salmon

[bignasty]

I have been planning my thru hiking menu and i have a question for all the experienced thrus. At my local grocery store i have found a 3oz packet of salmon. Tastes pretty good, but when i opened the packet i was hit with a hard salmon smell, much more potent than say canned chicken. I also just watched a program on bears that said they can smell food 10 miles away. So when i pop out the salmon, will that ensure a late night visit? Should i leave the salmon off the hiking menu?

[Uncle Silly]

Depends... mainly on how scared you are of bears. I used the tuna packets a lot last year and didn't have any problems, but I'm sure my dog helped keep the critters away. If you hang your trash & food bag away from the campsite you shouldn't have any trouble.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

I have been planning my thru hiking menu and i have a question for all the experienced thrus. At my local grocery store i have found a 3oz packet of salmon. Tastes pretty good, but when i opened the packet i was hit with a hard salmon smell, much more potent than say canned chicken. I also just watched a program on bears that said they can smell food 10 miles away. So when i pop out the salmon, will that ensure a late night visit? Should i leave the salmon off the hiking menu?

Ever seen those nature shows about bears catching salmon barepawed ( bearpawed? ) as the salmon swam up stream to spawn? Looks to me like hard work, but if you provide the salmon, it'll be easier for them. Just play dead and the bear will leave you alone, or so goes the wives tale.

Seriously, I avoid any food that has a very strong or pungent odor when out in the woods/field/jungle/scrub forest etc. My worry is raccoons mostly, but bears are on that list as well. Go with the chicken, or light tuna if you must have a fish course. Just dont spill the liquid at the shelter/campsite and clean thoroughly with an all-in-one mint-smelling soap.
We debate the mint smelling soap theory, but I'm a believer, as well as Sgt. Rock, one of the best mentors here at WB, to mask food odors. Just use good hygiene/cooking practices and you should be alright without the salmon.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I'd advise stopping and cooking at least a mile away from where you plan to make camp / sleep for the night regardless of what you are eating. Doing this helps avoid problems with hungry critters in general if you camp away from the shelters. With salmon and tuna, I'd also advise rinsing out the pouch before putting it in your trash. I've used canned salmon for years in areas in the Smokies that had 'bear activity' warnings and not had a problem, but I very rarely cook where I sleep - the only time I have was during violent storms.

[Lone Wolf]

Bears ain't a problem on the AT. I eat that stuff in my tent. I sleep with my food.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

As LWolf notes, the problem with bears is way overstated on the AT. The main reasons I cook away from where I camp have nothing to do with bears - I'm trying to avoid having coyotes, raccoons and mice waking me up at midnight trying to find a meal.

[MOWGLI]

I'd advise stopping and cooking at least a mile away from where you plan to make camp / sleep for the night regardless of what you are eating.

Beyond avoiding critters, this is a good idea. Especially on those longer harder days. You can use the energy from dinner to get to your campsite.

[Pacific Tortuga]

Bears ain't a problem on the AT. I eat that stuff in my tent. I sleep with my food.

L.Wolf is one tough dude but having a food fetish, I thought don't ask don't tell was WB's policy?

[Amigi'sLastStand]

As LWolf notes, the problem with bears is way overstated on the AT. The main reasons I cook away from where I camp have nothing to do with bears - I'm trying to avoid having coyotes, raccoons and mice waking me up at midnight trying to find a meal.

Overstated until you meet one. Cooking away from your sleeping area is very good advice when its practical.

[Buckles]

That salmon from the pouch is great with couscous! I just rinse out the packet, put it in my gallon size Ziploc bag I use for garbage and slide that under my sleeping pad. If a bear wants to come take that garbage from beneath me, I'll be eating bruin stew for 3 squares the rest of the week.

[Peaks]

Contrary to what some have posted, bears are a problem in places along the AT. However, most places that have bear problems have either a bear box, bear line, or other means to keep your food and smellable items out of harms way.

In general, bears are not a problem along the AT as long as reasonable precautions are taken. It would be nice to cook and eat where you don't sleep, but certainly not a requirement. And if you leave food scrapes and packaging around, don't be surprised if critters come around.

Elsewhere, such as in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, bears can be much more of a problem.

[Nightwalker]

Bears ain't a problem on the AT. I eat that stuff in my tent. I sleep with my food.

Yeah, but you also don't wash off between towns (see the Dr. Bronner's thread) so even if the food smell draws 'em in, certain other smells will chase 'em away!

Raccons are a worse problem down in my area. They'll go right down a rope and treat a bearbag as a buffet. Besides, would you believe I actually got 2 mice inside my tent at Bly Gap? I think they went in while I was setting up. There aren't any holes in it.

