View Full Version : When and where to hang bearbags?
Tree Nerd
12-16-2012, 15:25
So when (season) and where (state's, parks, ect.) are you suppose to hang bearbags?
CarlZ993
12-16-2012, 18:08
Generally, I'd say 'always.' Basically, you're keeping all sorts of 'critters' from getting at your food. My favorite style of bear bag method is the PCT-style (Pacific Crest Trail).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8FXRJldcpE
Other types include counter-balance method (two food bags - one slightly heavier than the other; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_WA-ZWv4cA; I use a forward motion on the rock throw rather than the underhand throw) and one where you merely tie the end of the cord to another tree or shrub.
MuddyWaters
12-16-2012, 21:07
Are you referring to the AT in particular?
First understand why you hang your food. It IS NOT to protect the food. It is to protect YOU.
By hanging it, you are literally putting it "up for grabs"
If a bear can get to it, it will then belong to the bear. Period. And bears will try, without a doubt.
So the bottom line is, (at least to me), you have to weigh the risk of losing your food, vs the risk of personal harm.
On the AT , there is very little risk of personal harm, but a HIGH risk of losing your food if the hang isnt very good.
So my own approach, is to hang food if I can find the perfect branch, and make a perfect hang. Otherwise, I dont hesitate to sleep with it.
Others always hang, no matter how poorly. (Some are quite laughable, basically hanging from bushes)
Others always sleep with food, and never hang it.
In many shelters where bears arent a problem, people just hang foobags from the mouse lines.
When in a shelter, go with the consensus. Even if you dont want to hang, if everyone else is, do it as well.
Out west, in say Yosemite, you wouldnt dream of sleeping with food.
MuddyWaters
12-16-2012, 21:15
Park bears are notoriously more habituated and aggressive, possibly because they arent hunted.
There are bear lines provided at every shelter in the GSMNP and you are required to use them, and would be foolish not to.
There are enough bear issues in GSMNP even without bears having access to food. Problem bears cause shelters to be closed periodically. A bear took a thru-hikers pack in daylight while they were setting up their tent last spring.
Of course I packed out a 1lb box of spaghetti left at a shelter by someone that obviously didnt want to carry it anymore after a mouse had nibbled a corner off of the box , and probably snacked a bit. That kind of behavior is why there are bear issues.
wcgornto
12-16-2012, 21:25
Generally, there are bear boxes, bear cables or bear poles at shelters along the AT where there are potential bear issues. This is not an absolute truth, just a good general rule. On my thru hike, I always used such protective measures wherever they were provided and hung on the cords in the shelters otherwise.
mtnkngxt
12-17-2012, 09:59
I always hang my bag period. It takes less time to hang my bag than it does to choose a spot to answer natures call.
bear bag hanger
12-17-2012, 10:12
Pretty much everywhere and all the time. I once was at a campsite, had hung my food and a couple more hikers came in. They asked me if they should hang their food. They didn't see the point since there weren't any bears in the vicinity. In the end, they decided not to hang. They left their food and dirty dishes pretty much scattered around the fire ring. About two am heard them banging their cook ware together to try and scare off a bunch of raccoons.
SouthMark
12-17-2012, 10:50
Do whatever MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. Hang it or sleep with it on the AT. The main thing is DO NOT LEAVE food unattended. Bears are just opportunistic. 38 years and I have always slept with my food. Bears and most other creatures respect or recognize possession. If they did not you would be hearing about hikers being attacked on the trail for the food in their packs while hiking. Check out this web site. They have been studying black bears for over 40 years.
http://www.bear.org/website/
Lone Wolf
12-17-2012, 11:10
Do whatever MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. Hang it or sleep with it on the AT. The main thing is DO NOT LEAVE food unattended. Bears are just opportunistic. 38 years and I have always slept with my food. Bears and most other creatures respect or recognize possession. If they did not you would be hearing about hikers being attacked on the trail for the food in their packs while hiking. Check out this web site. They have been studying black bears for over 40 years.
http://www.bear.org/website/ditto.....
