Cord for bear bagging?

[JaxHiker]

you could use lash-it if you must have the 2mm!

Zing-it and Lash-it both come in 1.75 and 2.2. I have both sizes in Lash-it sitting right next to me. I think I accidentally threw away the bag and my line, though (along with my $$ carbon fiber stakes ) and I don't recall which I used.

How's the braided mason hold up? I'd think it'd get snagged and pulled apart fairly easily.

[Mike2012]

I had a sweet lightweight and reflective cord I picked up at REI for that purpose but I left it at the Fontana hilton. Now I am still using a lightweight and boring non-reflective cord I picked up at the Hot Springs outfitter. It works just fine. It should hold 15-20 pounds (so you can hang someone else's food too) and resist abrasion from tree branches. A lightweight carabiner helps with the rigging if you are in an area with trees that have no convenient side branches.

Def hang your food. Don't train bears to look to us for snacks!

[Lyle]

How's the braided mason hold up? I'd think it'd get snagged and pulled apart fairly easily.

Pretty tough. I don't hang food all the time, and lately I've been hiking down south with the cables or in NJ/NY with bear boxes, but have been using mason's cord for years on the AT, in Michigan, the Boundary Waters, etc. Never had any become irretrievable due to tangling, never had any break. I replace it periodically, still on my first spool. It slides over branches quite easily. The only thing I watch out for, is very soft tree limbs and overloading with weight. Never had it happen, but assume it could cut into a soft barked tree and bind up/damage the tree. Haven't had this happen.

I'm serious about the hot pink. If I hang my line early, then cook dinner and clean up, this color makes it easy to find the line later. Being so thin, it would be difficult if it blended in. Plus when used as a clothes line, it's pretty tough to forget it.

[rwaeger]

How is the 2mm cord on the hands? I bought some 1.4mm dyneema and when testing it I couldn't pull up my bear bag with out gloves cause it was cutting in to my hands.

[JaxHiker]

Cool. I have hot pink, too.

[Spokes]

I never had any issues with 2mm cord cutting into my hands. Go to a local outfitter and take a look at it. They should have spools of the stuff for you to inspect.

[Lyle]

How is the 2mm cord on the hands? I bought some 1.4mm dyneema and when testing it I couldn't pull up my bear bag with out gloves cause it was cutting in to my hands.

just grab a small stick, make a couple of wraps of cord around the stick and you have a nice, comfortable handle to pull on.

[Blissful]

I use the cheap stuff from Wally World in the camping section. Never an issue, worked great

[Theosus]

I've got 50 feet of purple 550 cord. Purple so it stands out... I won't lose it I the woods. I tried some smaller diameter cord but it was actually heavier by 20%. it worked pretty good doing the pct hang. I can also use it to string up my hammock rainfly before I put the hammock up, if I get caught in the rain.

[MuddyWaters]

How is the 2mm cord on the hands? I bought some 1.4mm dyneema and when testing it I couldn't pull up my bear bag with out gloves cause it was cutting in to my hands.

One of the issues with small diameter cord, is it can cut into a tree branch, both damaging the tree and becoming hard to lift. In extreme cases, it could get stuck

It is easier to lift a bag by walking away from the tree, than by pulling down. It makes the cord contact less of the branch. Then once the bag is up, walk back to it taking slack in to keep bag up.

The 2mm dyneema cord will actually flatten, and become wider, which lessens digging into tree. The slick finish also lessens tree damage and makes it easier to pull up.

[Rain Man]

One of the issues with small diameter cord, is it can cut into a tree branch....

Agreed and especially if one pulls too quickly. I've used the friction technique to cut a cord with itself. Pretty quick and no need for a knife.

The 2mm dyneema cord will actually flatten, and become wider, which lessens digging into tree. The slick finish also lessens tree damage and makes it easier to pull up.

Agreed, and especially if one pulls slowly.

How is the 2mm cord on the hands? I bought some 1.4mm dyneema and when testing it I couldn't pull up my bear bag with out gloves cause it was cutting in to my hands.

How heavy is your food bag, then? Even when I've lifted several food bags on my small line (admittedly larger than 1.4mm), I didn't have that much of a problem, especially if someone pushes the bags as high as they can first. As mentioned, you can use the twist-around-a-stick technique.

Twice I've had to cut off and abandon a portion of a food bag cord when it became twisted around a branch and would NOT come down. Once was Kelty Trip-tease and once (I think) a dyneema cord. But that's a different issue.

Rain Man

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[Rolo]

Sleep with your food