Backcountry Food Storage

On average hikers usually burn between 3000 4000 calories per day but thru hikers hiking 20 30 mile days can easily burn 5000 6000 calories.

Backcountry food storage. What do y all do to keep your food safe from the critters when out in the backcountry. The safest bet for backcountry food storage is an ursack or bear canister. Backcountry food storage advice tldr. Aggressive deer mice living off the careless food storage habits of backpackers and river runners have over run popular backcountry campsites and beaches along the colorado river.

Food storage in the backcountry if you ll be in the bear inhabited backcountry of a national park or national forest or on a national scenic trail such as the appalachian trail or pacific crest trail follow its regulations and recommendations for food storage carefully. Calorie intake backpackers burn a lot of calories on the trail. I m sure the rules are a little different for each scenario. To store my food in the backcountry i ve used ziplock bags inside a dry sack and hung the dry sack pretty lazily with paracord.

I plan to backpack in both the desert and the mountains. Black bears javelinas skunks rodents and other animals may explore your campsite looking for food scraps. Backcountry food storage lockers are provided at all primitive roadside and chisos backpacking sites. This includes scented toiletries such as sunscreen lotion hair spray toothpaste and deodorant garbage fuel and unwashed cooking gear.

When you need to pack everything you need to be safe warm and dry as well as food and water weight becomes your number one priority especially when you need to carry it all in your pack for days on end. Backcountry food storage rock squirrels frequently fed by visitors are the leading cause of animal bites at grand canyon. Any storage products or suggestions you swear by. The last thing you want when you re miles away from the trailhead is for a bear or some other animal to make off will all your food so it s important to sto.

The problem with outdoor adventures is you need a lot of stuff. Zip lock freezer bags are suitable for most backpacking food storage including trail snacks rice pasta dehydrated meals baking mixes and many others. Treat all scented items as food. Zip lock bags could be washed at home and reused.

Below is a list of backpacking food storage tips to help ensure that your food storage methods work safely and effectively.