[pct-l] RE: Not stupid people but smart bears

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

Having use a bear canister for a dozen years I am not really much of a bear
bagging expert. However, I do notice a lack of suitable trees in popular
campsites [It is well known that there is only 1 suitable tree every 40000
square miles] With less than suitable trees i find the bags twisting
together and creating quite a mess to undo. I can't imagine doing this after
dark.
 
Tom
 
PS: My real question is how many times has your counterbalancing defeated
the bear?

-----Original Message-----
From: John Mertes [mailto:jmertes@gte.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2001 4:52 PM
To: Reynolds, WT; P C T List
Subject: Re: [pct-l] RE: Not stupid people but smart bears


Hey Tom, 

OK, OK. Which mind am I in -- left, center, front, back. You've only ruled
out "right". 
Besides which, I'm not crazy for nothing; I am paid by the government. <g> 


Sometimes I hung the bags before dark; sometimes the first time the bay(s)
were hung was after dark. 


I don't understand your question about tangled bags. The only time I had a
similar problem was when a friend, good hiker but lacking some common sense
and skills, went to let down the bear bags one morning. He untied the rope
from the tree (that method worked back then) and gave the rope a toss. The
loose end tangled around the end with the bags and hung up. Fortunately I
was able to reach up and untie the bags; part of the rope remained in the
tree. I never let him handle the bear bagging process again. 
Other than that, I only use one line (rope) per branch and if I have
multiple bags to hang, then I tie them all to one bowline knot on the line
(got something out of the Navy). I also make sure not to have the two parts
of the line crossed at any time while hoisting or lowering the food; and
will weigh or tied down both ends when there is no bag hung on the line. 


John 
  
  
  


John-

That you are not in your right mind has been well established on multiple
lists. [I resemble this remark also].

I presume that you actually hung your food before dark, then

just let the bags down to get what you wanted for dinner, then rehung the
remainder. [If you left the bags on the ground in the dark you did risk
losing food to a bear as

Joanne described]. Even so how do you deal with tangled bags in the dark?

 

Tom



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