View Full Version : PCT Method Bear Bag Hang Method
SkeeterPee
06-04-2016, 20:23
On my last trip, I had my first time I needed to hang a bear bag. Other trips had provided various hanging equipment or food boxes. So my son and I did the hang in a great tree with a large horizontal branch. there were 5 of us camping there so other bags were set up for hanging in that same tree/branch.
I did the method where you put a stick in the line with a single hitch. I did not have much weight n the bag while trying it out and I almost got it tangled up with the others bags. But was able to get it free. Afterwards I was asking the other hikers about it and they said they no longer use the stick method. They just route the line through the carabiner and then tie off to a log or tree. So that is what I did which also allowed me to tie off to another tree and pull my bag away from the others.
So is the stick method no longer used or preferred? It does seem like you can get tangled into your line or others line with the stick in the line.
On my last trip, I had my first time I needed to hang a bear bag. Other trips had provided various hanging equipment or food boxes. So my son and I did the hang in a great tree with a large horizontal branch. there were 5 of us camping there so other bags were set up for hanging in that same tree/branch.
I did the method where you put a stick in the line with a single hitch. I did not have much weight n the bag while trying it out and I almost got it tangled up with the others bags. But was able to get it free. Afterwards I was asking the other hikers about it and they said they no longer use the stick method. They just route the line through the carabiner and then tie off to a log or tree. So that is what I did which also allowed me to tie off to another tree and pull my bag away from the others.
So is the stick method no longer used or preferred? It does seem like you can get tangled into your line or others line with the stick in the line.
I always use a stick. If I understand correctly a bear chewing or ripping the cord frees the bag. Not good.
bamboo bob
06-04-2016, 20:58
Although I never met anyone on the PCT using the PCT method the point of it is that in some place bears have learned how to defeat the tie off method. It's easy enough to do.
SkeeterPee
06-04-2016, 21:13
The said to not tie off to the tree with the food in it as the bear might climb the tree and in doing so cut the line. Mine was tied to a tree 20 feet away. so they would have to get lucky of figure to follow the line to the other tree where I tied about 6ft of the ground.
Although I never met anyone on the PCT using the PCT method the point of it is that in some place bears have learned how to defeat the tie off method. It's easy enough to do.
I had my best PCT hang ever on the PCT in the Sierra. This was the perfect tree, which is very rare.
35102
lonehiker
06-05-2016, 13:12
The said to not tie off to the tree with the food in it as the bear might climb the tree and in doing so cut the line. Mine was tied to a tree 20 feet away. so they would have to get lucky of figure to follow the line to the other tree where I tied about 6ft of the ground.
Bears can see line that is tied off to whatever tree and chew through the rope. Or tug/pull on the rope until it breaks or the branch breaks. On the AT I saw a bear pull on the metal cables like a person would do to raise or lower their food. He was only lacking the dexterity to unclip the cables. They are that smart. The PCT method, with clove hitch and twig, is much superior to simply tying the rope off.
I had my best PCT hang ever on the PCT in the Sierra. This was the perfect tree, which is very rare.
35102
Nice hang!
Malto makes a good point. The PCT method does require branches to be at least "so" high up.
Some spots on the trail the branches are not high enough for it. Other spots have branches way, way up there, and ya don't have enough cordage. It is my preferred way to hang, but there are times when it may not be the best way, or even an option.
u.w.
misterfloyd
06-05-2016, 15:17
I hand my food as many times as I can. Even when I really don't need to I just figure I would practice.
Check out the video from Brian DeLay on youtube. He shows how to do it on one limb and between two trees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLDMuPuvE
I realize your OP asked do you use a stick? Yes for the above reasons.
Floyd
No way would I tie it off. All the bear has to do is swat the tie off and it's gone.
Sarcasm the elf
06-05-2016, 15:38
I always use a stick. If I understand correctly a bear chewing or ripping the cord frees the bag. Not good.
