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Hello all! Am thinking of using a Ursack V27 on the AT. Any ideas/ thoughts???
Many thanks,
s
1. It isn't illegal
2. The Ursack will keep a black bear from getting into your food if you don't mind a) having your food items crunched, smashed and mutilated through the bag and b) listening while a bear, who is more likely to find the Ursack than a bag hanging in a tree, crunching, smashing and mutilating the contents of the bag. The only way to keep this sort of thing from happening is to hang the Ursack. And then the Ursack is no more secure than any simple stuff sack properly hung.
3. The Ursack will keep out the small creatures that account for more damage than bears - especially when you get lazy and leave your food in a shelter instead of putting it safe outside.
RedneckRye
03-01-2009, 00:22
I say there is no need to post the same question twice a few minutes apart.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=47287
Welcome to WhiteBlaze.
mtnkngxt
03-01-2009, 07:39
Not worth the cost IMO. Walmart 9.99 3 pack rolltop bags are seam taped and work just as well as any other properly hung bear bag. The largest of them ie the green one is what I have used for the past year. Still on the same bag and piece of 30' line. No problems no leaks. Large enough to hold a good 6-7 days worth of food.
SGT Rock
03-01-2009, 07:39
Overkill. Just get a sil-nylon bag and 50' of cord. You probably won't even use the cord that much - but it can also be used for gear repairs and drying line.
Pickleodeon
03-01-2009, 07:47
I'm a female with a terrible throwing arm, and therefore, an Ursack.
I figure it's a little heavy, but it will save me lots of time and effort and possible injuries from throwing my bear line, I can just tie my Ursack to a tree trunk and it's good to go.
I've had problems with squirrels chewing into a properly hung bag- I was with a group and didnt do the throwing.
SGT Rock
03-01-2009, 07:53
I merged your three threads on the subject.
bigcranky
03-01-2009, 09:44
I use an Ursack. I have seen firsthand how it keeps the small critters out of my food. When you add up the weight of a bear bag and 50 feet of line, it's comparable to an Ursack, so there's no huge weight penalty.
I actually thought about getting one for the same reason..I suck at bearbagging. The person I hiked with last time had one and we just tied it to a tree at night, it was great. The only thing keeping me from getting one right now is the price.
SGT Rock
03-02-2009, 21:44
V27 weighs 7.5 ounces and is only 8"x13"?
I don't think I could get all my food in that. My bag and cord weighs a lot less - like 2.0-2.5 ounces total. No mouse has chewed into it yet.
FWIW - I think this is way over thinking it for the AT. But whatever works for you.
I was planning on using my sleeping bag's bag and some paracord line to hang all my food and trash in at night. The food is kept in individual ziplocks and plastic bags (for keeping dry) and the trash i plan on keeping in plastic grocery bags i get when resupplying. Ive never had to use a bear bag before, so if anyone sees any holes in this idea please let me know!
SGT Rock
03-02-2009, 21:49
It depends on how you pack. I just find it easier to have a dedicated food bag. I already keep everything inside the food bag ziplocked up.
Blissful
03-02-2009, 22:45
I was planning on using my sleeping bag's bag and some paracord line to hang all my food and trash in at night.
I would not use the same bag for food and for your sleeping bag with the food smells. Use a separate bag for food and your clothing / sleeping. I found the sea to summit bag worked well for my food bag.
theinfamousj
03-02-2009, 23:51
For what it is worth, the OP SAK (the liner on a Ursack) is really all you need. You can hang that from a tree. It will hold all of your food, is waterproof, and keeps all the food smells in so the mini-bears (mice, raccoons, etc.) don't know what you've got.
While LW is recuperating, I'll play the resident curmudgeon and say:
Don't need it. Take your food in your tent with you.
(his advice, not mine! I actually prefer a bear vault or a tree hang)
MileMonster
03-03-2009, 10:01
My thoughts on Ursack vs. hanging food:
I'd suggest hanging your food using a sil stuff sack and and cord. There does seem to be a "convenience" advantage to just taking the Ursack out of camp and tying it to a tree. And it is more difficult for mice to get into. However, I choose sil sack and cord because if I had an Ursack I'd still hang it. I'd worry that a bear or other critter like a coyote or raccoon would carry the Ursack off even though it is tied to a tree. Second, since there is an argument that hanging food is an outdoor skill that one should learn and practice, a responsibility to other hikers and the critters, I would feel guilty not hanging the Ursack (if one completely trusts that critters can't get into the Ursack, this argument is diminished quite a bit). So, since I would also hang the Ursack, for me it really comes down to weight. I choose sil since it is lighter - if you could save 1/4 pound off every item in your pack, wouldn't you?
SGT Rock
03-07-2009, 23:05
I just measured my food bag - 10" x 18" and I stuff it just to get 4 days of food in it. 5 takes creativity. That is 10 x 3.14 = 31.4 x 18 = 565"
The ursack is 8" x 13". 8 x 3.14 = 25 x 13 = 325"
It would take two of these things to carry my food. That means almost a pound of food bags?
doodah man
03-08-2009, 17:37
I just measured my food bag - 10" x 18" and I stuff it just to get 4 days of food in it. 5 takes creativity. That is 10 x 3.14 = 31.4 x 18 = 565"
The ursack is 8" x 13". 8 x 3.14 = 25 x 13 = 325"
It would take two of these things to carry my food. That means almost a pound of food bags?
