Who uses bear canisters???

[redefined]

Are they absolutely necessary?? Im hiking in Nc and know we have a lot of black bears. Do I really need to buy the Bear Vault for $80??

[Lone Wolf]

Are they absolutely necessary?? Im hiking in Nc and know we have a lot of black bears. Do I really need to buy the Bear Vault for $80??no. not necessary. hang your food properly if you're concerned

[10-K]

A bear canister would make a bad pillow...... :)

[hikerboy57]

if you take one with you, most likely you'll store it in your gear closet when you get back, until you decide to hike out west.Ive slept with my food, kept it in bear boxes and hung it, but never saw the need for a canister, except maybe it comes in handy as a stool.

[map man]

I really like using a bear canister when I hike in the mountains out west above tree-line. There's nowhere to hang a bear bag there. Sometimes I even use them in areas with trees because I'd rather carry the extra couple pounds for the canister rather than hassle with hanging my food.

It's not "absolutely necessary" on the AT. But if there are no bear boxes or food-hoist cables where you are and you don't want to sleep with your food, either use a bear canister or learn how to hang food right -- not down low and not close to the trunk of the tree. Sometimes finding the right tree branch takes some hunting.

[ShoelessWanderer]

Only out west. Never in the east. In NC you'll be fine by just hanging your food.

[Northern Lights]

I took my bear cannister for my Ga/NC section. I liked it not for bears, but for the mice. I don't like them messing with my food and they didn't. Is it necessary? No. It makes a great camp stool as well.

[MissMagnolia]

I have the same question, except then I read on here about the Ursack and wonder if anybody has thoughts on that? Seems like you wouldn't have to worry so much about hanging it right or even at all, and your food is protected from the rodents, too. Am I wrong?

[Sarcasm the elf]

On the A.T. and most of the east coast most of us just hang a "bear" bag at camp (those of us who don't use our food bag as a pillow anyway :rolleyes:). I'd recommend using the PCT method to hang a bag, the link below leads to good basic how-to video.

In practice the "bear" bag should really be called a mouse/rat/raccoon/squirrel/chipmunk/opossum/etc. bag. These critters are much more likely to cause an issue than a black bear ever will.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLDMuPuvE&amp;feature=related" target="_blank">
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLDMuPuvE&amp;feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLDMuPuvE&feature=related)

[MissMagnolia]

That's good info. So, I assume when you let the bag with the rock back down you pull out the rock and add your food at that point?

[Sweetspot]

I have hike the Georgia part of the A.T. I have hung my food bag. I have used a ursack and I have carried a bear canister. All that in 70 miles. MY thoughts. The first night I was so tired I had a hard time finding a tree limb and the strenght to not only throw the rock in a sack over the limb but when I finally did it I didn't have the strength to pull my food bag up. No bears got my food. The next time I went out I took a ursack, I still hung that. I felt like the ursack didn't hold much food. So I bought a bear canister thinking I would at least get a good night sleep. Not worrying about the bears eating my food. It held plenty of food fit in my pack. Worked as a stool in camp. But I tied it to the base of a tree. Because I could see a bear rolling it down the hill and I never would find it. So I bought a beacon to put on it then I thought that would attract bears.So I never used the beacon. The bear cannister is not worth the extra weight for me. As I prepare for my upcoming tru hike I be taking the regular nylon food sack and hanging it. See you on the trail.

[Serial 07]

no...$5 worth of rope will be all you need...

[Sandy of PA]

I love my Bearicade. I never was any good at throwing rocks and less so after hiking all day. No mice, raccoons, squirrels, or bears. Great for sitting around the campfire. Worth the weight for me.

[ChinMusic]

I love my Bearicade. I never was any good at throwing rocks and less so after hiking all day. No mice, raccoons, squirrels, or bears. Great for sitting around the campfire. Worth the weight for me.

Personally, I sleep with my food on the AT. If I didn't, I would consider bringing my Bearikade.
.
I don't like the hassle of hanging. Most of the people that lose food on the AT lose it by imperfectly hanging (or inattention). I don't think I would be perfect either. Even bear cables have been defeated in several areas of the AT.

[leaftye]

I've used my Bearikade bear canister a couple times, but I always use my Ursack.

[jersey joe]

Out west, there are areas where bear canisters are required. You risk getting a ticket if you don't carry one. On the AT, you don't need one at all.

[BigHodag]

I used an Ursack (http://at-trail.blogspot.com/2010/12/bear-bagging-ursack-bear-bag.html) this past summer on my section hike of New Jersey, which has the highest density of black bears per sq mile. NJ provides BearSaver bear boxes (http://at-trail.blogspot.com/2011/08/bear-container-bearsaver-bear-box.html) at all shelters and back country camps, so I only used my Ursack three times. Really liked the convenience of walking a short distance and just tieing the Ursack to a tree versus wasting time setting up a PCT bear bag.

I don't think the bears found the Ursack, which may be due to each Ursack including an Opsack odor barrier bag. (personally, I was somewhat hoping a bear would test the Ursack.). I also had no mice or racoon problems with the Ursack.

I like the softer Ursack which is easy to mold around things in one's pack. Also, as I travel by bus, I use the Ursacks tie ropes as a strap top carry my Ursack aboard and around the terminals.

The only downside is the Ursack restricts how much chow one carries as, like a canister, it has to fit inside the Ursack or OPsack.