[pct-l] reduced need to carry extra water ?

Thu Feb 26 14:21:37 CST 2009

Good morning, Don,

Sorry if I missed something.  I’m wrestling with a new/different mail host
and I don’t exactly like it.

Anyway, there is no linkage between the need for a bear ‘can and a reduced
need to carry water.  It’s a coincidence.  Crossing the SoCal deserts,
including the end of the Mojave desert, hikers experience poor water
availability – sometimes 20-25 dry miles at a time.  The result is often
considerable water must be carried to get through -- maybe as many as eight
liters at a time.  North of Walker Pass, just before Kennedy Meadows, the
water situation begins to improve; particularly when paralleling the S. Fork
of the Kern River.  Past KM there are a couple of short dry stretches, but
the further north you go into the Sierras the more water you will find.  With
water that abundant I carried only ½ - 1 liter at a time.  That is about
12-15 lbs. less total pack weight even after adding the ‘can and maybe an
ice axe, etc.  The whole story isn’t quite that dramatic however, because
while the weight of the water in the deserts diminishes as it is consumed
the weight of the ‘can and other hardware remains with you.  Only the weight
of the food in the can diminishes, at a rate of about 2 lbs. per day.

Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT -- 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 11:43 AM, <whcrs4543 at aol.com> wrote:

> Chuck,
> hope you don't mind my picking your brains. I shot you a note earlier &
> never heard back from you.
>
> On this comment, why is there a reduced need to carry water simply because
> you are packing food in a bear canister?
>
> Don
>
> The
> additional weight of the ‘can is mostly compensated by the reduced need to
> carry extra water.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>
> To: Romano Scaturro <romano at swiftwireless.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net; Zoli Bassoff <zolish at gmail.com>
> Sent: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 8:52 am
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] time before peanut butter goes bad
>
> Good morning, Romano,
>
>
>
> There is a good map at:http://www.sierrawildbear.gov/foodstorage/foodstoragemap.htm
>
> showing the bear ‘can area.  Every year Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group
> (SIBBG) at: http://www.sierrawildbear.gov/ seems to fiddle with the
> requirements a bit so it will pay to keep current.  What is more difficult
> is getting a feel for the administrative practices of compliance enforcement
> a
> cross all those agencies, jurisdictions, and individual compliance
> officials.
>
>
>
> Regardless of the map, my practice is to receive a bear ‘can at the
> southern-most convenient spot -- Kennedy Meadows -- and get rid of it where
> I resupply north of Tuolumne Meadows – usually at Echo.
>
>
>
> Yeh, it’s a pain, but I do it anyway.  First, I’m a person who follows the
> rules.  Second, I don’t like having to dodge around and hike looking over my
> shoulder worrying about black bears or Smoky Bears.  Third, I don’t like
> having to sweet-talk, or argue with, the chipmunk-cops. And finally, I don’t
> want to pay a fine and be kicked-out in the likely event that I lose the
> argument.
>
>
>
> My gear is minimal so I like to keep my empty pack weight around one pound
> or less.  I normally use the now-obsolete GoLite Breeze which weighs about
> 13 oz.  In ’07 I did switch to a 16-oz. GVP-4 for the Sierras because my
> bear ‘can fit crosswise in the bottom, but I am not particularly fond of the
> way it fits me.  Next time I’ll just carry the ‘can upright in the Breeze.  The
> additional weight of the ‘can is mostly compensated by the reduced need to
> carry extra water.
>
>
>
> A Sierra entry date depends greatly on that year’s snow season, and upon
> your particular appetite for snow travel.  Keep watching the snow plot at:http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/
> PLOT_SWC.2009.pdf <http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/PLOT_SWC.2009.pdf> .  So far, ’09
> looks to be somewhat below average for snowpack but it’s still early.  What
> you have to do is estimate where the curve will be early to mid-June.  ’07
> was a very low snow year.  I departed Kennedy Meadows 29 May and arrived at
> Echo mid-day of 19 June.  I lost two hiking days resupplying at Independence
> and about a half-day at VVR.  In that period there was minimal snowpack, and
> the rivers were manageable.
>
>
>
> Good luck with your planning,
>
>
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT -- 1965
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 7:33 AM, Romano Scaturro
> <romano at swiftwireless.com>wrote:
>
> > Hello Steel Eye--
> >
> > That sounds like good advice, which you seem to have no shortage of.
> > Thanks.
> >
> > I'm wondering at what point, going north bound, a bear cannister should be
> > acquired or, if one is needed at all?  I hiked the JMT 4 years ago with one
> > and it was really bulky and heavy.  I cursed it often but did find it useful
> > as a camp stool and washing machine.
> >
> > Also, whats your preference for backpacks?  I currently have an old NF
> > Snowleopard which Ive been using for the last 25 years.
> >
> > And lastly, what's the earliest you think one should arrive to the central
> > Ca. section, namely the JMT portion?  I remember that even in July Forrester
> > Pass had quite a bi
> t of snow.
> >
> > Romano
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "CHUCK CHELIN" <steeleye at wildblue.net>
> > To: "Zoli Bassoff" <zolish at gmail.com>
> > Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> > Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 7:33 AM
> > Subject: Re: [pct-l] time before peanut butter goes bad
> >
> >
> >  Good morning, Zoli,
> >
> > If I receive a resupply box it will have been packed about two to three
> > weeks before I use it.  When I call home from a trail town my next box will
> > already be at, or on the way to, the next stop.  What I then do is specify
> > where my stop-after-next box should be sent, the number of trail-days
> > projected, and the number of Calories per day that it should contain.  That
> > way the food is in transit and stored for two weeks, and it could be in my
> > pack for another week.  Peanut butter, and most hard cheeses and salami,
> > will tolerate that OK.
> >
> >
> >
> > At home I much prefer the taste of the all-natural, no-preventives, PB, but
> > for resupply boxes I use the name-brand stuff that’s chock full of
> > preventives to keep it from going funky.  Yummy.
> >
> >
> >
> > Steel-Eye
> >
> > Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT -- 1965
> >
> > http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 9:04 PM, Zoli Bassoff <zolish at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Reading the post20of ideas for storing peanut butter. I was considering the
> >> idea. If one has to pack up the food boxes months in advance how does one
> >> pack peanut butter in seperate packages and not have it go bad. Does the
> >> person mailing the boxes give a hand with the fresh peanut butter and
> >> cheese items in the food boxes.
> >>
> >> thanks
> >> zoli
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