I'm going out to do Franklin to Hiawassee later this week, and I thought I'd take some mousey traps to let 'em play with in the shelters. While I'm out in my tent, of course...

[Lone Wolf]

Yeah, but you also don't wash off between towns (see the Dr. Bronner's thread) so even if the food smell draws 'em in, certain other smells will chase 'em away!

Raccons are a worse problem down in my area. They'll go right down a rope and treat a bearbag as a buffet. Besides, would you believe I actually got 2 mice inside my tent at Bly Gap? I think they went in while I was setting up. There aren't any holes in it.

I'm going out to do Franklin to Hiawassee later this week, and I thought I'd take some mousey traps to let 'em play with in the shelters. While I'm out in my tent, of course...

No. Glock scares em away. Speakin of mouses, where is the sensitive one that saved a baby vermin and was gonna bring it to Trail Daze? I bet it s**t the bed.

[Skidsteer]

No. Glock scares em away. Speakin of mouses, where is the sensitive one that saved a baby vermin and was gonna bring it to Trail Daze? I bet it s**t the bed.

That would be Roamin'.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ght=baby+mouse

Probably kept 'Little Springer' away from TD because of the threat of rum...and Glocks.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

No bears on the AT, no problems, overstated.....
This is from LW's own pics

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/...65&userid=2939

I have to say I found that humorous as heck.

[Lone Wolf]

Not my pics. L. Wolfe and L. Wolf are not the same.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

Not my pics. L. Wolfe and L. Wolf are not the same.

Ah, I still laughed my butt off. My apologies.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Amigi, no one is saying that there are not black bears along the AT. There are and I have seen many (as I'm sure LWolf has) - mostly their hind-ends as they scramble to get away or younger ones hiding in trees like in the photo you linked. Unless you do something really stupid like tourists often do in this area (the Smokies -try to pet a cub, feed a bear to get a better photo, corner a bear so it has no escape), you are very, very unlikely to have a hurtful encounter with a black bear. Roughly 90% of a black bear's diet is vegetation. Most of their meat comes from animals that are already dead - but they will hunt things like wounded animals and smaller, weaker animals like fawns. A human adult is far too large to be suitable prey for even the largest black bear.

As Peaks notes, in places where bears have become habituated to human food, there are bear cables or bear boxes. Shelters which have cooking odors night after night are going to get visits from all sorts of critters looking for a meal. The fact that mice are a problem at shelters is legend. Stories of resourceful squirrels and raccoons' attempts to separate hikers from their provisions are frequent. Bears are just doing what comes naturally - foraging for food. They are not aggressive unless provoked.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

Amigi, no one is saying that there are not black bears along the AT. There are and I have seen many (as I'm sure LWolf has) - mostly their hind-ends as they scramble to get away or younger ones hiding in trees like in the photo you linked. Unless you do something really stupid like tourists often do in this area (the Smokies -try to pet a cub, feed a bear to get a better photo, corner a bear so it has no escape), you are very, very unlikely to have a hurtful encounter with a black bear. Roughly 90% of a black bear's diet is vegetation. Most of their meat comes from animals that are already dead - but they will hunt things like wounded animals and smaller, weaker animals like fawns. A human adult is far too large to be suitable prey for even the largest black bear.

As Peaks notes, in places where bears have become habituated to human food, there are bear cables or bear boxes. Shelters which have cooking odors night after night are going to get visits for all sorts of critters looking for a meal. The fact that mice are a problem at shelters is legend. Stories of resourceful squirrels and raccoons attempts to seperate hikers from their provisions are frequent. Bears are just doing what comes naturally - foraging for food. They are not aggressive unless provoked.

Ok, ok. I was being a little tongue and cheek about this. I think you took what I said the wrong way. One small problem I have with this site, is that ppl who do not hike as much as myself and you guys and LW, can and do get bad advice or advice that a more experienced hiker would dismiss out of hand. We need to be more cautious in what we say about safety/health issues. Think of how many dumb things you've seen an inexperienced hiker do until they were better educated. I dont want them getting that advice from here, or lack thereof, if I can help it.

I realize how very little of a chance there is at a bear encounter. But since I tend to not eat a huge meal at camp, as you also dont, we take steps to minimize our exposure. Its called managing finite mathematics. I know how rare shark attacks are too, but I dont go swimming with them with a cut on my foot. As such, I dont eat overly smelly foods. More for 'coons and rats and possums and all other potenially rabid animals, but bears are in there too.
I live with more black bear in FL than I know what to do with. Heck, my poor bears here dont even have caves to live in, just the tents from dead hikers.