Hanging Food?

[msbeattie1]

Planning an over nighter on the AT in GSMNP in May. Do I really need to hang my food? Just taking light snack stuff, I'll have in ziploc bags. :confused:

[Plodderman]

Many do not but I always do both to keep my food safe and to not be the reason the bear comes in the shelter.

[Toolumpy]

Yes if you want to keep it.

[aaronthebugbuffet]

Smokies have cables set up so it's real easy to do.

[atj_Hiker]

One time in Sep 2010 I put all the food and trash in 2 backpacks and hung them. Had my boys with me. I emptied one for a pillow. We had bears in the shelter that night and I found out after the fact that I had a candy bar wrapper in my pack. It just increases the risks when you have food in the shelter. It doesn't take much of a scent to bring the bears in. I have kept the pack in the shelterr when there's a lot of hikers and raining and never had a problem that I know of. After hiking hard all day, you tend to sleep through things and not know what really happened as the two hikers did in the shelter when we had 3 or 4 bears visit.

[moldy]

The bears can smell it inside the plastic bags from a half mile away. Their sense of smell is a thousand times better than ours.

[waasj]

Better safe than sorry. Use the cables, it only takes a minute. Bears are very active in the Smokies because they have learned to find food near people, not just hikers. I think the main reason is they watched Yogi Bear for all those years, stealing Picanic Baskets in Jellystone.

[Summit]

Why are you double posting in multiple thread topics. You'll get plenty of answers you don't want to hear in just one! :) Hang your stinking (literally, as far as a bear is concerned) food. It doesn't take that much time and energy, given that you're going to walk a few miles. Why put a lazy face on at this critical juncture?

[Ladyofthewoods]

So all the signs and information tell you to hang your food so as to not attract the bears, BUT you still have to post this question? I don't understand people. (I'm shaking my head in disgust.) To me this is no different than a parent letting their 2 year old ride in the car without being in the car seat. Because the wreck is Not going to happen to them and their child is Not going to go through the windshield. Of course, until it happens.

[brian039]

The Smokies are one of the few places along the AT that I would always hang my food, plus having the cables at the shelters and all the campsites makes it super-easy.

[rocketsocks]

While hanging food is for the purpose of protecting your food,it has another purpose as well.Protecting yours and others food in the future by eliminating or curtailing this habit of bears which is a learned trait.Plus hanging food can be fun,try implementing a new learned knot,the more you do it the better you get.Try to look at it asnot a chore.It's really no big deal.If you don't do it,could become a very big deal.IMO

[daddytwosticks]

If you keep your food IN the shelter, you put fellow hikers who stay in the shelter in harms way if a bear decides to check out your gorp. Just not considerate. You hang your food to protect it and YOU (and others) from a curious bear.

[Miami Joe]

You'll be fine. Use your food bag as a pillow at night. Smear peanut butter on your tent. Stuff filets in your boots. No worries!

[jasco]

Anytime there is ANY chance of bear activity (thankfully i don't have this issue when hiking in Indiana), you should always hang anything with a scent. Also, keep in mind that food is not the only thing that has a scent, your tooth paste has a scent, your trash has a scent...even you lip balm has a scent! When ever I hike in a bear populated area, I always try to keep everything with a scent grouped together so that I can easily throw it all in a bag and hang it at night. There is absolutely no reason to risk it, hanging your food and other smelly stuff is not time consuming and very easy.

Also, bears don't care if you are staying there for one night or one month...they would still love to eat your food. And a snack to you is a potential meal for them.

[B-Rabbit]

You'll be fine. Use your food bag as a pillow at night. Smear peanut butter on your tent. Stuff filets in your boots. No worries!

I agree with this approach. I always seal my seams with 100% pure peanut butter before any hike.

[Tinker]

Did anyone say hang your cookset (and stove, probably), too?

They hold scents which bears are attracted to.

Honestly, though, I've done overnights when I didn't hang my food because I used a Heineken can pot and Esbit. Once dinner was done, the only thing bears (or, more likely, raccoons) could steal was a free pot, beat up stuffsack, empty freeze-dried pouch, instant oatmeal and coffee.

Believe me, though, when I use my canister stove and ti pots, I hang everything (even then, I'm hoping that the bear or raccoon will tear the bag open on the spot, rather than take it off into the woods - then, it would be gone).

[jacquelineanngrant]

Always hang your food, cookware, and trash. Always!

[Lone Wolf]

Always hang your food, cookware, and trash. Always!hmmm. i never have and never will

[Tinker]

hmmm. i never have and never will

We know. :rolleyes: :)

[rocketsocks]

hmmm. i never have and never willWell I never used to ,but do now.Cause,I was lookin' in a mirror and practising' some baar grin'in and i don't think it would work?:D

[lunchbx]

Here's a little known tip:: spread all of your food on the shelter floor starting with gorp and other dry goods. then smear peanut butter on yourself as a base-layer and roll around the floor like a moron. this will keep you warm all night and no bear would dare steal food off you body. now you know, and knowing is half the battle ;)

[MJW155]

hmmm. i never have and never will

Yea but you are a wolf. The rest of us are mere mortals, we have no choice.

