Smellables in hip belt pockets, etc..., What do you do?

[blw2]

OK, so here's something I've struggled with.

I know I've read countless times to "put ALL smellable things" into the bear bag and hang it. I get it.

But, it seems like I always have a few things rattling around in my hip belt pockets or pants pockets....
chapstick
maybe a tiny travel sized hand lotion
body glide stick
gold bond
maybe some bug bite anti-itch stuff....
dr broners soap
stuff like that....

What is your strategy on a hike, for these little items?

If those things live in the bear bag, then when needed during the day, you've gotta stop and dig through the pack.

If they live in a hip belt pocket, or other more convenient place, then it seems like you'd need to develop the habit of trying to remember to clean all those things out for stowage, then while in camp you have to keep lowering the bear bag every time you need something..... and then you have to remember to move them back to the pack or your pants pocket in the AM....

I'm not used to hiking in "bear country" and I usually am not in places too infested with rodents, so it hasn't been a huge problem for me so far.... but it is a strategy that I can't figure a way to optimize...

[evyck da fleet]

The bear bag comes down for breakfast and it’s easy to take whatever you need during the day such as snacks and put them in your hip belt pocket. The reverse happens at dinner.

[martinb]

If you gotta carry all that stuff, put it in a ziplock, or two. At the end of the day, grab the ziplock(s) and throw them in the bear bag.

[DuneElliot]

The only thing I carry is chapstick and while it may be a risk I leave it in my hipbelt pocket since I will sometimes need it at night.

[Coffee]

If you gotta carry all that stuff, put it in a ziplock, or two. At the end of the day, grab the ziplock(s) and throw them in the bear bag.

Yes, this is exactly what I do. I'm not convinced that bears are going after my bronners soap or chapstick but unless it slips my mind, they go into the bear bag or canister at the end of the day.

[fastfoxengineering]

I have a small cuben Fiber stuff sack that I keep all those little hygiene stuff in. In my hipbelt pocket. When I need something I just pull the bag out use what I need and return it.

At the end if the day when organizing camp before bed I just throw that bag in my bear bag that I hang.

The only thing I keep on me is my poop kit. Trowel. TP. And Hand Sanitizer.

I willing to take that chance. Having to drop a duece in the middle of the night but first having to go fetch a bear bag.. then rehang said bear bag.. is not fun.

Hey... You asked

Ps.. a ziplock bag works just fine. The quart size is about right.

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[Bmelee]

If your chapstick is not flavored, then you are probably ok. Last year, my peppermint chapstick fell out of my pack on a day hike in the Smokies. I was on the same trail two weeks later and stopped to sit on the same log. I found my chapstick, but a bear had definitely had his way with it in the meantime. All that was left was a bit of mangled plastic...

[Bmelee]

And, on overnight trips, all the small smellables go into a ziplock in my hip belt. That bag definitely goes inside the bear bag which goes into my pack when I hang it on the bear cable at night.

[Coffee]

Definitely get unscented toiletries when possible in case one is forgotten by mistake. I make it a point to get unscented chapstick, unscented Bronners soap, and unscented dental floss. Unfortunately there is no such thing as unscented toothpaste (although some people use bronners as toothpaste).

[SoaknWet]

Make it simple! Just hang the whole backpack! I'd guess mine would fit in a trash compactor bag.

[Dogwood]

This is a good question

As much as we try to keep odorous things separated and stored properly cross contamination can occur. Yes, I keep hygiene products in a separate baggie but that doesnt fully prevent it. I dont know that I can fully prevent it. I do make a solid attempt to not let any critter get any food, garbage, or odorous item from me though. For black bears depending on how agressive and accustomed to food associations with humans I'll hang or bear can everything including a backpack. In brown bear territory everthing gets hung.

I shake out any little food crumbs in hip belt, side, and shovel pockets, whenever I can preferably daily. On trail and off I sanitize/wash the entire pack as well as stuff sacks, cookware, etc regularly like every wk.

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[El JP]

Make it simple! Just hang the whole backpack! I'd guess mine would fit in a trash compactor bag.

Depending on certain conditions, that's a pretty good idea.

[El JP]

Make it simple! Just hang the whole backpack! I'd guess mine would fit in a trash compactor bag.

