Tuna Can Mobiles (keeping mice from your food)

[HooKooDooKu]

What is the "correct" way to hang your pack/food bag to keep the mice out of it?

I've seen web pages showing pictures of "tuna can mobiles" and had my brother try to describe using the bottom of a 2 liter soda bottle with string through it to protect your pack. I tried building one of these and used it this weekend in GSMNP (camp site #37, listed as a mouse problem camp site in this thread: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?97118-shelter-conditions-as-of-7-20-2013 ).

But interestingly enough, even though I tried something like the "tuna can" trick to keep mice from my food, I found a hole in the bottom of my food bag the day after staying at camp site #37. It might be a simple coincidence because I didn't find any damaged food packets inside the food stuff sack, just a hole in the stuff sack that MIGHT have been simple wear and tear that had gone unnoticed.

So I wondered what was the "correct" way to build one of these mouse traps? It is simply anything on the string to keep the mouse from getting around it? Does the string need to be a specific minimum length from the hooks to the can/soda bottle or can/soda bottle to pack clips?

[FarmerChef]

What is the "correct" way to hang your pack/food bag to keep the mice out of it?

I've seen web pages showing pictures of "tuna can mobiles" and had my brother try to describe using the bottom of a 2 liter soda bottle with string through it to protect your pack. I tried building one of these and used it this weekend in GSMNP (camp site #37, listed as a mouse problem camp site in this thread: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?97118-shelter-conditions-as-of-7-20-2013 ).

But interestingly enough, even though I tried something like the "tuna can" trick to keep mice from my food, I found a hole in the bottom of my food bag the day after staying at camp site #37. It might be a simple coincidence because I didn't find any damaged food packets inside the food stuff sack, just a hole in the stuff sack that MIGHT have been simple wear and tear that had gone unnoticed.

So I wondered what was the "correct" way to build one of these mouse traps? It is simply anything on the string to keep the mouse from getting around it? Does the string need to be a specific minimum length from the hooks to the can/soda bottle or can/soda bottle to pack clips?

I'm not convinced that these actually work. Unless the mice have a fear of heights (doubtful) they could just drop from the tuna can onto the food bag/pack, right? Sorry, not trying to be contrary but something about the tuna can trick doesn't seem to add up to me. I'd be thrilled to be wrong.

[Hill Ape]

dont hang your gear in the shelter. yes everyone, its been the tradition for years, we know. all shelters are owned by the mice, you will not keep them out, they will keep you awake. hang your food and gear away from where everyone else always hangs. yes everyone, using your food bag as a pillow is done too. mice don't travel far and wide. the population right around the shelter is always much higher than even a couple hundred yards away.

building a mouse proof hanger is just something to do during the evening boredom.

[BirdBrain]

I hang a bear bag (mouse bag, racoons bag, squirrel bag). It seems few do. I don't mind being different and it is easy once you have done it a few times. No... you don't have to. But I do.

[Pedaling Fool]

The "tuna can" method seems to work the best, but you need to make sure the mouse can't jump onto your stuff from an adjacent beam, pack, tree...

Here are some more pics of them http://sectionhiker.com/sleeping-in-an-appalachan-trail-shelter/


Evidence that they work is from the multitude of hikers that hang their food in the shelter and nothing gets at it in the vast majority of cases.

P.S. It doesn't matter if you use a can or a plastic soda bottle or the lid of a peanut butter jar, or ...

[HooKooDooKu]

Keep in mind, my need isn't for shelters. My most common hiking location is GSMNP, where every camp site (and shelter) has bear cables. But it's been reported that mice are still getting to packs hung at the bear cables. Basically, the mice get to the packs by simply climbing the cables.

I'm hoping the idea of "fear of heights" does work around these bear cables, as the mouse would be risking a jump around the tuna can from at least 12 to 14 feet off the ground.

[Razor]

Always use bear cables when there. That being said mice and squirrels do jump on bear bags on the cables. Mouse traps do not work with your bear hang because anyone can snap another bag on the hooks and you do not have a perpendicular hang. Your only protection is to sinch up your bag and have your food double bagged inside.

[Pedaling Fool]

Keep in mind, my need isn't for shelters. My most common hiking location is GSMNP, where every camp site (and shelter) has bear cables. But it's been reported that mice are still getting to packs hung at the bear cables. Basically, the mice get to the packs by simply climbing the cables.

I'm hoping the idea of "fear of heights" does work around these bear cables, as the mouse would be risking a jump around the tuna can from at least 12 to 14 feet off the ground.I don't like shelters either, I tent and keep my food with me in my tent, even in the smokies, because I always volunteer to make room in the shelter.

My point about the shelters is that everyone hangs food in them off those mice-proof contraptions and they work, because if they didn't you'd always be hearing people in the morning bitch about gettting their food stolen, that doesn't happen. Matter of fact, your link in the OP gives more cases of mice getting into food bags on those cables than I've ever heard of people getting food stolen in shelter (assuming they used the mouse devices).

