Rant: A guy at the trailhead in Pisgah said my bear canister was a waste of space

I was packing up my car at the Black Balsam trailhead last fall, putting my Garcia canister in my pack. This older guy with a huge external frame pack walked over and said, 'You know, a simple hang is just as good if you do it right.' He told me he'd been backpacking for 40 years and never had a bear get his food. I argued that a canister is foolproof and required in some areas now. It was a short talk, but it stuck with me. Do you think canisters are overkill for most trips, or is the old-school hang method just asking for trouble?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellymurphy1mo ago

Honestly my friend tried the old hang method and a bear got it night one, kinda like what robert275 said about old school pride.

robert2751mo ago

That old school pride in doing things the hard way pops up everywhere, doesn't it? Like refusing to use GPS because a map never runs out of batteries.