Mice help!!!

[redzombie]

How do you keep mice out of your pack and food when hiking the AT. Please if you haven't hiked the AT or never hiked before, don't comment. Mice will crawl up the tree and rope if food is hung. They will chew threw your pack even if a little peanut butter smeared on the inside. They will tear up bandanna and **** in your shoes! I am looking for suggestions that don't weight too much and don't cost too much. Thanks.

I don't want to add to the problem and make it worse.....but maybe I should put some peanut butter on a stick OUTSIDE the shelter, so the mice leave me the alone! But if I do that I am going to feel bad for the guy/girl hiking behind me.....

[Ricky&Jack]

You really had mice crawl down the rope when hanging from a tree?

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

I've also had my pack in my tent/hammock and never had any mice problems. So I'm not sure why you are having problems. From what I hear, most people here don't have any problems with mice on the A.T. unless they are sleeping in shelters.

If its that big a problem, get a bear canister.

[Tuxedo]

Most times I had mice problems I forgot some item in them yes. To hang out side I had a raccoon issue. shelters that have the hangs I used without issue however mice will dive bomb like Kamikaze pilots. I had zero mice issues north of Front Royal, VA btw the farther south the more active they are.

[redzombie]

i keep my food in a sea to summit waterproof stuff sack. I also use the stuff sack to hang. I don't want mice chewing threw it, and I also don't want the extra weight of a bear canister. Am I just trying to eat my cake and ice cream at the same time?

[Lone Wolf]

How do you keep mice out of your pack and food when hiking the AT. Please if you haven't hiked the AT or never hiked before, don't comment. Mice will crawl up the tree and rope if food is hung. They will chew threw your pack even if a little peanut butter smeared on the inside. They will tear up bandanna and **** in your shoes! I am looking for suggestions that don't weight too much and don't cost too much. Thanks.

do not stay in shelters and don't hang your food. that's my method

[Ricky&Jack]

You can use a frisbee or a lid from a big tin can etc.

Also, you probably don't want to say things like"if you haven't hiked the A.T. Don't comment." That's kinda rude, especially if you are asking for help. There are soo many other trails near the A.T. and not everyone has Hiked the A.T. even though they did the near trails. A mouse problem on the A.T. is the same as a mouse problem as it is in other places. Let alone the exact same as a trail near by. The Mice and trees on the A.T. are the same mouse and trees in other parts of the country.

[Wise Old Owl]

http://www.ursack.com/ursack-catalog.htm Ursack Minor

I suspect the weave on the tyvek that used in shipping too.

[HooKooDooKu]

Seems like no mater where you put your pack, mice will get to it. So the trick is to keep all food away from your pack and hang it in a food bag separately.

The other thing is open all your pack pockets so that the mice will be able to freely check around your pack and see there is no food there and leave it alone. Otherwise, they might chew thru the pack to get inside and see if they can find something.

[Wise Old Owl]

You really had mice crawl down the rope when hanging from a tree?

Yes they do that, thats the reason there are large metal plates on the ropes for ships at dock - to keep rodents off. Most attics show rodent activity in the insulation as they will move in September and out by March.I have treated large infestations of rodents locally in attics and I am not cheap. Down in Philadelphia we have treated 8 story buildings for mice.

Don't forget Porcupines are huge on climbing trees for carpenter ants.

[redzombie]

Don't comment[/U]." That's kinda rude, especially if you are asking for help. There are soo many other trails near the A.T. and not everyone has Hiked the A.T. even though they did the near trails. A mouse problem on the A.T. is the same as a mouse problem as it is in other places. Let alone the exact same as a trail near by. The Mice and trees on the A.T. are the same mouse and trees in other parts of the country.

I am not the most gracious of people, nor am I the most politically correct person. If someone is offended, sucks to be them. We all know and we all are aware of the constant trolling, members who don't have a clue commenting, and treads getting hijacked. My "don't comment if you never hiked" quote is a way to filter out those who aren't going to be much help.

I do like the Frisbee idea. Thanks. Wise Old Owl, thanks for the link. Another option to consider.

[redzombie]

Seems like no mater where you put your pack, mice will get to it. So the trick is to keep all food away from your pack and hang it in a food bag separately.

The other thing is open all your pack pockets so that the mice will be able to freely check around your pack and see there is no food there and leave it alone. Otherwise, they might chew thru the pack to get inside and see if they can find something.

Brilliant!!!!!! This seems so simple, but its something I would of never thought of. Brilliant!

[Ricky&Jack]

I do like the Frisbee idea.

Just make sure it can't be chewed easy.

Also, the bigger, the better..... using the top of a small soup can would stop mice, but not a rat or opossum etc.

[Sarcasm the elf]

do not stay in shelters and don't hang your food. that's my method

+1 The mice built those shelters back in the 1940's to serve as both their homes and as traps for unwitting hikers. My food and I have never had a problem when we were inside my tent togehter.

[redzombie]

I always hang my food. Its what I was taught, and in its simplest it just seems to be a better idea then leaving food on the ground. @ sarcasm the elf, and @ lone wolf, so when ya'll don't hang your food what do you do with it? Granted the East Cost is different then the West, because out west, Yellowstone, Alaska, Utah, Wyoming, putting food inside tent and/or not hanging food is a very bad idea.

[Lone Wolf]

@ sarcasm the elf, and @ lone wolf, so when ya'll don't hang your food what do you do with it?

it stays in my tent with me

[redzombie]

For other hikers, viewers, readers. http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/arch...p/t-40832.html

[Sarcasm the elf]

I always hang my food. Its what I was taught, and in its simplest it just seems to be a better idea then leaving food on the ground. @ sarcasm the elf, and @ lone wolf, so when ya'll don't hang your food what do you do with it? Granted the East Cost is different then the West, because out west, Yellowstone, Alaska, Utah, Wyoming, putting food inside tent and/or not hanging food is a very bad idea.

My food bag stays next to me at all times, when I sleep it's either next to me in the tent or being used as my pillow. As you mentioned, I am of course talking about hiking on the East coast and outside of any area that has acanister requirement. If I hiked out west in grizzley country I would be using either a PCT method bear bag or a canister.

[Slo-go'en]

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've never had mice problems with food hung from a tree, even with in spitting distance of a shelter - they expect the food to be in the shelter, not hanging from a tree. BTW, I've spent many 100's of nights in or around shelters.

[Wise Old Owl]

Seems like no mater where you put your pack, mice will get to it. So the trick is to keep all food away from your pack and hang it in a food bag separately.

The other thing is open all your pack pockets so that the mice will be able to freely check around your pack and see there is no food there and leave it alone. Otherwise, they might chew thru the pack to get inside and see if they can find something.

Well we can disagree there - mice have no control to their bladders and urinate everywhere... don't need a C.S.I Black light - just take my word for it - it's gross. I don't want that kind of germs in my pack. I hang it off the strap to the hammock.

[redzombie]

@wise old owl. I use a hammock as well. How do you keep mice out of your pack with your hammock strap? More details please. Do you use the tree huger straps or the ridge line? In my head, trying to think about this, it doesn't seem to get the pack high enough off the ground?, or am I not thinking about this correctly?camping treat.jpg