Magicpaddler wrote on Oct 18^th, 2011 at 12:09pm:


I find this works pretty well......just make sure you have enough line.
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Being unable to go on a trip for the last 4 years , I've consoled myself with tweaking my pack hanging technique.
I've come up with a method that works at the local park , and hopefully will in the bush.

I use a 3 pulley system. Monjon, if you like 2 pulleys, you'll love 3. A 90 lb food pack pulls like 30, even a child could do it.
Azalea gave me some advice that I've taken to heart. I throw 2 separate lines for my overhead horizontal line. My 3 pulleys ( sailing pulleys with bearings) are rigged in a triangle shape.
One of the pulleys clips with carabiner to the pack haul loop. I use 1/4 pull rope as smaller cuts your hand and heavier isn't needed.
On the 2 overhead line loops, I have a small stainless steel clip I bought at the hardware store on each end.
I use to use 1/4 rope for these lines, but decided I could save weight and still be strong enough by getting some of this 1/8 Dacron line they sell at Piragis and other places. Has the hand for tying say tent guy lines but is rated at 450# breaking strength. They came in 80 ft pieces. I took 2 -1/2"  x 6" wood dowels and drilled a 1/4 hole in one end, and cut a slot about 1/2 deep in the other end. Insert line in hole, secure and wrap cord around dowel, securing the tag end with stainless clip on the slotted end.
You now have your overhead lines. You could cut them shorter, but since they weigh practically nothing I figure I could use the extra line somewhere/sometime down the road.

I use to use the bag method. I even made a leather bag out of a old carpenter bag becasue the nylon sacks I started with would get worn from hitting the ground with my throwing rock in them.
I also noticed that a sack isn't very aerodynamic and if you need to make a accurate throw as MP mentioned, it could be frustrating as well as time consuming.

I came up with what I think is a better way. I took a tennis ball and drilled two 3/8" holes about 3-4" apart across the seams of the ball. I then used a razor knife to cut a slit between the 2 holes. The holes keep the slit from getting two big. When your done, you should be able to squeeze the ball and it will open wide at the slit, like one of those coin wallets people used to carry.
Directly across from center of slit, I drilled another hole,a 1/4 this time. I took a piece of Para-cord, made a loop in it about 1/2" long and ran that loop thru a 1/4' fender washer. Tie a couple of overhead knots on cord to keep it from pulling thru washer. Use a bit of stiff wire to pull loop thru hole in ball. You want just a big enough loop to tie a line to and not so much it can snag on limbs.

When you want to throw ball, you can tie your line to loop " lightly" I use just a simple overhand loop. If the ball should hang up, you want to able to pull the line free and let the ball drop free.
If you can't get the height or need more weight, you squeeze the ball and add some small rocks until you get what you need.
A ball is much easier to throw  and aerodynamic as well.
I clip my overhead line to loop on ball, pull some line loose and toss. Hold the dowel in your non-throwing hand so the line uncoils as it sails. I then do the same with the other line directly opposite.
The 2 clips attach to the 2 corner pulleys. I then clip the 3rd pulley to the food pack.
I used to hang back in center of the line, but this puts a big strain on the trees, especially if they're not very big. As long as the pack is far enough away from the trunk and high enough, you don't get the sag hanging your pack closer to whatever tree you choose. Azalea gets credit for this tip.
I pull the one line and when the pulley is about 8-10 feet away from trunk, I tie it off.
The opposite line I do the same. When you get the horizontal line parallel to ground, you can use the dowel to pull it as snug as possible and secure, I use a truckers hitch.
When I get done, the 2 corner pulleys are up in the air with the overhead line, the " tip" of the pyramid pulley is clipped to the pull loop of pack, and the pulling rope is ready for use.
I tie a loop in the pull rope, so it can't accidentally get pulled thru the pulleys.
With 2 separate overhead lines, your splitting the weight between each line, so you can use a lighter line as long as they're combined load rating is heavier than you pack.
With the #450 lb cord, I don't worry and have used just 1 line over a large limb and the 3 pulley rig to hang my pack.
This set-up gives you plenty of options, limited only by your ingenuity.
I'm guessing about 3# or so for entire set-up. I don't have a digital camera, but you can Google 3 pulley set-ups and get pics. The rest you can play with until you get it right.
Sounds complicated, but once rigged and used ( I'd set-up, fine tune at home), it's really very easy.
Of course your can just hide your pack and take your chances.
But if your looking for a set-up, this will give you some options.
Feel free to make it your own, I always do

On the video:
Looks to me like they had plenty of time to shoo the bears but wanted see the show. That's cool. But why did they stop filming before they walked away? Was it because once they realized that an expensive harness was probably now ruined they decided to shoo them before the non bear proof barrel became wrecked as well? Maybe the cubs got bored and mom went to round 'em up? Just wondering. The hanging job gave them plenty of time for action in any case.


I normally just take my chances on portages. In spring I'd always watch for Ravens. I do like ST's alarm idea though.


Magic- On tossing-  I've used tent poles with great success. One year I had shoulder problems and a borrowed tent that had only two poles. My tent had 4 poles. The borrowed one had two which I found didn't work so I was reduced to tossing underhand, which I can get much higher but with far less accuracy. At one campsite I became so frustrated after a half hour of on and off attempts that I ended up tying two 5' sticks together to poke it over the branch. Worked great!

You don't need a branch. All you really is a nub. The trunk is what you want to use to hold the weight. My preference is the ~1/2 - 1 sticks leftover after the rest of the branch has dried up and fallen off. They often seem to be the right height as well.

I use a bag for tossing.
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Thanks for posting that Azalea.
I've added a 3rd pulley but the basic set-up is the same.
I downloaded that pic, but forgot where I put it
A picture is worth a 1000 words

I've stashing my food pack in the woods for more than ten years and I've never had a problem with bears or mice.  I learned this from Cliff Jacobs and he's been stashing for a long time.  You save the weight of the rope and pulleys plus the time it takes to hang the pack.  Plus, I absolutely hated hanging the food pack, what a PITA trying to throw a rope over a high tree branch, even finding a decent branch is a pain.