Just wondering what kind of rope everyone brings with them for hanging tarps, food, etc...? Material? Size? Lengths?

I use a good quality poly rope 5/16" in diameter and at least 50 feet long for hanging packs. I usually have 2 or 3 coils of this rope. Some prefer nylon, I prefer poly as long as it is a good quality poly.

For tarps you can get by with a lighter weight, high tensile strength parachute cord I have about 25 feet tied off on grommets in corners and bring along quite a bit more for use as needed on tents or tarp.

I bring 50' roll of parachute cord about 1/8 of an inch diameter (relatively lightweight) for hanging food. I don't do the tarp thing, but if you are crafty you can get a little rope to go a long way. Occaisionally when I have needed rope I just cut a length off of the 50' cord. 30' is usually plenty for hanging food.

I take 2 50 - ft lengths of 5/16 rope (to stretch between trees each with a chain link attachment on one end), 1 - 50 ft length of 1/4 inch rope (with a caribiner attached) to pull food pack up with , and 4 - 100 ft lengths of parachute cord for the tarp and clothes line. I also carry several shorter lengths of parachute cord for various things such as holding the leech tamer etc... A man can not have too much rope or parachute cord!!

Bruce

You could build a suspension bridge if you get bored, Arkansas Man!

So there you have it:
Presto - 50'
Arkansas Man - 550+'

Once again, it all gets down to what you are comfortable with and what you want to carry with you. I'm sure what Arkansas man does works for him, yet I am comfortable with what I have. If I brought what A.M. did, I'd be cursing the extra weight and bulk; if A.M. brought my 50', he'd wish he had brought 500' more. So true with almost any gear - give it a try somewhere in the middle, and perhaps next time you will have your own opinion on the subject.

Oooh - I forgot about the 25' on my anchor bag. Can't forget that. Now I'm up to 75'

A lot depends on whether you hang your food pack... no hanging 150 ft less of rope. No tarp... a lot less parachute cord. I bring the extra parachute cord because many of the campsites do not have tree just where I want them... I used all but 1 100 ft roll of parachute cord this last trip to keep the tarp tied down and I was glad I had it when the wind came up as it did and I had to pull up a log to tie the back of the tarp to, to keep it from being blown away... BTW the total weight of the ropes including links is less than 2 pounds... Strong lightweight rope as Bog said is the key... That is what makes this a great board... the ability of each to state their opinion... I am comfortable with what I use, and always have plenty if I need it... even for an anchor bag ;-)

Bruce

The painters on my canoe are 25' long and are 3/8". I don't know what material - the yellow rope that floats. They are permanently attched to the canoe so are not removed for other purposes. I use them to tie up my canoe every night and for lining.

I don't hang my food pack.

My other rope is the very small diameter nylon cord - like venician blind cord. I have a cord bag. Most of the cord is cut to between 10' and 25'. The cord is either pink or white. The other colors can be too hard to see. I use this cord for stringing tarps and clothes lines. That's about all I need it for.

Bannock - don't hang your food pack?

I'm surprised you don't. Perhaps more surprised that you post it here. I've heard many arguments against hanging a food pack - what is your justification? Where do you store your food?

Well, I don't want to hijack this thread, but basically I don't hang because it's a hassle and it's been my experience that it isn't needed.

I store my food right in camp, generally close to the fire grate.

I don't hang my food either, never have in 35 years of canoe camping. I have yet to have a bear problem. I use a bear barrel...perhaps I should call it a mouse/chipmunk barrel, because those are the only critters that have been an issue.

As far as ropes go, I bring about 100' of parachute cord and about 50' of heavier nylon rope, and a wide assortment of bungee cords. The whole shootin' match goes in the side pocket of my kitchen pack.

Me, too, DWG. Always some kind of barrel. The mini bears are always the problem.

I do both (hang or hide) depending on the group size.

Smaller groups or shorter trips I use a bear barrel. At night I hide it under a rock or log off the beaten path (not that it is necessary to hide or sure why I do this-habit I guess). I often travel with others who also have barrels so we split the food up amongst us and just hide multiple barrels.

In church youth trips we hang if we find a suitable tree, but we don't go out of our way to find one. If we can't find one within a short period of time, we hide the food pack with an alarm system (again not sure why, as I am not sure if I heard the alarm how hard I would chase after the bear) hopefully the alarm will scare the bear off if he/she hears all the clanking and noise when they try to steal our food.

I have taken lots of trips and have no bear problems to date. I think the bigger concern is keeping food odors to a minimum by keeping a clean camp, sealing food well and keeping it all in a couple of tightly wrapped waterproof and sniff proof bags. By keeping food odors to a minimum you hopefully will never see a bear either.

What is a bear barrel?

DP See Hanging vs. Barrel in Gear Forum and you will get a good idea. You can also search for bear barrel on line and find a mfg.

Wow rope is to bear barrel what’s next?
As for rope; how about looking at it from what you need it for, I have hear so far.... Hanging food (optional), Tarp, to Line you canoe, Tying down canoe at night, cloths line & painters Anything else I have missed.

I just use 2 types. 1 thicker 3/8 to 1/2 inch diameter more comfortable to handle. 2 pieces 30 ft. as canoe painter lines. these can be removed and used as needed. Everything else, tarp lines, clotheslines, hanging food, lanyards, etc, is made from 1/8 in. para cord. I start the season out with 200 ft. of cord divided into 25 ft. sections, then cut off shorter chunks as my camp requires.
I have enough para chord to string an elaborate tarp, hang food, and still do some "macrame" if I want to. The heavy line almost never comes off the canoe.

butthead