Ratty pack munchers [merged]

[farkewie]

Hi,

We (her and I) will be doing south coast track in a couple of weeks (can't wait!) but I am a bit worries about my shiny new pack and tent ending up with holes in them from hungry wildlife.

I was planning on hanging my stuff sacks full of food from trees is this known to help. my other worry with that is, waking up in the morning to no food left.

I thought of adding a tin "disc" to the rope so critters cannot climb down it.

what are your thought experiences but most of all recommendations.

NB: Most of my overnighters have been in SE QLD and we don't really have the same issues here.

Thanks

[ILUVSWTAS]

I've never had any worries along the south coast track!

[bauera]

Rats ate holes in my sparkling new tent at South Cape Bay (away for a beach walk and food inside) and in another tent at Low Camp on the Ironbounds (people sleeping unimpressed by rat wandering across their heads). No pack damage though and they were left outside the whole trip. Also a few gnaw marks in a bit of chocolate left alone for 10 seconds. I think if you keep your food well packed away and not wafting its attractive odours all over the place you should be okay.

[wello]

Watch out for the cheeky quoal at Little Deadman's bay. He stole a 1kg bag of nuts in broad daylight (we did get it back though). His mode of operation was to wander around the campsites looking for people who'd unpacked their stuff and left food easily accessible. We had no problem at night but were carefull to put all food away in the pack.

[Azza]

I've never had a problem with rats or any other animals eating through stuff.
Although I've observed people on the south coast complaining about having their tents and packs chewed through.
I've been along various sections of the south coast track 3 times nows, and south cape bay numerous times.

I can only conclude that it has a lot to do with the way your storing and handling your food.. either that or I'm just lucky.
I always packed my food up at night and made sure it was sealed up inside my pack and pack liner under the vestible of my tent.

I assume they smell food left out in a tent and just go for it.

[whiskeylover]

I've never had a problem with animals getting into food, although they have sometimes kept me awake playing with trangia parts left out. I am very fussy and tidy though - read OCD.
I agree that it is more likely to happen if you spill food or store food inappropriately. My sister had her pack eaten through by a rat at Surprise Bay even though she hung her pack from a tree. I think the problem was that she had spilt some of the scroggin in the top pocket of the pack and that's what ratty was after. We never eat in the tent and all our food is packed away in zip lock bags and then thick liner bags inside the pack. If a site has a reputation for animals stealing stuff I hang my pack from a tree too.
We found a large bag of scroggin, muesli bars and flat bread at Deadmans Bay that had obviously been stolen and half eaten by a quoll. Somebody went hungry that trip!The person must have only been a day ahead of us, but we never caught up to them.
A quoll at Louisa river stole my sisters book, but decided it wasn't his style so he didn't take it far and we found it back.
We soaked porridge in the trangia pot overnight every night and never had any trouble with it - we just found a large "possum" rock or three to put on top of it each night and put it away from our camp under a log or in a hollow so it couldn't be knocked over.

[Walker]

I had little mice or something eat through the tent walls at Granite Beach. Scroggin bag was inside tent pocket by mistake, also breakfast bag was ready to go for an early start.
Best plan for me that seems to work is keeping stuff in a bag in a bag in a.... and in the pack in the vestibule, with noisy stove / billy type things balancing on it, so if there is noise you'll wake and be violent towards the little *&^$)@

[Area54]

I've never felt safe hanging stuff from trees - we've got rats and possums here at home that feed on the seed we put down for the birds in a hanging tray. The rats just hang over the edge of the roof skirt I put up to keep rain out, then jump to the tray, possums just move the skirt out of the way. The rats keep our cats entertained, the possum keeps our 4yo pet monkey entertained - a good testbed for ideas


I've used those clear, folding hard shell shoe boxes to store food in. Made out of Mylar, a tough, light polyester film, used in a lot of packaging, for high quality sails for sailboards. Quite a lightweight box, with sufficient rigidity to protect crushables (ruskits/crisps) and fold flat when finished with, bit like Orikaso without the price tag.

[Greenie]

Area54, where did you get the Mylar box from? Do I have to buy a pair a shoes just to get a box?!
Thanks

[farkewie]

HI,

Thanks for all the reply's, I guess I will play it by ear. We will be keeping out food and rubbish in zip lock bag,s then in stuff sacks. Hopefully this will be ok.

I am just a bit worried, I don't want to replace my pack again. that would be 3 in a year!

[Area54]

I bought them from a local dollar store, but a quick google of plastic shoe box will bring up a heap of results. Far lighter than Tupperware or Decor too.

I like to recycle also, so I have a few odd sized that things were packed in - teabag box, a desk clock. Outside the box thinking. boom tish

[srforum112]

I was reading a trip report by a walker who had completed the south coast track. The author mentioned animals raided his and other campers food at Granite Bay. I asked a friend who'd walked the track twice and he didn't experience any problems with animals damaging packs/tents and stealing food. John Chapman doesn't mention this problem in his trip notes.
Just wandering if anyone has experienced problems with critters on the south coast track.
Sonja

[ILUVSWTAS]

Only possums and quolls. Have heard about rats from others though.

Take no chances and store food in bags in containers in packs at night

[taswegian]

not sure if they exist down yonder but Tasy Devils can make a hell of a mess and even aluminium cans don't stop them.

This was dragged out in the night. Fortunately my boots were tied to a tent pole.

[wander]

Rats have been a problem at Prion Camp.

[tasadam]

See this topic...
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3526

I might merge the two topics together later if I get time.
This topic has been merged with a previous similar topic.