So all you gotta do is figure out the best way to make them work on those bear cables; I have no idea about that since I just keep my food in my tent.


P.S. No, I've never had my food stolen from my tent. Although I did once have my shoe strings eaten up when I stored my boots in the vestibule, luckily I had spare cord I could use.

[HooKooDooKu]

My point about the shelters is that everyone hangs food in them off those mice-proof contraptions and they work, because if they didn't you'd always be hearing people in the morning bitch about gettting their food stolen, that doesn't happen.
I haven't stayed at many GSMNP shelters. But the few I've been to and stayed at, I've never seen anyone use a mice-proof contraption. That's part of why I'm asking this question, to see if I'm doing it right. Then again, I've always only hung my food bag on the bear cables and simply hung my pack from a tree. Never had any issue until a recent hike were I awoke to find a nest of some sort on top of my pack under the rain cover.

And that is sort of where the trouble lies... everyone seems to have their own thing that SEEMS to work... at least until it doesn't. So I'm trying to figure out what is the best thing to do that will minimize my risk of getting my pack raided.

Case in point, I've never lost anything hanging from the bear cables. But I only recently read that some of the bears have learned that they can sometimes shake the cables and get something to fall because the bear cables have open-ended hooks. So the lesson I've learned the easy way to better insure I don't lose my food to bears is to take along a carabiner and hook my food bag to the cable loop not the cable hook.

I've also learned that people occasionally lose stuff to mice on the bear cables, so I'm trying to do what I reasonably can to minimize the possibility of loss from the mice now.

[Drybones]

When are you folks going to give up.....you'll never be as smart as a mouse. I made me a fancy bag hanging rig that was sure to be mouseproof, hung it high, woke the first morning on the trail and the bag was on the ground with a hole eaten through it, they didn't eat much, just a little of everything, like one of those Cracker Barrel sampler platters, slept with the food thereafter.

[Wise Old Owl]

Hang a 5 gallon pail from the hook covered in pack material on the outside.... put a PB sandwich in the pail.... enjoy the screams for "Help me" - problem solved.... then invite an owl for dinner.

[daddytwosticks]

Use an Ursak Minor and a carabiener to attach to eye hole of hook on bear cables. :)

[Pedaling Fool]

I haven't stayed at many GSMNP shelters. But the few I've been to and stayed at, I've never seen anyone use a mice-proof contraption. That's part of why I'm asking this question, to see if I'm doing it right. Then again, I've always only hung my food bag on the bear cables and simply hung my pack from a tree. Never had any issue until a recent hike were I awoke to find a nest of some sort on top of my pack under the rain cover.
I was speaking about shelters in general, GSMNP is not unique WRT mice issues and most shelters along the trail don't have bear cables and many trees along the AT are not conducive to bear bagging, so hanging in the shelters seem to work pretty good.




And that is sort of where the trouble lies... everyone seems to have their own thing that SEEMS to work... at least until it doesn't. So I'm trying to figure out what is the best thing to do that will minimize my risk of getting my pack raided.My thing is keeping my food with me in my tent.


Case in point, I've never lost anything hanging from the bear cables. But I only recently read that some of the bears have learned that they can sometimes shake the cables and get something to fall because the bear cables have open-ended hooks. So the lesson I've learned the easy way to better insure I don't lose my food to bears is to take along a carabiner and hook my food bag to the cable loop not the cable hook.

I've also learned that people occasionally lose stuff to mice on the bear cables, so I'm trying to do what I reasonably can to minimize the possibility of loss from the mice now.From the various posts/threads I've seen it does seem like the mice are adapting to bear cables and possibly the bears.

[no-name]

Hang a 5 gallon pail from the hook covered in pack material on the outside.... put a PB sandwich in the pail.... enjoy the screams for "Help me" - problem solved.... then invite an owl for dinner.
Ha Ha ... Now this sounds like fun!!

[wnderer]

I use the lid from one those big plastic Folgers coffee cans. Its a little more substantial than a regular coffee can lid. I feed the bear bagging string through a hole in the center of the lid so it hangs over the bag like one of those things that keep squirrels out of bird feeders. I use this setup when I bear bag and I usually bear bag. The lid also doubles as a plate. I put the cooking pot on it when I eat out of the pot. I do let the pot and food cool down a little before I start eating so I don't melt the lid.

[Sandy of PA]

My bear can solves all the critter problems and makes a great nightstand in the shelter.

[Blissful]

The correct way is to hang a bear bag and not rely on mouse hangars. I did the PCT method in GA, no issue.

[Blissful]

I don't like shelters either, I tent and keep my food with me in my tent, even in the smokies, .

