Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Bear can a requirement for Cottonwoods Lake area?

If you are gonna camp near any of the cottonwood lakes, is a bear can a mandatory requirement? Also, for 2 people cmaping, is one bear can sufficient to justify it for the whole group or should each person in thep arty have one?

thnx

looks like it.

I've put two days provisions for 3 in one canister. Depends on what you are packing.

You should be able to fit food for two into a single bear can. Remove excess packaging, put whatever you can into zip locks, squeeze out the air, etc. We can fit 5-6 days worth of food for one in a can when packed right.

For ease on the trail, we organize the food by meals and place in the can in order of anticipated use, one layered over the other. That way we don't have to pack and repack the can, just take the food from on top.

Yes. Bear canisters are required at Cottonwood Lakes. I was out that way a few weeks ago and had no trouble with bears. By myself I can fit 3 days food, jetboil, toiletries, TP in the canister, with room to spare. I repackage my food in ziplocs to use minimal space.

Berikade. Problem is making sure any back pack you get will fit around it. Weighs less than Garcia. Also costs more than Garcia.

Lots of uses around camp as a stool, bath tub, etc. You can compress non-edibles into it to make more room in pack as it empties.

Carried 9 days food for 2 + snacks. My wife was a Houdini in packing it. We didn't pack lip or body UV as we get the kind with no perfume or attractants. Toothpaste is baking soda and additives (e.g. H202). Liquid soap in 2 oz container - again no good smells. Became a LOT easier to pack after the 3rd day.

We did loose weight

Houdini I am sure! How much did that food weigh?

I couldn't get 7 days' food for myself into my Bearvault. Next time, I'll pack the Mountain House food in a ziplock and take the foil package along empty to use for the hot water prep.

As others have stated, yes they are required.

I was up there last weekend. I use a BearVault, but you can rent the Backpacker's Cache by Garcia from the Interagency Visitors Center (Ranger Station) just South of Lone Pine. You pick up your permit there anyway, so it's convenient.

They had a lot of them in stock.

Had a lot of rice tamped down at bottom. Problem is it was on bottom so had to start all over again if you took it out. She ended up putting that day's ration of rice in pack separately. We always carried the next day's food in the pack because it became a real pain to try to put all of it back together again. Then layer of milk powder, top was a malleable plastic container full of olive oil. Inbetween was some freeze dried but crushed and removed from its packaging and tortilla, peanut butter in plastic with honey. Crushed nuts, etc. Nothing that went into the container was bigger than a rice grain. We actually ate well. It took a lot more fuel however.

I am guessing we had 1.5-2 pounds per person a day. She got to carry everything else.

I know it has been discussed on here many times, but what is the current official stance on the Ursack things? I used one before and loved it, but am about to take the first trip right up the main trail and don't want to get turned around for not having the right stuff.