Bear Bagging

[misterfloyd]

Hello to all,

I have been planning my Springer to Cligmans dome on the AT and your advice has been invaluable.

Thank you.

I have been looking at You tube in regards to bear bagging. You tube is a great source but you don't know who to trust. So I went and typed it in Google and came upon the pics and instructions that was on backpacker.com. Very informative. Since I live near woods I will be practicing.

My question is: It seems that you can use the PCT method, counterbalance (which seems like a real pain) or hanging it between two trees.

I know this debate has been probably been going on for a long time, sorry for rehashing the same subject!

Can anyone point me in a knowledgeable direction? I have been practicing my knots.

Thank you in advance
Floyd.

[bigcranky]

If I have to hang a bag, I use the PCT method. It's the simplest one that works. In Georgia and NC, however, the shelters mostly have bear cables and those work well. Much easier than hanging your own. Since the shelters usually have water and nearby tent sites, that makes it convenient.

[Sarcasm the elf]

If you are intent on bear bagging then the PCT is generally considered the best.

In real life, about 80%-90% of the bear bag hangs I've seen on the A.T. are done incorrectly and are probably far worse then just sleeping with you food (aka keeping your food attended at all times). It's not hard to hang your food correctly, it just takes a little bit more work then most people put into it.

If a shelter/campsite has bear cables or a bear box installed use them. If you decide to hang your food, take the time to find the correct tree, so that your bag is several feet away from the tree trunk, hung from a branch that is too small to support the weight of an animal climbing out to where the rope is and is at least 10-12 feet above the ground.

There is also a small section of the trail in Georgia that has a seasonal bear cannister requirement for those camping overnight. It's a short enough section that it's easy to avoid and I will let folks that are more familiar with it give you more details.

[Malto]

Pct method. Lots of great videos. Try it at home and make sure you get 50' of line. I would highly recommend the Mountain Laurel Designs Bear bagging system. It comes with a rock bag and makes the process so easy. Here is a good hang.
21433

[FarmerChef]

Pct method. Lots of great videos. Try it at home and make sure you get 50' of line. I would highly recommend the Mountain Laurel Designs Bear bagging system. It comes with a rock bag and makes the process so easy. Here is a good hang.
21433

+1 on the MLD setup. Very nice. I never did quite figure out the PCT method (the knot is what gets me - have to practice more). I still use the traditional tie-it-off-on-another-tree method but I realize that a savvy bear can just cut the line with his claws and drop the bag. A nice trick for either method is to take a small but stout stick and wrap the end of the line you have to pull on around it. Then you can pull the stick instead of the line. Parachute cord is thin and slippery which makes it great for sliding on tree trunks and branches. It also makes it lousy on your hands when your bear bag is heavy...The stick is your friend.

[MuddyWaters]

A poor hang, is worse than no hang at all.
Most of the hangs I see on the AT are poor.

Look for a branch, 20-25' above ground, more than 6" at the trunk, that tapers out to 1-2" by at least 10' out from the trunk.
You want the limb too small to support the bear well where the hang is, and too big for a bear on the tree to chew thru, and too far out for it to jump to reach. Then using the PCT method your hang will be 10-12' off the ground, and 10-12' below the branch.

These perfect branches are very hard to find in a hardwood forest, on a steep mountainside, close to your camp, as it is getting dark.

[daddytwosticks]

If you want to see some fun, spend the night at Muskrat Creek Shelter (1st shelter going north in NC) during the height of thru-hiker season. 1st shelter on the AT w/o bear cables. Watch the newbies try to master bear-bagging techniques. Priceless. :)

[rocketsocks]

If you want to see some fun, spend the night at Muskrat Creek Shelter (1st shelter going north in NC) during the height of thru-hiker season. 1st shelter on the AT w/o bear cables. Watch the newbies try to master bear-bagging techniques. Priceless. :)Any boat ramp in early spring is always a blast too :D

[jburgasser]

This is where I first found the PCT technique and used it last year. It worked great and was easy too! http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/bear_bag_hanging_technique#.UYOfM1_D_cc

[bigcranky]

In real life, about 80%-90% of the bear bag hangs I've seen on the A.T. are done incorrectly and are probably far worse then just sleeping with you food

Yes, this. I've seen plenty of food bags hung 5 or 6 feet off the ground. The smallest bear cub could grab them without trying hard.