This is really ill advice. Fine if you want to do it, but to advise novices is foolish. Tell that to the bear that ripped up the tent in Shenandoah a few years back and another that ripped up one in Loft Mt this year. Bears that get used to food that is not hung correctly and smells - makes for a bear that later will likely have to be destroyed.

Besides, I'd like to use my tent out west where the bears are much more particular and vicious. A food smelling tent ruins that option. And I value my gear.

[Blissful]

My bear can solves all the critter problems and makes a great nightstand in the shelter.


There you have it! :)

[Wise Old Owl]

Always a nice night when Blissful chimes in.... Glad you are here.

[No Directions]

Maybe I am naive but there is a regulation in GSMNP that you hang all odorous items from provided bear cables. Wouldn't that be the easiest way to solve this issue?

[Wise Old Owl]

honest no... nothing on popcorn and tasteless dough keeps mice happy. Think pizza and infestation as a word association.... Jump on the couch lets talk... :eek:

[Pedaling Fool]

This is really ill advice. Fine if you want to do it, but to advise novices is foolish. Tell that to the bear that ripped up the tent in Shenandoah a few years back and another that ripped up one in Loft Mt this year. Bears that get used to food that is not hung correctly and smells - makes for a bear that later will likely have to be destroyed.

Besides, I'd like to use my tent out west where the bears are much more particular and vicious. A food smelling tent ruins that option. And I value my gear.Yes, you're correct Blissful. I'll try and mind my comments in front of the children for now on;)

[HooKooDooKu]

Maybe I am naive but there is a regulation in GSMNP that you hang all odorous items from provided bear cables. Wouldn't that be the easiest way to solve this issue?
You are correct.

But for those that don't know, in areas of GSMNP, mice have learned to simply climb the diagonal cable you clip to the tree to get to your food bags hanging from the bear cables.

My question is "What is the correct way to build a "mouse trap" so that I can protect my food from the mice while it hangs from the bear cables?".

I'm asking this question because I recently stayed at GSMNP campsite #37 (a place I had read online was notorious for mice getting to food on the bear cables). I had built a "mouse trap" that I used at campsite #37, but I'm not sure that it worked. Initially, it appeared to have worked. But the following night, I noticed my food bag had a hole in it, and once home find some tears in the ziploc bags that had been inside the food bag.

Now it's totally possible that my food bag simply got a hole from wear/age (I've used it for about 10 years). So I'm not sure. So I might not have properly build by mouse trap. So I'm asking for help in what is the correct way to build a "mouse trap" that I can hang between my food and the bear cable.

So far, no one has really answered that question. Instead I'd summarize the answers I've gotten so far like this:
1) "Mouse Traps don't Work"
2) Impractical (if not humorous) suggestions
3) "Ursak Minor sack" - expensive (~$50) compared to building a "mouse trap" from spare parts (but at least a valid alternative)
4) Keep it in your tent - Against GSMNP rules, and a foolish suggestion according to many.
5) "Bear Can" - heavy, and again expensive compare to building a "mouse trap" (but again, at least a valid alternative)

We're now beyond 20 replies, and with exception of the statement "use a can or a plastic soda bottle or the lid of a peanut butter jar", no one has directly answered the original question (details on building the proper "mouse trap"). I guess specifically I'm looking to see if it matters what the length of the string on either side of the "mouse trap" makes, and if the "can" (bottle or what ever) should point up or down (or should you use something with no sides at all).

[Bronk]

The tuna cans don't work. This idea was invented by someone too lazy to pack out their trash. Its a way of littering in plain sight and getting away with it.

[Pedaling Fool]

I use the lid from one those big plastic Folgers coffee cans. Its a little more substantial than a regular coffee can lid. I feed the bear bagging string through a hole in the center of the lid so it hangs over the bag like one of those things that keep squirrels out of bird feeders. I use this setup when I bear bag and I usually bear bag. The lid also doubles as a plate. I put the cooking pot on it when I eat out of the pot. I do let the pot and food cool down a little before I start eating so I don't melt the lid.


My question is "What is the correct way to build a "mouse trap" so that I can protect my food from the mice while it hangs from the bear cables?".

We're now beyond 20 replies, and with exception of the statement "use a can or a plastic soda bottle or the lid of a peanut butter jar", no one has directly answered the original question (details on building the proper "mouse trap"). I guess specifically I'm looking to see if it matters what the length of the string on either side of the "mouse trap" makes, and if the "can" (bottle or what ever) should point up or down (or should you use something with no sides at all).

I think the above is pretty good. The string should probably be about 18" long. All it needs to be is a lid (no sides needed -- at least for mice) positioned ~1/2-way down the string. This will work on mice, but I doubt it for other animals, especially flying squirrels and probably not racoons. If you do use a can or bottle it should be upside down. Look at my link in my first post and you see they are pretty self explanatory.