bear bag vs. bear canister

[Darwin Roos]

I'm planning to do the Superior Trail in Minnesota in the next couple of weeks and I'm wanting to go as light as possible. Since there are possibly going to be bears, should I use a bear bag or bear canister?

Darwin
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[Anonymous]

Hi Darwin,
A lot depends on your priorities. It's a game of tradeoffs IMHO. More weight and security vs. less weight and a certain amount of risk. This much is straightforward. But, if I were you, I would focus on the risk component which involves factors such as: 1) How habituated are the bears to humans and their food(have there been recent incidents of bears getting at peoples' food/difficulty driving them off); 2) Are the trees suitable for bagging(I was raised in Northern Michigan, just south of the Straits where there was a lot of poplar and Jack pine, neither of which are very good for bagging/hanging your food-what is the situation in Northern Minnesota?); 3) What do the local Rangers or Fish and Game folks recommend; 4) What would be the impact of losing your food, i.e. is it your only trip of the year, or just one of many, in which case you could chalk it up to experience and try again later. There are probably other factors to consider, but these might get you started. Best of luck.

[Darwin Roos]

Thank you for your input. I appreciate it.
A person at the Superior Hiking Trail Association said that either a cannister or tree hanging should be used.

Drwin

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