Backcountry meat poles.

Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
68
Having arrowed a few elk in the backcountry and having to lash up meat poles by myself I am looking for ideas on an easier way to hang the bags till I can get my hunting buddies back to haul out my reward. I live in Iowa and use the gutless method on 99% of my kills. I use my Kuiu 5200 pro as my exclusive daypack so packing a deer out is no issue. Last year bowhunting I filled 3 doe tags in one evening and was unable to bring all the meat out. I had one meat bag I couldn't get into my pack so I took one of my small bowhangers and screwed it into a tree as high as I could and hung the bag. The bag weighed approx. 45#s. I was a little leary that the hanger would hold up. Came back the next morning and it was still hanging. I'm going to use this method this elk season if I get lucky and have to stash my kill. Anyone have any other easy methods for solo meat poles? These hangers are built strong and take up little room.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
3,158
Usually if hanging meat I'll be using the tried and true horizontal pole lashed to 2 trees. Not saying I prefer it but it does work. The screw-in hook thing sounds plausible. The biggest hassle in one-man meat hanging is being able to get the bag of meat high over head. A 75 pound meat load with no bone in it is like trying to do a reverse jello pushup. A Nite Ize CamJam is a great aid for hosting and holding loads until they can be tied off. CamJam XT - Aluminum Rope & Cord Tighteners

I usually have some dyneema rope with me. It has entered my mind that I could create a double 'meat line' by using dyneema to completely encircle 2 trees....picture a meatpole of rope. Meat could be hung from the line, and a simple spin-tensioner (or 2) used to keep the dyneema taut. 1/4" dyneema has a break strength somewhere beyond a ton, so it would easily have the strength to do the job. Clip the CamJam on the line and hoist up a bag...tie off...repeat as needed.
 

Trr15

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Feb 16, 2014
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Wyoming
Usually if hanging meat I'll be using the tried and true horizontal pole lashed to 2 trees. Not saying I prefer it but it does work. The screw-in hook thing sounds plausible. The biggest hassle in one-man meat hanging is being able to get the bag of meat high over head. A 75 pound meat load with no bone in it is like trying to do a reverse jello pushup. A Nite Ize CamJam is a great aid for hosting and holding loads until they can be tied off. CamJam XT - Aluminum Rope & Cord Tighteners


I usually have some dyneema rope with me. It has entered my mind that I could create a double 'meat line' by using dyneema to completely encircle 2 trees....picture a meatpole of rope. Meat could be hung from the line, and a simple spin-tensioner (or 2) used to keep the dyneema taut. 1/4" dyneema has a break strength somewhere beyond a ton, so it would easily have the strength to do the job. Clip the CamJam on the line and hoist up a bag...tie off...repeat as needed.
Interesting thought about the dyneema rope meat pole....First time I've seen those CamJams. Just ordered a couple to throw in my gear bin. Thanks for posting the link .
 

BuckSnort

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Mar 5, 2012
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Central CA
Usually if hanging meat I'll be using the tried and true horizontal pole lashed to 2 trees. Not saying I prefer it but it does work. The screw-in hook thing sounds plausible. The biggest hassle in one-man meat hanging is being able to get the bag of meat high over head. A 75 pound meat load with no bone in it is like trying to do a reverse jello pushup. A Nite Ize CamJam is a great aid for hosting and holding loads until they can be tied off. CamJam XT - Aluminum Rope & Cord Tighteners



I usually have some dyneema rope with me. It has entered my mind that I could create a double 'meat line' by using dyneema to completely encircle 2 trees....picture a meatpole of rope. Meat could be hung from the line, and a simple spin-tensioner (or 2) used to keep the dyneema taut. 1/4" dyneema has a break strength somewhere beyond a ton, so it would easily have the strength to do the job. Clip the CamJam on the line and hoist up a bag...tie off...repeat as needed.

I have done that rope method a few times just using a truckers hitch, worked fine.. You can get stuff pretty damn tight with a truckers hitch..
 

tuffcity

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Nov 2, 2013
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YT
A couple of carabiners and climbing pulleys in your pack weigh nothing and are invaluable.

RC
 

gumbl3

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Joined
Nov 27, 2016
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511
Location
Texas
Usually if hanging meat I'll be using the tried and true horizontal pole lashed to 2 trees. Not saying I prefer it but it does work. The screw-in hook thing sounds plausible. The biggest hassle in one-man meat hanging is being able to get the bag of meat high over head. A 75 pound meat load with no bone in it is like trying to do a reverse jello pushup. A Nite Ize CamJam is a great aid for hosting and holding loads until they can be tied off. CamJam XT - Aluminum Rope & Cord Tighteners

I usually have some dyneema rope with me. It has entered my mind that I could create a double 'meat line' by using dyneema to completely encircle 2 trees....picture a meatpole of rope. Meat could be hung from the line, and a simple spin-tensioner (or 2) used to keep the dyneema taut. 1/4" dyneema has a break strength somewhere beyond a ton, so it would easily have the strength to do the job. Clip the CamJam on the line and hoist up a bag...tie off...repeat as needed.

I would certainly test this first. You've basically described a load and two anchor points in a rope system. When your rope is horizontal like that, the load in the middle is actually increased. Best I can explain it is take a tug of war game, one guy can grab the middle of that rope that's straight and pull in a perpendicular direction and those teams will get off balance. Now let the guy hold onto the rope and the teams swing around so they're in a 'V' and one guy isn't moving them no matter how hard he pulls. A 3:1 advantage system can be made with as little as two carabiners and takes just a few extra feet of cord, that would be my goto.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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15,527
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Colorado Springs
I've lashed up the horizontal pole with paracord before, but I've also just used broken off limbs to hang the bags on as well using paracord.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Mar 12, 2014
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Thornton, CO
Unless I'm trying to get stuff up above bears or such I've usually been able to find bushes or branch clusters in trees (esp the dead base branches of conifers) to lay the game bags onto giving good air access to them.
 
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