How much 'chute cord?

[DebW]

How much parachute cord do you carry on a hike? Include bear bagging cord plus any additional.

[Easyhiker]

I had 50 thought it was to much, cut it to 25 and at times didn't have enough so i'd go with about 35'.

[SGT Rock]

I use about 40'. It's good for bagging and I still have some to cut off for other uses.

[Kerosene]

In bear country I bring 50', which provides me with sufficient options for hanging my food bag when that perfect branch doesn't materialize as the sun is going down. Otherwise, I get by with about 25'.

[Jumpstart]

We brought thirty, and used about 5 feet to create extra guylines for the tent every now and then, but aside from 3 or 4 times, we never used it; a few times as a bear bag line and then once to strap 6 liters of water to our pack to get to a campsite with no water. Otherwise, even what we had was overkill, but it always felt good to have too much rather than not enough..........

[Lugnut]

I'm always 5' short. I need to find trees closer together.

[Youngblood]

50 feet is what I use. Longer lengths tend to be harder to manage and shorter lengths limit the available tree limbs. It is a personal choice with no right or wrong answers...unless you don't have enough to properly hang your food bag. If a bear isn't after your food, you don't have to hang it very high. How much does the cord weigh?

Youngblood

[DebW]

For awhile I was carrying a 60 ft piece of cord and a 50 ft piece of cord. I would use the longer cord to span 2 trees and then hang my food from a 'biner in the middle with the other cord. I could get really good high placements this way, and didn't scar the trees because the long horizontal span was tensioned without weight on it. Lately I've been using one 50 ft. piece and a bagging technique that involves throwing over only one branch (near the trunk for strength), then tying one end to a biner, clipping that over the middle of the rope, and hanging the food on the biner. This way the food bags lift higher as you pull on the rope, and are not near the tree trunk when you tie off to another tree as high as you can reach. I think I can cut the cord down to 40 feet with this technique. But I'll bring an extra 15 ft. for misc. uses (like pitching a tent on a platform, drying clothes, replacing broken shoelaces, etc.)

[Jaybird]

i carry approx. 50ft (purchased from my local outfitter store) & have "chopped off" a few feet here & there when needed.

still have approx 40 ft. i will carry on the 2004 section-hikes.




see ya'll up the trail in 2004!

[Brushy Sage]

I carry about 40 feet. There have been a couple of times when I wished for more, but most of the time I have plenty.

[brian]

I carry 45ft, with the guts taken out. Helps to reduce the bult somewhat, and allows me to carry 2 stoves, 2 bandanas, windscreen, and the cord in my gatorade mug.

Brian
Future Thru Hiker 2013

[Streamweaver]

I usually carry a 30' peice of para cord but Im making a hiking staff out of a peice of bamboo and I used a 20' peice of cord to make a handle grip so now Ill be carrying 50' if I need it. The cord works great as a handle grip and its multipurpose to boot! Streamweaver

[Footslogger]

Actually ...chute cord is a little on the heavy side, unless you plan to hang several food bags on one line at night. You can get a 50 ft length of 1/8" nylon pretty cheaply and that will get you all the way from Springer to Katahdin.

Like some others have already said ...50 feet of any cord might be too much. I ended up cutting my 50 footer in half and put half of it in my bounce box.

[bobgessner57]

I carry a few short pieces of 1/8 for tarp guy lines but use 1/4 parachute for food bags and to create a ridge line for the tarp. I can't imagine how hard it would be on my hand to hoist a food bag with the 1/8 line. The small line is especially difficult to untie if pulled super tight or frozen. The 1/4 inch line is generally easy to undo with the aid of the awl on my knife even if frozen hard, and the knots are easier to get your fingers on.

[peter_pan]

Replaced all my chute cord w/ 2mm hammer cord two years age. Did this initially to cut 5 oz to 1.5 for 50 feet. then the bonuses started. It is more flexible. It packs smaller by 2/3ds. It has better night vis (marginal, depending on color). Slip knot based tauntline and other hitches always pull out with a single tug. Cut my bear bag cord to 32 ft and a single piece secures both the bear bag and "rock" bag by tying bowlines around the common central running portion. Wears great. Only drawback is moderate cost.

[JEB]

. . . and where do you get it? Sounds like great stuff. Thanks for the tip, peter pan.

[Rain Man]

I carry a few short pieces of 1/8 for tarp guy lines but use 1/4 parachute for food bags and to create a ridge line for the tarp. I can't imagine how hard it would be on my hand to hoist a food bag with the 1/8 line. ...

Also, using small cord for bear bagging can have the unfortunate and unintended and unseen side effect of cutting through the bark of a tree limb, weakening or eventually killing the limb.

I suppose one could always pull the bag up very slowly to avoid that?

Rain Man

.

[smokymtnsteve]

your right Rain man the very small diameter cord cuts into the tree bark and injures the limb..

[tlbj6142]

Check out the latest article on www.backpackinglight.com about bear bagging techniques. While methods discussed are probably a bit of an overkill in some areas along the AT. The "PCT Method" is quite interesting as you only 40' of cord to properly bear bag your food 15'-20' off of the ground.

Here is the direct link.

[swamp dawg]

I started out with 50 feet a long time ago but now I am down to 40 feet. The missing 10 feet has been used for all types of emergency repair and trail use so do not leave home without it.
Life is good on the trail...Swamp Dawg