Mice help!!!

[Wise Old Owl]

The one pack is UL under twenty pounds so I s clip it to the strap after getting the hammock up. or a short piece of cord what ever is handy - just off the tree and in a way that when I get in it doesn't slide towards me. - The benefit is that its right there at eye level when you get out of the Hennessy. With a S clip you can move it under the tarp in the rain to keep it dry - hense I never need a pack cover. I use a Kitchen garbage bag on the inside, just in case the water bladder fails or gets a hole and the down bag is inside a waterproof sil nylon bag...

[RichardD]

On my hike I had my food bag under my hammock, on the ground in my backpack (unless there were cables, in which case I used them). On one occasion a mouse made a hole in my bag and that time I was hammocked rather close to the shelter, about 15 feet behind it. I never had a problem if I was 50 feet plus from the shelter. I don't advocate leaving your backpack on the ground, however apart from that one occasion had no mouse issues that I was aware of. More recently I hu.ng my food bag on my ridgeline

[Pedaling Fool]

The only trouble I have is when I forget to remove a candy or power bar wrapper from the mesh side pocket of my pack and leave the pack leaning against the shelter wall...

I had the same thing happen to me back in '99. I left some gorp in one of those little pockets on the back of my pack, this pocket was the same material as the pack and that little mouse chewed thru my pack and got the prize, while the rest of my food was hanging off the rafters.

Seems to me that the tried and true method of keeping food away from mice is the system in the shelters, see here http://sectionhiker.com/mouse-mobiles/

These can also be used when tenting out by putting it on your foodbag line that you hang from a tree, however I've heard that things can still get at it, but it seems to keep the mice away, especially bears in Georgia.

Me personally, if I do stay in a shelter, which I don't like to do I just use one of the mice exclusion devices pictured in the above link. However, I always keep my food with me in my tent and I've never had a problem, but like has been said before, you don't want to pitch your tent too close to a shelter. I'm not saying this is 100% positive against keeping mice out, but works so far for me and if some mice finds it in him to eat thru my tent I just may find it in me to whack him over the head

[squeezebox]

I was thinking of a couple of mouse traps on small loops of string attached to the bear bag caribiner.
your opinion ??

[kayak karl]

Shelters are the dumpsters of the woods. your distance from one is in direct probability of even seeing a mouse.

[bamboo bob]

I have never had a problem with mice or anything else getting my food. If I'm in an area with a lot of actual bear sign not just a bunch of hiker talk I will hang my food using the PCT method otherwise it stays in my tent. In the occasional shelter stay I use the mouse catchers. I have never ever seen mice get any food either so I as far as I know its just a hiker story like bigfoot.

[Another Kevin]

I step in bear scat on about every other hike. I need to watch my step more. But I'm under no illusion that it isn't bear country. I know that at least once in the last couple of years, I stepped in it on the A-T. (More often, I hike the Catskills.)

I hang with PCT method, in a Sea to Summit drysack. Never had anything bother my food. Had a porcupine steal my skivvies from under my rainfly once, though!

[Wise Old Owl]

Shelters are the dumpsters of the woods. your distance from one is in direct probability of even seeing a mouse.

You never cease to amaze me - could not have wrote that better.

but keep in mind not to be counter-intuitive, and no deception here. Lets focus on the mouse, They need food shelter and moisture or water all inside a comfort zone in a rational 50 feet. You as a mammal doesn't go to Washington DC to have a dinner and come home the same night. The mouse has the same perspective at the same time. Socially the mouse needs a quick meal and a mate! insects (roaches) and grain - fields are the requirements. If you cannot protect the food you have, you delivered the McDonald of Shelters. Everything tastes better with oil and salt. So lets have a better discussion, and just for giggles understand that mice don't care about electronic devices such as ultrasonics and other noise makers.They are not EPA regulated and therefore are a big deception as hikers and people are deceived as primates that they work on the internet and guess what - Mice are nocturnal and teenagers are lovers of loud music. They do get used to it.
Ultrasonics are a failure.

[spoonfan]

I've hung my pack on the A.T. and had no problems with mice, ever.

But, you've only done one backpacking trip, right?


As for mice---they are everywhere in the GSMNP.

Campsites as well as shelters.

Best way to handle them--keep a clean campsite.

And in the Smokys, I wouldn't keep my food in my tent. Them little critters will chew through a tent to get to the food.

[tagg]

I always hang my food from the ridgeline on my hammock, and have never had a problem. A few weeks ago, however, while camped on night #1 of a two week trip (in a spot nowhere near a shelter that didn't appear to be heavily used), one of the little jerks chewed the bite valve off of my water bladder which was laying on my pack under my hammock. It looked like I stuck the end of it in a garbage disposal. Worst part was I heard a squeaking noise soon after settling in for the night and shined my light around, but didn't see anything. I figured out in the morning that what I heard was him chewing on the rubber valve. Unfortunately, I only discovered this after first shoving it in my mouth for a swallow of water when I woke up. I may as well have tongue-kissed the mouse, since his germs were now my germs.

The silver lining was that I discovered I like using gatorade bottles instead and didn't miss the bladder at all, so that's 5 ounces out of my pack on future hikes. So here's a shout out to the rodent that f'ed up my gear for lowering my base weight.

[Rolls Kanardly]

I would think that not every Frisbee would be the best idea. I looked at the ones I have at home and one has ridges on the top surface near the edge. I am thinking those little critter are pretty tenacious. If they caught a claw or two in the ridge they could hang on until the Frisbee went vertical and then could drop down on a pack. My other Frisbee had a smooth top all the way under the lip. Perhaps a Frisbee with a smooth top would be a better choice. The mice would slip off the smooth surface before the Frisbee went vertical. Rolls

[Lone Wolf]

if one has to bring a frisbee on a hike to combat mice maybe one has no bidness walkin' in the woods

[Starchild]

Never had the problem including my thru hike of the AT. Looking at your post my good fortune is perhaps due to not having many carbohydrates in my pack (they don't work with me), and I try to bring very much animal protein, which is not a normal mouse food source.

[12trysomething]

For consideration. http://www.simpleoutdoorstore.com/outsakul_paypal.html

[Rolls Kanardly]

if one has to bring a frisbee on a hike to combat mice maybe one has no bidness walkin' in the woods

Some know how to hang it, and some know how to throw it.
Rolls

[MuddyWaters]

sleep in a tent, with your stuff. The # of mice-capades will go way down.

[Deadeye]

When I'm not using a bear canister, I keep my food in a plastic pretzel jug. Mouse proof, bug proof, water proof and no crumbled pop-tarts. Weighs 4-6 ounces

[2015 Lady Thru-Hiker]

I like that idea Deadeye!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Alligator]

The discussion of bear closures in GSMNP was split to here.

[12trysomething]

Here is my latest attempt to solve the problem.

http://youtu.be/F20CJbwsH3Y