PSA: You might be hanging your bear bag completely wrong

I've been camping in the Smokies for 10 years and always just tossed a rope over a branch, tied my bag, and called it good. Last month a ranger watched me do it and said bears can knock that down in 2 minutes because I wasn't using the PCT method with a carabiner. Has anyone else been doing the basic throw-and-tie trick their whole life?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_reed792mo ago

Start looking at the branch you're using more carefully next time. I watched a black bear in the Adirondacks actually snap a dead branch clean off just by pulling on the rope, bag went flying. Now I test every branch by giving it a hard yank first, no matter how thick it looks. Also switched to a rocksack with a waterproof liner instead of a regular stuff sack, keeps food smells locked in way better than any bag I ever used.

thompson.xena2mo agoProlific Poster

You ever had a branch that looked solid but just snapped like that? I used to think any branch thick as your arm was safe, no questions asked. But reading this makes me rethink all those times I just tossed a rope over without testing. What's the best way to check a branch without climbing up there?

taylor_moore7d ago

I mean, that bear story is wild but idk if it means we all need to start overthinking every branch. I've snapped plenty of dead ones by accident just yanking on them, and it's usually pretty obvious before you actually hang your gear on it. Maybe it's just me but if the bark is still attached and it bends a little when you push on it, that's probably fine.