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AndyB
05-28-2011, 20:58
do you hang Bear Bags on the LT? I don't recall hanging any on the AT/LT part, what about in the northern section?

Deadeye
05-29-2011, 09:39
It doesn't hurt to hang. Bears are not a big problem on the LT, but that doesn't mean there aren't occasional problem bears. Seth Warner shelter had one for a few years. Good care of food by hanging helps to prevent problem bears in the first place.

NorthCountryWoods
05-29-2011, 14:40
Bears are few and far between along the trail. Most still hang, but due to other critters. Racoons, porkies and mice are pretty bad around some of the more popular shelters.

I use an empty peanut butter pretzel container from costco in a stuff sack. Keeps the food dry and the mice can't get to it.

Deadeye
05-29-2011, 15:32
I use an empty peanut butter pretzel container from costco in a stuff sack. Keeps the food dry and the mice can't get to it.

Same here... and your crackers don't get crushed.

AndyB
05-29-2011, 19:58
great idea, an east coast "bear canister" lol.

Thanks

stranger
05-30-2011, 05:54
13 Liter Sea to Summit roll down stuff sack, throw over a branch, PCT method...no worries

AndyB
05-30-2011, 16:25
I was just going to hide my food in your tent, Stranger

stranger
05-30-2011, 22:32
I'll eat all your Snickers before the Bears and Porcs come!

NorthCountryWoods
06-07-2011, 09:09
13 Liter Sea to Summit roll down stuff sack, throw over a branch, PCT method...no worries

Those crazy nocturnal flying squirrels would shred that thing in seconds.

Haven't seen any this far north, but they were north of Greylock about a decade ago and wreaked havoc on my stuff sacks.

Tinker
06-07-2011, 09:18
Those crazy nocturnal flying squirrels would shred that thing in seconds.

Haven't seen any this far north, but they were north of Greylock about a decade ago and wreaked havoc on my stuff sacks.

That's very interesting. I had no idea flying squirrels were as far north as Greylock. The only one I've ever seen was in a shelter south of Duncannon last fall. I guess food isn't safe anywhere these days. :eek::rolleyes:

Canute600
06-07-2011, 09:22
I would definitely recommend hanging a bear bag. I'd rather spend the time to hang the food every night than risk waking up to a surprise bear in the shelter. Also, the mice and chipmunks in some of the shelters are acrobats and are quite adept at getting past the "mouse trapezes", another good reason to hang your food. Tillotson camp in particular seemed to have some clever mice.

Yukon
06-07-2011, 12:15
That's very interesting. I had no idea flying squirrels were as far north as Greylock. The only one I've ever seen was in a shelter south of Duncannon last fall. I guess food isn't safe anywhere these days. :eek::rolleyes:


Oh yeah, they are up here. We have a bunch of them plaguing the roof area of our hunting camp.

AndyB
06-07-2011, 12:44
on my thru hike I read in a shelter journal about a "super mouse" that could get into your food bag despite hanging it up..after an all night stake out ,we caught him red handed, it was a flying squirrel. He'd launch from the back of the shelter right onto the food bag. It was pretty cool, I'd not seen one in the wild before or since.

StubbleJumper
06-07-2011, 18:17
I've hiked for 500 miles on the LT over the last two summers. I've seen exactly two signs of bears. There was a pile of sh%t going up Mt Horrid and another on Journey's End Road. That's it. There ain't no bears.

Seth Warner has a bear box because they had a problem bear a few years back. Other than that, never saw or heard of bear issues. I just hang my food from the mouse hangers and sleep soundly!

hikingshoes
06-07-2011, 18:29
I always hang my food bag. I use a Ursack Minor and love it. I made a video racoon vs Ursack Minor.I dont know the REG's where your hiking at, but i use this on my "AT" and River. Hope this helps.HS
http://www.youtube.com/user/hikingshoes

nufsaid
06-07-2011, 18:38
You gotta check out the regulations before hanging a bear bag out in the open. There are some regulations http://www.ehow.com/how_5664627_sell-bear-skin-rug.html

david6toe
06-07-2011, 20:21
Ive hiked the entire LT and didnt see one bear. Did encounter Moose but I dont think they like Snickers! Kept my food in Nysil bag and just hung it in the shelter. I did hang the bag in a tree if I was in my tent away from the shelter and other people.....just as a safty measure.

