Bear Bag hanging rope…

[Steven Hall]

Hello!

Anyone ever use braided mason line to hang a bear bag? Hows it hold up if so?

Thanks!

[Matthew / BPL]

I have not but I have two concerns:

1) tangle city

2) cutting the tree limb

I’ve used Zing-It before and hated it because of #1 and suspected #2 was happening. I don’t like to spend time untangling line as the sun sets.

[Ryan “Rudy” Oury]

I haven’t tried masons line for bear bagging, but used w/ it a lot in my earlier MYOG time (guy lines, cord for cinch top stuff sacks, cordage on side of backpacks, etc). I also have a long carpentry background so used masons line regular on the job site. In my experience, I’d expect Matt is right on both accounts.

the tangling could be reduced by making something to wrap the line on for storage, like a 4-5” long chunk of stiff cardboard. Cutting through branches could be mitigated by lifting the bear bag as high as possible to reduce the weight on the limb while pulling the line.

i use a long section of braided line I bought at REI awhile back… it’s probably 1.5-2x the dia of masons line. I do deal w/ tangles if I’m not very careful about wrapping/unwrapping. And it snags on branches a lot.

But if I remember right, zpacks 1.2mm Dynemma line is only a smidge heavier, has absolutely NO issues w/ tangles and is very slick. I think MLDs bear bag line would be similar. So the only benefit of masons line is low cost. But at $13 for 50’ of zpacks line, it’s not really breaking the bank.

 

[Jerry Adams]

I use mason line some, more for guylines than bear hang rope

I like the price – easy enough to try it and if you don’t like it move on to something else – $5 for 250 foot roll

High visibility color is good

After a while it becomes unbraided at spots.  But if it becomes bad enough you can just cut another piece from your 250 foot roll.

It says it has a safe working load of 27 pounds.  It seems like it’s a lot stronger than that though, no way I could ever break it just pulling on it.

[Daryl and Daryl]

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/coghlans-50-ft-braided-nylon-cord.cfm?source=bingcontent&kwid=%2Fproduct%2F&tid=dsapla

I’ve tried dozens of options over the years but always go back to this.

Some of the slippery cords, for example, don’t hold  a knot well.  I’ve had the knot fail and had the bear bag go bump in the night when it fell.

[James Marco]

The Great Bear Line debate…OK.
1) The line needs to be around 2mm in diameter to support a 7kg load and at least 25kg test. Or, around 5/64″-3/32″ to support 15pounds and at least 50 pound test.
2) 2mm is the minimum for not sawing through bark in a single cycle (hauling up and down.)
3) Some sort of slick coating is far preferred to ease hauling up.
4) A rock sack of around 10-12oz is about the best for tossing up a tree with 2mm slick line. (I double-duty my ditty bag.)
5) You can ease hauling up by stepping back as far as possible before you start hauling. (Standing directly under a branch is more difficult, besides if the branch breaks it will land on you. Step back as far as possible to decrease the angle as close as possible to 45 degrees. A broken branch will land at your feet.)
6) Knots can be a problem with slick line. I recommend a Surgeons Loop on both ends with a small Nightize clip. The clip almost never catches like a carabiner does.
7) Avoid pine trees. IFF you break the bark or cut through it, they will ooze sap and stick overnight leaving your food stuck. (Try hauling the line UP a little before letting it down, before resorting to a stick.)
8) Use the stiffest line you can find to avoid tangles. (I use a spectra bow-string stock with a 13ply outer sheath that is very densely packed. It is like wire in that it takes and holds a bend. It rarely tangles.)
9) Use a two piece line. Recommend a 35′ piece and a 16′ piece. Usually, the 35′ piece is enough with the line hanging with the clip clear of the ground. If you must, you can use the looped end to make a loop to loop connection with the extra 16′.
10) Choose a good branch: 17′ high, at least 4-5′ away from ANY trunk climbable by a bear, and, small enough the bear will not climb out on it. After you are finished hanging, the bottom of the bag will be about 12-13′ above the ground and 4-5′ below the branch. With the fine 2mm line, it should look like it is hanging in mid air.
11) Always tie off to a second tree, as high up as you can reach. Walk around this tree to “walk” the line down, then wrap around the line once before tying off. This creates a “choker” against the stress. Insure the knot cannot be simply pulled loose by a bear. They usually don’t bother with it on another tree, though.

I always avoid masons line, “Zing-It”, “Fling-It”, etc. They are white or very bright at night and prefer low visibility lines. Solid spectra is also very slick to handle and floppy. Some line I got from Lawson (SERE 2.2mm) was fairly good but was bright orange and limper than I liked…

[Matthew / BPL]

The OP didn’t ask for suggestions outside of masons twine but since we are going there, I am partial to Lawson’s bear line. It’s stiff, smooth and holds a knot well.

[jimmyjam]

A second for Lawson’s. Practically tangle free, slides over limbs without cutting into them and knots are easy to untie.

[Steven Hall]

Thanks for the suggestions people!

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