Although I never met anyone on the PCT using the PCT method the point of it is that in some place bears have learned how to defeat the tie off method. It's easy enough to do.
This.
The whole purpose of using the stick with the PCT method was to improve bear hangs after it was found that bears could figure out how to free bags that were tied off to trees.
Honestly, I would rather spend the time tying to the stick and not worrying about a bear breaking the rope vs. tying off to a tree. Either way is takes a few seconds. I have found the stick is actually an easier knot.
SkeeterPee
06-05-2016, 18:45
I first used the stick and that was easy enough vs tying to a tree. Somehow my bag was spinning around as I pulled it up and then as let out the line with the stick it got bit tangled with another bag. Probably just need to be more careful if multiple bags are on the same branch. it would be quite a let down for all you food to be hung up in a tree and you can't get it down.
Odd Man Out
06-05-2016, 19:59
After doing a PCT hang, what do you do with the loose end of the rope? Is it important the long end be tied up off the ground or does toeing it up give the bear something to grab hold of?
After doing a PCT hang, what do you do with the loose end of the rope? Is it important the long end be tied up off the ground or does toeing it up give the bear something to grab hold of?
Just let it hang. The Bears can't grab loose cord unless you are using 1" rope.
Odd Man Out
06-05-2016, 23:03
Just let it hang. The Bears can't grab loose cord unless you are using 1" rope.
So it's ok even if it's on the ground?
So it's ok even if it's on the ground?
I always wondered about the same thing.
If you tie the end of your cord to the bear bag, its possible to be left with a rather significant amount of excess cord on the ground after you haul the bag up-- so much than a bear could get tangled up in it. You could ball it up and and keep it off the ground that way, but my imagination sees a bear tugging on the ball.
To to avoid that I will suff as much of the cord in the bear bag as I can and have just what I need come out of the bear bag opening, and tie the cord to the bag there. Depending on the geometry of the hang, the loose end can well end up hanging loosely in the air.
That said, I often end up with a bit of extra cord on the ground despite my best efforts, so I am very curious about other's thoughts on this.
So it's ok even if it's on the ground?
That is always what I have done.
MuddyWaters
06-06-2016, 07:10
Just let it hang. The Bears can't grab loose cord unless you are using 1" rope.
I thought this was a reason only counterbalance metod was approved in legal places in sierra. Others had been defeated by bears .
A spot of velcro on bag, and around xs cord, and you can hang the cord from the bag, out of reach of smaller bears at least, and still reach it with hiking pole.
Berserker
06-07-2016, 13:35
When I hang I use the proper PCT method with the stick in the line. I have hung my food bag PCT style without the stick tying it off to another tree, and had that defeated. It was an isolated incident that only happened to me once. It was defeated by...drum roll please...racoons. So I'm a firm believer in the PCT method with the stick if one is going to the trouble of doing a hang.
HooKooDooKu
06-07-2016, 14:04
On the AT I saw a bear pull on the metal cables like a person would do to raise or lower their food. He was only lacking the dexterity to unclip the cables.
I've been told that some bears have learned to shake the cables and sometimes the bags will "bound" off the hooks. So I always attach my food bags to the cables with a carabiner to make sure they can't bounce it off.
I use the stick and I just let the extra cord lay on the ground. If a bear grabbed the extra cord and pulled on it, the bag would just goes higher. Now, if one bear stood on the branch while another one pulled the cord from the bottom, they would have the bag. That would be some smart teamwork.
OldNorth
06-07-2016, 16:06
Any tips or tricks so to avoid getting the bag tangled up with itself?
greentick
06-07-2016, 16:28
I use the stick and I just let the extra cord lay on the ground. If a bear grabbed the extra cord and pulled on it, the bag would just goes higher. Now, if one bear stood on the branch while another one pulled the cord from the bottom, they would have the bag. That would be some smart teamwork.
