I don’t hike in bear country, and I still think food in a tent is a bad idea. In Ohio and Indiana, where I mostly hike, we have “mini-bears” in the form of Fox, raccoon, skunks, mice, and squirrels. No, they won’t maul you (but they can bite, and can carry rabies); they can chew through tents and packs to get at food, though, so my friends and I always hang our food. It doesn’t need to strictly conform to PCT guidance, but it still needs to be hung, in my opinion.