Fw: [pct-l] bear cannisters

[kdpo@pacbell.net (Ken & Marcia Powers)]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken & Marcia Powers" <kdpo@pacbell.net>
To: <dlmaj@earthlink.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 9:17 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] bear canisters


> Dave, in our experience, bear canisters work. Two examples, both in
> problem areas with frequent bear-people food contact:
>     At Cathedral lakes on JMT a bear was chased with banging pots and
camera
> flashes at dusk from one camp site around the edge of the lake to our camp
> site. he got almost to our canister propped in the rocks and made a
u-turn.
> We assumed that he was familiar enough to know that food was there, but
> unavailable to him.
>
>     In Kings Canyon up Bubbs Creek we again propped our canister with
rocks
> in a shallow dip. In the morning when we went to get it, we found it in a
> different location in the shallow with nose slime all over it...ugh.
Again,
> the food smell was there but the food was safe and we slept well.
>
>     Other advantages are keeping the food safe from mica, ants and marmots
> (another BIG problem on Whitney).
>
> Backpacker Mag ran some basic info on the carbon fiber canister, which is
> called the "Bearikade"  and
> is made by Wild Ideas (805-693-0550; www.wildideas.net), as well as two
> others, in the June 2000 issue on page 23. The Bearikade is light (1
> lb., 10 oz. for the "Weekender" model, which holds just over 11 fluid
> quarts), but it's also expensive at $150 according to the info I have from
> the
> article.
>
> I've used Garcia Machine's Backpacker's Cache canister. Mine is 12"x8.8"
> diameter and weighs 43.5 oz. With practice we can cram in 5 days' food for
2
> of us. We really cut down on packaging. The cost is in the $60 range. I
> carried this on our through PCT hike last year. My pack is frameless so
the
> canister adds shape to my pack and the two together still weigh less than
> lots of packs. It works for my husband and me and I'll never be the one
that
> helps habituate a bear..
>
> I thought about the airplane aluminum canister because it opens at both
ends
> but it is too long to slide flat into by backpack.
>
> Hope this helps.
> Marcia
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Johnson" <dlmaj@earthlink.net>
> To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 8:26 PM
> Subject: [pct-l] bear cannisters
>