storing food at smoky shelters

[bellawoofoo]

There seem to be a lot more food storage problems there with bears and mice than I'm used to up north. I'm grateful that in the smoky's I can just use the hanger to string up my bag at the shelters, but reading all of the different posts, I'm a little confused about the best way to do this. To avoid mice chewing up my gear, I wondered if I should just hang the food bag, not my pack and use a couple layers of garbage bags for the food bag because I would rather sacrifice a little food than my backpack or a good gear bag.

And should I try to figure out how to rig up one of those tuna cans or CDs to hang above the bag to ward off mice from dropping down on it? Thanks

[hikerboy57]

In the Smokies all the shelters have bear cables

[HooKooDooKu]

In the Smokies all the shelters have bear cables

But that doesn't always protect your food from mice... in some areas the mice are learning they can get to what is on the bear cables by climbing the cables themselves.

But the most common thing I've experienced at Smokies shelters are that campers simply hand their food bags on the bear cables, and hang their back packs (all pockets opened) from the many nails around the shelter.

[daddytwosticks]

Use a rodent-proof food bag hung from the bear cables. Hang your backpack in the shelter with all pockets open.

[Drybones]

But that doesn't always protect your food from mice... in some areas the mice are learning they can get to what is on the bear cables by climbing the cables themselves.

But the most common thing I've experienced at Smokies shelters are that campers simply hand their food bags on the bear cables, and hang their back packs (all pockets opened) from the many nails around the shelter.

I'd hang the pack also. A lady in our group did as mentioned and had a hole eaten through her pack and into her down jacket.

[HooKooDooKu]

I'd hang the pack also. A lady in our group did as mentioned and had a hole eaten through her pack and into her down jacket.

Things like that are a risk, but that's a part of the reason for leaving pockets open. The idea is that the mice are free to explore the backpack without having to chew through anything to get to a food smell.

[Stir Fry]

A cheep rodent proof bag can be made by using the air bags from a car. I got them from the junkyard. They did not even charge me for them as they were already deployed. You hust have to sew a couple pieces together to make a food bag. A large one weighs about 2 oz.

[hikerboy57]

But that doesn't always protect your food from mice... in some areas the mice are learning they can get to what is on the bear cables by climbing the cables themselves.

But the most common thing I've experienced at Smokies shelters are that campers simply hand their food bags on the bear cables, and hang their back packs (all pockets opened) from the many nails around the shelter.

use odor proof opsak storage bags, hang your food from the cables, open the pkts in your pack, hang it with your food, or in a shelter.dont store trash in your backpack, even candy wrappers, have a trash bag handy for during the day.

[Butterfly58]

Are the cuben fiber sacks odor-proof?

[hikerboy57]

A cheep rodent proof bag can be made by using the air bags from a car. I got them from the junkyard. They did not even charge me for them as they were already deployed. You hust have to sew a couple pieces together to make a food bag. A large one weighs about 2 oz.

how do you seal it to make it odorproof?

[Dogwood]

And should I try to figure out how to rig up one of those tuna cans or CDs to hang above the bag to ward off mice from dropping down on it? Thanks

I think all the bear cables in GSMNP have some form of animal baffles on the cables. Do with your pack as others have said either if you decide to hang it in the shelter or on the cables.

[TNhiker]

i also suggest taking a carabiner and clipping food bag on to the loop part of the cables.....the cables have an open faced hook so just dont hang from here, but also clip or tie a knot to the the cable....

various animals have learned to shake the cables to get bags to drop.....

[MuddyWaters]

take a small carabiner and a kitchen garbage bag
clip your whole pack on the line, with the garbage bag over it
its stays dry and rodent free

[sliderule]

take a small carabiner and a kitchen garbage bag
clip your whole pack on the line, with the garbage bag over it
its stays dry and rodent free

Where do you obtain the mouse-proof garbage bags?

Are they made of Kevlar?

[HooKooDooKu]

dont store trash in your backpack, even candy wrappers, have a trash bag handy for during the day.

I keep a trash bag inside my food bag (since that's the source of most of my trash). It's simply a smaller water proof stuff sack (the kind you DON'T roll up to seal so that it is easy to squeeze the air out). I line the sack with a trash bag designed for small trash cans.

[Wise Old Owl]

I actually am enjoying this thread...

[GSLeader_in_NC]

Are there pulley systems in the park, like at the shelters in Georgia? (where it is simply a matter of clipping your bag to the pulley and hoisting it up) or are they just suspended, taught wires that we have to throw our rope over? I'm trying to decide if I need to bring my 50 feet of rope for this trip...

[sliderule]

Are there pulley systems in the park...?

Yes.

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[HooKooDooKu]

Are there pulley systems in the park?

According to the trail map, every camp site and every shelter has bear cables now.
That's only happened sometime in the last several years, so you might still find reference to "most campsite have bear cables" in things like the 'Little Brown Book'.

[daddytwosticks]

Some of the shelters I visited last week in GSMNP had two sets of bear cables.