Skip the bear hang — get an Ursack

I would not rely on a bear hang.

Hanging food (the PCT method) is what most people try when they don’t have a canister. The problem is that it almost never works in practice — bears in popular areas have figured out how to grab bags, snap branches, or chew through rope. You need a perfect throw over a branch at least 12-15 feet high, 4 feet from the trunk, and 6 feet from the nearest branch. Most people screw it up. Bears don’t.

The real answer is an Ursack. It’s a soft bag made of bulletproof fabric that bears can’t chew through. You stuff it, tie it shut with the special aluminum clip, and then tie it to a tree (not hanging — just lashed to the trunk at chest height). The bear can bat it around but can’t get inside. It’s approved by most national parks and wilderness areas that allow “bear resistant” containers. It weighs way less than a canister and packs smaller.

Some places still require a hard-sided canister (Yosemite, some parts of the Sierra). Check regs before you go. But if you’re allowed soft-sided, Ursack is the best no-canister option. Don’t try a dry bag or a stuff sack — that’s just a picnic for a bear.

**Do not