Securing Food While Zone Camping

[Daryl]

How do you secure food, trash and other items from critters while zone camping miles from your vehicle or the nearest bear box?  

I know how to hang a bag from a tree, but trees aren't always available in BiBe.

[presidio]

How do you secure food, trash and other items from critters while zone camping miles from your vehicle or the nearest bear box?  

I know how to hang a bag from a tree, but trees aren't always available in BiBe.

Well, you want to keep anything that has food odors away from you during the night. That may not mean securing the food from animals, but it keeps the animals from you.

Handle food carefully and don't open more than you need. Clean up best as you can to minimize odors. Some large ziplocks can be useful to seal things and trap odor to the extent possible.

Don't eat in your tent or sleeping bag; otherwise you just may become the giant burrito at midnight.

If you prepare some homemade one-bag meals you may be able to keep the smells fully contained in the packaging.

There are ways to discourage animals, but that means carrying more stuff that could be used to mask odors or make the odors unpleasant.

I've never had an issue by following all but the last paragraph above.

[Casa Grande]

in addition to what Presidio just said, you can also look into getting one of those dry sacks.  Nothing is fool proof as the animals can smell through nearly anything, but a dry sack may give you a few extra points on your side.

http://www.altrec.com/outdoors/drybags/

[Al]

We have zone camped for many years without a problem.  When zone camping you are usually camping where nobody has camped before at least on a regular basis.  So the critters are not in the habit of raiding the campsite.  We just use a trash bag for trash and have never really worried about it.  

Al

[tjavery]

The last time we zone camped, we packed our food (wrapped in ziplocs) deep inside our packs, and then left them 20 feet or so from our tent at night. We also wrapped up all of our trash tightly in several plastic bags and hung them from an ocotillo (about 7 feet up - as high as I could effectively reach).

The ravens can and will get into trash that's wrapped in plastic. I've had that happen before during the day (see below) :D But I think at night, there shouldn't be any problems.


(notice the big, white streaks of bird poo on my back window  :shock: )

[Boot Canyon 1 Cougar]

One other thing I try to do is make sure I'm a good distance from any type of trail.  That is also one of the rules in any camping, but is easy to want to bend if you are searching for a campsite at the end of a long day.

I'd check with the rangers as to the distance your campsite needs to be from any trails.

Animals tend to travel the trails, and thus the further you are away from the trail, the less likely the animal is to smell you or your food.

There is a "fancy" zip lock bag on the market made by Watchful Designs called the Aloksak, and it is reputed to be:

Odor-proof for food, tobacco, or toiletry storage, or for "blue-bagging" human waste out of sensitive areas.
Patented zip seal that keeps their contents completely protected from water, dust, and air.
Watertight to a submersible depth beyond 200 feet.
Flexible and shatterproof, even down to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Very durable - a single Aloksak remains entirely functional through several weeks - or months - of normal backpacking use.
Clear for easy viewing of contents.

3 "12 x 20" inch bags for $13.00 is not cheap.  But I have found that they outlast a heavy duty baggie, and seem to work well for food storage.

tjavery's trash sack in the ocotillo, however, may be the simpler option, not only for trash, but also for some foods.  If you have really lightweight food, that may be a good food storage technique--just figure out the weight limit of the ocotillos.

I would have a bit of concern about packing the food deep inside my pack and leaving the pack a distance from the tent.  If a varmint had a particularly good nose, you might end up with a "javalina customized" pack.  Still, that would be better than having "javalina tatoos" on your arms and legs.

[Daryl]

Odor-proof for food, tobacco, or toiletry storage, or for "blue-bagging" human waste out of sensitive areas...Clear for easy viewing of contents.

Ick  :shock:

[Daryl]

Thanks to all for the great suggestions!

[eddie]

I bought a cheap aluminum stock pot at Walmart. It's probably about 6 quart size or so and very light gage aluminum.  I rigged some clamps to hold the lid on. Never weighed it but the whole thing has got to be well less than a pound.  I pack my food in it, and it fits well in my pack.  At night I either let it sit on the ground or hook a rope to it and hang from whatever is available. I'm sure it wouldn't keep a bear out, but I think most smaller critters would have trouble getting into it.

[Daryl]

cheap aluminum stock pot

Great idea Eddie.  Protects your food plus you can use it for cooking, boiling water, and as a wash basin.

[presidio]

Odor-proof for food, tobacco, or toiletry storage, or for "blue-bagging" human waste out of sensitive areas...Clear for easy viewing of contents.

Ick  :shock:

Well, it keeps you from getting confused as to what is in which package...or having to open it to find out. :D

[TexasGirl]

having to open it to find out.

Hint:  don't open the squishy one.  

Can you tell I live with a teenaged boy?  :D

[txrounder]

a few mothballs(camphor balls) tossed into a food stash/pack/trash(keep em in a ziplock until needed) will go a long way toward concealing food odors as long as they are well packaged and is a good deterent to anything with a sensitive nose,  though I dont know about the ravens!
BEAR in mind (get it?) this is always in addition to the usual precautions.
I've done this forever and never had a "break-in"

[tjavery]

...tjavery's trash sack in the ocotillo, however, may be the simpler option, not only for trash, but also for some foods.  If you have really lightweight food, that may be a good food storage technique--just figure out the weight limit of the ocotillos.

They're fairly robust, although a pound or two is probably the max. Given that winds can often be high, the bag will act as a sail and can put a lot of load on the stalk.

I would have a bit of concern about packing the food deep inside my pack and leaving the pack a distance from the tent.  If a varmint had a particularly good nose, you might end up with a "javalina customized" pack.  Still, that would be better than having "javalina tatoos" on your arms and legs.

There aren't many options - between ocotillos and your own backpack, you're left with having to eat everything in one setting :D I think a solid metal can that doubles as a cooking pot, as mentioned earlier, is probably the best idea.

[Boot Canyon 1 Cougar]

:lol:

Thanks for the responses on the Aloksak specs.

I needed a good laugh this afternoon.

txrounder, that is a great idea with the camphor balls.  Do they effect the taste of things stored near them?