How to: Hang your food in bear country

In this video, I want to show you how a different twist on the regular bear hang. When you are in evergreen forest, the branches are much shorter and closer to the tree trunk, making it harder for you to hang and easier for the bear. This hang is perfectly bear-safe and shows you how to hang your food properly.

[@connorobridge]

I watched every single bear bag hanging video. This is the best one. Thank you man!

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Glad it helped!

[@connorobridge]

@@RyanKodakBrown i went on a 4 day solo trip up here in montana, this method worked perfectly. It was never a hassle to re-hang it and it gave me great peace of mind!

[@richwelch686]

Just finished a SOBO thru-hike on the AT and wish I'd known about this technique beforehand. Thanks for sharing!

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Heck yeah man! Congratulations!

[@jamesquinlivan7876]

Great video, Ryan. I will definitely be using your technique when I’m on VT’s Long Trail!

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Awesome, I'm glad it helped and hopes it keeps your food safe out there! Good luck and happy trails!

[@riley2201]

super helpful thank you!

[@tmarkk99]

So simple! Wow. Mind blown. Thanks for making this video.

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Glad you liked it!

[@Trevor.Morrice]

That's a funny lookin birch tree

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Oh yeah?

[@richardmorris127]

Good video Ryan but folks dont count on finding a rock you can tie a line around. Be sure you have a small stuff sack availbe. II always had use for one or two. The bag can be filled with dirt, sand. pebbles, a rock or can of food.

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Stuff sacks are definitely easier for most people. Careful not to get it stuck!

[@shmerelize]

Thanks for the explanations! How thick/strong does my cord need to be?

[@BackcountryForward]

Story of the GDT: there’s never a good tree to hang on 😂

[@RyanKodakBrown]

That it is!

[@larrytopal3877]

That’s a super great way to wrap up the cord!!

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Trick of the trade! Really helps keep the cord from tangling. Hope it helps ✌️

[@royberry6673]

Do not waste your time with a rock tie . store your bear hang line in a sack . use the sack with rocks .

[@RyanKodakBrown]

This works well for many people but I actually prefer to tie a rock! The sack is handy though if you can't find a proper rock and probably easier for most. Just watch you don't get it stuck in a tree. ✌️

[@DiGiTaLdAzEDM]

What do you think of bear cannisters? I am thinking one or two nights outing when a small one like the 'Bare Boxer' (275 cu.") Will do. I have not used one yet. It can be hard to find a suitable tree at some spots I frequent, but there are black bears around. No grizzlies.

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Bear canisters are solid options and required in many places. I hang when I can just because it's lighter. Ursacks are worth looking into as well.

[@markodabrowski1040]

Not sure if youll see this comment, might be to new for an older video. Do you think Dyneema rope would be better than paracord? And would 50' be good or more?

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Hey! I’m almost hesitant to say yes without knowing exactly what you mean but, yeah! Look for “arborist throw line.” Its typically a couple millimeters thick and strong AF. Will be lighter and just work better (easier to pull through trees) than paracord. 50ft should be plenty. Absolute minumum id say is 30ft but better longer and cut later if you want. Good luck and happy trails.

[@decipherlogic]

Dyneema is my goto. strong, light and more compact.

[@Mrjrose01]

Good tutorial, thanks! How many feet of rope do you suggest having?

[@RyanKodakBrown]

50ft is a good starting point though you could probably get away with less. Remember the rope is doubled so if food should be 12ft high at least you’ll need an absolute minimum of 24ft but with knots and branches being a bit higher sometimes… yeah, 40-50ft and then shorten if you find you can.

[@RyanKodakBrown]

And search for arborist throw line! It’s the best bear cord. Super strong and very thin and light.

[@Mrjrose01]

@@RyanKodakBrown yeah, I bought 250 feet of that five years ago, it's like an endless supply! I usually tie my food bag (Out Sak and Smelly Proof bags combo )to the tree at head level, but the Boundary Waters enacted stricter food storage regs.

[@tofuyam7361]

first time i've seen this type of hang, but i think i would prefer to carry a bear can than doing a hang every night

[@jhtsurvival]

A Hang is so much safer

[@RyanKodakBrown]

I understand. There are a lot of bear boxes on the Great Divide so it's not worth the weight and easier to just hang every-once-in-a-while.

[@ajmodesto]

Thank you, I'm doing 100+ miles on the Colorado Trail this summer. With this method, I no longer have any interest in buying a ursack.

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Awesome! I'm stoked for your hike! Best of luck out there and glad the video helped ✌️

[@jayceewedmak9524]

Funny to think there's more problems with spiders, mosquitoes and ticks than bears lol I hate ticks the most.

[@RyanKodakBrown]

I know! The "mini-bears," too, as Andrew Skurka calls mice 😂 Ticks are the WORST EVER!!!

[@jayceewedmak9524]

@@RyanKodakBrown I've camped and had dogs for 60 years and hunted for 40 years - the last 20 years was Lyme shots and brevecto for the dogs. All we have in Canada is permethrin to spray clothes/gear. Dept. Of Natural Resources studied moose calf numbers and found 100 dead just from ticks. Sad.

[@ericdoberstein8872]

Can't the bear follow the line down to the tree it's tied to and break your line there? That's the reason the double bag balance system was invented because if you hung your food and then tied it off to the tree like you did in the old days the bears learned to break the line where it was tied to the tree.

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Well, I hung my food this way because there were no other options! There are bears who have learned to steal food but it's very rare and only in very high traffic areas like on the PCT (where the method was coined). On the Appalachian Trail, a mother taught her cub to jump out of trees on top of the food bag ripping it right out of the tree! TLDR; if food is hung properly -- 12+ feet high and 6+ feet away from trunk -- it is very safe in most cases.

[@garycampbell7999]

If I put my food up a tree does this make ME the food being more convenient for the animals ⁉️

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Hahaha, encounters are very rare in most places and especially in camp.

[@pierrevincent9568]

that's a poplar not a birch

[@RyanKodakBrown]

Interesting...

[@randalh409]

Agreed🙂