I spent what seemed like an hour one night trying to get a rock tied to a length of cord lobbed over a branch from which to hang a sack of jerky, peanut butter, and other treats a bear would have loved to devour. After endless attempts and nearly beaning a buddy with a rock gone AWOL, we finally managed to secure our backpacking eats out of reach of marauding critters. Spokane-based Selkirk Designs has made hanging your food in the backcountry so much easier with the Rock Sok ultralight system. Fill the neoprene “sock” with one or more rocks, attach the first of two 36-foot cords with one of the two included carabiners, and chuck that sucker over just the right food hanging branch. Then remove the bag of rocks and use the second rope and carabiner to create a 2-to-1 mechanical advantage pully system to more easily lift up to 100 pounds of food up for safe keeping. The kit also comes with a 9-liter dry sack for storing and lifting your vittles. If you’ve ever struggled with overnight food storage on a backpack trip, the Rock Sok will quickly become one of your favorite pieces of backcountry hiking gear. MSRP: $32.95. Selkirkdesign.myshopify.com
