I'd be interested on hearing experiences and observations from the community on the best strategies for storage of food, toiletries, and garbage in the backcountry.
Are bear canisters worth the extra weight/expense? Or are there alternatives that you use?
I understand that each of the backcountry sites have either food lockers or bear poles.
The GNP backcountry camping site lists the following related gear:
- A weatherproof food and garbage hanging bag
25 feet of rope for hanging food and garbage
I'm not entirely clear on the use of bear canisters. When a bear pole is present, do you still just plan on leaving it on the ground (that would seem dumb). Do you bring along another bag to hang it in? Do you just hang your backpack with it in it?