Kingfisher wrote on May 11^th, 2009 at 12:26am:

I tried the everlast pulleys that Magic references but had too much trouble with rolling and twisting. As a result, I reverted to a cheap cast pulley set that will not overrun. I did have to do some lube and run in to make them run smoothly but after I did they work pretty good. Out of the package they are fairly rough and may need some attention but at the price (about $4 each ) they are worth the effort. If you have a grinder with a wire wheel you can run in a set of cheap cast pulleys with a little lube and a run on the wire wheel. In an extreme case try a little abrasive rubbing compound to get them smoothed out. The cast pulleys are heavier and gravity helps them find the proper orientation when lifting a load that is their biggest advantage. The plastic everlast pulleys run smoother but they tend to twist and turn too much. They take an extreme amount of attention to keep them running true.

I also use a 3-pulley system what weighs in at 1 lb 6 oz.  My system utilizes 3   (You need to Login or Register.  They are quite a bit more expensive (I found the one's I use for about 1/2 the price listed in the link), but they have numerous advantages:  (a) light weight, (b) efficiency rating of about 86%, (c) split ring design--just split and insert the rope--no need to string, and (d) carrying capacity ~ 22.2 kn (5000 lbs).  To this I add a light weight caribiner to hold the split rings in place and form connecting to the rope and/or pack(s).  The 'biners are the weak link in the system at a carrying capacity of 150 lbs.  Finally, I use two 50 foot lengths of 1/4 inch braided nylon rope (in orange, so I don't accidentally run into them or leave them behind).  The pulleys will handling up to 1/2 inch rope, but I find this to be overkill.

Rope #1 (tree rope) has two overhand loop/knots about 3 feet apart in the middle of rope.  One pulley is caribinered to each loop.  Rope #2 (hoist rope) is tied to food pack, then run through one of the tree rope pulleys, back down to a 'bindered pulley attached to the pack, then back to pulley #2 on the tree rope.  

At this point the tree rope is hoisted ... most often between two trees with an open span between.  Once lashed down at each end, they you are free to hoist away.  You need to make allowances for the amount of sag in the tree rope due to degree of tautness in the line and tree diameter.

I've hoisted 80-90 pounds by myself with this system.  If you want to hand hoist, gloves are recommended, but just as often, I just make belay-like loop around my body and walk back to the tie-off tree.  Lowering is a one-hand job, with excellent control.  Oh, BTW.  When you untie your pack from the hoist line, you'll need to add weight to the line ... the pulleys are so efficient that the hoist line will quick run through the pulleys and wind up on the ground.  I carry the pulleys/biners in a small mesh bag.  I just add a rock to the bag and tie that to the end of the hoist line to avoid the "quick getaway."  However, the "slippery" nature of the lines also makes for a remarkably quick take down when you are breaking camp.   However, I'd make sure that at least one line is running through a tree pulley to pull the tree line down from the middle, after untying both ends.  (No point getting a pulley hung up in the tree.)

No pinch, no bind, no twist with this system.

I'll typically use two trees because of the infrequency of finding a substantial single limb at the right height that is free from obstruction.  All you have to find on two trees is a 1-2 inch diameter limb or stob that proves sufficient purchase against the tree for the rope.  In other words, they don't have to be pointed away from the weight on the line.  Even stobs with a sufficient upward angle between the trees can be used because the force on the line will be downward.

dd