The Ursack is advertised as 650 cu.in. I think the correct formula based on the dimensions on their web page is: 3.142 x (8"/2)^2 x 13" = 653, so that checks out. I started my nobo JMT hike last year with 10 days food. I used the bearicade expedition at 900 cu.in. and all food plus smellables (toothpaste, sunscreen, soap, first-aid kit, fuel, etc.) fit without much struggle. I guess that works out to 90 cu.in. per day for me. Allowing for 100 cu.in. per day is probably reasonable. doodah-man
SGT Rock
03-08-2009, 17:42
The Ursack is advertised as 650 cu.in. I think the correct formula based on the dimensions on their web page is: 3.142 x (8"/2)^2 x 13" = 653, so that checks out. I started my nobo JMT hike last year with 10 days food. I used the bearicade expedition at 900 cu.in. and all food plus smellables (toothpaste, sunscreen, soap, first-aid kit, fuel, etc.) fit without much struggle. I guess that works out to 90 cu.in. per day for me. Allowing for 100 cu.in. per day is probably reasonable. doodah-man
So I did the math a little wrong - so my sack is 1413 cubic inches. It would still take me two to three of the ursacks.
4eyedbuzzard
03-08-2009, 18:03
I would not use the same bag for food and for your sleeping bag with the food smells. Use a separate bag for food and your clothing / sleeping. I found the sea to summit bag worked well for my food bag.
Not trying to be difficult, but it's likely that our packs and all its contents smells like food just from being in proximity to it-to some degree anyway. Bears supposedly have noses that are 7 times more sensitive than a bloodhounds, which leads me to believe we aren't ever really hiding smells from them to any great degree. I guess that our clothing also likely smells of our foods as well, being that we cook and eat while wearing it and likely get some food on it. Just food for thought.
doodah man
03-08-2009, 19:08
So I did the math a little wrong - so my sack is 1413 cubic inches. It would still take me two to three of the ursacks.
Hey Rock,
Not trying to make a big deal out of this... Just trying point out that 100 cubic inches per day should be a ballpark rule of thumb for food volume for a typical hiker eating typical hiker fare. Now if someone wants to go gourmet and splurge or has an extra hearty appetite, more capacity would be necessary. A food bag of 1413 cubes would be giant compared to most. (As a reference, those military five gallon jerry gas cans only have a volume of about 1200 cubes, plus or minus). Most folks should have no problem fitting 5 or 6 days food in a single Ursack, but there are exceptions! doodah-man
SGT Rock
03-08-2009, 19:22
You should see Mags food bag. His is bigger than mine.
I started with something smaller last year - I had to switch to a larger bag after about a week on the trail.
SGT Rock
03-08-2009, 19:27
And also really not trying to make a big deal out of it either. I'm just pointing out that if you plan to get hiker hunger on a thru-hike, an Ursack will proably not cut it.
Powder River
03-10-2009, 00:56
Just hang it from the mouse hanger in the shelter, and go to sleep. Problem is that early in the trail, people will freak out about this. In that case, ask if you can clip into their bear line or use the bear cables. Later in the trail, when everybody is jaded, food gets hung in the shelter, or used as a pillow.
I'm convinced that bears own market share in companies who make bear line, and watch from afar the hilarity of hikers trying to tie their food in trees.
Pickleodeon
03-10-2009, 09:58
Sgt Rock, you mentioned that clothes smell like food. When I was in the Smokies, my first backpacking trip, in Winter, our group leader told us to hang our cooking clothes in the bear bag as well. So we did, and we had our clothes, and our food chewed into- by a mouse, or squirrel. My soft shell has little chewed holes in it. It was probably completely unneccessary too.
superman
03-10-2009, 13:37
I use the plastic bags the grocery store puts the groceries into. Almost every time I re-supply I get a couple new bags. I double bag. Most of the crocery stores take back the old bags.:)
Hiker Chris
03-24-2009, 13:46
I'm just hanging a stuffsack, but sealing all food, etc. in odor-sealing bags. I suppose I don't need to hang it since they are odor-sealing, but I figure I would to be safe. what do you think?
After seeing someone's tent stuff sack get riddled with holes on the cables at Walnut Bottoms in the smokys I decided to go with a dry bag like the ones used for canoeing and kayaking. They come in several sizes and are reasonably priced. never had a problem yet.
Chiaroscuro
04-08-2009, 14:00
Dry bags? Yikes! I used to be a canoer and those things are heavy. I thought about one for my sleeping bag, but the possibility of wet down just didn't offset the weight of the bag.
Just hang it from the mouse hanger in the shelter, and go to sleep. Problem is that early in the trail, people will freak out about this. In that case, ask if you can clip into their bear line or use the bear cables. Later in the trail, when everybody is jaded, food gets hung in the shelter, or used as a pillow.
I'm convinced that bears own market share in companies who make bear line, and watch from afar the hilarity of hikers trying to tie their food in trees.
I second that. I never hung a bag if i was in a shelter, it was put on the mouse hanger. I have been in shelters mulitple times with 5 or more other hikers whom all hung from the same one, kinda funny looking, that many food bags hanging from that little string....i could just picture the drool that would come from a bears mouth if he saw that.
Dry bags? Yikes! I used to be a canoer and those things are heavy. I thought about one for my sleeping bag, but the possibility of wet down just didn't offset the weight of the bag.
You can get some pretty lightweight ones, although they probably aren't nearly as durable as the super thick ones. Sea-to-summit makes "ultra-sil" ones which weigh 2 ounces for 20 liters.