[pct-l] Food in tents

[David Thibault]

You are making this too difficult.  Tuna is avail in pouches almost
everywhere.  I sometimes carry small cans of chicken - which is much harder
to find in a pouch.  When I open and empty the can I just crush it and
throw it in my trash bag with all my other trash - Yes the trash bag has
smells but it is kept with the rest of my food which also has smells.  The
same smells the empty foil pouch will have.   Your trash and food stay
together - along with all smellables.

How you handle your smellables is done differently by different folks - as
I'm sure you've gathered from the discussions on the list.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you hang your food - that in no way
resolves you of the obligation from keeping it away from a bear.  So if a
bear is attempting to obtain your hung food you are obligated to attempt to
scare it away.

One reason I mostly sleep with food in my tent (except were canisters are
required) is because I figure either way, if a bear comes for my food, we
are going to have an encounter.  I will defend my food - not just because I
am hungry - but for the bears sake too.

To be honest I've never actually had to chase a bear away from my food.  I
do stealth camp (sleep where others don't camp) most of the time.
I have had to get up several nights in an attempt to chase bears away from
my camp site but it always turns out that the large animal I hear nearby is
a deer.   I've had only limited success actually scaring them (the
deer) permanently away - they sometimes come back a few hours later.  Or in
the case of the deer in Yosemite they run about 50 feet away and then
mossie on back to where ever they want to go.

I distinctly remember feeling so inadequate one early evening in Yosemite
trying to get the deer to leave my camp site, all I could think of was
that I'm supposed to be able to chase a bear away and I can't even get
these stupid deer to leave.


Day-Late




>
> Good morning
> I was thinking of bringing some can food like tuna fish etc and eating
> them only by streams so I can rinse them out good...I would than poke a
> hole in the can and use my para like a  trout stringer but for cans...keep
> them on the outside of my pack....
> Until I reach a town to toss...
> This is my first thru hike or really camping so just wanna try and get on
> the same page with the more experienced...
> Appreciate all your advice and knowledge!!!
> -c
>
>
>