Diabetes and backpacking in bear country

[Trevorum]

For those of you who are diabetic and have backpacked in bear country, what do you recommend in the way of emergency glucose that can be kept in the tent at night? What isn't smellable?

 

Thanks!

 

[GernBlansten]

At Philmont, my son's emergency glucose was in a small pack that we hung on the outside of the bear bags for quick access. The scouts were told if he had a problem to drop the bags and get it for him.

[le Voyageur]

Use a canoeist's dry bag, size small.....not bear proof, but they are air tight when rolled up properly. I would also keep it outside of the tent.....however, on the John Muir I've never had problems with bears when using dry bags (I would give them a squirt of skunk urine to mask the possibility of any food orders).

 

As a heads up, bears have a keener sense of smell then Blood Hounds.

[GernBlansten]

We live in bear country. All of our tent campouts require we use bear protocol. No food at all in tents. No clothes that you ate/cooked in in tents. Nothing in the tent but you, your sleeping clothes and your bag. Tent outside the Bearmuda Triangle (cooking, sump and bear bags).

 

The BPP(the bear protocol police) beat into us that all foodstuff is a smellable even when factory sealed. Not sure its really true, but that's the standard rule. So the dry bag is probably not effective.

 

Brainstorming.....

Now, come to think about it, does anyone remember the movie Pappion? Didn't they stow valuables in a special place? I wonder if a bear could smell it there?

[Trevorum]

The MD suggested an unopened tube of cake frosting gel, but you think that would still be a smellable, huh? I assume that insulin is a smellable also? Gern, was your son OK with keeping his meds up in the bag at night? That makes me a little nervous. My son hasn't had a low (or high) in the middle of the night, but up at Philmont he'll be on a vastly different daily caloric schedule.

[GernBlansten]

My son's a pumper. So he had his pump with insulin vial on his body 24/7. Not sure if insulin is a smellable, probably is, but no more than any other bodily fluid I would think, . We didn't have any problems and we did have bears in camp.

 

I thought about an unopened icing tube also. Problem being how to open it without a knife when you really need it. Remember, if he really needs it, he won't have much conciousness or dexterity to do much more than ask for help and swallow.

 

The rest of his meds (spare vials, needles, fast glucose, glucagon kit, test strips, infusion sets) were in the bag we hung separately. Before bed, he'd test his blood sugar and adjust, then hang the bag. First thing in the morning he'd get the bag down and re-test. Every scout and advisor on the trek knew how to respond to his needs, so all he needed to do was alert any one of them of a problem. If he was unable to request help, having glucose in the tent with him wouldn't have made any difference. The bag could be retrieved within 30 seconds of the alert.

 

All that being said, I didn't sleep well even though I was in the next tent and exhausted from the days hike.

 

Trev, if you'd like to take this offline, PM me and I can go over all the little gotchas and tricks about having a diabetic at Philmont.

[Trevorum]

Gern, thanks so much! I will PM you.

[beaver1onit]

They also make chewable glucose tablets that come 10 in a plastic sealed tube. I don't know how much smell to them. I carry them in a small waterproof bag when I am doing outdoor activities.

[Ohio_Scouter]

Trev,

 

I'm not really sure about what ground truth is with smellables, but from personal experience I can tell you that no animal has a better sense of smell than a bear.

 

On our troop's high adventure trip to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons in 2004, I decided to carry a cannister of bear spray with me in case of a bear encounter. One night we were sleeping in our tents at about 11,000 feet with the bear spray by my side, and I'm convinced that the scent of the cayenne pepper inside the never-before-used metal cannister actually attracted a black bear that was sniffing around my leg outside our tent that evening. Fortunately for me, the bear decided to wander off shortly after I quietly grabbed the cannister, removed the safety, and prepared to fire.

 

Great story about a non-incident.

 

 

[Trevorum]

fwiw, I've been referred to Mr. Gavin Falkner, Philmont Health Officer, who has told me, "Putting sugar tabs in a boot at night are good so you can get to them. ... This takes care of the bear issues."

[scoutingagain]

We have used these Bear Vaults. They are kept away from camp and have never been disturbed by a bear, but I don't know that we've just been lucky.

 

http://www.fuelforadventure.com/beprst.html

 

SA

[le Voyageur]

As I often camp near water, the exceptions being a few trails out in California/Arizona, dry bags work great. They allow food, and smellables to be stored underwater letting the current carry any scent downriver....

[GernBlansten]

And Trev, the additional benefit of putting sugar tabs in your boots will probably discourage others from pilphering your stash.

What sillyness.

Does anyone think boot stink is gonna mask the smell of sugar to a bear or drive it away? This is the same animal that eats dead rotten stuff and digs in garbage. Plus, who puts their boots in their tents anyways, whew!

[Gold Winger]

"What sillyness."

 

Gee that's the official advice from Philmont and they told me that they never had a problem with it. I guess that they're pretty silly.

 

"Plus, who puts their boots in their tents anyways, whew!"

 

I do.

 

Let's see, you don't believe that the man-odor of your boots will keep the critters from investigating but yet you store your boots outside so any enterprising critter can drag your boots off and munch on them. Now that's what I call silly.(This message has been edited by Gold Winger)

[GernBlansten]

Oh Goldwinger, you should pull out that ol' scout law again and go over a few of the points. Then re-read your post and see if it meets all those points. Nah, I really don't expect you too. Just funning ya. Your name isn't Richard is it?

 

The guy at Philmont who gave Trev the advice was the medical guy, not a ranger. I bet he'd have gotten another opinion from a ranger. You see, rangers are in charge of keeping the kids and bears separate, med guys in charge of keeping the kids healthy. But you know that, you've been to Philmont. And he never mentioned they never had a problem. Philmont has lots of problems with bears. And usually with city scouts who don't follow protocol.

 

Anywhoo. Must be a city scout, ain't ya? You ever seen bear scat? I saw a lot on the southern section of Philmont. Our camp above Lover's Leap had fresh scat all over our campsite. That night a bear came into camp, sniffed around the tents, checked out the bear bags and left. Didn't take my boots. Maybe they scared him away. Or maybe there just wasn't any food available.

 

Yeah, I don't keep my boots in my tent. I keep them with my pack where they belong, under the rain fly. Preferably downwind.

 

So, you think boot stink will drive a bear away? OK. So be it. Go fill a boot up with sugar in active bear country and see how long the bears keep away from it. Put that boot in your tent. Sleep tight.