Food placement at night

[Drybones]

As a tent dweller I always slept with my food and pack, what do hangers do with them? I'm a little concerned that putting them under the tarp will still leave them exposed to critters. I hung my food the first night on the AT and that was the last, mice had gotten into it.

[Scouter_Ken]

Hi Drybones,

Food in a tent is never a good idea. If bears are anywhere around some extra protein (you) goes well with your peanut butter and a tent will not stop anything with claws or teeth.

If you have trees to hang, you have trees for a bear bag (well away from you).

[doogie]

I always hang my food away from camp (even when I was a tent sleeper). When I was very young my parents decided to try out camping and rented a large canvas tent with attached screen room that they set up over a picnic table. They had PB, J and sugar left out in Tupperware containers, in the morning the canvas had been ripped and all the containers opened and eaten on the table (raccoons can open Tupperware)

My video on the PCT hang system.....really light and easy.

[krshome]

On the AT in NJ Sunfish Pond my wife and i had a bear come and sniff around our tent, there was less than a foot between my face and his the only thing between use was some no-see-um. We had no food in the tent but it scared the sh.... out of me. Our food was hanging high in a tree near by and even hung 25-30 feet in the air the bear found it. He shook the tree for what seemed like forever. if we had any food in our tent I think that bear wouldn't have given it a second thought and would have probably killed us. Hang your food! PCT method works great and is very easy.

[Turk3]

Great question...just got back from five day trip and two raccoon encounters for the first time in 10 years of backpacking...woke up at 1:30 in the morning with the raccoon right beneath me..I could of reached down and pet his head...needless to say it startled me and I don't know who got freaked out more.... me or my furry friend...ok I screamed somewhat like a girl...no not really somewhat..) Started to hang a food bag after that and I put some of my food in my hammock after that and not on the ground...or just my coffee and hazelnut creamer...to lazy to get out of my comfortable hammock. In bear country I always hang my food away from camp. It was a commonly visited campsite and I am sure the raccoon knows where to get his next meal...my buddy in the same camp had Captain Crunch stole right out of his kayak the next day...the whole bag....same raccoon I am sure. The raccoon had hit the jackpot for sure. All in all it was memorable and isn't that what it is all about?! Turk3

[Monkeyboy42]

Yup, hang it. If I'm back country I carry zing-it and a small stuff sack to hold a rock. I toss it ove a branch at least 12' high and 10' from trunk. I make sure the tree is at least 50 yards from camp.

If I'm at a shelter situation I'll use the steel post hanging thingies by the shter. Ive never had an issue with critters getting in.

[dakotaross]

I've got one of the small bear vaults mostly because I loathe hanging - I know if I just did it I'd get used to it and it would be fine, but I also like to have access to my stuff potentially into the evening and I also loathe getting stuff up and down out of the tree (feel like I have to set it up during daylight, then have to go back to it). So, besides being my critter proof food container to have around camp, the BV functions as a stool, but its also a storage container for other items. Since I'm mostly a weekender, sometimes section hiker, the smaller BV fits my food as well as other items that I might want to store for the night that I don't need at my hammock.

I know this method won't be for all, and truth be told, I'm always thinking I really need to just start hanging my food while I'm packing my pack with it. But once I get to camp, I'm always glad I have it, and I don't notice the 2lbs all that much.

[novasquid]

i was reading whiteblaze.net the other day about food storage, and noticed quite a few people said they sleep with their food with their reasoning being that animals including bears are more deterred by the smell of people than they are attracted to the smell of food. most of them also said hanging food was not effective. one of the posts gave an example of an AT guide book writer who sleeps with his food, and never had any troubles in his many miles on the AT. not sure what to believe.

[cricky101]

PCT method here too. After a few practice hangs, it's not too bad to put up and down. I worry more about mice, raccoons, etc ... than bears, but still don't think I'd want my food with me under my tarp.

I use a food/rock bag setup from Simply Light Designs I picked up on a sale that has worked well. When not in use, everything smooshes into the rock bag. For the cord I've been using the Lawson Ultraglide bear line. Super slick and hasn't snagged on any branches yet.

[Bubba]

Hunger is an overwhelming instinct for animals and given that more and more people are venturing in the woods and many of them not being very responsible with food, and animals are getting more and more accustomed to human presence, it stands to reason in my mind to keep food away from you and from where you sleep. Hanging a bag or bear vaults or bear proof bags are certainly preferable to keeping food under your hammock IMO.

I heard someone once say it should be looked at from the point of view that hanging your food is not to keep your food safe but to keep the bears safe. Once a bear becomes a nusance or even a danger to humans, that bear will have to be either relocated or killed. It's their home after all and we are just visiting.