View Full Version : Bear Canister Advised, or Needed Springer to Unicoi Labor Day Weekend?
Which is it? What is best?
Thanks
Hill Ape
08-21-2013, 09:58
Hang your food bag.
Tent camping? During this time of year when the canister regulations are not in place, sleep with your food next to you in your tent after first placing it and other odor omitting items in an odor resistant food bag such as an OPSak. (Your hair and clothing will omit more food odors than your food bag.) Cook away from your site. Bears visit campsites in this section of the AT with or without odor emissions. Run the bears off. Place a few rocks next to your tent door for use as projectiles. Go to sleep. And, please don’t leave behind any odor omitting items that encourage a bear to return after you have gone. Enjoy your hike in Georgia.
Turk6177
08-21-2013, 23:22
I hiked the GA section the end of last September and only smelled a bear on a couple of occasions while walking during the day. I hung my food every night and never heard any bears. Learn the PCT method of hanging your food. Don't forget to put your trash in your food bag for the night as well. I should note I really didn't stay at any of the shelters, so your experience there may be different. Have a great hike.
Hill Ape
08-21-2013, 23:45
And keep in mind, bears don't have an alarm clock telling them all to hibernate at X hour and date. And their territory extends beyond the warning areas that have seasonal canister regulation. My personal opinion, the nuisance area has a lot to do with neels gap. New hikers, first 3-5 days into a hike stock up on great smelling m&m and such, then are not as vigilant as they should be. Until they have a bear encounter. Then who is to blame? The bear or the humans? It's the bear that is killed in those cases
Thanks to all for the advice!