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Earl Grey
08-27-2006, 23:22
How many stuff sacks do you need? I think 1 for food and another for clothes, maybe one for miksc stuff like a first aid kit, batteries etc. Ive been looking at these here. http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/accessdetail.cfm/EQ1000
Are they any good?

Jack Tarlin
08-27-2006, 23:27
Equinox is just fine. Strong, light, fairly priced

You might discover, tho, that you want a few more, perhaps one for your cookset, one for personal care stuff, etc.

Many people get all different colors; in a few days, you'll easily remember that green is for food, red is your clothes, purple is your air mattress, or whatever. If you get all the same color sacks, you'll be grabbing for the wrong stuff all the time.

One last thing; you'll occasionally be hanging your food bag outside to keep it from bears and other critters. Whatever sack you pick as a food bag, make sure it's waterproof.

hikerjohnd
08-28-2006, 00:22
Many people get all different colors; in a few days, you'll easily remember that green is for food, red is your clothes, purple is your air mattress, or whatever. If you get all the same color sacks, you'll be grabbing for the wrong stuff all the time.

Ditto - I got my first sil-nylon bags cheap - but they were all green. I never could figure out what was what in my pack.


One last thing; you'll occasionally be hanging your food bag outside to keep it from bears and other critters. Whatever sack you pick as a food bag, make sure it's waterproof.

And as much as I feel being stealthy is important, I now use an orange bag for food. After spending an hour one morning trying to find my food, I knew the moss green bag I had selected was a poor choice.

Just Jeff
08-28-2006, 02:15
I use one for my sleeping quilt, one for clothes, one for food/cookgear, and my pack's removable top pocket is usually inside the pack with my misc/repair/first aid/etc. If I have an inflatable pad, it's in its own stuff sack, and if I have a hammock underquilt it's in snakeskins with the hammock. All of that goes in a pack liner - I use a trash compactor bag or a contractor's bag, but a few companies sell large stuff sacks as pack liners.

Amigi'sLastStand
08-28-2006, 07:02
For me -- one for food, one for clothes and sleeping bag. I use an external pack, so my misc stuff goes in ziplocs in the pockets, but if I had an internal all that would go in a third. My pad is waterproof, so for that no stuff sack.

Diff colors is a must. And make sure the food stuff sack is waterproof as Jack said, and has a strap on the BOTTOM of the sack for hanging it upside down.
But, those "waterproof" stuff sacks that hang from the top will sooner or later leak and fill with water. Good for the oatmeal, but really makes lipton nasty. Trust me, I know......:/


Glad to see your posting again on the real hiking threads Jack. Your experience is invaluable our community. Thanks **bow and nod**

Chuck

RockyTrail
08-28-2006, 13:30
But, those "waterproof" stuff sacks that hang from the top will sooner or later leak and fill with water.

Good point....but if you find you have to use a top-opening food bag, you can twist the bag shut, then fold over the twisted section and tie the twisted section to itself with a snug lark's head knot to the bearbag rope it will shed water like a dry bag (the opening faces down when you're done). Have done this many times and is quick and simple. If you use a 6 in loop of rope to tie the lark's head it makes a loop to hook onto bear-cable clips.

TwoForty
08-28-2006, 13:49
I have a stuff sack for my sleeping bag, one for whatever shelter I am using, one for clothes, a golite paddlers bag for my food.

TwoForty
08-28-2006, 13:51
Oh, I have another for toiletries. TP, napkins, tooth brush, tooth paste, extra baggies, and a trash bag.

vaporjourney
08-29-2006, 10:03
Do you guys find that silnylon bags are too thin to use bear bagging? I've used them while hanging them from the cables in the Smokes, and have begun noticing problems, mainly from mice. Mice have eaten holes in both my my small food bags, and now when I hang a pot in one, i worry every time that the weight is going to cause the holes to rip even more and everything will fly out of the bag. I'm still working on a mouse baffle system, but the cd system recommended here didn't work on last trip...

Also..when bear bagging where the cable system isn't provided, do you guys just toss the bags over a tree limb, or toss the rope first, and then pull the bags up? I worry again, about flimsy silnylon, that tossing a bag full of weight may start causing tears in them..

RockyTrail
08-29-2006, 10:15
Toss the rope first over a limb, then pull up the bag.

Really though for best protection, you can rig a rope strung between two trees up high (12-15 ft) and then toss the bearbag rope over the middle of that one and pull it up; that way the bag is out away from the trees. But it's a lot of work.

I use a urethane-coated nylon bag for a food bag (standard car-camping tent material). It's a bit tougher than standard sil-nylon. Any cheap wal-mart camping sack is made of this stuff. Doesn't get snagged in the brush as much as sil-nylon. Just my humble opinion...there are many ways to do it.

