Ultralight bear/food bagging

[fastfoxengineering]

So I want to discuss ultra lightening up my bear bagging kit.

Currently I'm using:

#2 plastic S-Biner for nite-ize
50' 2.2 mm Spectra Line
20L S2S ultrasil dry bag

I plan on switching out my 20L dry bag to a zpacks food bag before my thru hike, however I more interested in lightening up the other two components.

I'm considering switching the #2plastic biner to a #0 plastic s-biner. However I'm worried about the weight rating. My #2 is only rated to 10lbs. Does anyone have any success using a #0? I would go from a 0.11oz to a 0.04oz biner. Weight savings = 0.07oz

I'm also considering switching to a thinner line. Either 1.4 or 1.75mm Zline slick from zpacks. I don't think I want to go with the 1.4 as it sounds too thin for practical purpose. So if I switch to the 1.75mm. Using zpacks specs, I would go from 1.4oz to 0.9oz. Weight savings = 0.5oz.

Total weight savings = 0.57oz

The 1.4mm line would weigh .67oz resulting in a total weight savings of 0.74oz. However I feel this line will be too thin for all practical purposes.

Any reason/opinions on not to do this? Both cords are certainly strong enough with 330 and 450lb tensile strengths respectively. I'm worried about the biner. The only thing I can see as a downside with the rope is it's more tangle prone and may be a little harsher on cold wet ones. Not too worried about that though.

[oldwetherman]

Based on my personal experience, I would not switch to a thinner line. I tried that and had a few instances where the line "sawed" into the tree limb while pulling my food bag up and I had a difficult time lowering the bag back down. I would guess that the variables involved in when that might happen would be the weight of the food bag, the "hardness" and thickness of the bark and whether the bark was
dry or wet. The aggravation just wasn't worth the slight weight savings.

[MuddyWaters]

Sleep with food and save all of it

[July]

Sleep with food and save all of it

I'll second this motion. Anywhere that 'requires' you to hang will provide cables/storage. NEVER sleep with your food in one of the wood box structures, as the mice will be dancing across your head ALL night long. Otherwise... it makes a good pillar

[Traveler]

So I want to discuss ultra lightening up my bear bagging kit.

Currently I'm using:

#2 plastic S-Biner for nite-ize
50' 2.2 mm Spectra Line
20L S2S ultrasil dry bag

If you bag a bear, this kit won't hold it long......

[Tuckahoe]

Sleep with food and save all of it

+1 This right here.

[CarlZ993]

If you use an S-biner, I'd go w/ a metal one (#1 size). It says it has a capacity of 5 lbs but it will hole a lot more (backpacking light did a test where it held 25 lbs w/o bending).

[swisscross]

I bought ZPacks bear bag kit. Came with a tiny D-ring carabiner (not the wire gate).
Looks like a toy. Emailed them about capacity and was told it would hold 50 lbs.
More food than I would ever carry or would fit in my food bag.
Cannot imagine a plastic biner weighing less than the one that came from ZPacks.

I also suggest sleeping with food.

[jimyjam]

Sleep with your food in Bear Country? That goes against everything I've been taught! The info on national parks and forest websites and on the property's I've visited state that is unlawful to not take proper precautions. I don't think I'd be able to "really" sleep if my food were in my shelter. That's just me...to each his/her own!


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

[Nooga]

I have a duct tape patch on my mosquito netting on my expensive Cuben fiber tent from a mouse when sleeping with my food. I was not at a shelter, but rather a campsite in Northern Maine. Not mention the lost sleep when being awaken at 4:00am.

[Colter]

On the A.T. I also sleep with my food unless there are regs prohibiting it. Bears steal uncontrolled food. Improper bear bagging is one of the most common ways for bears to steal food. I try to handle mouse problems by not camping next to a shelter or in the most popular campsites.

[slbirdnerd]

If you have a heavy food bag to pull up, the thinnest lines can also do some damage to your skin/hands (as well as the trees). I went back to a thin (not 550, maybe it's 325?) paracord from whatever Zpacks has because of this.

[strogiyogi]

zpacks bear bagging kit all the way!

[Scooter2]

If your current setup works, why switch it up to save a half ounce? I'd spent time worrying about other things, or not worrying at all.

[Sirsnappy09]

Ultra thin line causes problems especially to your hands. I have always slept with mine in odor barrier food bags.

[gcobb1990]

+1 for sleeping with your food

[Just Bill]

If you won't sleep with it-

Engineer redundancies-
I will be switching to Dynaglide with my hammock rig if/when I commit to that. Yes, 50' is 45g, but if you carry a splicing needle (or improvise one) you have enough cordage to completely replace/repair your hammock suspension components if needed.

I know you (and others) like your Amsteel, but going this route lets me combine a bear bag line and repair kit in the horribly unlikely event I should break the dynaglide.

Switching 25' of Amsteel with 25' of dynaglide in your original suspension (bridge uses more line than gathered end) is enough weight savings on the front end to justify the "upgrade" on the bear bag line.

I am debating a SUL bearbag/suspension repair combo. If you use the PCT method, half the line is for retrieval and only half passes over the branch itself. I have considered 10' of Zing-it/lash-it, 25' dynaglide, then 15' of zing-it again. That would be 40g, and give you spare suspension and guyline cordage without damaging trees. Although it's pretty silly really to save 5-7 grams.

I have also seen and performed some involuntary limb sawing (especially with Kelty Trip tease). It is a real issue from a LNT standpoint. From a more practical DFY (don't f--- yourself) standpoint- thin lines that cut a limb often get stuck, especially if you hang them off a sappy tree.

Pack a system, not a bunch of loose stuff.
Yes a tiny cord could be used for guylines replacement or a clothesline, it can't be used for any hammock repairs if needed.
Switching from Amsteel to Dynaglide saves me 20g. Upgrading a bear bag line from say Kelty triptease (28.5g) to Dynaglide (45g) costs me 16.5g so I am still saving 3.5g. Plus I am saving carrying any spare Dynaglide in my repair kit and building a better system overall with enough cordage packed to completely rebuild my hammock if needed (eliminating any concern with Dynaglide wearing out).

I made a three pouch storage bag for my hammock rig- one section for stakes/lines, one for suspension, one for hammock. This stops me from leaving a strap behind, gives me wet storage when needed, and doubles as my rock bag to complete the bear bag system. It does weigh 25g, but my old bear bag pouch weighs 13g, so overall not a biggie.

For a biner- kinda hard to beat one of these-
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/carabiner.shtml
Others sell them too, I got a few free from Thru-hiker with orders, if you're concerned carry two, but they hold 35-40lbs easy IME. Test at home to be sure for yerself and don't "bounce" the load.

You can also skip a biner if you are willing to tie a knot or two in there.