How to protect CAT5 cable?

[2250Lights]

In the summer, I purchased my second DIY Controller!! Not much compared to most other people on here So I'm here to learn from you all!

Last year, my one controller was safe just inside our garage! I want to try to save money and extension cords by placing my two controllers in my yard this year. One will be attached (somehow) to the trunk of a tree that will use 8 channels, and the other 8 channels will be coming from about 15 feet away on another tree. I will be placing my second (new) controller within 25 feet of the first controller, and will be mounted inside a mega-tree. I purchased 1 one hundred foot (green) CAT5 cable to run from inside my basement, over the garage door (inside the garage) and then outside to my first controller. I also have one 50-foot and one 25-foot (green) CAT5 cable, which I can use either to run from the first controller to the second controller.

My Question: Should I run both cables straight on the ground? Or should I purchase x-length of PVC and run the cables through that, still on the ground? Or should I buy some guy-wire, support the CAT5 cable, and run it through the air to each controller??

I really hope this isn't too confusing. Any help will be greatly appreciated, because I do NOT want to be buying new cables next year because I didn't protect them/run them correctly this year! Thank you so much,
Clint

[-klb-]

Do you have any specific threats to the cable?

Do you have sidewalk that will get shoveled in the path? Or a driveway crossing that will get a snow plow, or snow blower?

Do you have wildlife that is prone to chewing on cables?

If none of those apply, don't over think it. I have some cat 5 that is still laying in the grass for 3 years straight. UV exposure is looking like the most likely thing to take it out in a year or two..

If you do have an area or two that needs protection, you can just run it through the PVC conduit in those areas only.

[2250Lights]

Thank you for your response I do not have any major threats. I haven't had any wildlife (mainly deer) chew any cords at all in the past. It'll get kind of snowy, but really no more than 6" at any time (if we're lucky, we might get that much!). The cable would run across my side yard from my garage, so there's no shoveling, snow-blowing, raking, or anything like that going on once things are set up. I think I would definately have enough length to loosly hang it from the top of my garage to the middle of the tree and then just run it down the trunk. I'll try different things once I get a little closer to getting the boxes out there!

Thanks again for your advice!

[-klb-]

Mine runs under the garage door, and 85 feet on the lawn and patio. The city display has several hundred feet laying on the ground. What is in conduit there is to reduce tripping hazard, since we have signal conduit between the electrical vaults in the park.