My favorite trail! and enjoyed the solitude of not seeing anyone for 2 entire days near the Canadian Border.

Papa D
06-07-2011, 21:31
I end to ended last year and saw tons of moose poop but no moose or bear. I still hang bags though - PCT style - just in case - usually what gets you is the regular old field mice

NorthCountryWoods
06-08-2011, 07:03
That's it. There ain't no bears.

I can tell you there are at least 2 boars and 4 sows with at least 2 cubs each around the trail between Hogback Rd and Codding Hollow in Waterville. Stumbled on a sow with cubs on Sunday evening not 100 yards from the trail. My neighbor took a big boar from the Devils gulch area during last falls bear season.

Don't think there are enough hikers in the north for the bears to associate them with food. That could change anytime tho. A lady in Cabot was feeding bears in her backyard and was injured by a mama with cubs a couple weeks back.

Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. Be smart out there.

StubbleJumper
06-08-2011, 23:10
If you hike in bear territory for very long, you can see very clearly where they are. If you hike for 500 mi and you don't see a single overturned stone, no marks on trees, no fur on trees, and only two piles of sh%t, it's pretty obvious that there ain't no bears.

Rub your belly with honey, and go to sleep soundly in your tent.

NorthCountryWoods
06-10-2011, 11:05
If you hike in bear territory for very long, you can see very clearly where they are.

Clearly you don't hike in this neck of the woods often. Would take me 20 minutes to find all the bear sign you talked about within 100 yards of the trail.

Hikers rarely see anything more than a couple feet off the trail. I've actually been parked with my bright green and yellow tractor 20 feet off the trail and surprised hikers as they walked up to me.

StubbleJumper
06-10-2011, 20:47
Clearly you don't hike in this neck of the woods often. Would take me 20 minutes to find all the bear sign you talked about within 100 yards of the trail.

Hikers rarely see anything more than a couple feet off the trail. I've actually been parked with my bright green and yellow tractor 20 feet off the trail and surprised hikers as they walked up to me.


Dream on buddy. I've hiked in a broad selection of places in ADK, VT, QC and Ontario. I see bears EVERY year. When you spend much time in the woods, the presence or absence of bears is obvious.

Do me a favour and list all the places along the LT with "problem bears." Outside of Seth Warner in 2009, there ain't any. By now, even that bear has probably been shot.

I say sleep with your food on the LT, and don't worry about it. On the other hand, don't try that in ADK.

Come to Canada and we'll go hiking where there are actually some bears....

NorthCountryWoods
06-13-2011, 11:07
I didn't say problem bears....buddy. I said just because you don't see them or any sign while walking a 3 foot wide trail, doesn't mean they aren't there.

I live here. I'm on my land every day (which the trail passes thru) and I know whats here. Had F&W tracking radio collared bears a few weeks ago. They are just better behaved than your canadian blackies.

BTW, if you're talking about eastern canadian black bears, I'm unimpressed.....I grew up in Alaska and the Yukon, where they have real bears.

double d
06-13-2011, 17:58
I didn't say problem bears....buddy. I said just because you don't see them or any sign while walking a 3 foot wide trail, doesn't mean they aren't there.

I live here. I'm on my land every day (which the trail passes thru) and I know whats here. Had F&W tracking radio collared bears a few weeks ago. They are just better behaved than your canadian blackies.

BTW, if you're talking about eastern canadian black bears, I'm unimpressed.....I grew up in Alaska and the Yukon, where they have real bears.

Good point, as I haven't seen bears or any signs of bears on the LT the last two summers, nor did I hear anyone talk about seeing them (of course...........that doesn't mean they aren't there!).

NorthCountryWoods
06-14-2011, 06:14
Good point, as I haven't seen bears or any signs of bears on the LT the last two summers, nor did I hear anyone talk about seeing them (of course...........that doesn't mean they aren't there!).

That's the problem.....nobody sees them and then someone falsely posts on a public forum- "there ain't no bears"....which isn't helpful to hikers or bears.

I'm not saying everyone needs bulletproof canisters or kevlar bags, just be smart and remember you are in black bear country. There haven't been any incidents in recent history and we'd like to keep it that way.

jlore
06-14-2011, 08:47
i like the idea of the east coast bear canister.what size pretzel container or whatever would be the best to hold 4 days of food.

