Are you using a bear can in GSMNP? If so, just make sure you keep it shut and latched when you are not actually eating any food, and you'll be fine. It doesn't matter if it's sitting around camp. You can haul it off and hide it somewhere before you go to bed if leaving it near camp bothers you. I picture bears in the SE stopping and scratching their heads when they see a bear can cause 99% of people around here don't use them. Also, if you are in a designated camp spot like you should be in GSMNP, most of them have bear cables. I can't say for sure that all of them do though, but if they are available then you can hang all your stuff off of them and you shouldn't need a bear can.