How to String Up Your Pack Between Trees

Elevating your backpack off the ground between two trees can be done with a piece of rope and a carabiner. If your backpack becomes wet during hiking, stringing it up between two trees helps dry the fabric. You will not want to use this method as a bear bag, or a way to keep food away from animals, because you will not be able to string it high enough off the ground. Animals will also be able to crawl along the rope and enter your backpack, possibly damaging the pack.

Things You'll Need

  • Rope
  • Backpack
  • Carabiner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate two trees close enough to accommodate the length of rope you have. Four to 6 feet of rope will be long enough. The rope must be able to fully circle each tree trunk. Do not choose saplings or young trees that do not seem sturdy.

    • 2

      Tie an overhand knot on a bight. A bight means folding the rope over itself so that you are working with two pieces of rope instead of one. Tie an overhand knot by circling the folded-over end around itself and through the hole that is created. Pull the knot tight. You will have a loop that does not come loose upon pulling it in any direction.

    • 3
      Carabiners can withstand the weight of the backpack and tension from pulling.

      Clip a carabiner around the loop. Use a carabiner that can hold at least 200 pounds of weight. Make sure the tension is pulling on the length of the carabiner rather than along the width. The carabiner can be locking or have an open gate. A gate is the spring-loaded piece that allows access to the carabiner.

    • 4

      Circle the rope around one of the tree trunks, leaving three-quarters of the rope hanging off the end. Place the rope at shoulder height or higher. Because there is no tension, it might be helpful to have a friend hold the rope.

    • 5

      Thread the rope through the shoulder straps of the backpack. The shoulder straps are designed to hold the weight of the pack. You can also thread the rope under the brain, or top covering of the pack. The plastic buckles will not be as strong as the shoulder straps stitched into the pack.

    • 6

      Circle the other end of the rope around the second tree trunk. Situate the rope at the same height as the other end of the rope on the first tree.

    • 7

      Thread the loose, untied end of rope through the carabiner. Pull the rope back on itself. The slack will come out of the rope, creating tension. The backpack will lift off the ground.

    • 8

      Tie the loose end of the rope to itself by tying a tautline hitch knot. Loop the rope around itself two or three times, with the loose end closest to the tree trunk. Cross the loose end of the rope over the wrapped rope and make another loop closest to the backpack. Slide the knot away from the backpack until it's taut.