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I've done the vast majority of my backpacking up here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It's pretty much required to bring a bear canister with you wherever you go. So for something like the AZT where bears aren't as big of a concern, what are the best methods of keeping food safe from other critters like squirrels? Is hanging a pack on a nearby tree with just its normal straps enough? Is it safe to leave the pack in the vestibule of the tent?

Also, in attempting part of the trail last season, I realized I had the wrong kind of shirt(s). What should I be looking for in terms of shirts for the trail? Would I want a lightweight longsleeve shirt to keep the sun off?

Thanks!

cavaroc wrote:Would I want a lightweight longsleeve shirt to keep the sun off?

bingo and preferably not cotton unless you want to sand off your headlights

Is hanging a pack on a nearby tree with just its normal straps enough

I have had no problems with the above method in the less traveled areas, however, in more established campsites with braver and more creative rodents, I would buy a "ratsack."

http://www.rei.com/product/846495/armor ... torage-bag

Perfect! Thanks!

I own an Ursack that's bear proof. Not a single critter has managed to chew into this bag, it's awesome. Ursack now makes a lighter cheaper bag that is not bear proof, just critter proof.

As for shirts, a lot of PCT and CDT hikers nowadays wear long-sleeved, button-down nylon shirts (I did on both trails). They are bugproof, sunproof (if you get one with a high SPF), relatively quick to dry (better than wool, not quite as good as polyester, infinitely better than cotton), and durable in thorny stuff. On mutli-day stretches between laundry, nylon is much, much less stinky than polyester.

The AZT is actually pretty similar to the PCT and CDT in terms of the conditions you'll encounter (hot deserts to cold mountains), and I think that a long-sleeved nylon shirt is a really good compromise for those conditions.

I'm a fan of wool. Merino wool comes in a variety of weights and I hike in wool year round. About the only time I deviate is R2R when I know I'll be wanting a lot of evaporate cooling - then I wear cotton so that I can keep wetting it down. But on most of the AZT, having the luxury of wetting down clothing is only a dream!

Chumley recently posted regarding some nicely made shirts at Old Navy. I bought a few short and a few long sleeved ones.
I like them and so far the "funk" washes out just fine...

Thanks for the tips! As for the ratsacks, I'm looking into them but not sure which size I would need. I was originally thinking the large, but it says the small can supposedly carry food for 5 days. So should I go with a medium? Which size works best for the AZT?