Acquiring gear has been both one of my favorite and least favorite parts of planning for my Appalachian Trail thru-hike. It's fun to open up that new package with something inside that you'll likely use every day on trail, but the price tag for most gear is pretty overwhelming. Single pieces of gear (especially tents, backpacks, etc.) can easily run into the hundreds, even when on sale. Luckily, I've tested most of my gear and haven't had to return anything major. Doing research and having time to take advantage of sales definitely pay off.
One of my most recent purchases, which I took a while to make, was a bear canister. I balled out and got the bigger of the two sizes available, which is marketed as being able to hold up to 7 days' worth of food. I figure that I'm going to be packing that baby full to the brim between food I actually need and a million other snacks I'll want, so the extra storage space made sense for me.
From what I've read, bear canisters are not common among thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. I imagine they're seen as overkill--they weigh in at just over 2 pounds, cost between $70 and $90, and are not required along most sections of the AT. However, after reading more from sources like the ATC's website, I realized that a bear canister seemed like the best way to protect bear populations that are becoming more and more accustomed to accessing human food, which creates "problem bears." As the saying goes: a fed bear is a dead bear. As more people hike the Trail, sometimes with little to no education on proper food storage, the black bear population on the East Coast in turn becomes more threatened. As soon as one bear learns to associate the presence of humans with the chance at a snack, that bear will start to exhibit behaviors that are otherwise atypical for a black bear in its natural habitat. It will approach humans more readily, not be as easy to scare off (black bears are usually skittish), and could even become aggressive (which is, again, normally very unusual behavior for a black bear). Between the peace of mind of knowing that my bear canister will prevent any bears who do sniff out my camp site from actually being rewarded with any food (preventing a cycle of association between me and a meal) and knowing that I'm helping to keep bears wild, it seemed worth the investment, especially since I'll have this canister probably forever.
Here's the other thing. A lot of folks I've talked to when I explain my trip have this idea that the Appalachian Trail is this super remote wilderness experience. And yes, it can be. There are many efforts to keep it that way. But on popular sections of the AT (and especially on weekends), you'll easily see more people on your hike than on a trip to the grocery store. The double-edged sword of the Trail getting more popular among day hikers, section hikers, and thru-hikers alike is that not everyone knows how to be responsible out there. You can see signs of heavier use and misuse all along the trail: in litter, overflowing parking lots, too many side trails, eroding soil, fire rings built everywhere, and gear left behind in shelters and at trailheads.
The issue with people thinking that the AT is remote and completely wild is not that we don't want that reality to exist. It's that that reality can too quickly lead us to believe that there is no ripple effect of our choices and that we don't have to educate ourselves about how to hike/backpack with a whole community and ecosystems in mind. We can't keep using the Trail without thinking about the fact that there could very well be literally hundreds of other people on that same section in a week's time. We might be walking in the woods and feeling very content with our perceived solitude, but that section of trail will see other folks and will have to bear the brunt of whatever good or bad decisions they make. The black bears, the Trail itself, the mice, the plants, the water...basically everything is affected by our education or lack thereof.
The good news is there are plenty of resources out there for learning how to leave no trace, and no one is expected to know everything right away. I started out knowing next to nothing about how to act on trail. It's really not about getting it right all the time. It's about expanding your view just a little bit, seeing beyond just your trip and thinking about other's trips and about the Trail as a whole. How would the Trail look if everyone did what you're doing? Who helped make it possible for you to take this hike (i.e. who helps clear this trail, keep it free of brush, build water bars, etc.)? How can you respect their hard work by preserving that footbridge they made, or by not straying off trail? Will people years from now be able to enjoy the Trail at the current rate it's being maintained? I'm still constantly realizing how much I don't know as I learn more about how to preserve the Trail, but the good thing about being a steward of the Trail is that it's kind of an irreversible shift; once you start thinking about those variables, it sets a process in motion.
So, walk through the mud puddle. Eat your food rather than feeding it to wildlife (we all know you worked hard enough to bring it out with you). Pick up that granola bar wrapper someone dropped (you have hand sanitizer in the car, right?). Pick up that peanut off the ground that you just dropped (and EAT IT...or maybe just pack it out if there were deer turds next to it). Volunteer and spread the word about leave no trace practices.
If you want to learn more, here's a link to a podcast episode that inspired this post and that I found super educational and helpful on the topic of LNT and stewardship:
And here's the official LNT website for you to check out:
And, as promised, here is the next reading of my Capstone project (it's a longer one, heads up):
Happy trails,
Anna
P.S. Once I'm back from my hike, if anyone needs a bear canister for a trip, let me know. I am happy to lend it because it's one of those gear items that you only need on isolated occasions. Maybe fill it with chocolates when you return it...or whatever...
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