[pct-l] Nightly food storage

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I hiked the trail from Campo to Mt. Shasta in 2008, from Hikertown to  
Canada (minus a few bits in the middle) in 2009 and some High Sierras  
and more So Cal in 2010 and 2011, and the Winds in 2012. For my food:

1. First time through So Cal I had an ursack for "critters" (not  
bears) and kept it in my tent. Overkill and it doesn't hold much.
2. First time through Sierras I had the ursack and a small bear can  
part of the way. I underestimated my appetite in my planning. Kept  
both outside my tent with the ursack tied around at tree but not  
hung. Mid-way I got a larger bear can.
3. North of bear can required areas, plastic compactor bags kept in  
my tent.
4. All other return visits to So Cal and Nor Cal: plastic compactor  
bags kept in my tent.
5. All other return visits to High Sierras: a bear can big enough for  
my food.
6. In the Winds I used an unrequired bear canister.

I have never had any problems just keeping my food with me in my tent.

The only marauding bears I have ever witnessed have been in Tuolumne  
Meadows and in the Los Padres where food has been left completely  
unattended for minutes (Tuolumne) or hours/days (Los Padres).

In Nor Cal I had rodents eat food I had stored in a car camp bear box  
while my feet were resting on a shelf in the bear box while I was  
reading a book. Damn rodents. Damn car camps.

In North Washington I had a rodent enter my tent. I shooed him out.  
No idea if he was hungry or tired of the rain.

In the desert in So Cal I camped in a mouse's territory and he did  
crawl on top of me and my food in the night but I don't think it was  
because of my food. I think I was in his area sleeping on his trail.

All other hundreds of nights spent outside on the PCT and in the Los  
Padres I have never had a bear encounter with my food and I have  
never hung my food.

In the Winds I got to relax while others had to hang their food each  
night.


On Apr 11, 2013, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: Michael Badger <mbadger at mbadger.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] Nightly food storage
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> It seems that there are widely different opinions on what to do with
> food at night to protect it from bears and other critters while on the
> PCT. I'd be curious to hear what people have done successfully in the
> past. I have opsacks, an ursack, and rope as possible tools to bring
> with me. It sounds like some people prefer to keep their food In their
> tent while others like to tie it up well away from their tent. I'm
> still trying to decide what I will do, and would love some input from
> experienced folks.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Badger