MDSection12
12-17-2012, 11:35
On the AT, I don't sweat it so much (so far I've only hiked the AT in MD and it's really not much of a concern here) but for more remote backpacking I always hang my food. One of the first nights I ever backpacked a buddy of mine couldn't get his dishes scrubbed out and left them by his tent... Raccoons were all over that night. I worry more about raccoons being a nuisance than bears causing injury.
wcgornto
12-17-2012, 12:23
Pretty much everywhere and all the time. I once was at a campsite, had hung my food and a couple more hikers came in. They asked me if they should hang their food. They didn't see the point since there weren't any bears in the vicinity. In the end, they decided not to hang. They left their food and dirty dishes pretty much scattered around the fire ring. About two am heard them banging their cook ware together to try and scare off a bunch of raccoons.
Leaving food and dirty dishes scattered around is rude, irresponsible and dangerous to other hikers. I don't use dishes at all. On my AT thru hike, I boiled water, rehydrated food in a freezer bag, placed empty freezer bag in a larger freezer bag used as a trash bag, placed said trash bag in an OP sack and placed the sealed OP sack in my food bag. The food bag was then put in the bear box or on the bear cable / bear pole if available, or hung at the front of the shelter like everyone else's.
Tree Nerd
12-17-2012, 19:24
Thanks for all the info guys. And to clear some things up, yes I'm talking about the AT. And yes, I know how to hang bear bags, I have done it several times. I was just wondering if there are any places in particular that it is required to hang......but is sound like for the most part is on your best judgement.
hikerboy57
12-17-2012, 21:12
made me hang at katahdin stream campground. said theyd had a problem bear visiting .kinda laughed when the ranger suggested i hang my toothpaste and bug juice with my food. i said im soaked in bug spray already.
My method for protecting my food bag each night:
1. Take smelly sticking backpack into tent and lay it next to my sleeping bag.
2. Place food bag on top of smelly, stinky pack.
3. Place smelly stinky sweaty clothes on top of food bag.
4. Sleep well knowing food is safe (and close by for the inevitable midnight snack!).
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, ever bothers my food!
slowfeet
12-18-2012, 21:01
GSMNP is the only place I know of where you are supposed to hang food.... I can't remember if I complied or not, but, I've never lost a crumb I wanted to any animal and I sleep with food within 4 feet of me every night.
I didn't even see a single bear after Abol Bridge Campground(sobo hike). I'm sure they saw me....
Another good reason to hang your food is so you don't snack too much at night and eat all of your food too soon!
slowfeet
12-18-2012, 21:52
Another good reason to hang your food is so you don't snack too much at night and eat all of your food too soon!
been there.....ate half of my food for the next day. Had to buy 3 $4 probars at NOC.
SCRUB HIKER
12-18-2012, 23:24
Do whatever MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. Hang it or sleep with it on the AT. The main thing is DO NOT LEAVE food unattended. Bears are just opportunistic. 38 years and I have always slept with my food. Bears and most other creatures respect or recognize possession. If they did not you would be hearing about hikers being attacked on the trail for the food in their packs while hiking. Check out this web site. They have been studying black bears for over 40 years.
http://www.bear.org/website/
+1 on this. I haven't hung a bear bag (in a tree, with my own rope) since I was required to by fascist group leaders in high school. I am happy to use the lines, boxes, or poles available at AT shelters because it's so easy and why not? If there are other people around and they are all intent on hanging, I will go with the group ethos so as not to piss everyone off and start an argument on an issue that few people are willing to budge on. Just do what makes you feel good and causes the least amount of strife with everyone around you.
If you're thru-hiking NOBO, you'll be hard-pressed to find any thru-hikers doing a proper bear hang night after night north of the Shenandoahs. It becomes a gauche weekend-hiker thing.
Tree Nerd
12-19-2012, 19:52
Okay sounds like I'll do what I need to on my hike......So is there any reason to bring rope for hanging a bag? That is extra weight that I may never use.
hikerboy57
12-19-2012, 20:44
Okay sounds like I'll do what I need to on my hike......So is there any reason to bring rope for hanging a bag? That is extra weight that I may never use.
rope no, cord yes. it comes in handy for more than bear bags(laundry line, hanging drunken stoners, etc.)
cliffordbarnabus
12-19-2012, 22:49
2.7 at thrus, 1 pct...blah blah
i hung a bear bag on day one of the 2.7 and never again.
not bragging, just saying. did the pct super young before all the new regs popped up
Hang the bears and leave your food on the ground ;).
