Affectionately known by the lightweight hiking underground as the “PCT Method” (presumably because it was first used by long distance hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail), a bear bag hanging method exists that is lighter, requires less rope, offers the benefits of counterbalancing, is easier to set up, and offers simple and quick hanging and retrieval of your food.
You can make your own system quite easily by assembling the following components:
* Food storage bag
* 40 feet of hanging rope
* Keychain carabiner
* Small stuff sack for a rock (“rock sack”)
* Pencil-sized twig about 4-6 inches long.
Bryan DeLay has 30 years experience in the backcountry and shows us in this exclusive video (produced by TheBackpackerTV), the PCT method of properly hanging a bear bag. Bryan also is a lightweight backpacker and understands that the PCT method can sometimes be the most effective way. and quickest way when your looking for the perfect limb to hang your bag.
An ingenious method of keeping your food from bears. The best I’ve seen.
I thought so to.
pretty slick.
Thanks Bryan for sharing……I especially like the second method which is doable in most environments. This method will save me time at the end of a long trek when I don’t feel like scouring around for the perfect limb.
I see the rock in the little bag on one end and the stick in the middle, but where are you attaching the actual food bag?
After you throw it over, the rock bag is removed and you attach the food back to your caribeaner.