Bear Bagging Questions

[Pickles&Shakespeare]

I don't understand the logistics of bear bagging. I understand the concept and why it is so important for both the safety of hikers and wildlife.


But what are the steps? Do you just wait until all cooking is over to hang your bear bag?

Do you get all of your food out for dinner as well toothbrush for after dinner and then hang your bear bag? Then take it down to place all of those items back in the bag at night? Then in the morning take down the bag again cook breakfast and pack up camp?

Surely you do not take out food, kitchen and scented items and just leave them on the ground (ziplocks, pots, toothpaste etc). That seems counter to the idea of bear bagging.

Please enlighten me.

[ShelterLeopard]

Depends where you are. For the most part on the AT, I'm more concerned about squirrels and mice.

[Raul Perez]

I hang when I'm done for the night. I usually set up the bear bag system when I set camp but dont actually hang my items until I'm ready to go to bed (toothbrush, paste, food, food containers).

I also use the PCT method:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLDMuPuvE

[ShelterLeopard]

If I'm concerned about bears, I cook, eat, clean up, and put everything scented in the bag and hang it (high, and far away from the trunk of the tree). IF I'm concerned about bears. Like in Georgian Bay, in Canada. Or SNP, maybe. Usually I'm not too worried about it.

[johnnyjohnson2043]

In Ray Jardine's book 'Beyond Backpacking' he suggests eating dinner before you reach your actual campsite so that when you get there you can just set up your tent and be done with it. The process of cooking actually attracts animals so by cooking away from camp you are leaving some of that smell behind. Not sure how practical this is but I was planning on trying it out and hanging my bag as soon as I got to camp. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

[maybe clem]

One of the first things I do when setting up camp is find a branch and set up the bear bag line - that's a lot easier in daylight. When I'm done eating and toiletry-ing, I hang the bags, usually just before going to sleep.

[Kermitt]

That's why I like dehydrat my food, no food smells, dirty dishes & double baged seems to hind food smells.

[WingedMonkey]

In Ray Jardine's book 'Beyond Backpacking' he suggests eating dinner before you reach your actual campsite so that when you get there you can just set up your tent and be done with it. The process of cooking actually attracts animals so by cooking away from camp you are leaving some of that smell behind. Not sure how practical this is but I was planning on trying it out and hanging my bag as soon as I got to camp. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

I did it in Alaska it made sense in "wilderness" areas.
On the AT even if you don't cook at shelters and campsites, someone else does or has.
It used to be out of courtesy backpackers didn't cook "in" the shelter because of spills and stuff. Now, judging from the stove burns and rings I see, I'd say they cook where ever they feel like it.
Same goes with cleaning pots. Not sure why anyone has anything to dump after cooking, but they do. And where they dump it is where they think they should.
I would say when and where you cook dinner is up to you and your pace/schedule, (when hiking and tenting alone I ofter have dinner after dark) but not much effect on what critters will smell around sites.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I have no intention of bagging any bears on the AT. Leave No Trace and all...

[beakerman]

generally I don't recommend bagging bear...it just makes them angry...


as far as hanging a bear bag I use the PCT method. I toss the rope as soon as i get into camp so I can see what I'm doing. Then I run the bags up the rope when I'm done with everythig that needs to be hung. What I hang varies on where I am. Down here in east texas I hang just my food to keep the racoons out of it. In black bear country I might toss my personal hygeine stuff (soap/toothpaste etc) in a separate bag and run it up too. In griz country I don't do deoderant soaps and such but I still bag and hang my toiletries except my hand sanitizer, TP (cheap unscented) and shovel.

[Buffalo Skipper]

as far as hanging a bear bag I use the PCT method. I toss the rope as soon as i get into camp so I can see what I'm doing. Then I run the bags up the rope when I'm done with everythig that needs to be hung. What I hang varies on where I am. Down here in east texas I hang just my food to keep the racoons out of it. In black bear country I might toss my personal hygeine stuff (soap/toothpaste etc) in a separate bag and run it up too. In griz country I don't do deoderant soaps and such but I still bag and hang my toiletries except my hand sanitizer, TP (cheap unscented) and shovel.

On a serious note, I have heard many people refer to the PCT method of hanging a bear bag, but never an explanation. Is that what you described here?

[Amanita]

Someone posted a helpful link in another thread as to how the PCT method works. From my understanding it involves using a carribeaner and a twig to hang the bag in a way that pulling on or cutting the rope will not drop the bag. Bears and racoons in a lot of areas have figured out how to get bags by untying/biting the rope from the tree. The PCT method is simpler than counterbalancing (which requires 2 bags).

[LDog]

On a serious note, I have heard many people refer to the PCT method of hanging a bear bag, but never an explanation. Is that what you described here?

There's bunches of web sites and youtube videos on this. Here's one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLDMuPuvE

[Raul Perez]

On a serious note, I have heard many people refer to the PCT method of hanging a bear bag, but never an explanation. Is that what you described here?

I actually put a link to a youtube video in my post.....

[Buffalo Skipper]

Thanks for the posts. Sorry Raul, I missed that.

[RayBan]

Here's a KNOTLESS PCT method that backpackinglight.com demonstrated by video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpR_L...eature=related

I've used this method to hang both heavy and light bags as well as multiple food bags. The method has a number of virtues (see video) among which is the fact that once mastered, you may never again use the "stick"/clove hitch approach method with the possiblilities of entanglement/breakage.


BTW, you may want to consider using Sterling Rope as opposed to parachord, which I found is (a) more than 5X as heavy as a comparable length of Sterling cord and (b) has a tensile strength of about 550 lbs. (depending on the class of parachord), which is completely unnecessary for any foreseeable use on the AT (or most anywhere else when backpacking).

The Sterling comes in a variety of thicknesses. I personally use 1.55 mm which has a 100 lb. test strength, more than adequate for anything I've ever hung (including multpiple heavy food bags).

You can buy different diameters at Moosejaw and elsewhere fairly inexpensively. http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/sho...8_10000001_-1_

Some vendors allow you to specify your length rather than simply forcing you to buy a large spool containing much more than you need

[ShelterLeopard]

I have this strange mental image (brought to my mind by b. skipper) of a slightly crazed hiker, crouched behind a tree with a bag in hand, waiting to pounce on an innocent looking bear... Now there's a hiker who didn't get enough protein at the last resupply!

[Buffalo Skipper]

Then it seems we are even for the day. Thanks ShLep.

[Miss Janet]

My good friend RAZOR, the AT Ridgerunner down here on the soutern end of the trail said I was a bad influence... he also mentioned others like Lone Wolf, Baltimore Jack, that keep food in the tent with them. So the other night I was being a "good influence" and all five of us at a campsite at Slaughter Creek hung our food. We used the PCT method and really followed all the rules... Bear got 3 out of 5 bags that night. Whew, I was glad my food was still in my tent with me and the dog! You know how mad that bear was to only see trash from food bags he had already raided in my bag!!
For two years now the bears in that area are getting really smart about getting food bags. I am not sure what the answer is and I invite any of you down to test your advice and expert bear bagging technique!
Last night the Leave No Trase Rep went up to hang some bags different ways and try to video the bear... I am looking forward to what he found!

[skooch]

OK I watched the PCT method but don't get the stick part. What kind of a knot are they using to tie off on the tree itself? Can't a bear just scratch at the rope on the tree and the bag fall? Would it be better to sleep w/my food bag and let the hanging bags be a nice bear decoy for me? I'm on the fence on this one.