Protecting Your Food
Something that
happens quite often for people new to the outdoors, is the question of "what do
I do with my food at night?" This is literally one of the most
important decisions you will make when in the outdoors.
Please remember, YOU are the visitor to the wilds. It is your duty to keep human food and garbage from the animals. A couple years ago, at Mt. Rainier NP, I experienced a bear that had been fed by humans-simply because they thought it was cute to do. That bear kept coming back (as they will do) into the front country. Needless to say, I watched a full size black bear panic, and destroy a basically new hood on someone's car (it was jumping up and down). That bear was lucky-it was given 3 chances in being relocating-and finally did not come back. Many others though, are put down every year. It does NOT have to happen if we are more careful of our presence.
You need to protect your food from a wide range of animals-bears, racoons, coyotes, squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, birds, mice, rats, skunks, etc....You have basically three options:
The easiest to use (and heaviest) are bear canisters. All you do is pack your food in them and put in your pack. In camp you put your food, garbage and smelly toiletries in and leave near camp-tree stumps work great. Just make sure they are not near water or cliffs-so a bear cannot roll it away. Also do not tie the canister to anything. It helps to put bright duct tape or paint on them in case it does get tossed around. Also put your name/phone number on it.
The big 3 players are:
The third choice is to bear bag. And you might think "there is no info on it here". Well, that is because I HATE bear bagging! If done right, it does work, but you need trees of the right size and the know how. Personally I recommend that you use an Ursack or a canister. If you do choose to bear bag, please use a sack that is only used for your food. Practice in a park or your back yard. Learn how to do it in the pouring rain, when you are so cold that you can barely move your fingers...imagine how you can do it, standing in a moat of snow 4 ft high. Do it at night and make sure that you have friends laughing at you as it takes an hour.
Garcia and Bear Vault online at Wilderness Dining.
Please remember, YOU are the visitor to the wilds. It is your duty to keep human food and garbage from the animals. A couple years ago, at Mt. Rainier NP, I experienced a bear that had been fed by humans-simply because they thought it was cute to do. That bear kept coming back (as they will do) into the front country. Needless to say, I watched a full size black bear panic, and destroy a basically new hood on someone's car (it was jumping up and down). That bear was lucky-it was given 3 chances in being relocating-and finally did not come back. Many others though, are put down every year. It does NOT have to happen if we are more careful of our presence.
You need to protect your food from a wide range of animals-bears, racoons, coyotes, squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, birds, mice, rats, skunks, etc....You have basically three options:
The easiest to use (and heaviest) are bear canisters. All you do is pack your food in them and put in your pack. In camp you put your food, garbage and smelly toiletries in and leave near camp-tree stumps work great. Just make sure they are not near water or cliffs-so a bear cannot roll it away. Also do not tie the canister to anything. It helps to put bright duct tape or paint on them in case it does get tossed around. Also put your name/phone number on it.
The big 3 players are:
- Garcia Bear Resistant Container These go for $50-80.
- Bear Vault BV makes 2 sizes, and are the lightest for the Big 3.
- Counter Assualt Heavier than the Garcia, but carries the most.
The third choice is to bear bag. And you might think "there is no info on it here". Well, that is because I HATE bear bagging! If done right, it does work, but you need trees of the right size and the know how. Personally I recommend that you use an Ursack or a canister. If you do choose to bear bag, please use a sack that is only used for your food. Practice in a park or your back yard. Learn how to do it in the pouring rain, when you are so cold that you can barely move your fingers...imagine how you can do it, standing in a moat of snow 4 ft high. Do it at night and make sure that you have friends laughing at you as it takes an hour.
Garcia and Bear Vault online at Wilderness Dining.
