Craig Bowers' excellent post reminded me that I use different line for hauling food out of bear reach than I do for tarps. Slippery line (polypropylene -- the floating yellow stuff) makes poor knots and in a laid version unravels readily, so I don't use it for tarp lines. But, for hauling bags over limbs, a slippery line makes the job a lot easier. As Craig says, a braided sheath is better, and 1/4 or 5/16 is required. The parachute cord stuff quickly cuts into the limb bark. I get my line from a local marine outfitter (Englund Marine), and it is pale blue with red flecks in it. It is easier to tie than the yellow polypro line, and only a little less slippery. I think it was Chuck Holst who put together a treatise on a double pulley system to permit easy hauling to the center of a horizontal line strung between trees. I use that to keep my stash out of the reach of bears. Before the pulley system, I wore myself out and injured a lot of tree limbs running lines over limbs. I don't take the pulleys on every trip -- just when I know I will be in areas bears frequent. All of the islands in the Columbia River (and most shoreside campsites) are free of bear hazards. In addition, I have never seen a bear on islands in the Brokens in Barkley Sound, though I hear there is a wolf out there, now. Look out, Little Red Riding Hood (Grandma, too)! -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Jan 09 2003 - 07:55:17 PST
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