Yukon
06-14-2011, 12:21
There haven't been any incidents in recent history and we'd like to keep it that way.

Excellent :)

stranger
06-15-2011, 03:26
I'm starting to find this thread somewhat amusing...just throw a damn line, end of problem, if one of those flying squirrals is around, get out your camera and enjoy the entertainment.

double d
06-15-2011, 09:51
I'm starting to find this thread somewhat amusing...just throw a damn line, end of problem, if one of those flying squirrals is around, get out your camera and enjoy the entertainment.

Why not just use your food bag as a pillow and sleep on it, Lone Wolf style? Problem solved.:sun

Spokes
06-15-2011, 09:56
I hang food out of habit. Amazing how 1 little mouse can do that to you.

stranger
06-15-2011, 19:21
Why not just use your food bag as a pillow and sleep on it, Lone Wolf style? Problem solved.:sun

I know people who've hiked the PCT twice and used this method with no problems, I don't mind throwing a line, it's fun and kinda like my crossword at the end of the day, plus food makes a crappy pillow!

I have no hesitation about eating in my tent, I don't carry a stove so I often eat in my tent when it's raining.

Del Q
06-15-2011, 19:28
From what I hear, the LT North is too steep for bears.

drumhaggart
06-30-2011, 16:45
Those crazy nocturnal flying squirrels would shred that thing in seconds.

Haven't seen any this far north, but they were north of Greylock about a decade ago and wreaked havoc on my stuff sacks.

So for my SOBO hike in August would it be worth it to invest in a critter-proof bag (Ursack), or will the pretzel container in a stuff sack do the trick?

-Steve

StubbleJumper
06-30-2011, 19:33
So for my SOBO hike in August would it be worth it to invest in a critter-proof bag (Ursack), or will the pretzel container in a stuff sack do the trick?

-Steve

Do whatever inspires you. Some guys use the pretzel container, some use stuff-sacks, and some just use grocery bags. Use the mouse hangers if you are in a shelter, but despite some of the paranoid advice in this thread, don't lose any sleep over the bears that you won't see.

drumhaggart
07-01-2011, 11:57
Do whatever inspires you. Some guys use the pretzel container, some use stuff-sacks, and some just use grocery bags. Use the mouse hangers if you are in a shelter, but despite some of the paranoid advice in this thread, don't lose any sleep over the bears that you won't see.

I'm more worried about the small critters, hence the reason for the quote:

Those crazy nocturnal flying squirrels would shred that thing in seconds.

Hopefully someone that is either local to VT (as opposed to someone in "Constant Amazement"), or someone who has recently spent some continuous time on the LT has something to add.

I find it difficult to take you seriously when you respond to the question for the sole purpose of promoting your contention that (paraphrasing) "I didn't see any bears so that means that they're not there."


So...

Has anyone else out there lost food to the squirrels or other critters (porkys, raccoons, possums, chupacabras, etc)?

-Steve

NorthCountryWoods
07-01-2011, 16:38
So...

Has anyone else out there lost food to the squirrels or other critters (porkys, raccoons, possums, chupacabras, etc)?

-Steve

Around shelters- mice (and raccoons at lower elevations) at night, red squirrels during the day.
Also had ravens attack my pack on Belvidere Mt. I left it near the tower to wander around and take pics and they were all over it. It was mid winter tho.

I use the pretzel container because the mice won't chew thru it. I can't say the same for my stuff sacks.

drumhaggart
07-08-2011, 11:01
Ok...

So for my peace of mind I ordered an Outsack (less than 4 oz) and an odor proof liner.

I'll probably hang it outside if it's convenient, or inside if I'm feeling lazy (or 'adventurous').

Thanks for the input,

-Steve

Norseamerican
10-03-2011, 19:52
when I was up there a few years ago, just into VT from Ct at the Seth Warner shelter, I was warned about the bear going after the bags in the tree, and trying to get onto the roof of the lean-too to get at the back packs. Everyone was yelling at the bear-open shelter LOL

stranger
10-10-2011, 22:05
I would pay good money to see something like that haha...Seth Warner has had problems for years, just like Walnut Mountain in NC