Awesome blog Lulu, I am scrolling through it now (while I should be studying endocrinology...) sucks about the bears eating on your bikes and helmet!
FYI: you can use your bikes side stand to break the bead on a tire, it takes a bit of positioning so you dont crush the rim but it is a ready sourced lever with ample weight that doesn't require packing. I carry a simple ratchet strap tied from the frame guard to the side stand so it doesnt collapse while tilting the bike to break the bead, then you can use the ratchet strap to cinch the tire when you are trying to get the bead to re-seat. This video is somewhat like what I am talking about but I do it a bit differently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSZnqzLKfso