New food storage regulations

[torpified]

I circumambulated Mt Rainier on the Wonderland Trail a few years ago. They have bears. (Also glaciers.). Camping is allowed only in designated areas. Each area has a fixed tetherball-type pole about 12 feet high, with 4 or 5 hooks radiating from its apex. The foot storage protocol is to keep your food in a stuff sack that you hang from one of those hooks. (There’s an unfixed pole, with a single hook on its end, that you use to position your food storage bag in its lofty perch.) This struck me as a pretty good solution for jurisdictions that concentrate wilderness camping in designated areas.

[JerryB]

I circumambulated Mt Rainier on the Wonderland Trail a few years ago. They have bears. (Also glaciers.). Camping is allowed only in designated areas. Each area has a fixed tetherball-type pole about 12 feet high, with 4 or 5 hooks radiating from its apex. The foot storage protocol is to keep your food in a stuff sack that you hang from one of those hooks. (There’s an unfixed pole, with a single hook on its end, that you use to position your food storage bag in its lofty perch.) This struck me as a pretty good solution for jurisdictions that concentrate wilderness camping in designated areas.

The same set up is found at many of the sites in the Porkies. Many seem to be listing at a pretty significant angle. Other than that, the system works well.

[Tortuga]

Having used both Bear Bag hangs and a bear canister, I am team canister now. There have been times when it’s taken 30 minutes plus to find an “OK” branch. With my canister I just have to close the lid and find a bush to put it away from water and cliffs. Plus it serves as a little table or seat. Extra weight and volume but I grew to love them.

I’ve never had a bear issue but have had rodent and raccoon problems with bags. Nothing so far with the can.

[JerryB]

Tortuga, you raise n interesting point about finding an “ok” branch. Odds are very low of finding a branch ten feet high and extending ten feet from the tree trunk. Last year, i didn’t even try, well not try hard anyway. A question for folks: The ten and ten rule is really meant for bears. I am not as familiar with a wolf’s abilities to jump and climb. I assume a ten foot high branch, even one that does not extend more than a few feet from the trunk, is adequate against wolves. Do folks agree? Now, as for critters, i suspect hanging anywhere by itself is pretty pointless.

[RedLeg]

I think if it's in an ursack that you properly tied shut you can just secure it to a tree at eye level and call it a day. While they likely won't approve now the policy that should have been in place for decades; hanging 10' off the ground would have done fine for wolves.

It's crazy it took this long for it to happen. It's almost as if nobody involved has ever owned a domestic canine and kept it as in inside dog.

[Tortuga]

I’ve read that the Ursack is vulnerable to small critters, not quite waterproof, and if something gets ahold of it the food ends up crushed.

I do think a 10ft hang is overkill on the island. I usually hang mine from a board in the shelter or keep it in the tent with me. I did have a ground squirrel chew a hole in the food bag at Daisy Farm one trip.

[RedLeg]

Phenomenal job on the parks part here, we're down to 34 days until the park opens & they still don't have an "official policy" announced?

I get there's gov red tape, boards to meet, etc... but at the end of the day excuses are just that & it's clear they dropped the ball on this a couple times to get us where we are today.

[Kelly]

While definitive word would be nice, I'm planning to make sure my food won't be accessible to wolves and other critters. In the end, the responsibility will be on us anyway, and we all have a fair idea about how these things work.

[HoosierHiker1202]

I've gone ahead and ordered a bear cannister. I figure if nothing else, it gives me the encouragement to go ahead and get out West a bit, as well, to try some of their terrain. At 2 pounds, 4 ounces, it's not light, but it's also not going to be what keeps me from accomplishing any of the things I want to do. Plus, finite limit on how much food I can take, so maybe I'll wind up coming in with less weight!

[JerryB]

Phenomenal job on the parks part here, we're down to 34 days until the park opens & they still don't have an "official policy" announced?

I get there's gov red tape, boards to meet, etc... but at the end of the day excuses are just that & it's clear they dropped the ball on this a couple times to get us where we are today.

NPS is in disarray because of job cuts and threatened additional cuts. We should assume nothing will be normal at IR this year. We need to be responsible for ourselves.

[RedLeg]

Yes but No. That's a miserable excuse because this started WELL before the new administration. NPS should have been in front of this the beginning of last season in May when the problem was identified.

New food storage rules should have been ironed out and published before last seasons close.

Thirty days out is just a compounded failure

[torpified]

At 2 pounds, 4 ounces, it's not light, but it's also not going to be what keeps me from accomplishing any of the things I want to do. Plus, finite limit on how much food I can take, so maybe I'll wind up coming in with less weight!

A bear canister is also an invaluable opportunity to hone your tetris skills!

[JerryB]

Yes but No. That's a miserable excuse because this started WELL before the new administration. NPS should have been in front of this the beginning of last season in May when the problem was identified.

New food storage rules should have been ironed out and published before last seasons close.

Thirty days out is just a compounded failure

I am not concerned. How much advance notice do we need?

[Tortuga]

I've gone ahead and ordered a bear cannister. I figure if nothing else, it gives me the encouragement to go ahead and get out West a bit, as well, to try some of their terrain. At 2 pounds, 4 ounces, it's not light, but it's also not going to be what keeps me from accomplishing any of the things I want to do. Plus, finite limit on how much food I can take, so maybe I'll wind up coming in with less weight!

Which model did you go with? I have the backpacker's cache (Garcia) bear vault and my only warning is that rain can get into the top, so I keep it upside down.

[HoosierHiker1202]

BearVault BV 475. It’s supposed to accommodate 5-6 days of food, but it’s not the largest, heaviest option. On paper, at least, it seemed to be the right compromise of weight and volume. Will know more by the end of June after I’ve returned or been consumed by wolves. If I make it back, I’ll let you know how it went. If not, well, you’ll piece it together in my absence.