2012 PCT Community Perpetual Bear Canister Loan Program

[enyapjr]

Attention: 2012 nobo PCT thru-hikers...
Announcing the sixth year of the PCT Community Perpetual Bear Canister Loan Program!

Are you on a very tight budget, have limited finances, or coming from outside the USA or
from an area of the country in which you won't have ANY use whatsoever for a bear canister
after your PCT thru-hike?
You may be able to borrow a bear canister for your PCT thru-hike for 'free' (except for USPS
return shipping & insurance)...
The loan program is NOT done on a 'first come - first served basis', but rather on a show of
'some' need, however small, in the borrower selection process...
The loan program is run solely on the HONOR SYSTEM - so please be honest and open
when submitting your request (requests remain confidential)...
Sorry, but the loan program is not set up to serve sobo thrus, long section hikes starting after
Agua Dulce (Hiker Heaven), nor JMT hikers - we do NOT ship the canisters to thrus on the
trail, canisters are picked up in person at Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce, CA (most thrus then
buy supplies, pack it in the canister, and mail it to Kennedy Meadows from Hiker Heaven)...

If you think you might qualify for a 'free' bear canister loan for your 2012 nobo PCT thru-hike,
please contact me off-list via email (subject: PCT Bear Can Loan) - and briefly explain your
reason or need to borrow a bear canister for your PCT thru-hike...
Selected borrowers must provide an active (during & after your hike) email address and
phone number, your anticipated start date, and 'planned' ETA at Hiker Heaven...
Selected borrowers must also agree to an informal 'contract' via email before a canister is
reserved in your name and the loan is 'finalized'...
I'll be glad to answer most any other questions regarding the bear canister loan program...

Please don't delay until the last moment to request a canister; we would like to arrange and
finalize all canister loans by the middle of March at the very latest...

Thank you.

Happy trails!!!
Jim "PITA" Payne
(email: enyapjr at comcast dot net)

[Sly]

Great program, kudos to you.

Also, Bear Vault has a genourous discount shipped directly to Kennedy Meadows, Tuolumne Meadows or Echo Lake for those that want to purchase one.

http://www.bearvault.com/bearvault_pct.php

[Sly]

Wow... check this out. Bear(s) are super smart

In 2007 one or more bears at Marcy Dam in the Adirondacks learned how to open BearVault models. The bear(s) opened the lids by pressing in the snap on the lid with its canine tooth, unscrewing the lid past the housing lock and then opening the unit. There were no problems with BearVaults outside of this area.

In response to this a new lid was developed for 2008 which had two snaps on the lid which both required being pressed in sequentially- this is the model BV450/500. Testing was conducted during June and July 2008 at Marcy Dam and Lake Colden. We now have the test results. Surprisingly, the bear(s) pressed in the first snap with its incisor, rotated the lid and then pressed in the 2nd snap with its incisor and opened the lid.

The DEC believes that this behavior is unique to this bear(s) as they have not had any incidents of this type of failure of BV350 and higher models outside of this area. They also are doubtful that this behavior will migrate to other bears and BearVault has seen no evidence of this happening. There have also been no problems whatsoever with BV350 and higher models anywhere else in North America.

Accordingly, BearVault recommends against using BearVault canisters in the Lake Colden/Marcy Dam corridor and the Johns Brook valley as these are within the bears' territory. You can freely use BearVaults elsewhere.

[enyapjr]

Great program, kudos to you.

Thanks, Sly, but it wouldn't have been possible to begin with nor lasted this long without Donna "L-Rod" Saufley's help in storing & distributing the canisters at Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce, plus all the generous donations from vendors & individuals from the PCT 'community'! We started with (an unexpected) 13 canisters and it has grown to just under 50 (max target number for storage space available) - so we can 'help' well over 10% of the nobo thrus each season...

Bear Vault has a genourous discount shipped directly to Kennedy Meadows, Tuolumne Meadows or Echo Lake for those that want to purchase one.

Also, in addition to the BearVault purchase, which normally is the lowest total price (with shipping included) online for an individual buying one, Wild Ideas (Bearikade) has a rental program with a 'long distance hiker' discount...
See <https://www.wild-ideas.net/rent.html>, part way down the left sidebar states "Call Wild Ideas, LLC for special rates applied to long thru-hikes JMT, PCT, AT and others." Phone: 805-693-0550

Bear(s) are super smart
In 2007 one or more bears at Marcy Dam in the Adirondacks...

I haven't checked in quite a while if that 'problem' still exists in the Dacks, but, yes, bears are smart - that is why 'hanging' food simply does NOT work in some areas any more!
The older BearVault models lost their 'approval' in the Sierra 'Rae Lakes Loop' area for 2 and a half seasons - a (suspected single) bear learned how to jump on the side of the older model BVs & 'pop' the lid enough to be able to get the lid off entirely and access the food... That bear "disappeared" between seasons a couple of years ago, so now ALL BearVault models are once again approved in that area...

I recently read an article that said the bears in the Sierra are no longer "following the human food source" into the higher elevations in the Sierra, but are staying at the lower elevations where their natural food sources are found... But there are still 'encounters' possible at those lower elevations when there's heavy human presence (quotas in those backcountry areas are also 'helping' diminish encounters), but with the mandatory use of canisters and 'hanging' not allowed bear 'raids' have decreased greatly from what they were 10 years ago in those lower elevations... Eventually newer generations of bears won't see humans as a ready and easy 'source' target for food - but the agencies can't go back to 'no canister' requirements, either, since those "smart" bears will simply learn the same 'bad' habits again!

No matter what one thinks of them, positive or negative, canisters are here to stay forever in many backcountry areas...


Happy trails!!!
Jim (PITA)