[MJW155]

I would do it. I know it's a pain in the ass, but if you don't and a bear comes into camp at 3 AM, you don't want to deal with it. 5 minutes of work is worth a night of solitude.

Besides, if you don't do it, every single sound you hear at night will make you think it's a bear.

[Mountain Mike]

I had a friend a day ahead of me that was abruptly woken up one night when he heard tearing of fabric. Ny the time he woke up enough a bear had is snout nose to nose with him. His scream managed to scare it away. I value my gear & myself to much to risk this. Bears are creatures of habbit. Once they learn a food source they will return. I still kinda like them & would hate to see them getting killed because af a few dumb hikers. Hang your food properly so it doesn't become such a problem as it has out west were you now have to carry bear canisters in some areas.

[moytoy]

Old Indian proverb.."Never Invite a Bear to Dinner" :eek:

[Rasty]

In bear areas I use a stuff bag to hang everything with a scent. I dont worry about the stove and fuel but keep them with my food. I've had my pack taken because I left my cigarettes in the pack. I always wonder if my tent, pack, bag, etc have residual scent on them from my food. I guess I could also sleep hanging up on the bear cables but would be uncomfortable.

[P-Train]

If you keep your food IN the shelter, you put fellow hikers who stay in the shelter in harms way if a bear decides to check out your gorp. Just not considerate. You hang your food to protect it and YOU (and others) from a curious bear.

EXACTLY. And what rocketsocks said too.

[Snow>TP]

hmmm. i never have and never will


Another stubborn person that insures the deaths of bears every year. When a bear gets cheetos why would he go back to berries? If it doesnt happen to you then it will to someone reading this.

Protect the bears, Store your food properly.

[Lone Wolf]

Another stubborn person that insures the deaths of bears every year. sorry you're wrong. no bear has EVER tried to get my food in my tent

[Lone Wolf]

matter of fact it's people who hang food improperly that gets 'em killed or relocatated. i been hikin' the AT long before you were born TP. i know what i'm doin'

[Pedaling Fool]

Another stubborn person that insures the deaths of bears every year. When a bear gets cheetos why would he go back to berries? If it doesnt happen to you then it will to someone reading this.

Protect the bears, Store your food properly.If you look at all the reports, the problem is food being snatched from trees, not from us that keep food in our tents.

[hikerboy57]

Another stubborn person that insures the deaths of bears every year. When a bear gets cheetos why would he go back to berries? If it doesnt happen to you then it will to someone reading this.

Protect the bears, Store your food properly.wordsd of wisdom and experience im sure. i sleep with my food unless hteres a bear box nearby, never had an incident. if a bear comes into camp, just toss a few chipmunks or shelter mice at em. this way they dont develop a taste for cheetos , which by the way, if youve ever actually carried cheetos in a pack, can get pretty orange bag of powder ugly.

[daddytwosticks]

Cheetos...cheese that goes crunch! :)

[hikerboy57]

ever seen a bear with orange paws?

[RetroGear]

Reasons to hang your food and other smelly (to a bear, not to you) items:
> It protects the bears and reduces the chances that a bear will become a problem bear. Problem bears may get relocated or may get shot. Do you want to contribute to that?
> Yogi is lazy and would rather steal your Cheetos than hunt for his own berries. By not encouraging Yogi, you are also helping to protect other hikers ... the ones at your shelter or campsite right now, and the ones who will arrive in the future.
> It reduces the chances that bears (or raccoons or squirrels or mice or ...) will deprive you of dinner or breakfast because a bear (or raccoon or ...) got to your food before you did.
> It reduces the chances of your stuff (like your tent) being damaged because Yogi, Mickey, and their friends aren't picky about how they access your food. They usually find it more convenient to rip open or chew into your tent/pack/food bag than to neatly unzip it.
> It reduces the chances of you being injured because a bear ripped into your tent and in the process put out one of your eyes. Yes, that has happened. Do you want to assume that risk?
> In some places you are required to hang or otherwise secure your food (e.g., by using a BearVault). If you're in a national park, the park rangers are authorized to issue citations to those who violate the rules. Those citations require you to appear before a U.S. magistrate in federal court. That ain't no traffic ticket.

Reasons to not hang your food and other smelly items:
> You're in an area where there aren't any trees, bear poles, etc. But you could still use a BearVault, Ursack, or similar.
> You're in an area where there aren't any bears, and you don't mind feeding the raccoons and other little critters.
> You're in an area where there are bears, but you don't give a damn about the bears or about other hikers/campers.
> You're special. The rules don't apply to you.

[jesse]

It's not just bears. I sleep under a tarp, and don't want to invite little critters in. I accidently left a snickers bar in the mesh pocket of my pack. Now I have a hole in that pocket.

