Food Bag???

[Speakeasy]

I'm planning a 2010 GA-ME thru hike and have read several posts regarding food bags but I'm still a little confused. I'm going to have 50 ft mason's string line to hang it but I don't know what to use and what size it should be. I know it seems like a silly question but I'd rather feel a little dumb than have nothing to hang my food in.

[DAJA]

Depends on the number of days of food i'll be carrying... Say for five days, I use a 15L silnylon dry bag. I'm a big eater,and usually eat freezer bag meals, or Mountain House meals, supplimented with cliff bars, snickers, pop tarts, bagals and pb... 15L bag will hold it all but is tight. When in area's with known bear activity I also attach my stove/meal kit in seperate silnylon dry sack...

[sticks&stones]

http://mocoloco.com/art/rossho_hobostick_feb_07.jpg

[SGT Rock]

I wouldn't use mason line for bear bagging. Weight will probably cut into trees and I belive it will probably abrade out too fast.

[Blissful]

I hung my bag with some poly cord from Wally world - camouflage color in the camping section and I used a sea to summit ul dry bag. Worked great for me.

[DAJA]

I'll second the poly cord from Wally World...Have never lost a meal... Other than once when it was stolen, but that story is in another thread...

[Slo-go'en]

I wouldn't use mason line for bear bagging. Weight will probably cut into trees and I belive it will probably abrade out too fast.

I use mason line all the time. If the bag is real heavy, like on the first day or two out, sometimes you have to give the bag a little push to get it moving. The nylon line is fairly slippery, but it does depend on the type of bark. Pine tress are a little tough.

I never climbed up a tree to see if the mason line cuts into the bark or not, but even if it does, I doubt it does by much. The chances of someone else running a line in the exact same place is slim to none, so not going to worry about it.

[drastic_quench]

Good info on hanging, scroll to
A Better Way: The PCT Method


http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/bear_bag_hanging_technique.html

[Speakeasy]

I wouldn't use mason line for bear bagging. Weight will probably cut into trees and I belive it will probably abrade out too fast.


Thank you - so what would you use?

[SGT Rock]

Well it depends on you - Para Cord does a good job for most, and it is very convenient for gear repairs since you can a piece off and use it together, or with the guts or the sheath for various tasks. I use that for a while. After a few times trying to find where I bear bagged in the dark/dusk I switched to some 3m reflective cord from thru-hiker. It stands out in a headlamp.

http://thru-hiker.com/materials/rollgoods.php

[Slo-go'en]

An option when using Mason line is to carry two 50 feet lengths. On one of the lengths, attach a cheap caribiner. Throw this one over the tree limb, then put your food bag line thru the caribiner. Pull up the line with the caribiner into the tree, then lift the food bag. Besides being easier to lift the bag with the caribiner acting as a low friction point, you can use the second line to pull the bag away from the tree trunk. Also, with this two line system, you don't risk hurting the bark on the tree branch.

A good throwing weight for the mason line is a plastic soda bottle 13d to 1/2 full of water. Put one end of the line into the top of the bottle and secure by putting the cap back on. I have never snagged a line by wrapping around the tree branch using a soda bottle as throwing weight.

[Manwich]

I tie my food bag to a string and tie that string around my wrist. When a bear comes for my food, it wakes me up and then i set him straight.

http://www.hollywoodanimals.com/IMAGES/animal_pix/BEARS/riding.jpg

"YAHHH Mule! YAHHH!"

[wnbresn]

To get the line over the higher branches, I've always used a cheap wrist rocket slingshot with folding handle and with a cheap fishing reel attached. I have a hex nut I painted orange with the fishing line attached and I just shoot it up and then tie the para cord to it and pull it back over the branch. The setup I have I've had for years and it weighs ounces. I get the bag higher and I don't stand there like an idiot throwing a rock over and over to get it over the branch....

[chiefduffy]

I use the RayWay stowbag I made from a kit. If you like to make your own gear, check out the kits on Ray Jardine's website. I ad libbed a coupla straps on the bottom of the bag for hanging. At night the meals, snacks and cooking gear all fit in the bag. I've also had real good luck with the camo poly cord from wally world. I made a little bag for storing the cord, pull out the cord and fill the little bag up with rocks for throwing over a limb.

[Blue Jay]

I like kayak dry bags as they block most of the smell. If nothing smells your food they won't even know it's there.

[Speakeasy]

Well it depends on you - Para Cord does a good job for most, and it is very convenient for gear repairs since you can a piece off and use it together, or with the guts or the sheath for various tasks. I use that for a while. After a few times trying to find where I bear bagged in the dark/dusk I switched to some 3m reflective cord from thru-hiker. It stands out in a headlamp.

http://thru-hiker.com/materials/rollgoods.php

Thanks for the tip - I think that's what I'll use :)