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GrandDude
Thanks for that info on disbursed camping... we got an Inyo Forest map.
Two more questions:
1) Fires only in existing fire rings. Are those very common? Or with a large group of 12 and the existing camp areas we'll need to find -- is it most likely we'll not be able to plan on fires to heat water? We have one gas packpacking stove, but boiling water for 12 is slooooowwww. We'll need to carry at least another stove and fuel.
2) Mandatory bear canisters (approx. 12 inches by 8.8 inches; 600 cubic inches volume).... Do these stay in backpacks at night? Or need to be put in Bear Box at night (one of prev Posts has map of bear boxes in Vogelsang, Merced Lake, and Little Yosemite)?
Only backpacking in bear country was 1970's Philmont Scout Ranch (bags hung between trees... still had them in camp going after collapsible water jugs)
Thanks...
There are quite a few existing rings depending on location. Still - backpacking stoves are considerably more convenient and efficient. If you've got a lot of water to boil and need it fast, maybe see about getting a Jetboil stove. That should cut down on boiling time and you can keep it in your inventory for future use.
You don't want to keep your canister in a backpack unattended. I think that might even be against regulations. If you did that, a bear could possibly just abscond with it and try to work on breaking it open elsewhere. The canisters are designed to be left out in the open. They are sized such that bears can't chew through the material and don't have any kind of handle that makes it easy to cart away. That being said, there have been reports of bears knocking them around with canisters occasionally seen going over various waterfalls.
It's best to leave your pack out with all the zips open. That gives animals a chance to rummage through them rather than chew through (squirrels or mice) them and/or grab them. I was at the Yosemite Valley backpackers campground when some kid left his pack on a picnic table for a few seconds when a bear grabbed his pack and took off.
I wouldn't count on the bear boxes being available near assorted backcountry campgrounds. They fill up rapidly, and I remember seeing quite a few deliberately kept open like a pantry. They must be shared too.