouse chewed into the tent of one of my friends who was camping near Carter Gap Shelter. Not only did it damage her tent, but the little bugger contaminated most of the food she had with her for the trip.
I usually sleep with my food. It's inside plastic bags, inside a silnylon dry sack, and inside the trash compactor bag I use as a pack liner. So far, so good.
MkBibble
08-20-2010, 10:00
Bear Cables, Thank you for the website (Bear.org). Great resource and a lot of fun.
Bear Cables
08-20-2010, 18:28
Bear Cables, Thank you for the website (Bear.org). Great resource and a lot of fun.
Glad you liked it. Did you check out Lily and Hope?
TinaLouise
08-21-2010, 08:08
Washing your hammocks is a great thing to do anyways after you're been sleeping in it for a while. What I do with mine is to wash it by hand in the bathtub and then hang it outside on a clothesline. I like using DrBronners soap.
There's several methods of how to hang a bear bag. What I've found that works for me is the PCT one. I have a flat out awful throw arm, I mean, I throw one way, the rope/throw bag goes in a totally different way!! With the PCT method, as long as I get the rope over a high enough branch, I'm good to go. Look on youtube and study up on how to do this method, then practice a bit before heading out. Learning how to tie the clove hitch in the dark, over your head, also helps.
I use the odor proof OP Sacs. There are 5 dogs where I live and they are experts at finding and extracting food. They have opened my brief case to get chewing gum out of a zippered inside pocket. I placed a bunch of dog treats inside of an OP Sac and left it on the floor. They paid no attention to it so these definitley elliminate some odors. The OP Sacs are also waterproof. I keep all my food in there and then I place that in a stuff sac with my toothpaste and other stuff and I hang it using the PCT method. It helps to go find your branch and hang your rope as soon as you get into camp. Then when you are finished with dinner you just have to hoist it up. I am not tall enough to get 10 feet clearence so I use the "double biner" method that has been posted on this site.
I have mixed feelings about food and bears. I think there is definitley a trend towards more black bear incidents on the AT. Or maybe now we just hear about them because of the internet. I do not want see mandatory bear canisters but I wish more people would start using Ursacks or hanging their food in one of the various bear resistant methods. Over the years I have done some really stupid stuff in the woods but a close encounter with a bear is not something I want to add to that resume.
hikingshoes
08-21-2010, 10:21
I like the Ursack too.Friend of mine who is doing his thru-hike as i type,using the Ursack,so for all is well.HS
I use the odor proof OP Sacs. There are 5 dogs where I live and they are experts at finding and extracting food. They have opened my brief case to get chewing gum out of a zippered inside pocket. I placed a bunch of dog treats inside of an OP Sac and left it on the floor. They paid no attention to it so these definitley elliminate some odors. The OP Sacs are also waterproof. I keep all my food in there and then I place that in a stuff sac with my toothpaste and other stuff and I hang it using the PCT method. It helps to go find your branch and hang your rope as soon as you get into camp. Then when you are finished with dinner you just have to hoist it up. I am not tall enough to get 10 feet clearence so I use the "double biner" method that has been posted on this site.
I have mixed feelings about food and bears. I think there is definitley a trend towards more black bear incidents on the AT. Or maybe now we just hear about them because of the internet. I do not want see mandatory bear canisters but I wish more people would start using Ursacks or hanging their food in one of the various bear resistant methods. Over the years I have done some really stupid stuff in the woods but a close encounter with a bear is not something I want to add to that resume.
Of course, why carry around a bear canister, Opsak or Ursack when a few pickle jars will do the trick?
http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/00776/wbear21_776906a__776906gm-a.jpg
Just don't ask me how to get your pickle jars back in the morning.
Oops, that first picture was in Ontario about a month ago. This one is more recent.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01696/jarhead_1696877f.jpg
The is one raggedy-arse Bear.
Those are cubs. If I remember correctly, it was believed that both bears had had those jars on their heads for about 10 days when the pictures were taken. One bear was rescued and the other bear is believed to have found a way to remove the jar by itself.
Bare Bear
08-23-2010, 11:06
I found after many years of trial and many errors what works for me: I put all my food into gallon freezer Zip Locks (much stronger and no off brands work as well), then those bags go into my sleeping bag sack (not carrying extra sack); then I hang it. If nothing else hanging the food makes for very funny and cheap entertainment.