This may seem like a stupid inquiry… but out on the trail, with all food items and such in our bear canister, what do we do when we hear it being messed with in the middle of the night? How should we place it so a bear doesn’t take off with it or roll it down a mountain? Should we yell to a bear to get lost?
tmrettig
When you leave your canister, just try and put it somewhere it won’t easily roll away like a small dip in the ground or where it has rocks or bushes around it. Avoid obvious bad spots where it would roll a long distance if it is knocked over or next to water (they aren’t watertight).
You will probably find that the can won’t be messed with. Most bears are clever enough to recognise the canister and won’t waste energy trying to get in. That doesn’t mean that they will not have a quick look or that a young or really hungry bear won’t make a little effort to get in. If you here them at your can, just leave them and they will soon realise there is no easy food and move on.
One non-bear related tip for canisters (garcia can, maybe the others too) is to leave them upside down. The garcia can is not watertight so any overnight rain can seep in if the lid is left facing up. Thankfully, I learnt that one from someone else’s misfortune.
Phil B
Phil’s recommendations about putting the can somewhere where it can’t roll away easily are great. I would just add that I usually put the can far enough away from my sleeping area that I won’t hear anything if a bear strolls over to investigate. I spend a LOT of time up in the Sierra each summer. Like Phil said, the bears don’t usually mess with the cans because they know they can’t get in. But they do sometimes walk through camp to investigate, so you’ll get a better night’s sleep if you don’t have to listen to them.
Kanga
Put some Fluorescent tape or bright paint on the canister. If the bear does roll it away, it will be easy to find.
Turtle Walking
I used one on the JMT in 2002 and modified it slightly. I used Turtles technique and put fluorescent tape around it. Another good idea is to wedge it somewhere, like at the foot of some rocks (on the uphill side) with a rock on top, or at the between the ground and a downed tree. A bear did mess with my cannister and tossed it around but it was easy to find with the tape. It’s also a good idea to place the cannister about 50ft from where you are camping.
On a side note, the bears are very clever in the Sierra. They kind of know that they can’t get into the cannisters so they sit in hiding, watching you get settled in, then as you open the cannister to prepare dinner out they bound and “bluff charge” to make you drop it and run. That way you open it for them, this happened to me and a friend although we were to petrified to move as it all happened so quickly, the bear ran right up to us then ran away again. After that we cooked a few miles before making camp.
Cheers
Cheers
Is it a law to carry bear canisters for the entire length of the JMT? Also, do you all feel that it is a good idea? Given the bulk and weight of these canisters, I am having some problems accepting that this is what I will need to do for my trip this August.
Presto