Re: [Paddlewise] Bears

Michael Daly wrote:
> 
> Learn how to use two trees to rig bear proof food storage.
> Tie a line at appropriate height between two trees and
> hang the food from the centre of the line.
> 
> A good book on bear behavior and problem avoidance is
> Stephen Herrero's "Bear Attacks, There causes and avoidance"
[snip]
> PS - a Z-rig, made with a couple of carabiners, can make hauling food
> packs up into trees a lot easier.  Downside is you need longer rope.

Chuck Holst has a very tidy system for dealing with this problem, detailed
below (excerpt of a Feb 1999 post Chuck made on Paddlewise):

> I once debated Cliff Jacobson in the pages of HUT! (Minnesota Canoe
> Association) on the merits of hanging food versus bagging it in
> plastic and hiding it on the ground. He was too stubborn to admit
> that there was ANY merit to hanging food. <g> Nonetheless, the
> following system that I devised for hanging food in the Boundary
> Waters has worked for me:
> 
> For black bears, you should hang food at least ten feet off the
> ground, five feet below the limb it is suspended from, and six
> feet from the nearest tree trunk.
> 
> Purchase two lightweight, *non-stretch* ropes (such as Dacron sailing
> line). One should be about 80 feet; the other can be only 50 feet.
> While you are at the sailing shop, also purchase two lightweight but
> strong blocks, or pullies. The cheapest ones, designed for small
> sailboats, should be more than strong enough. One should have a becket,
> or loop for tying line to, in addition to the usual shackle. Reeve
> (thread) the 50-foot line through the blocks. Start by tying one end of
> the line to the becket on the top block, run it through the bottom
> block, then back up through the top block and down again. It will also
> help to attach a caribiner or other clip to the shackle on the bottom
> block.
> 
> Carry this block and tackle arrangement separately from the 80-foot
> line. In camp, find a couple of trees about 15 to 20 feet apart with
> limbs or even stubs of limbs at least 15 feet off the ground that
> have enough clearance to throw a line over. (It is easier in the
> Boundary Waters to find two trees with these characteristics than one
> perfect tree for hanging food.) Tie a rock to one end of the 80-foot
> line, throw it over a branch on the first tree, and tie it off. Be
> careful of misplaced rocks bouncing back at you from the tree trunk.
> 
> Thread the other end of the first line through the shackle on the top
> block of the second line, then tie a rock to the free end of the first
> line and throw it over a limb on the second tree. Pull the first line
> as tight as you can, raising the block and tackle high into the air.
> (Make sure the bottom block dangles within reach, however.) Tie off the
> first line.
> 
> You now have a line tightly stretched between two trees 15 or 20 feet
> in the air with block and tackle hanging from it. Whip the second line
> back and forth to move the top block to the center of the first line.
> Put your weight on it to test it. The first line will sag somewhat,
> but hopefully not so much as to bring the pack within reach of a bear.
> To use it, simply clip your food pack or packs to the bottom block,
> haul them up, and tie off the line.
> 
> If you do find a tree with one perfect limb for hanging food, you can
> tie the first line to the shackle of the top block, throw the other
> end over the limb, and then use it to raise the block and tackle close
> to the limb.
> 
> This two-rope system has two advantages: (1) You can hang your food
> from a more diverse arrangement of trees, and (2) you are less likely
> to hang the food where the bear is used to finding it.
> 
> Chuck Holst

--
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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