Outdoor Skill · Camp Craft
Hang a Bear Bag
One rope, one good throw, and your food is twelve feet off the ground and six feet away from any trunk — safe from bears and camp-raiding raccoons alike. This is one of the first real backcountry skills kids can own completely, and most families have it down in a single afternoon.
This page from Outside, the family adventure app, teaches families how to hang a bear bag using the classic counterbalance or single-hang method. It covers the gear needed, the correct height and distance requirements (twelve feet up, six feet from the trunk), a step-by-step teaching sequence, a backyard practice drill, and real-world contexts where the skill applies. The page is written for parents with children ages four through fourteen and treats the skill as a confidence-building camp craft, not a safety warning.
| Gear cost | Under ten dollars |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Best season | All seasons with overnight camping |
| Minimum age | 4 and up with adult guidance |
| Time to learn | 5 to 15 minutes |
Why this skill matters
Bears are curious, persistent, and extremely good at finding a free meal. A properly hung food bag puts your provisions out of reach for black bears and well beyond the jumping range of raccoons, squirrels, and the bold camp-robbing jays that work the Sierra Nevada like professionals.
Beyond the practical result, this is one of those camp skills where a ten-year-old can genuinely outperform an adult who has never tried it. The throw takes practice, the knot is learnable in minutes, and once a kid has done it successfully, they own it for life. That sense of real competence is exactly what a night under the trees is supposed to deliver.
What you need
- A stuff sack or dry bag rated to hold all your food, trash, and scented items (toothpaste, sunscreen, lip balm) - At least fifty feet of lightweight cord, paracord works well - A stuff sack or small bag to use as a throwing weight - A carabiner or two to make clipping easier for younger kids
No specialized gear is required. Many families keep a dedicated sixty-foot hank of cord in their kitchen bag, pre-tied to a small throw sack. That one piece of prep eliminates most of the fumbling at dusk, which is exactly when you want to be sitting by the fire instead of fighting a rope.
How to hang it, step by step
**Find the right branch.** Look for a living branch at least twelve feet off the ground, six feet from the main trunk, and strong enough to hold your load without sagging to reach. Dead branches break; skip them.
**Rig the throw weight.** Fill your small throw sack with dirt or pebbles and tie it to one end of the cord.
**Make the throw.** Aim for the branch with an underhand lob. It usually takes a few tries. Older kids tend to overthrow; younger ones underthrow. Both are fine. Keep throwing.
**Attach and hoist.** Once the cord is over the branch, untie the throw weight, clip or tie your food bag to that end, and hoist it up. Twelve feet of clearance from the ground is your target minimum.
**Secure the tail.** Tie the remaining cord around the trunk or a root using two half-hitches. The bag should hang freely, well away from the trunk.
The backyard practice drill
You do not need a campsite to learn this. A backyard tree, a schoolyard, or a park with a decent canopy all work perfectly.
**Run it like this.** Mark a spot twelve feet up on a tree with a strip of flagging tape so kids have a visual target. Time the full sequence from coiling the rope to secured bag. Most families get under four minutes after two or three attempts. Challenge siblings to beat each other's time, then work together to beat the family record.
Let the youngest kids handle the throw weight while older kids manage the knot and hoisting. Rotate roles each attempt. By the third round, everyone has done every job once and nobody is standing around watching.
When you will use this
Any time you camp in bear country without a hard-sided storage box, a bear bag is the right call. That covers most backcountry sites in national forests, wilderness areas, and many national park backcountry zones. Some parks, including heavily visited corridors in Yosemite and the Adirondacks, require bear-resistant canisters rather than hung bags, so check regulations before you go.
You will also find this skill useful in front-country campgrounds where the bear box is full, at shelters along long trails, and on any canoe camping trip where you want food off the ground and away from the water's edge at night. Once the family knows the drill, it adds about five minutes to the end of camp setup. That is a very small price for a peaceful night.
A note on what goes in the bag
The bag holds more than just food. Anything with a scent belongs up in that tree: toothpaste, lip balm, sunscreen, insect repellent, any wrappers or trash, and even the clothes you cooked in if you had a particularly fragrant dinner. Bears investigate smells, not shapes, so the rule is simple: if it has a smell, it goes in the bag.
Teach kids to do a sweep of the tent before bed. Make it a game. One parent calls out a category, kids hunt for anything that belongs in the bear bag. Empty water bottles are fine to keep; a granola bar wrapper is not. This two-minute check becomes automatic after a trip or two.
Describe the moment your food bag finally cleared the branch and swung free. Who made the winning throw, and what did it feel like to know your camp was set for the night?
Frequently asked questions
How high does a bear bag need to be?
The widely recommended standard is at least twelve feet off the ground and six feet horizontally from the nearest tree trunk. This puts the bag above a standing bear's reach and far enough from the trunk that a bear cannot lean out from the tree to grab it.
Can I use a bear bag instead of a bear canister?
In many areas, yes. However, some heavily trafficked wilderness zones and certain national park backcountry areas require hard-sided bear canisters by regulation. Always check the specific rules for your destination before your trip, since requirements vary by location and can change seasonally.
What if I cannot find a branch high enough?
In areas with poor tree cover, a bear canister is the better choice and in some regions the required one. If you are in a forested area and simply cannot make the throw work, try a different tree and a lighter throw weight. In a pinch, two trees with a line strung between them can give you a hanging point even when no single branch is ideal.
Does a bear bag work for raccoons and other animals too?
Yes. The same height and distance that keeps bears out will stop raccoons, squirrels, and most other camp raiders. Mice can occasionally shimmy down a cord, so some campers add a plastic can or cardboard baffle above the bag as a slip guard, though this is rarely necessary for a single night.