WILLIAM HAYES
12-29-2012, 23:27
personal preference I always hang
Schooley
12-30-2012, 00:25
Great video Carl; thanks for posting.
Biggie Master
12-30-2012, 00:25
The bears that I've polled all prefer that we hang bags close to the water source. The Clif bars are very dry, not to mention the dehydrated meals that require a good soak.
many thanks, Yogi and BooBoo
cybernugz
12-30-2012, 16:18
I always hang my bag ...I like knowing my food will be there in the morning :)
hikerboy57
12-30-2012, 16:23
i hang my food at home. otherwise i sleep with it
As stated previously.............hanging your food
1. Gives you something to do and occupy some time before you settle in
2. Bears are down the list, Raccoon's etc are more crafty
3. Food out of reach = no snacking after dark
4. Practice a new skill set
What about bear vaults and such? I was considering one for my first section hike.
SoCalled
02-21-2013, 00:44
Hiking in group or crowded spot give a sense of protection. People feel they can skip the hanging easily.
But if you hike alone, in a remote forest for 7-10 days, trails you wont meet any other human being and are at least 2-3 days of walking from the closest post (my favorite hikes), you will hang your food. Believe me, you will. And you will sleep with your knife. Not your powerbars.
I had 3 black bear encounter in my life. Been charged by a mother (cubs nearby but next to her not behind me) once. She just retreated with em after the bluff. I luckily survived this one moving on my side to keep a medium pond between me and her and backing up slowly. She seemed all out. Frightening, to say to least.
Yes, I hang my food. No im not afraid of bears. But I try to act rationally and minimise my risks.
snowblind
02-21-2013, 12:35
Let's see....
I've seen bear boxes with holes in them where mice have a feast, mice bypass food hangers in shelters.... I sleep with my food now. Hang it in the tent, use it as a pillow, double bag it and leave it on the shelter deck... Keep it in close proxmity. If a bear can smell your food, it can also smell you.
achilles
02-22-2013, 06:20
On my thru hike, I never hung food to protect from bears. Rodents were the only concern and my cuben fiber food bag protected against them. Sleeping with your food works fine on the AT. No need to get workes up about bears i n the Appalachians.
vamelungeon
02-22-2013, 07:05
But if you hike alone, in a remote forest for 7-10 days, trails you wont meet any other human being and are at least 2-3 days of walking from the closest post (my favorite hikes), you will hang your food. Believe me, you will. And you will sleep with your knife. Not your powerbars.
I hike alone on remote trails here in the Appalachians, and I sleep with my food under my head. I do not clutch a knife either.
On solo trips I carry my Swiss army knife and bring 9mm ;)
Hangs, sleep with your food, canisters...... All personal preference and tolerance for risk. But, if you are going to do a bear hang, do it right. I have seen some pitiful hangs on the AT. As far as sleeping with food, I do it most of the time on the AT especially when sleeping away from shelters and established camps which is most of the time. While this journal entry is on the PCT in the Sierra it shows one possible outcome of not hanging food. Is it worth the risk? You decide!
http://www.bearcant.org/61.htm
MDSection12
06-20-2013, 15:19
On the AT, I don't sweat it so much (so far I've only hiked the AT in MD and it's really not much of a concern here) but for more remote backpacking I always hang my food. One of the first nights I ever backpacked a buddy of mine couldn't get his dishes scrubbed out and left them by his tent... Raccoons were all over that night. I worry more about raccoons being a nuisance than bears causing injury.
I've been out on the trail probably ten times since this post... And my mindset has changed. I now worry about mice more than bears or raccoons. My food is always off the ground, usually properly hung (I just tie off to a nearby tree though, never bothered with PCT method,) but occasionally just hung from the foot end of my hammock.
As the night is closing in and I'm starting to think about turning in I'll slowly pick up my camp and make sure I've got everything stowed for the night... The very last thing I do is hang my food. I have grown to enjoy the ritual. :)