Protecting food from rodents

[zeppo]

I bought a ratsack cache food bag, https://jet.com/product/detail/fdc53...FZIWHwodVPMPqQ, but now I'm not sure if I want to deal with the weight, 8 oz.). On the other hand, I hate the idea of losing food to rodents. What's the consensus?

[Tipi Walter]

You won't lose a lot of food to rodents or mammals unless a raccoon invades your food bag and drags it out of camp. Mice may eat holes thru some bags and ziplocs and get a few peanuts but so what? The worst part with mice for me is their constant all-night scampering thru my gear and over my body and face. After decades of abuse you can carry a mousetrap and thin the herd.

My post concerns tent camping AND NOT A.T. shelter camping. No sane human would sleep in the rat boxes called shelters.

[rocketsocks]

A little nugget of Warafin to take home to the family.

[saltysack]

Sleep in a tent with a dog...no not my wifemy Jack Russell. He's a mice killing machine....they stay well away from my tent!


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[Sarcasm the elf]

Sleep in a tent with a dog...no not my wifemy Jack Russell. He's a mice killing machine....they stay well away from my tent!


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That's always worked for me as well.

[Dogwood]

When I'm not so concerned about attracting other animals like grizzly bears I use essential peppermint oil dipped onto a swatch of cloth and a moth ball I carry in two ziplocs I then put in a satchet bag never letting either contaminate my food or skin added to my food stuff sack usually hung.

The surest way I've found to avoid mice and rats is not to camp where humans have camped before and avoid camping where mice and rats tend to live ie: barns, old homesteads, grain fields, farms, silos, human refuse, garbage, AT lean -Tos, etc. Mice and rats are often attracted through human behavior. Avoid humans and man made areas and I largely avoid the mice and rat problems.

[turtle fast]

In some shelters you may see cords with lids attached to them much like the ropes on ships that have the disks attached to stop scurrying rodents. Most shelters have nails to where many hikers use an old tuna can upside down with a hole in the middle and cord thru the hole to block mice. Not all shelters are mice infested, but if you stay in them you will see one eventually.

[pauly_j]

In some shelters you may see cords with lids attached to them much like the ropes on ships that have the disks attached to stop scurrying rodents. Most shelters have nails to where many hikers use an old tuna can upside down with a hole in the middle and cord thru the hole to block mice. Not all shelters are mice infested, but if you stay in them you will see one eventually.

Do these work? I was planning on taking a can lid to thread through my cord but don't know if it's wasted weight. Do they have to be completely smooth or do they rely on the animal backing off because they can't get a good foothold on a level surface?

[daddytwosticks]

I bought a ratsack cache food bag, https://jet.com/product/detail/fdc53...FZIWHwodVPMPqQ, but now I'm not sure if I want to deal with the weight, 8 oz.). On the other hand, I hate the idea of losing food to rodents. What's the consensus?

I used a Ratsack many years ago. Be careful...some of the metal mesh strands became unwound and punched several tiny holes in my Thermarest while stuffed in my pack. I have since gone to a Ursack Minor and consistently hang my food. Zero issues with rodents or bears this way.

[LoneStranger]

Shelter mice are Satan's spawn, but rodents in the wild can be encouraged to scamper elsewhere by giving them the impression you might eat them. Letting them get close then making a quick movement combined with slurping and chomping noises tends to send them on their way much better than cussing I've found.

Won't work on shelter mice though. They can't be reasoned with.

[Pedaling Fool]

Do these work? I was planning on taking a can lid to thread through my cord but don't know if it's wasted weight. Do they have to be completely smooth or do they rely on the animal backing off because they can't get a good foothold on a level surface?

Yes, they work, as long as you don't hang your foodbag too close to a vertical beam, because then they can just jump on the bag -- here's a link with pics http://sectionhiker.com/mouse-mobiles/

My experience:

I mostly tent and I keep my food in my tent, I've never lost food to any animal. I did one time lose my shoe laces to an animal and one strap, both were outside my tent.

Of the times I've spent in a shelter, I lost food once and that was when I forgot some gorp in my pack; the mouse ate thru the pack's pocket and got the goodies. Never loss food hanging from a mice deterrent system (string and can/cap), which the vast majority of shelters already have in place, never had to carry one, but I did have to make one once, not a problem. I have also never heard of anyone complaining in a shelter (the next morning) of losing food that was hanging from a mouse line.

I've heard stories here on WB, but they're just stories...

[JohnHuth]

I carry a lightweight dry bag used for sea kayaking. It doesn't weight much, but has enough reinforcement to keep mice from digging through - easy to hang if I want to, and it's a good way to partition the food in my pack.

[Mouser999]

Check out the site grubpack.com. I just got one for a gift and looks like it will good for rodents

[Rocket Jones]

Depending on the food you're carrying, bring a metal cookie tin. They're light, seal tightly, and I can pack 3-4 days worth of dehydrated food into one, including snacks.

[squeezebox]

Carry a ziplock of cat poop. It should scare the mice away. I hear that the St. Louis Zoo sells lion, and tiger poop, to scare away the overpopulated deer in the far suburbs. I don't know about bear scat.

[Trance]

Just hang your food.... always.

[Hosh]

Check out the site grubpack.com. I just got one for a gift and looks like it will good for rodents

+1 on Grubpack, I also hang it mostly in SE Utah.

[QiWiz]

I use and like the Ursack Minor for critter (not bear) food protection. Hang it carefully in bear country. Hang non-carefully everywhere else. Have never had a critter (mice, coon, squirrel, etc) get my food.

[turtle fast]

I saw a post that had confirmed what I had said about the lid/string to hang a food bag from. As well heed having not too close to a wall or other vertical surface. In many shelters the nails that are used will be obvious. As well, ziplock your garbage in an empty baggie when done... Not that it's a true smell reducer, but it keeps things from messing the inside of your food bag and makes bit easier to dispose of once in town or on the rare occasion you find a garbage can!

[Sandy of PA]

My bear canister works for ALL types of critters!