I use aquamira about half of the time and use an ursack (rarely treat springs if ever)
I use aquamira about half of the time and use an ursack (rarely treat springs if ever)
Very naughty!
I don't always hang my bag....
But when I do it's well-hung.
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I slept with my food and only treated water a couple of times.
Always filter water unless very confident regarding the source. Never hang food unless cables or pole are available. Food stays in the tent or hammock with me.
I always hung my food on my 2010 thru. It was a massive pain in the ass, and one of the things I hated about hiking. Probably won't do it this time unless there are boxes or cables.
I will occasionally filter my water, rarely treat. I sleep with my food. It goes in an "OP" sack, then a dry sack, then in my pack. "Knock wood" no trouble with any creatures. I might use a Bear box if it was not full of trash.
Since moving to Virginia I get to see a lot of thru hikers, and like 99% of the thru hikers have stopped hanging there food, while most are still filtering/treating water.
Each time I feel an abdominal rumbling, I like to create a new mini hill right in the middle of the trail. As a courtesy to others, I attach a warning flag of used TP to the peak, so that they can step over it if they choose to. That should work just as well as digging a cathole way off the trail, right? I find this really environmentally friendly, as it provides a nice accessible food source for the local flies.
Not really, though.
I always treat my water. Sawyer Squeeze or Aqua Mira.
My food bag gets hung in certain areas, other that the dead of winter, on a pole, cable or in a bear box if available. Otherwise I only hang my food in a tree if I am in an area that looks well used and if I have seen signs of bears. Those saying a proper hang is not possible, in my opinion haven't practiced enough. I prefer the PCT method but also use the method using two trees if needed. Otherwise I stick my food bag into my trash compactor bag in my backpack. The backpack gets my rain cover on it, I flip it upside down, put my sit pad on top and my shoes on top of that and store it in the vestibule. I've never had anything bother my food.
I used to hang my food but have dropped the habit, and sometimes treat my water - depending on the source.
I'm in favor of treating water from streams and lakes but not from springs with good flow. If I think I'm in bear country I always hang my food; when I don't think I'm in bear country I don't. I use an Ursak Minor either way so that varmints can't chew their way into my goodies. I don't have it in my shelter so that varmints don't chew through the shelter to get at what smells good to them. If I'm sharing real estate with bears but not where there are trees to hang from, I use a canister or a lined regular Ursak.
I base these habits from personal experiences of having holes in shelters and packs made by varmints, by seeing people lose food to bears when not properly stored/hung, and by reading accounts of others' experiences. Bears that get food learn a lesson that often leads eventually to their death. I like Bears too much to let that happen through my actions. YMMV.
I hang religiously. Nothing's ever gotten my stuff or chewed its way into my tent. Maybe because it's all tasteless vegan food. I drink untreated water, but only recreationally
Here's a thought on treating water from an AT section hiker (900+ miles down!) who also spent 28+ years in the Army. You may unnecessarily treat water many times, but the one time you don't and come down with a nasty GI problem, you'll regret it. It can lay you low for many days and you'll be ejecting from both ends. If you're already sick or weakened, it could kill you. Of course you don't need to treat potable water from a hose, bottle, or faucet. The only water I've not treated was from either a piped spring a spring head with a high flow rate where I could take the water before it hit the ground. Once in Maine we took water from a bubbling spring, but maybe that wasn't wise. Never from an open stream or creek or anywhere an animal could have defecated, either there or upstream. All these folks saying they never treat water are doing you no good service by giving that advice. It doesn't take too long to treat water and there are countless good, not-too-expensive methods to treat.
i don't ever treat/filter and have never advised folks not to. nobody else in this thread has eitherQuote:
Originally Posted by Wet Foot