[pct-l] Re; Bear Cannisters

[Ellen Shopes]

The reason the Urasacks were not approved is because those crafty 
Sequoia/Yosemite bears know how to defeat them.  While we were on the JMT 
last year, a ranger named Brian told of his experiment.  He took several 
food storage devices to Onion Valley and left them filled with food.  The 
bears ignored the cannisters but not the Ursack.  Brian said he watched the 
bear pick it up and smash it against a rock until the rivetts gave way, then 
have a nice meal.
I know people do get away with not using a cannister.  But we also met some 
who tried and lost their food to bears.  I can think of few things more 
disheartening than to have the food you hauled into the wilderness and need 
eaten by a bear!  I can also attest to the fact that the cannisters  HAVE 
made a difference.  10 years ago, we saw more bears nosing around our camps 
in the Sierras than we did the past 2 years.
Some of the lighter weight cannisters (2pounds) aren't so bad...
Ellen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim McCrain" <jim at mccrain.net>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:56 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Re; Bear Cannisters


> >From: "Kary Danielson" <kdconstruction at directcon.net>
>>Subject: [pct-l] bear canisters
>>
>>Howdy,
>>I am curious as to what people are doing about crossing Yosemite where 
>>approved bear cans are required?
>>I used an ursack last season and had no problems but the conditional 
>>approval has been dropped and
>>honestley I don't want to go back to one of the traditional cans. Has 
>>anybody used an unapproved storage
>>device and had problems with rangers?
>>KD
>
>
>
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