What I'll do differently when I get back on the trail

[LDog]

What I'm changing, and what I'm leaving behind to lighten my load in anticipation of getting back on the trail: http://bit.ly/LDawg

[Astro]

Great lessons learned. Thank for sharing for everyone else's benefit. I wish you a quick a speed return to the trail.

[WIAPilot]

LDog - Thanks so much for this. I learned so much. I live in the desert and have never hung a bear bag. I will practice and I will learn however! Bear Hanging 101. What are your thoughts on this video? I thought the Dutchware Titanium Carabiner was a good addition.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-hY...e_gdata_player

[LDog]

LDog - What are your thoughts on this video? I thought the Dutchware Titanium Carabiner was a good addition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-hY...e_gdata_player

Thanks for your kind comments. I wish the video had shown more clearly that the downhaul part of the line has to be put thru the biner for the system to work, and that he showed how to tie a clove hitch.

I like this video, but even it can be a little confusing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLD...1OBP8kEzbLRXZQ

Branch selection is important too. If it's not high enough, the PCT method will leave your bag hanging too low

I also learned the hard way to select a stick that you can snap in half. I had used a stick that was close to an inch thick. I had two bags hanging. It rained all night, and the weight of the bags, along with the friction of the line on the branch required some muscle to haul the bags back up to the limb to where I cold get to that stick. Well, the not tightened so much it was imbedded into the wood. Had to use my knife to whittle the stick down enough to snap it. In pre-dawn, rain with a headlamp ...

[Spokes]

Ldog, that's a great article and reinforces the concept of carrying what you need as opposed to what you want.

One question- will you describe how you hung your food bag when it got snatched? I was confused since you mentioned still having enough food to make it to Hiawassee. Does that mean the bear didn't get all of it or you slept with some of your food and hung the rest?


BTW, sticks are aggravating so I prefer the knotless PCT method as describd here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpR_L...e_gdata_player

Cheers!

[LDog]

Ldog, that's a great article and reinforces the concept of carrying what you need as opposed to what you want.

One question- will you describe how you hung your food bag when it got snatched? I was confused since you mentioned still having enough food to make it to Hiawassee. Does that mean the bear didn't get all of it or you slept with some of your food and hung the rest?

It was late when I got to the camp site just north of Hog Pen Gap. I looked around for a perfect branch, but the best I could do was a little too low for PCT. So I threw the line over the branch and tied it off to a tree. There were three other bags hanging from that branch, all tied the same way, but their's were tied to trees up hill from the one I tied off to. I'm thinking the bear came up the hill and found mine first. Apparently I didn't tie it off high enough as the bear apparently just took a swipe at it and broke the line.

Any way, as is my routine, I got up pre-dawn and went for my bag. As I approached the tree, I heard some crashing through the woods, and when I looked at the branch, only three bags were hanging. I scanned the woods around me, and I swear I saw a couple of points of light reflected back at me from down the hill. The bear's eyes? I searched around and found the remnants of my bag. The bear ripped the cap off my olive oil bottle and drained it, ate the tuna, peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, cliff bars, and all the Emergen-C, but didn't touch oatmeal, bulgar wheat, quinoa, rice, spices, herbs and dehydrated veggies ... So I had food, just nothing with any fat.

BTW, sticks are aggravating so I prefer the knotless PCT method as describd here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpR_L...e_gdata_player

Cheers!

I saw that on BPL some time ago, and may just have to root around in the garage for a piece of PVC ...

As kind of a cool epilog, the story of my bag getting pilfered made it up the trail, and at my next stop, a couple of hikers asked me to show them the PCT method, they each showed a few, and pretty soon, every branch in the site was sporting PCT hangs.

The next morning, a local hiker gave me a pouch of Sweet Sue chicken. It made a great chili that night

Thanks for your comments!

[Sassafras Lass]

Bill - you're just about 2.5 hours north of me, cool! Also, what camera are you hiking with? And I've commented over on your blog, but are you getting back on the trail? I'm headed to Maine June 2nd with the husband and it'd be awesome to talk cameras and hiking with you.

[LDog]

Bill - you're just about 2.5 hours north of me, cool! Also, what camera are you hiking with?

Hey neighbor. I'm hiking with the Fujifilm X100. What about you?
http://www.laughingdog.com/search/label/Camera

... are you getting back on the trail? I'm headed to Maine June 2nd with the husband and it'd be awesome to talk cameras and hiking with you.

I don't have a date yet. I really hope I'll be at 100% by June 2d ... If I'm ready to go by mid-Jun, I'll probably go sobo. After that, I'll have to consider flip-flopping.

Frankly, flip flopping would be the smart choice. Ease back into hiking after the injury, and be ready for the Whites and Katahdin ...

Hope we run into each other.