[Jeffrey Scott Wise]

So all the signs and information tell you to hang your food so as to not attract the bears, BUT you still have to post this question? I don't understand people. (I'm shaking my head in disgust.) To me this is no different than a parent letting their 2 year old ride in the car without being in the car seat. Because the wreck is Not going to happen to them and their child is Not going to go through the windshield. Of course, until it happens.

A little hash for a simple question dontcha think? A simple yes or no would have done.

Judging by the 500 lb Elk I saw on the trails in GSNP I'd always hang my food.

[Blissful]

If you look at all the reports, the problem is food being snatched from trees, not from us that keep food in our tents.

Except if you were at Bearfence hut in SNP last summer and the bear ripped up the tent...and they had to close the hut for a week to trap the bear...

Or you were Chaco who had his tent ripped in NC...

[aakers]

I think you should do it! Think not only of yourself but also of the other hikers around you! Better safe than sorry! :)

[WingedMonkey]

Planning an over nighter on the AT in GSMNP in May. Do I really need to hang my food? Just taking light snack stuff, I'll have in ziploc bags. :confused:

Since your question only ask about GSMNP, I will say yes you must hang your food, It's the law. If you asked about the trail in general, I might have a different answer.


Feeding bears and improper food storage can result in fines of up to $5,000 and jail sentences lasting up to six months
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/black-bears.htm

[Lone Wolf]

Except if you were at Bearfence hut in SNP last summer and the bear ripped up the tent...and they had to close the hut for a week to trap the bear...

Or you were Chaco who had his tent ripped in NC...no humans were in the tent. the bears knew that. and chaco was in the middle of a dump. mr. bear was high on garbage

[Papa D]

Hanging is a little chore that I actually enjoy - it's so very easy - I confess that I don't always hang, but I'd say that I do about 90% of the time - not sure why the big long debate on this - it protects you, it protects bears - do it and do it correctly - it's 5 effing minutes - no big deal.

[Sierra Echo]

Last July I was camping with Rain Man and a few others down at Burrels Ford on the Foothills Trail. We had a bear wander into camp around 4 in the morning. I lay in the tent listening to it sniffing and snorting and I was trying to think what scented items I had in my tent, and the only thing that came into mind was my chapstick. I'm really glad that bear didnt have chapped lips and after a few minutes it walked off taking a path that went right under Rain Man who was hammocking! I'm thinking the lipstick, soap, etc is a big of an overkill when it comes to hanging.

[JerseyHighlander]

I'm wondering about the details of the encounters where "I lay in the tent listening to it sniffing and snorting" & "We had bears in the shelter that night". As in, what did you do? what did they do?

I've had dozens of run ins with bears during hikes and plenty in my own back yard. I even have a video I took of me chasing one out of my yard. Never had one come into my camp when I was sleeping though. Really don't want to either. After dozens of encounters I was getting pretty comfortable, till one decided he wanted to get aggressive. You'll never forget it, I promise.

[daddytwosticks]

Bears in the shelters are probably due to some slob who dumped his noodles all over the sleeping platform while cooking OR from some yahoo who left a Snickers Bar in her pocket. This is the price you pay for "communal living." Sleep in a tent away from the shelters and hang your food if you want to skip the drama and get a good night sleep. :)

[Pedaling Fool]

I always find these bear stories interesting. It reminds me of why one should be very careful of anecdotal information; I'm not saying there's no place for anecdotal information, because then there would be practically no converstation or exchange of information. I think the worst part of all these stories may lie more in the repeating of them and how things get all screwy in that process. In other words, even very good anecdotal information seems destine to become absolute garbage.

[MaybeTomorrow]

If I use Opsack odor proof bags from Ursack should I also hang the bag? Or just hang it? Thanks

[RetroGear]

If I use Opsack odor proof bags from Ursack should I also hang the bag? Or just hang it? Thanks

My personal opinion is that you should at least hang your bag, and having it in an OPSak as well can't hurt (although the long-term durability of OPSaks is iffy). But it really depends on where you are. Anecdotal evidence suggests that OPSaks do work, so if the threat comes from little guys (raccoons, squirrels, etc.) you may be OK, but if the threat comes from large omnivores such as bears, then I would definitely hang my food. If you're in an area where you are required to hang, but you opt to use an OPSak instead of (rather than in addition to) hanging your food, I don't think Ranger Rick will be favorably impressed.

[lemon b]

Alway to tired to hnag.

[bamboo bob]

I hang food and certainly in places like GSNP but truly if I have seen no bear sign I don't bother. I did on the TRT last year. On the PCT sometimes. The Long Trail never. The Florida Trail never. The AT just in those rare spots. Unless you call putting food on a mouse hanger to be hanging. The majority of thru-hikers just hang the bag on a mouse hanger in a shelter even if they are tented near a shelter. Never have had any bear issues. I got to think there is more to the story as to why some people have bear problems and others don't. I doubt it is random.

[bamboo bob]

Some times the hanging is more for squirrels and mice and other smaller critters.