Camping Tip: Food Hang Pulley System
Food hang pulley system, $30.00 - $35.00
For those who are firmly in the hang-your-food camp, my Dad figured this one out years ago. To be clear, this is not a novel idea and I recognize that there are many opinions on safe food storage in the backcountry. This is what I personally am comfortable with and it's also what is currently recommended by Ontario Parks.
Back in the day, my family used to bring a single length of rope, tie one end of it around a rock, and attempt to lob it over a tree branch to create our food hang. You risked being clocked in the noggin by a flying rock and hauling the pack up was difficult due to friction, not to mention very hard on the poor tree. The solution? A two-rope pulley system!
Have two ~10-metre lengths static cord (i.e. 4 to 5 mm diameter, ~$25.00 - $30.00), one length with a smallish metal pulley (i.e. 1 ½” diameter, ~$5.00) permanently tied to one end – we'll call this latter one Rope A and the second will be Rope B. Using the pulley as a weight, toss Rope A over a suitable tree limb. Once you have it where you want it, gently "flick" the loose end of Rope A to jostle the pulley down until you can reach it without letting go of the loose end of Rope A. Thread Rope B through the pulley and hoist it back up towards the tree limb to the height you want it, holding on to both ends of Rope B, then tie off the end of Rope A to the tree trunk. Attach one end of Rope B to your pack and hoist it up to the desired height, tying Rope B off to another nearby tree, ideally pulling the pack further away from the trunk of the tree whose branch you are using.
There are various guidelines for how high and how far out from the tree trunk your pack should hang. I usually aim for about 4 m off the ground, 2 m out from the tree trunk, and 2 m down from the tree limb, as well as a minimum of 2 m away from any other nearby trees; these are the guidelines from Ontario Parks.
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