Asylum on a sea of rock: - The Mountaineers
Asylum on a sea of rock: - The Mountaineers
Asylum on a sea of rock: - The Mountaineers
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c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong>currents<br />
D<strong>on</strong>’t feed the animals! Learn food-storage basics<br />
by Sarah Krueger<br />
C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> Manager<br />
Backcountry food preferences<br />
vary am<strong>on</strong>g campers. Many opt for simple,<br />
freeze-dried, meal-in-a-bag entrees while others<br />
go gourmet with fresh ingredients. some<br />
simply survive <strong>on</strong> energy bars and snacks, but<br />
every<strong>on</strong>e should have at least <strong>on</strong>e comm<strong>on</strong><br />
ingredient for their overnight trips: a plan for<br />
proper food storage.<br />
Whether you are camping out <strong>of</strong> your <strong>sea</strong><br />
kayak or bivouacking in the sub-alpine z<strong>on</strong>e,<br />
there are a host <strong>of</strong> hungry critters hoping for<br />
a sample from your menu.<br />
<strong>The</strong> c<strong>on</strong>scientious camper will keep food,<br />
garbage, toiletries and other scented products<br />
well-guarded from resourceful birds and animals.<br />
Good habits preserve camping supplies<br />
but also prevent the habituati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> wildlife.<br />
Animals attracted to the food source <strong>of</strong> careless<br />
campers <strong>of</strong>ten become bold, aggressive<br />
or addicted to the free lunch. By integrating<br />
food storage into your trip planning, you can<br />
avoid losing precious calories to camp robbers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> old hang-up<br />
Hanging food and toiletries in a sturdy stuff<br />
sack will keep ground squirrels and mice from<br />
your stash and, if executed properly, will elude<br />
the paws <strong>of</strong> racco<strong>on</strong>s and bears. <strong>The</strong> supplies<br />
are simple: a stuff sack or animal-resistant<br />
bag, light carabiner, 50-100 feet <strong>of</strong> <strong>on</strong>e-eighth<br />
inch or larger rope and a throw bag (tent<br />
8 the mountaineer » july/august 2011<br />
richard Tomlin photo sebastian Werner photo Jesse Bell photo<br />
stake bags work well).<br />
in bear country, food should hang at least<br />
10 feet <strong>of</strong>f the ground, 10 feet away from<br />
tree trunks and about 5 feet below any tree<br />
branches. Finding the appropriate tree for a<br />
hang can be a feat — especially in the Pacific<br />
Northwest where the c<strong>on</strong>ifers <strong>of</strong>fer drooping<br />
branches. Often, a camper must suspend food<br />
<strong>on</strong> a rope between two tree trunks. study and<br />
practice a variety <strong>of</strong> techniques for hanging<br />
food so you can adapt to the c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s at<br />
the campsite. remember that even a well<br />
executed hang is not foolpro<strong>of</strong>. Flying squirrels<br />
are known to leap <strong>on</strong>to suspended food<br />
bags, jays and ravens may poke holes in fabric<br />
and dexterous racco<strong>on</strong>s can pull <strong>of</strong>f amazing<br />
stunts to reach dinner.<br />
Bear canisters<br />
Hard-sided canisters <strong>of</strong>fer fail-safe food<br />
storage in bear country as well as areas with<br />
particularly crafty racco<strong>on</strong>s. Canisters add<br />
an extra 2-4 pounds to a pack depending <strong>on</strong><br />
the model and size, but they save campers<br />
the time and effort <strong>of</strong> properly hanging food<br />
and are particularly useful above the tree<br />
line. Canisters are increasingly mandatory<br />
throughout the sierra Nevada range as well<br />
as Glacier, Grand Tet<strong>on</strong>, and <strong>rock</strong>y Mountain<br />
Nati<strong>on</strong>al Parks and certain areas <strong>of</strong> Olympic<br />
and Denali Nati<strong>on</strong>al Parks. Many park and<br />
wilderness areas maintain a list <strong>of</strong> approved<br />
canister models - do your homework.<br />
Animal-resistant bags<br />
Popular am<strong>on</strong>g the ultra-light crowd,<br />
animal-resistant bags aim to keep rodents<br />
from gnawing <strong>on</strong> precious food supplies. Outsack<br />
and GrubPack stainless steel wire mesh<br />
bags come in a range <strong>of</strong> sizes, weighing 2.8 to<br />
12.5 ounces. <strong>The</strong>se mesh bags claim to resist<br />
rodents and racco<strong>on</strong>s but should be hung<br />
properly to protect food from bears. Crafted<br />
from high-tech fabrics used in pers<strong>on</strong>al<br />
armor, ursack bags are another lightweight<br />
opti<strong>on</strong>. <strong>The</strong> ursack Minor weighs 2.7 ounces<br />
while the heavier-duty ursack s29 weighs 7.3<br />
ounces and claims to be bear resistant (an opti<strong>on</strong>al<br />
aluminum insert protects food from the<br />
crushing force <strong>of</strong> curious bears). <strong>The</strong> ursack<br />
s29 has yet to be approved as a substitute in<br />
most areas where land managers require bear<br />
canisters.<br />
Outwitting wildlife takes a bit <strong>of</strong> work for<br />
the backcountry traveler, but the benefits<br />
are well-worth the effort. Choose a storage<br />
method that is appropriate for the envir<strong>on</strong>ment<br />
you are visiting and check land manager<br />
regulati<strong>on</strong>s. Practice packing supplies into<br />
your bag or canister to make sure everything<br />
fits before your trip. regardless <strong>of</strong> your<br />
method, food and toiletries should always<br />
be stored at least 100 feet downwind from<br />
campsites in bear country. With a bit <strong>of</strong> planning,<br />
you can sleep well knowing you’ll have<br />
breakfast in the morning! 55
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