Hanging Food

[Reeko]

Hi all. So, two part question. First, do you hang your food in some special bag, or just a nylon type ditty bag? Second, hanging keeps the bears at bay, but it won't keep the mice and squirrels from chewing a hole in the bag and getting to your food. Or will it? How do you protect your food on the trail?

[steady123]

I use an Ursack. Inside is the double sealed plastic ziplock which contains the individually ziplocked packages containing lunch and breakfast. I section hike so I have sealed Mountain House dinner. No issues.

[Coffee]

There are many resources and videos online that demonstrate how to hang a bear bag. My preferred approach is referred to as the "PCT method" which is described here and which you can google as well for videos: https://theultimatehang.com/2013/03/...he-pct-method/

I have used the zPacks bear bagging kit for several years. It is expensive but has everything you need for a UL bear bagging kit in one place: http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/bear_bag.shtml

I have seen some exceptionally poorly hung bear bags that would never keep bears at bay, let along smaller critters. I have never had any problems with my food when properly hung using the PCT method. Mice and other small critters cannot access a bag when properly hung using the PCT method as long as the cordage used is not too wide - the zPacks line is thin and lightweight.

There are places where you cannot hang food. In such places, where legal to do so, I have elected to keep my food with me and I have used an opsak bag which supposedly helps with odor (although doubtful that it eliminates it). I'm not suggesting that you or anyone else does that but I haven't had issues doing so yet and plenty of others on WB haven't either. I feel like keeping your food with you at all times is a more responsible way to go that poorly hung food or just leaving it on the ground. Note that some people use the ursak bag for situations where you cannot hang food and are concerned about critters large and small. https://www.ursack.com

Finally, the further away from established campsites and shelters you are the less likely you are to encounter animals. Also, if you are willing to cook away from where you sleep, the lower the probability of animal encounters. On the AT, this can often be accomplished by cooking and eating at a shelter and then hiking on a few miles to a secluded campsite.

[nsherry61]

I frequently hang my food if I am concerned about animals. I frequently sleep with my food to keep animals at bay. I have never used a special bag, just whatever nylon stuff sack I'm using to carry/organize my food. Both systems work well. I have not had rodents get into any of my hung bags or my slept with bags. I have had problems when I have put my food in my tent vestibule in an established campsite (i.e. not fully inside my tent). I have also had rodents chew though tents and backpacks to get to food when I was NOT inside my tent or tarp.

[moldy]

I just hang my food bag. It's not very waterproof so all my food is in zip lock bags. Mice can't get up there to get to it. Squirrels sleep at night and work the day shift. In over 10 of hiking the AT they have never once got to it.

[Slo-go'en]

I've found that bright colored food bags can attract critters like squirrels, but if you use a forest color you may not be able to find the bag again. I've wasted more then a few minutes wandering around trying to remember where I hung the food. Idea - Mark the bottom location of the line with a piece of surveyor's tape.

Finding the ideal branch to hang food from is often a challenge, which is why there are so many poorly hung bags. Ideally you want a branch which is clear of obstructions, is too small for a bear cub to climb out on, but big enough they can't break or bend it. 10 feet off the ground, 10 feet from the trunk of the tree. In practice, do the best you can with what you got to work with and hope if there is a problem, some else hung their food even worse then you did.

[Strategic]

I use a Sea-to-Summit ultralight dry bag and a 3mm dyneema line to hang my food, always PCT-style. The dry bag means I can just use ordinary freezer bags for my food and the dyneema line keeps small animals out of it, since it's very tough and slippery and they can't shimmy down the line or chew through it. I have the tiny stuff sack I keep the line and mini-carabiner in attached to the line's end, so it doubles as a rock bag to throw the line over a good branch. Been using it for years and never had anything get into my food.

[fastfoxengineering]

I've found that bright colored food bags can attract critters like squirrels, but if you use a forest color you may not be able to find the bag again. I've wasted more then a few minutes wandering around trying to remember where I hung the food. Idea - Mark the bottom location of the line with a piece of surveyor's tape.

Finding the ideal branch to hang food from is often a challenge, which is why there are so many poorly hung bags. Ideally you want a branch which is clear of obstructions, is too small for a bear cub to climb out on, but big enough they can't break or bend it. 10 feet off the ground, 10 feet from the trunk of the tree. In practice, do the best you can with what you got to work with and hope if there is a problem, some else hung their food even worse then you did.

I've been wanting to get Lawson reflective bear line for a long time. He does say its not as durable as some other lines out there though. But I agree. I like a natural colored food bag. Ever more so for stealth camping. A think a reflective bear line would be great for hanging in the dark or early mornings.

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[rocketsocks]

My cookie tin now rests comfortably on belay with the potatoes and onion basket well outta reach of my cubs...they wouldn’t even think to look up ‘ere.

[garlic08]

I've never had a small critter get into a well-hung food bag. At the AT shelters, I saw some devices designed to keep mice from climbing down strings and into the bags, but I never slept in places like that. Get away from the shelters and the mice won't be so well schooled.

If you are in one of those places, never leave your food unattended, not even "just a sec." If your hiking style requires that, maybe getting a critter-proof bag could be a good idea.

[DownEaster]

Nylon 20L dry bag I got cheaply on eBay, with a Coghlan's odor-proof bag inside. (It's actually the second one. The first time they only had yellow-green available, and when I tried it in my back yard it blended nicely with the leaves of the tree. The newer one I bought in blaze orange.)

[Reeko]

Mice can't get up to it? I was thinking that folks were hanging food bags with paracord and tree branches. Now I'm thinking maybe the shelters have metal poles that the mice can't get a grip on??? Otherwise, I would think a mouse would easily navigate the cord. But I'm no mouse expert. Just a novice trying to figure this all out.

[Coffee]

Mice can't get up to it? I was thinking that folks were hanging food bags with paracord and tree branches. Now I'm thinking maybe the shelters have metal poles that the mice can't get a grip on??? Otherwise, I would think a mouse would easily navigate the cord. But I'm no mouse expert. Just a novice trying to figure this all out.

The 2 mm zLine that comes with the zPacks bear bagging kit is likely too slick and thin for mice to be able to navigate. If using some thick rope, I can see how mice and squirrels could have a field day with the food...

[Christoph]

I use one of those nylon rope type backpacks. Everything goes in ziplocks and I usually just sleep with it, but if there's a bear box or cable nearby, then I'll use those. All trash goes in it's own separate ziplock in the food bag so everything is all together and "sealed" via ziplock. Never had any issues (yet).

[rocketsocks]

I seen mice that would put an Army Ranger to shame on a ropes coarse. A mouse can Parkour over 20 times it’s body length at a 30 degree down angle and hang on by a finger nail while eating an M&M.

[putts]

I seen mice that would put an Army Ranger to shame on a ropes coarse. A mouse can Parkour over 20 times it’s body length at a 30 degree down angle and hang on by a finger nail while eating an M&M.

Thanks for the laugh. I do agree, I've witnessed some mouse acts that leave no doubt in their determination and abilities.

[QiWiz]

I use the relatively light Ursack Minor to keep non-bear varmints (mice, chipmunks, etc) from chewing a hole to get into my food bag. In bear country, I hang it to provide protection from bears.