[BirdBrain]

This is the most civil bear bag thread I have seen. +1 on the PCT method and MLD bag. I made my own MLD type bag with little difficulty. It is a great multi-use item. You have to store the paracord somewhere. Why not in a bag that can be used to hold the throwing rock later? Perhaps Maine is different, but I have seen little difficulty finding suitable tree branches up here and little difficulty getting the paracord over said suitable branches. Practice on shakedown hikes.

I would add 3 things to the great advice above:
1) Use a big enough rock. You need enough weigh to overcome the friction between the paracord and tree branch.
2) When it comes time to take the setup down in the morning, pull the carabiner very slowly over the branch. If you go too fast, you run the risk of tangling your setup 25' in the air.
3) (And this might be opinion) Take the time to do it right or sleep with the food. This isn't about you or your food. It is about the bears. A fed bear is a dead bear. We, of all people, should understand why that is a problem.

[rick2911]

I am wondering if in determining the best method folks have evidence that a bear was trying to get at the food but was unsuccessful - have you seen the bear trying or heard it or did it leave some evidence. For the methods that are poor, has the food been lost to the bear? And for those that keep it in their tent, have bears actually disturbed you during the night and what do you do to protect yourself? This is something I don't want to learn by trial and error. Do you think some food preps are less likely to attract a bear, such as freeze dried or dehydrated? Two things I fear - bears and snakes - but want to get over it.
Thanks to all!

[RED-DOG]

People loose food to Bears all the time mainly because they hang it too close to the ground, the PCT method is the best way to hang food, I also use the PCT method, but sometimes i sleep with my food.

[MuddyWaters]

In most cases, if a bear tries to get the food for long enough, he will eventually succeed.
They are intelligent, persistent, and resourceful, and tough.
Small bears are acrobats and can hang on with one or two paws for a long time while working to get at it.

Jumping from tree trunk and grabbing the bag
Dropping from limb and grabbing on way down
Chewing branch off of tree
Chewing thru bear rope holding the bag up

Eventually, they will get it if poorly hung.

[drifter]

If you hang the PCT method is by far the best (and easiest once you learn how). You can either do it the original way and simply tie a clove hitch around a tent stake or the newer version where you use a small piece of pvc. I just got off (Springer to Newfound) and could not believe how many inadequate hangs I saw. We probaly demo'd the PCT to 15-20 hikers over the past two weeks. Picture of a good hang....12-14 ' above ground.21442

[jburgasser]

I also use the PCT method, but sometimes i sleep with my food.

Can one suspend him or herself from a large enough branch? Then you can both sleep with your food and utilize the ultra-cool PCT food hanging method The best of both worlds! Ickybod

[MuddyWaters]

Can one suspend him or herself from a large enough branch? Then you can both sleep with your food and utilize the ultra-cool PCT food hanging method The best of both worlds! Ickybod

Bear Pinata

[daddytwosticks]

If you sleep in a hammock with your food, is it technically "hung"? :)

[MuddyWaters]

I hang mine from my tent pole inside my tent, inside my sweaty smelly pack.
Sleeping with it, and hanging. Best of both worlds.:rolleyes:

[Coosa]

Hello to all,

I have been planning my Springer to Cligmans dome on the AT and your advice has been invaluable.

Thank you.

I have been looking at You tube in regards to bear bagging. You tube is a great source but you don't know who to trust. So I went and typed it in Google and came upon the pics and instructions that was on backpacker.com. Very informative. Since I live near woods I will be practicing.

My question is: It seems that you can use the PCT method, counterbalance (which seems like a real pain) or hanging it between two trees.

I know this debate has been probably been going on for a long time, sorry for rehashing the same subject!

Can anyone point me in a knowledgeable direction? I have been practicing my knots.

Thank you in advance
Floyd.

Watch this video ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpR_LEoD5PU

Coosa

[stranger]

PCT Method is very easy and very effective. The key is remembering that the bag hangs AT HALF the distance between the height of the stick you tie on and the branch, so if the branch is 12 feet, and you tie the stick at 6 ft...the TOP of the bag hangs at 9 feet, meaning the bottom of the stuff sack could be as low as 7.5 feet...this is where people get it wrong.

The other thing is that you need a good branch - not big enough for a bear to walk on, not small enough for the bear to snap off, ideally something a bit bigger than a baseball bat is great, and pref at an upward angle so it doesn't bend downwards.