Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Bear Canisters??? Do We Really Need Bear Canisters???

I haven't read one report about bear sightings. Is there any chance that this time of year we won't have to carry bear canisters. They take up so much room and they're so heavy. I miss the good ol' days before bear canisters.

If you are staying overnight anywhere on the trail, you need a canister -- NOT for the bears, but for those pesky marmots and mice. They chew through packs and tents to get into your food.

Don't leave any food anywhere inside anything fabric!

When you head for the summit, leave your pack unzipped so the curious critters that sniff out old food smells won't have to chew through to find the food gone.

I don't think a tent is as vulnerable as long as you don't keep any food or lotions, etc inside.

Wow you are gonna stir up a hornets nest with this topic.I'm gonna go with the answer. "It's the rule and I am gonna follow the rules".

Lynn, your marmot-havoc potential has a lot to do with where you camp. Trail Camp is where the dinner bell rings for these little SOBs, and that's where they'll congregate in the summer. At the same time, Consultation Lake becomes less of an issue. We camped at CL in mid-July and had zero problems with marmots. We even left our tents up and zipped on summit day and returned to find nothing disturbed.

On the other hand, the later in the season, the fewer campers overnight at TC - thereby diminishing the buffet - and the marmots tend to wander a wider range looking for an easy meal, which can easily include CL.

That's just from a marmot nuisance perspective. From a peace-and-beauty standpoint, TC is a weak single and CL is a home run.

And as long as the Portal Store and campgrounds are open and thriving with people, the bears will tend to stay lower on the mountain (just ask Doug). Once the PS and campgrounds close for the season, they have to wander a wider range for food. I've read posts by folks who swear they've seen a bear at 12,000 feet. Certainly not impossible, but it's gotta be rare.

I got the message loud and clear, YES TO BEAR CANISTERS. I don't want to be the one stirring up a hornets nest. I just found it odd that no one was mentioning bears, but I had forgotten about the little white mice that run over you at night when you're sleeping (they're darling) and I also forgot about the marmots too. Heck, who ever invented those heavy monstrosities should have called them Marmot & Mice Cannisters....what in the world were they thinking.

All joking aside, think of the canister as a great camp chair. One of the posters on this board actually carried a folding chair to the summit. This chair protects your food & gives you peace of mind.

Heh! I used mine for a chair last time out, and ...it cracked!

BearVault is sending me a new lid.

About two or three weeks ago, I think I remember Doug saying there were 12 bears at the Portal. They need to come from somewhere and I'm not sure they would "avoid" a trail.

The interesting thing is how the bears were getting their food. I understand some come right up to the vehicle from behind when the person is taking stuff out of the car, SUV, etc. Then as the person gets startled and backs away, the bear takes his treat!

I know the bears must have learned that while they were surfing the internet.

Be very very afraid of bears bearing dimes!

One of my friends (who passed away recently), camped on the Grand Canyon of the Toulemne trail at Cathedral Creek. The bears (plural!) waited until he & his son had opened the canisters, then charged!

i was talking to the ranger dood down at the visitor center when I was picking up my permit. He said some of the bears were doing bluff charges to get people to abandon their food or packs.

He also said that the bear taking the burger out of the woman's hand was reaching urban legend status and that there is a fine line between a good story and exaggeration.

My wife just told me about a person who was staying at the Portal a week or two ago that had their soft cover camper shell slashed by at least one bear. He hikes the Sierras a lot, knows to put everything in the bear boxes and said there was absolutely nothing in the back of his truck, but the bears must have smelled something in there that had left a scent behind.

Gary Larsen did a cartoon with bear boffins trying to solve canisters. If anybody can find it, please post a link.

My second-favorite Far Side (bearly) behind the Thagomizer. Who knew that cartooning would lead to scientific immortality?.

"I considered this an extreme honor"

I differ with all posters here. The rule is, and I paraphrase, something that was designed to prevent access by bears. The key word is designed. As long as you stay in the Inyo National Forest, you can use a 6 oz. Ursack. It is certainly designed to prevent access by bears. If you search the Inyo website you will find the exact wording.

Secondly, if you are going to be camping at Trail Camp, bears are not the issue, marmots are. All you need to do is hang the Ursack from a rock above the ground.

My friends and I have been using Ursacks for over 10 years without a problem. In that time we have seen the ubiquitous Bear Vault fail on several occasions.

This is what I found: In 2009 the Inyo National Forest canister rules were anything manufactured to be bear resistant. This meant Ursacks were legal. However, Ursack lost its suit with the feds last fall; therefore, check the Inyo's website for what they deem acceptable before bring your perfectly fine Ursack.

I did a bit of research before investing in a heavy and bulky bear canister and if I remember correctly, you are allowed to use "Approved" bear resistant containers, in which Ursack was not on the approved container list.

Looks like Ursacks are not approved because they need to be hung....and a large portion of the Whitney Zone is above tree line. Here's a great link to a conversation I found from this board:

Ursack vs Bear Canisters

Not to be an a$$ or anything, but if the weight and bulk of a legal bear canister is going to break your back and ruin your trip, it's time to lighten up somewhere else and maybe get in better hiking shape. Is a canister really that big of a deal?

In all fairness though, I only carry it where I'm required to.......................................DUG

I'm in class on break and I just read this and started cracking up really loud. That was funny.

You're going to have me in stitches.

You said it, I'm not in hiking shape at all. I hope some of you are SAR.

Huh?????

Not sure where that came from. I use a hard case bear canister as does my wife.

I certainly would like to save weight, though yes, losing more than the weight I've lost since melanoma cancer and total hip replacement would help.

Please explain.....was that a comment on the subject or towards me personally???

Oh, he makes the same comment everytime anyone talks about the weight of packs, bear cans, etc.