 Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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on: October 06, 2008, 07:07:35 PM
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Keatan
Location: Indiana
Posts: 11
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« on: October 06, 2008, 07:07:35 PM » |
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Hi all, I'm Keatan and I'm from south central Indiana. I have never actually bikepacked but it has always intrigued me. As of now I am in the stages of planning my first bikepacking trip with my friend. It will be a 2 day ~100 mile trip possibly this fall if the weather holds. I have run across a few questions in my planning:
-What do you do about raccoons? In scouts we always had coolers to lock food in at night. Thats not an option in bikepacking.
-What program is used for those digital map overlays of trails? Right now I am planning on using paper maps.
All help is appreciated! Thank you!
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #1 on: October 06, 2008, 07:35:04 PM
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Goatrak
Slo bikepacker
Posts: 18
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« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2008, 07:35:04 PM » |
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On the raccoon question, generally around here the mountain lions seem to take care of them.  But seriously I'm guessing hanging food in a sack on a line from a tree would probably keep it out of their reach, although I know they can be pretty smart little critters. That's our approach for getting the food away from camp and out of the reach of bears and other nocturnal animals big and small. |
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #2 on: October 06, 2008, 08:09:43 PM
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Arctos
30+ years bikepacking
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 16
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« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2008, 08:09:43 PM » |
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I have been using an Ursack for several years to keep small and large critters out of my food. I just tie the sack to a tree or bush or stake it to the ground when treeless to keep it from being dragged away. It has worked for me even in Grizzly and Alaska Brown Bear territory in Alaska and Canada and along the Divide Ride route.
http://www.ursack.com/ |
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #3 on: October 08, 2008, 10:09:39 AM
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ScottM
bikepacking.net admin
Location: Wherever the GeoPro is parked.
Posts: 2863
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« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2008, 10:09:39 AM » |
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Hi,
Tying food in a tree will probably work, though I can't say I have much experience with raccoons. I'd find a high branch and let the food back dangle midway off the ground, hoping they can't climb down the rope!
Ursacks work too, just a bit bulky to carry.
Regarding software, I wrote a piece of software called TopoFusion (link in signature) that myself and others on this site used for the digital overlays and such. I pretty much wrote the software for my own use, so it's definitely geared toward long trips on the bike.
Feel free to shoot my any questions about the software by email, or here on the forum.
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #4 on: October 08, 2008, 01:25:27 PM
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Keatan
Location: Indiana
Posts: 11
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« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2008, 01:25:27 PM » |
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Thanks for the help, I will have to get some rope before the trip to keep my food hung. And thank you for the information about the software. I have been using Google Earth to plot the small road sections that connect the trails and to mark food and water. I will definitely be posting a report as soon as this trip gets underway.
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #5 on: October 08, 2008, 02:34:31 PM
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x-ker
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 1
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« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2008, 02:34:31 PM » |
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Thanks for the help, I will have to get some rope before the trip to keep my food hung. Have a look at this link, it shows a fairly easy method of making a counter-balance bear bag. Apparently it makes it much harder for animals to steal your food. |
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #6 on: October 08, 2008, 03:43:41 PM
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Eric
Posts: 237
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« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2008, 03:43:41 PM » |
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Just sleep with it and kick anything that comes and bothers you.
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #7 on: October 08, 2008, 07:57:07 PM
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DaveC
Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 249
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« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2008, 07:57:07 PM » |
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Look at the picture!!  I knew you were a good photographer Eric, but I didn't know anyone that hot lived in Alaska! (Now that Sarah went away.) |
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Topic Name: Hello and a few ?
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Reply #8 on: October 08, 2008, 09:38:30 PM
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Eric
Posts: 237
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« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2008, 09:38:30 PM » |
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yeah, thanks, that was from my SNL days. Sarah was hot? really?
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