I take my family of 5 into the BW each summer for approx 10 days. We take 2 of the BW Journal cooler food packs with the poly box inside, as well as one portage pack for dry food. I've always done the Cliff Jacobson "stash food packs in the woods, well away from camp" method and never had any bear issues. My concern is - with the new food storage orders - I can't imagine trying to find places to hang my 2 cooler packs and dry food pack properly. Those cooler packs are HEAVY when loaded up, and hanging them is not exactly practical. It's tough to find one good hanging spot in a campsite...three decent ones would be nearly impossible. The new regulations are ridiculous in my opinion. If you are someone who takes the BWJ cooler packs on your trips....what are your plans for dealing with the new rules?

Learning to use multiple pulleys can help you heave these beasts into the air. Hopefully someone who uses them can help you. However, in general, having a large group out for a longer trip like you will is likely going to require some rethinking of what foods you pack or don't pack, and some serious practice with ropes and pulleys. There are a lot of creative ways to utilize tree trunks versus finding multiple "perfect" branches.

I hang two CCS food packs. I use the two pulley system which gives a mechanical advantage. I did try to make my own set up after using Piragis last year. I used Amstel and more expensive but lighter ropes. I was having issues with the top pulley coming down or sliding as I was raising. Bought a new rope when I got back with more texture same size and it still slipped some but not as much. 2 pulleys make a pretty significant difference in how hard it is to raise the food packs when they are heavy in the initial phases of a trip. I’ll look for a diagram.

This might solve my issue though. I’ve got 2 ropes with pulleys and could affix the rope this way on a tied pulley 1st line over the tree. Then route tied down to bag pulley up to pulley above then tag end down to me. This would still get the mechanical advantage without slip and also get some swing out from the branch as well. I was actually out last night in my backyard hanging a pack.

I use pulleys for sailing and spent way more than I wanted to on them but they are light high quality and strong.

Ryan

In the past I’ve basically done this with pulleys but was having the slip issue this year where the top pulley would slip down about equal for every foot raised. This is also a straight up pull so you are only as far from the tree as he rope was out on the branch. I don’t put the stick on I just run around a nearby tree a bunch of times. You can then coil he rope and slide it to the opposite side of the tree with the hanging full pressure line over it. No knot needed which you then have to somehow untie under a load. You just slip it out the next morning. Work it back around the tree until you can safely lower without damaging the tree you wrapped around.

eyepaddle: "I take my family of 5 into the BW each summer for approx 10 days. We take 2 of the BW Journal cooler food packs with the poly box inside, as well as one portage pack for dry food. I've always done the Cliff Jacobson "stash food packs in the woods, well away from camp" method and never had any bear issues. My concern is - with the new food storage orders - I can't imagine trying to find places to hang my 2 cooler packs and dry food pack properly. Those cooler packs are HEAVY when loaded up, and hanging them is not exactly practical. It's tough to find one good hanging spot in a campsite...three decent ones would be nearly impossible. The new regulations are ridiculous in my opinion. If you are someone who takes the BWJ cooler packs on your trips....what are your plans for dealing with the new rules?"

Interesting that you mentioned Cliff. I have been talking to him the past couple of days (I was one of his kids in a group that the took up there in MS ever summer) He asked me to keep what he said private but i think I can say his blood is boiling over this. Hadn't heard of it until I told him. I'm not going to tell you what he would do but i think i'm going to keep doing things the way I do and (maybe Cliff would do *wink).

okinaw55: "

eyepaddle: "I take my family of 5 into the BW each summer for approx 10 days. We take 2 of the BW Journal cooler food packs with the poly box inside, as well as one portage pack for dry food. I've always done the Cliff Jacobson "stash food packs in the woods, well away from camp" method and never had any bear issues. My concern is - with the new food storage orders - I can't imagine trying to find places to hang my 2 cooler packs and dry food pack properly. Those cooler packs are HEAVY when loaded up, and hanging them is not exactly practical. It's tough to find one good hanging spot in a campsite...three decent ones would be nearly impossible. The new regulations are ridiculous in my opinion. If you are someone who takes the BWJ cooler packs on your trips....what are your plans for dealing with the new rules?"

Interesting that you mentioned Cliff. I have been talking to him the past couple of days (I was one of his kids in a group that the took up there in MS ever summer) He asked me to keep what he said private but i think I can say his blood is boiling over this. Hadn't heard of it until I told him. I'm not going to tell you what he would do but i think i'm going to keep doing things the way I do and (maybe Cliff would do *wink). "

I'm not clear exactly what about the post would arouse Cliff's ire. I also traveled with Cliff in middle school, and I want to be sure I remember things the right way.

I sent you a backchannel email...

Mike

MikeinMpls: "

okinaw55: "

eyepaddle: "I take my family of 5 into the BW each summer for approx 10 days. We take 2 of the BW Journal cooler food packs with the poly box inside, as well as one portage pack for dry food. I've always done the Cliff Jacobson "stash food packs in the woods, well away from camp" method and never had any bear issues. My concern is - with the new food storage orders - I can't imagine trying to find places to hang my 2 cooler packs and dry food pack properly. Those cooler packs are HEAVY when loaded up, and hanging them is not exactly practical. It's tough to find one good hanging spot in a campsite...three decent ones would be nearly impossible. The new regulations are ridiculous in my opinion. If you are someone who takes the BWJ cooler packs on your trips....what are your plans for dealing with the new rules?"

Interesting that you mentioned Cliff. I have been talking to him the past couple of days (I was one of his kids in a group that the took up there in MS ever summer) He asked me to keep what he said private but i think I can say his blood is boiling over this. Hadn't heard of it until I told him. I'm not going to tell you what he would do but i think i'm going to keep doing things the way I do and (maybe Cliff would do *wink). "

I'm not clear exactly what about the post would arouse Cliff's ire. I also traveled with Cliff in middle school, and I want to be sure I remember things the right way.


Mike"

My guess is the blood is boiling over the food storage order in general...not your post.

okinaw55: "

eyepaddle: "I take my family of 5 into the BW each summer for approx 10 days. We take 2 of the BW Journal cooler food packs with the poly box inside, as well as one portage pack for dry food. I've always done the Cliff Jacobson "stash food packs in the woods, well away from camp" method and never had any bear issues. My concern is - with the new food storage orders - I can't imagine trying to find places to hang my 2 cooler packs and dry food pack properly. Those cooler packs are HEAVY when loaded up, and hanging them is not exactly practical. It's tough to find one good hanging spot in a campsite...three decent ones would be nearly impossible. The new regulations are ridiculous in my opinion. If you are someone who takes the BWJ cooler packs on your trips....what are your plans for dealing with the new rules?"

Interesting that you mentioned Cliff. I have been talking to him the past couple of days (I was one of his kids in a group that the took up there in MS ever summer) He asked me to keep what he said private but i think I can say his blood is boiling over this. Hadn't heard of it until I told him. I'm not going to tell you what he would do but i think i'm going to keep doing things the way I do and (maybe Cliff would do *wink). "

Thank you so much for your reply! I was beginning to think I was the only one pissed about the new orders. Good to hear that the man who literally wrote the book on canoe camping is also upset. I've never met Cliff, but tell him Hello from Park Rapids next time you chat - I enjoy his books and hope to meet him someday.

My guess is the blood is boiling over the food storage order in general...not your post."

Correct. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for clarifying for me.

Just follow the new rules, they are there for a reason. Cliff is just a canoe camper with an opinion just like all of us. It doesn't really matter what he thinks.