Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: My bear bag pulley system
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TechnoScout |
Here are the hardware components of my bear bag pulley system. |
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TechnoScout |
Tomcat: " Very cool! Thanks for sharing |
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GearGuy |
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foxfireniner |
mutz: "I wish I still had the video of four of us trying to hang our first food pack in the BWCA. Actually three hanging one filming, I’m really surprised we survived that fiasco. It was kind of like an episode of hold my beer I can do this." I did that too! Once I found a branch strong enough to hold the bag, I was not strong enough to hoist it! I had my kids, my friend and his kid watching...pathetic. Now I have a similar setup. Instead I use a double pulley on top, use the pulley to throw my 550 cord line over then lower it down to the ground. I wrap a 550 cord choker around the base of a tree and secure my pulley with a niteize figure 9 rope tightener. I use real rock climbing pulleys because the tops separate. I attach a single pulley to my pack and assemble a larger 3/8 inch cord to the pulleys. I pull the double pulley up to the hanging branch then secure it with a truckers hitch knot in the biner part of the figure 9. Then I get on my bigger cord and hoist up my food bag using the rope tightener features of the figure 9 and then cam it off. Super easy. The whole rig cost maybe $75. I think back to all the times in my life where I looked like an idiot and estimate..."would I have paid $75 to avoid that?" In this case, yes. |
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AmarilloJim |
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TechnoScout |
TechnoScout: "I will post a picture of all the pieces once UPS brings them back to me (should arrive on Tuesday)." Here is a video we did last year using the same components but it is the 2X system 2X Bear Bag system |
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TechnoScout |
MagicPaddler: " I like these...works better for smaller diameter rope. Not as much load bearing but good enough. |
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x2jmorris |
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Blackdogyak |
TacoOverland: "MReid: "Blackdogyak: "Those darn pulleys are around $40 EACH at REI. Well I have had such frustration actually trying to accomplish this with a 40.pound food pack that I'm willing to entertain ANY ideas. It's WAY more difficult than anybody's cute YouTube video makes is appear. |
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TrailZen |
TZ |
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mutz |
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Jaywalker |
Blackdogyak: "TechnoScout: "My gear that I shipped back home from BWCA finally arrived (was stuck for four days in Fort Worth...was a bit worried). Hate to say it, but look on Amazon. There are some decent "climbing-looking" pulleys, off-brand and probably made in China, that are about $10. I would not trust myself or my gear if climbing El Cap, but more than good enough for a bear bag. There are also much smaller, lighter 12 KN carabiners with wire gates - cheaper and lighter than the ones shown but again more than needed for this. |
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DownStrm |
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TechnoScout |
DownStrm: "It looks like it will do double duty as a Z-drag if your canoe gets pinned in the rapids. It would need stronger rope, of course." That rope I use is 1400 lb tensile strength. Maybe that is not enough...dunno... |
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seamusknives |
That definitely looks like a deluxe rig. I decided to go with a simple system for our blue barrel with materials I already had ; two 50' pieces of 1250 lb. rated mule tape, one carabiner and an old, small bike saddle bag to fill with small stones. I liked the idea of only needing one tree with 16' high branch to be able to hoist quickly and easily. I'm sure my neighbors were wondering what I was up to when I tried the rig out at home. |
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jewp |
I bought and used a "pack-a-pull" setup for paracord, you could use whatever small diameter cord you want. It's not super cheap, but it is small and worked great. I have no affiliation with them, just wanted a small lightweight block and tackle set for our food bag. We rigged it up with two independent lines since we had two packs, one cooler and one large food pack for a group of 8. The packs were *heavy*, and it was no problem at all. We could raise/lower them independently. I used zing-it as the main line across two trees (almost no stretch), and the pulley system in the middle with paracord (which does stretch but it didn't matter). No complaints. We did find it helped to put some tape on the pulley's once you installed them so they couldn't open up, but it was easy to hoist the bags, I think each line was 2x mechanical advantage. You could also double it (4x) with a single line set-up. I'm very happy with it. https://packapull.com/ |
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StLouisPaddler |
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DMan5501 |
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buz |
What I especially like about this thrower, is it is really snag proof, and if it does somehow get snagged, a real tug from the rope separates everything, and the ball just falls down, re rig, aim better, lol. |
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StLouisPaddler |
