# Food storage on the Grand Canyon, self support...



## OC1er (Nov 22, 2011)

Word is that you need to worry about critters getting into your food, even chewing through bulkheads to get to it. Any recomendations or experience with keeping your food safe in the Canyon?


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## montana_field (Mar 28, 2011)

Don't store any food or used candy wrappers in your splash gear or other clothes. Winter is the worst time of year as the rodents have less to choose from and are very hungry. We had mice and rats jump onto our tables while we were making dinner.


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## Schutzie (Feb 5, 2013)

montana_field said:


> Don't store any food or used candy wrappers in your splash gear or other clothes. Winter is the worst time of year as the rodents have less to choose from and are very hungry. We had mice and rats jump onto our tables while we were making dinner.


Added protein!


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## montana_field (Mar 28, 2011)

Schutzie said:


> Added protein!


Not "supposed to harvest wild animals in a national park". I remember wishing I had a pellet gun


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## AZJefe (Jun 3, 2009)

Cylindrical containers made from metal window screen worked well for me.


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## [email protected] (Jan 22, 2008)

*Mice in the Dish Pales*

For some reason mice love to drown themselves in the dish pales, coffee water, or any warm water left out and uncovered over night. Filling pots and pales up for breakfast the night before is definitely a great way to save time and avoid cold feet in the morning. If you are going to leave water out though, make sure to cover it up unless you are looking for a little taste of rodent in your coffee!


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Outsak UL and Outsak Spectrum | Steel Mesh Storage Bag | SimpleOutdoorstore OR...

If you have the ability to hang your food, toiletries, etc.:
at the top of the line, place a CD, string together 3 or 4 film canisters below,...critters, including mice, can't balance on the CD...makes for good camp TV.


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## mtriverrat (Jan 29, 2012)

Not just rats and mice. I saw a raven chew right through a clear dry bag to get something shiny. Of course they really are smart flying rats I guess. You have to admire their tenacity.


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## wildsoles (Feb 20, 2013)

On a dozen canyon trips over the years, we've had mice issues, but they've never been more of a problem than on any other river. Just have dinner dish crew do a final sweep of the kitchen, and make sure all food makes it back into coolers, ammo cans or dryboxes at night. 

The ringtails and ravens were the bigger pests. They're clever! Both can unzip backpacks. At Bass Camp, on broad daylight, the ringtails dragged off my solar charger and camera batteries (we caught up with them partway back to their lair). I've never seen them out during the day! And at Nankoweap, the ravens unzipped my pack and flew some of my clothing into a tree... That was fun.


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## ridecats (Aug 8, 2009)

My food arrives at camp in coolers and dryboxes. After meals, the remaining food gets put back into coolers and dryboxes. Critters cannot get it there. Simple.


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## AZJefe (Jun 3, 2009)

OP was about self-support. I guess if you're a true badass you can put a cooler and boxes in a self-supported boat ;-)


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## OC1er (Nov 22, 2011)

Yeah, this is kayak self support, so no coolers, ammo boxes, ribeyes, or lobsters.

I'm paddling a Remix XP10 so I have a dry compartment in the back separated from the cockpit by a minicell wall (4" minicell?). So I can put my food in the dry hatch, but I'm concerned about the mice chewing thru the wall then thru the dry bags into the food. Someone had a brilliant idea of leaving the boat on an incline and putting water in there so the wall is totally covered. Others have covered the foam wall with plexiglass, I was also considering fiberglass.


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## Cutch (Nov 4, 2003)

Just drybag your stuff, and put it in the storage hatch every night, with the lid closed. I haven't seen them go through the foam yet, and haven't had problems with a rubber hatch cover keeping animals out. Just make sure to remove all wrappers from your PFD pockets. 

The ravens are bold thieves, and clever with drybags not stowed in the compartment.


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## ridecats (Aug 8, 2009)

AZJefe said:


> OP was about self-support. I guess if you're a true badass you can put a cooler and boxes in a self-supported boat ;-)


Oops. My bad. Carry on...


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## restrac2000 (Mar 6, 2008)

You can always get a liner for the inside of your dry bag, and just use it at night as a separate container. These guys have made such bags for years for different species, this one should do the trick for the sharp toothed and clawed animals you are concerned about, with the added benefit that they don't add any real bulk or weight to your trip:

Ursack Minor (2012)


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## restrac2000 (Mar 6, 2008)

As a heads up, the two trips I have done so far in the GC have both experienced ring tails trying to loot the kitchen. They seem to be attracted to shiny cooking equipment and not the food, though.

Mice weren't a major issue either time, including a winter trip. That said, we had dry boxes and coolers to hide food so I am not certain how they will be with a kayak self-support trip. 

Ravens are diligent creatures and show a lot of tenacity. We got in the habit of spraying them with water canons by day 3 this last trip. They seem to be an issue right when you arrive in camp or not at all, from my experience. Never known them to raid camp at night so being vigilant while awake should be enough.

Have a great trip.

Phillip


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