If they had opposable thumbs we'd be in trouble...
nsherry61
06-07-2016, 18:58
Any tips or tricks so to avoid getting the bag tangled up with itself?
Yeah, just stand off to one side of the branch instead of directly underneath it. That way the bag hangs slightly below the cord you are pulling on and keeps the bag from spinning around while you pull up.
Another note about hanging bear bags on branches, that I haven't seen emphasized in this thread, is that the branch should be just strong enough (where the bear bag is) to support the bear bag and NOT the bear bag AND a bear. In the OP there was a suggestion that multiple bags were hung over the same branch, so not only were the bags being hung with a method that is widely accepted as not being very bear resistant at all, BUT, the bags were also obviously being hung over a branch that was fairly stout and might support the weight of a bear climbing out on it, working on the lines, breaking or cutting a few, and then climbing back down to eat the many bear bags worth of lovely food.
So, to the OP, the people you were hanging with were NOT HANGING WELL.
Someone one mentioned trying to hang the bag on the same branch, don't do this! Find a different tree to hang each bag. Do not use thin paracord or you will "saw" the branch while hanging leaving the food sack stuck. I cannot tell you how many comical failed attempts at the PCT method I have seen on various BC trips in NC/VA. Heck, at Bob Stratton bald there's a "graveyard" of failed hangs. Almost all of them involved multi-hangs on the same branch (tangled) or a branch big enough for a full grown adult to climb.
MuddyWaters
06-07-2016, 20:57
Someone one mentioned trying to hang the bag on the same branch, don't do this! Find a different tree to hang each bag. Do not use thin paracord or you will "saw" the branch while hanging leaving the food sack stuck. I cannot tell you how many comical failed attempts at the PCT method I have seen on various BC trips in NC/VA. Heck, at Bob Stratton bald there's a "graveyard" of failed hangs. Almost all of them involved multi-hangs on the same branch (tangled) or a branch big enough for a full grown adult to climb.
From Jesters site, totally without permission and he will probably sue.
Whats sad, is its so very true.
nighthikingtomars.blogspot.com
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYzmdbplAMk/VhAmHqGtK-I/AAAAAAAAAiU/ZZ6wknqSP4M/s1600/Crappy%2BBear%2BBags%2B2015%2BFinal.jpg
Riocielo
06-14-2016, 23:45
Tying the stick is the easy part, it's finding the right tree that's hard.
On the loose end, I've started to just do a quick Figure-8 on my fingers, up "face high" and loop it off. That way, the line isn't lying on the ground getting tangled up. Takes 11 seconds. Next morning, reach up to the bundle and undo bundle (need to do this to pull line back out of tree), pull down cord, break or remove stick, lower bag to ground. Unclip food from bear-bag twine, continue pulling so loose end, goes up and over tree. Figure-8 the line and stuff into the rock-sack.
Another Kevin
06-17-2016, 12:59
On the loose end, I've started to just do a quick Figure-8 on my fingers, up "face high" and loop it off. That way, the line isn't lying on the ground getting tangled up. Takes 11 seconds. Next morning, reach up to the bundle and undo bundle (need to do this to pull line back out of tree), pull down cord, break or remove stick, lower bag to ground. Unclip food from bear-bag twine, continue pulling so loose end, goes up and over tree. Figure-8 the line and stuff into the rock-sack.
In certain areas, I'll even tie the figure 8 before I let the stick up, leave a long loop on the end, and fish it down with a trekking pole in the morning. Nothing at all in reach from the ground. The hang winds up looking like this. One of the loose loops on the bottom of the coil can be teased out fairly easily with a trekking pole to retrieve the rope to lower the bag. Sorry that the branch it's hanging from is out of the picture at the top!
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5347/10282471433_6c1264261f.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/gECmwe)Kevin's pantry (https://flic.kr/p/gECmwe) by Kevin Kenny (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ke9tv/), on Flickr
Just clicked on a few of you pictures AK. Gorgeous!