DMan5501: "I too discovered Pack-A-Pull this year and it worked flawlessly... Didn't tell my mates just pulled it out and hung our 2 heavy food packs by myself... Then they each wanted to give it a try... Awesome super lightweight system Totally agree. It’s only 4 oz and it just lives in my rope bag. It’s not an essential piece of gear by any means. But to me it’s one of those non-essential things that just make the trip more enjoyable. Hat tip to Jewp for mentioning it earlier in this thread. |
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TechnoScout |
I use Amsteel Blue rope and Niteize Camjam XT cord tightner to pull the rope and latch on each pull. |
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MReid |
Blackdogyak: "Those darn pulleys are around $40 EACH at REI. That's because they're made for climbers, and are way over capacity for food storage. I guess REI is, in fact, "a good coop for climbers to buy gear", and maybe not a good coop for canoeists to buy basic hardware store pulleys. |
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TrailZen |
TZ |
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TacoOverland |
MReid: "Blackdogyak: "Those darn pulleys are around $40 EACH at REI. I’m thinking you don’t t need life safety level climbing gear to hang a food pack. |
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plander |
Amsteel Blue 1/8 inch rope, two pieces about 60-80 ft each plus a piece about 10 ft that is used to make a loop to string through all the straps and handles. Pulleys and clips are relatively light weight (< 7 oz total). They are more than adequate for hanging food packs (pulleys breaking strength rate > 1000 lb). Pulleys are for rigging sails from Viadana. The pictures shows the hardware; pulleys are a fiddle (double) and a single with a becket, both size 25mm. Purchased on Amazon, $25 for both pulleys. I use a small old tent stake bag filled with a couple rocks to get the line (Zing-it or the Amsteel hanging rope) over the branch. With this system I can hang two full food packs (80-100 lb total) on a single line, though I’ve only done that on one trip. Typically I hang one food pack. The hardest part is finding a good tree for hanging the pack. The entire set up, two pulleys, four clips, ropes, zing-it line, small bag for rocks, and the storage bag weighs just under 18 oz. This setup give a 3:1 mechanical advantage. |
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Blackdogyak |
plander: "My setup: Planser....thanks.....I don't understand how the pulleys are rigged. |
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TechnoScout |
Banksiana: "Wow. Serious gear. My only suggestion would be to store it all in a small nylon stuff sack, ditch the fishing weight and use an available rock encased in said nylon stuff sack." I do exactly that (nylon stuff sack). I have always used a rock in the past. This last trip I used the fishing weight. I may return to the rock solution on my next trip...dunno yet. |
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TechnoScout |
jewp: "I know this is a quasi old thread, but I assume people like me still read old threads so I'll add in. Interesting system. I love the weight, but not fond of the single dual-pulley thingy. Thanks for sharing |
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MagicPaddler |
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?name=ronstan-series-15-mm-ball-bearing-utility-block&path=-1|118|2358452|2358471&id=4038920 Sailboat hardware works well |
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Tomcat |
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wingnut |
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TechnoScout |
wingnut: " What do you use for a throw bag to get your lines up onto the tree limbs. " This year I used a nylon string with a deep-sea fishing weight (maybe a quarter pound in weight). It only took two throws, although the first one nearly took out my buddy...LOL |
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TechnoScout |
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Blackdogyak |
TechnoScout: "My gear that I shipped back home from BWCA finally arrived (was stuck for four days in Fort Worth...was a bit worried). I would love to see a simple diagram of how this works. I couldn't understand from the video. Those darn pulleys are around $40 EACH at REI. Seems like REI has just become a top dollar store for Hedge Fund Managers. I remember when they were a good coop for climbers to buy gear. |
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HighnDry |
With this system, a line should be tied between pulleys B and C so that when you hoist this system into the air, it makes a triangle between the two pulleys and the weight below them. I "borrowed" this photo from another site but it demonstrates that you can get a lot of weight up in the air with this setup. YMMV: |
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Banksiana |
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DownStrm |
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TechnoScout |
mutz: "I wish I still had the video of four of us trying to hang our first food pack in the BWCA. Actually three hanging one filming, I’m really surprised we survived that fiasco. It was kind of like an episode of hold my beer I can do this." Indeed! So many fond memories of bear-bag hanging. In particular, watching scouts do it. |
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TechnoScout |
AmarilloJim: "I use these with paracord. Work great but you need gloves for sure." Nice. Only 1/2 ounce. My pulleys are 2.1 ounces. Now I have to ponder if I want to reconfigure my system! |