View Full Version : Bear Cables in from Deep Gap to Fontana Dam
barf_jay
04-04-2012, 15:56
I am going to be hiking this section at the end of May and was wondering do all the shelters in North Carolina have bear cables? I am planning on taking a bear canister just in case, if most of the shelter do not have cabling.
Thanks,
Barfo
SouthMark
04-04-2012, 16:20
I think Lone Wolf should answer this one but he will tell you canisters are not needed on AT.
Lone Wolf
04-04-2012, 16:23
he will tell you canisters are not needed on AT.
not for me anyway
SouthMark
04-04-2012, 17:01
not for me anyway
Ditto...............
pyroman53
04-04-2012, 18:31
I can't recall, (cables or not) but just so you know what's going on - hanging or not hanging food is an amusing discussion here on WB. The topic gets beat around every few weeks. Hopefully someone who knows will answer you question. In the meantime, we all sit back and observe yet another bear bag discussion. Have fun on your hike!
SouthMark
04-04-2012, 19:55
Well, just so you will know and get a serious answer to your question, I believe that there are bear cables at all of the shelters in North Carolina. Enjoy your hike.
Old Boots
04-04-2012, 20:35
Just hike NC and found many of the shelters without functioning bear cables. They seemed mor concerned with mice and rats.
barf_jay
04-05-2012, 07:47
Got this from a contact @ Nantahala Hiking Club:
As a matter of fact some of the bear cables have been vandalized, and due to the cost they havenot been reconstructed. Don'tcount on them.
i seem to remember several shelters that didn't have cables. You might want to rethink the canister though- if you are concerned about it get an Ursack (or make one yourself from an exploded airbag from an aut junkyard).
Kerosene
04-05-2012, 09:38
When i went through last May we did encounter a lot of working bear cables at most shelters. However, you should still be prepared with enough rope (40-50') to do your own bearbag hang.
barf_jay
04-05-2012, 10:13
I will be hiking with a bear canister, I know I will probably get ran out when I pull this out at shelters, but I read lots of posts, reviews, etc...on the pros & cons of all options (canister, bear bag, or sleep with it), and decided on the canister.
Thanks for all the info on the bear cable situation up in North Carolina...have a good weekend!
daddytwosticks
04-05-2012, 15:34
There are no bears in NC...they all migrated to GA! Seriously...cables were a tangled, non-functioning mess at Siler's Bald shelter this January. Last summer: none at Wayah Bald shelter, tangled non-functioning mess at Cold Springs shelter, cables at Wesser Bald shelter, didn't notice at Rufus Morgan shelter, and finally, none at Sassafrass Gap shelter. :)
Seatbelt
04-05-2012, 17:04
There are no bears in NC...they all migrated to GA! Seriously...cables were a tangled, non-functioning mess at Siler's Bald shelter this January. Last summer: none at Wayah Bald shelter, tangled non-functioning mess at Cold Springs shelter, cables at Wesser Bald shelter, didn't notice at Rufus Morgan shelter, and finally, none at Sassafrass Gap shelter. :)
Alos last summer I noticed there were none functioning at Rock Creek Gap or Cable Gap either.
ChinMusic
04-05-2012, 17:26
I will be hiking with a bear canister, I know I will probably get ran out when I pull this out at shelters, but I read lots of posts, reviews, etc...on the pros & cons of all options (canister, bear bag, or sleep with it), and decided on the canister.
A buddy of mine hiking the whole AT with a Bearikade in '04. The 2# penalty (not that much if you subtract sack and rope) was worth it for him in time and energy. He didn't have to worry about anything once at camp and used the can as a chair. He had a zero percent chance of his food being messed with, by non-humans that is.
Northern Lights
04-05-2012, 22:18
A buddy of mine hiking the whole AT with a Bearikade in '04. The 2# penalty (not that much if you subtract sack and rope) was worth it for him in time and energy. He didn't have to worry about anything once at camp and used the can as a chair. He had a zero percent chance of his food being messed with, by non-humans that is.
I liked having my bear cannister for this very reason, to each his own. I'm still debating taking it on my next section hike. I also have the ursak so I will try both and decide before I leave.
Miami Joe
04-06-2012, 01:50
If you're really that worried about it then bring a length of rope and do it yourself. Check YouTube for a video tutorial.
What are the cables for, so you don't have to find the right tree?
The PCT hang is pretty easy. I did it in one throw. Having 50' of cord is no big deal, it's a fist sized
Lump. The canister is intriguing though. If I wake to rain it seems a lot easier to just puck up the can than to dick around with a hung (wet) bag o food and (wet) rope.