What is a PCT hang?

The PCT method uses a single rope that is tossed over a high, sturdy branch and is then clipped to the bear bag with a mini carabiner. The standing end of the rope is clipped back through the carabiner and then the bear bag is hoisted all the way to the top of the branch.

Do you have to hang an Ursack?

If you’re not familiar with Ursacks, they’re soft bags made with super-tough Spectra and/or Kevlar fibers that bears can’t pull apart and critters can’t chew or claw through. There’s also no need to hang them high up in a tree, at least in the case of the AllMitey, because the bag is impenetrable by bears and critters.

Does hanging a bear bag work?

Hanging is recommended, taught, and practiced by influential organizations and individuals, even though it is less effective, less foolproof, less reliable, less efficient, and less safe than other food-protection techniques, notably hard-sided canisters and (to a lesser degree) soft-sided bear-resistant food sacks.

Can you use a dry sack as a bear bag?

If used carefully, smell-proof bags should keep their contents undetectable to bears as well as mice. Consider using a smell-proof bag as a liner inside your bear canister or Ursack bag. Dry bags: I used the same dry bag for my entire thru-hike.

How do you tie a PCT?

1. PCT Hang Step 1. Tie the end of your rope around a throw bag.
2. PCT Hang Step 2. Remove the throw bag.
3. PCT Hang Step 3. Attach your food bag to the second carabiner.
4. PCT Hang Step 4. Pull the rope down, causing your food bag to go all the way up to the branch.
5. PCT Hang Step 5. Slowly release the dangling end of the rope.

Where are Ursacks not allowed?

There is only one problem with it: It’s not an approved food storage device in parts of the High Sierra (notably Yosemite NP and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks), as well as Olympic National Park and Pisgah National Forest.

What can I use instead of a bear canister?

Bear Bags. If a bear canister is not specifically required but you still need to protect your food from bears, then a bear bag is a good choice. These are made of a high-density polyethylene that a bear cannot tear open.