Ewker
08-29-2006, 10:19
this site has better pricing for stuff sacks than backcountrygear

http://www.backpackingdeals.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=W&Category_Code=SS

Footslogger
08-29-2006, 10:36
[quote=vaporjourney]Do you guys find that silnylon bags are too thin to use bear bagging?
=========================

Have always worked fine for me. My "food bag" (silnylon) is my bear bag. Food is all inside packed in ziplocks. I just tie off the bag and hang it upside down using a tiny caribeener


Also..when bear bagging where the cable system isn't provided, do you guys just toss the bags over a tree limb, or toss the rope first, and then pull the bags up?
========================

I carry a small silnylon "throw bag" that holds my line (yellow Dyneema) and a small caribeener. I take the line out of the bag, place a stone inside and throw it over a branch first (or cable if available). I tie off the loose end to a nearby tree until later. After dinner and cleanup I attach my food bag and up she goes for the night. Have never had a problem with this method. Out west here though there is often a shortage of trees with branches so we use 2 lengths of line and throw each over an evergreen tree. We attach the bag in the middle and pull each line until the food (bear) bag is centered between the 2 trees and about 12 - 15' off the ground.

'Slogger

Amigi'sLastStand
08-29-2006, 11:57
I never bear bag or hang my food. I always sleep with it in my tent. I've never had a problem with doing it this way. I'm not reccomending this method though, just telling how I do it, you can make the decision for yourself.



I dont think that is wise, at all. Brave man.

rswanson
08-29-2006, 14:08
Do you guys find that silnylon bags are too thin to use bear bagging? I've used them while hanging them from the cables in the Smokes, and have begun noticing problems, mainly from mice. Mice have eaten holes in both my my small food bags, and now when I hang a pot in one, i worry every time that the weight is going to cause the holes to rip even more and everything will fly out of the bag. I'm still working on a mouse baffle system, but the cd system recommended here didn't work on last trip...

Also..when bear bagging where the cable system isn't provided, do you guys just toss the bags over a tree limb, or toss the rope first, and then pull the bags up? I worry again, about flimsy silnylon, that tossing a bag full of weight may start causing tears in them..
try using lightweight fishing line or spectra cordage to give the mice the slip. with spectra you might have to tie a bowline or similar to secure the bag to a caribiner. just be careful so you're not scarring up trees with the smaller diameter line.

i recommend the 'pct method' for bear bagging. find it here (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/bear_bag_hanging_technique.html) at backpackinglight.com. its worth learning to do it right.

Hammerhead
08-29-2006, 15:59
here's some info that may be useful :

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/training/bearbag.shtml

RockyTrail
08-29-2006, 17:51
here's some info that may be useful :

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/training/bearbag.shtml

HH:
I tried than Mattison method once (shown in your link), man that was cool!

But it took more rope, my 45 ft cord was barely long enough (you need about 4x the branch height). Also it is a little complicated to rig in the dark. The good thing, though, was the rope doesn't have to drag over the branch under load; once you throw it over it stays in place and the friction (what little there is) is on the carabiner, not cutting through the tree bark and damaging the rope or tree.

Hana_Hanger
08-29-2006, 18:16
REI has their Granite Gear Air Line Silnylon stuff sacks on clearance for under $3.00
Hurry they are going fast...

HIKER7s
08-30-2006, 07:43
REI has their Granite Gear Air Line Silnylon stuff sacks on clearance for under $3.00
Hurry they are going fast...

I use the REI bags and they are great. Good size selections and types. They are very serviceable.




I never bear bag or hang my food. I always sleep with it in my tent. I've never had a problem with doing it this way.


WOW:rolleyes: ...you never will have a problem either...until you do.

Hammerhead
08-30-2006, 17:00
HH:
I tried than Mattison method once (shown in your link), man that was cool!

But it took more rope, my 45 ft cord was barely long enough (you need about 4x the branch height). Also it is a little complicated to rig in the dark. The good thing, though, was the rope doesn't have to drag over the branch under load; once you throw it over it stays in place and the friction (what little there is) is on the carabiner, not cutting through the tree bark and damaging the rope or tree.


Sorry, I should have mentioned that I haven't tried the methods in the link I posted! Gee, guess what I'm doing this weekend!

Bjorkin
08-31-2006, 15:07
Sorry, I should have mentioned that I haven't tried the methods in the link I posted! Gee, guess what I'm doing this weekend!

I prefer the method of weighting the loose end of the rope, throwing it over the hanging branch first. After the weighted end has fallen back to you, run that side of the rope thru a beaner clipped onto your food bag. Hoist the bag all the way to the branch supporting it and then simply loop the rope in your hand around a twig which is long enough not to slip thru the beaner. Slowly release the rope until the twig and beaner meet. Voila, self supporting bear bag without the tightrope trail from tree trunk to bag for little critters.

To release, just pull the rope down, release twig and the bag will slide back to you unobstructed.

(This method has been posted before with illustration but cannot find the link.)

speedy
08-31-2006, 15:29
Bjorkin, that's the PCT method that rswanson posted a link to on the first page. It's what I use, and can't for the life of me figure out why people use anything else. :D speedy

vaporjourney
09-05-2006, 21:09
what size stuff sack is good for clothing?

Footslogger
09-05-2006, 21:47
what size stuff sack is good for clothing?
==============================

Kinda depends on your clothing list. But what works for me is a 7" x 17" silnylon stuff sack ...same size as my sleeping bag and food bag.

'Slogger