Depending on certain conditions, that's a pretty good idea.

[4eyedbuzzard]

First, the most dangerous animal in the woods isn't a bear, or even a moose (more dangerous), or loose dogs (even worse). The most dangerous creature in the eastern forest is the tick. Just trying to keep it in perspective.

Regarding eastern bears:

Try to keep your pockets and all your clothing as clean of food as possible. Put everything such as chapstick, toothpaste, etc., in with your food and hang it away from your campsite. The ziplocks in the pocket for smellies is a good idea. Don't camp where you cook if in an area with known bear activity - cook and eat a mile or more from your final campsite. Don't cook and/or eat in your sleeping bag or tent. Don't leave uneaten food, especially in areas that people frequent, like shelters/campsites, as it provides an easy snack for foraging bears who will return to see if they can get lucky again. Eat it all or completely burn any uneaten food. Bears are opportunists and creatures of habit, and easy food is too efficient a meal for a wild animal.

That all said, most AT hikers cook and eat at shelters or wherever they set up camp, and rarely are there any terrible outcomes. Unless a bear is acclimated to humans and associates them with an easy meal (fed park bears), the smell of a human being will tend to keep them away. They see us as trouble - we are a potential predator and we are reasonably large creatures. Bears are risk adverse and prefer to scavenge for safe and efficient meals. And while they may attack and kill smaller animals, even up to fawn size, rarely do they go after adult deer. The energy to chase one down plus the risk of injury is too great.

In the end, it's simply impossible to keep all food odors off of your clothing - it's on you, your clothes, your pack, etc. The best we can do is to minimize the smell. A bears sense of smell is estimated at about 7 times better than a bloodhounds's, and some 2000 times better than that of a human. They can literally smell food from several miles away. You really can't hide odors from them. The best you can do is to not be the smelliest thing (food wise) out there. Provided you are a typical stinky hiker, most bears will make out your human hiker smell as stronger than that of any food odors on your clothing - and, unless acclimated, want nothing better than to stay clear of you. Most sightings of bears are off their arse end running away after they figure out you're there.

[skater]

If you are constantly retrieving your hung bag, here's a tip. I set up the hang as soon as I get to camp, but rather than hanging the bag I attach an eyecatcher (bright bandana, for example). The food bag stays in camp. When I am ready to turn in, THEN I hang the bag, and the eyecatcher makes finding my rope easy.

[Dogwood]

Smellables is a good name for an odor proof food sack set or cadre of thru-hikers competing for who can go the longest without a bath or shower.

[rmitchell]

If you are constantly retrieving your hung bag, here's a tip. I set up the hang as soon as I get to camp, but rather than hanging the bag I attach an eyecatcher (bright bandana, for example). The food bag stays in camp. When I am ready to turn in, THEN I hang the bag, and the eyecatcher makes finding my rope easy.

The eye catcher is a good idea. North of Perrisburg is a paracord and small caribiner set up for a PCT hand at a stealth sight. I set it up before dusk and never found it again!

[rmitchell]

Make it simple! Just hang the whole backpack! I'd guess mine would fit in a trash compactor bag.

I usually poke a small hole in the bottom of the bag, just large enough for a loop of string. Attach the loop to the pack then run it through the hole and clip to a caribiner on the line or bear cable. Trash bag is with open side down. This makes it more difficult for rodents to get access to the pack.

[blw2]

I've tried keeping the stuff in small zip bags..... still a pain in the neck.

I should say that for the most part where I', going its about the rodents, coons, etc.... more than bears

Yeah, the issue for me seems to be after stowing in the "bear box" or hanging, I inevitably need or want something. Or chap stick in the middle of the night.

I like the idea of hanging the whole pack. I've often thought about doing that instead of keeping a separate bear bag
and nice idea for presetting the hang with a flag.
and the inverted trash bag idea is clever. I can imagine that might help with rodents maybe just a bit. Not absolutely by any stretch though....

[Slo-go'en]

During the day I stuff food wrappers in my water bottle mesh side pockets. On occasion I forget to remove them at the end of the day. The mesh has more then a few bigger holes now as a result. Keeps the shelter mice busy for a while.