Tell your friend that the purpose of a bear canister is not to prevent bears from being attracted. Bears are attracted by smells and bear canisters are not designed to be odor proof. You can buy odor barrier bags to minimize odors (and are good to use as liners in all food containers), but they are just plastic bags and do nothing to keep a bear out. The bear's sense of smell is so acute, I doubt anything is completely odor-PROOF so an odor barrier bag will just minimize the odors, not eliminate them. The bear canister functions to prevent bears from being able to get into your food. Bears quickly learn to leave them alone because they won't be able to get inside. This is why you are advised not to hang a bear canister. Bears learn that a food bag hanging from a tree is the easiest way to get food from a hiker. The correct protocol is to put your canister on the ground some distance away from your tent. The bear will smell it, got to it, see that it's a canister and walk away. If it has not yet learned the futility of getting at the food inside it may with it for a while before giving up. It will smell you in your tent and stay as far away as possible. It will then find a bag hanging from a tree to eat from. Your ultralight option is to hang your food correctly. The bear will take the easy (i.e. incorrectly hung) bags first. But as pointed out above, this is mostly irrelevant on the AT since to my knowledge there is just one section a few miles long that requires canisters for overnight stays. The easy solution is to just hike through this section without stopping overnight.
Most people do piss-poor bear hangs. And a good tree for bear hanging is not always available.
From http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.co...-crappy_3.html
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Last edited by Mags; 04-20-2016 at 14:31.
Paul "Mags" Magnanti
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The true harvest of my life is intangible...a little stardust caught,a portion of the rainbow I have clutched -Thoreau
for those using an Ursack - would you recommend the traditional Ursack s29.3 or the Ursack Major - the traditional said it could hold roughly 5 days worth of food while the other holds more - was curious which one other AT hikers were using
The big AllWhite one. Big when you need it, small when you don't.
hikers gonna hike
Oh they have a new model out. I have the non-major one (70 USD). It's great. But would probably have bought the major had it been available at the time. But mine is really fine...5 to 6 days of food...fine for me.
hikers gonna hike
just met an AT thru hiker that could not figure out why a bear stole his food near Wataga Lake. It was hanging two feet from the trunk.
to the OP: from a weight perspective the ursack is by far the lightest and I have had used I believe every canister that is legal in the Sierra and some that aren't. The lightest is not to use it but then you have to be knowledgable enough in how to protect your food from all critters. I would never personally take a canister on the AT but I also know how to do a quality hang when needed and have little issue using my food as a pillow. That's a whole different discussion on why.
Oddly enough, the Ursack site mentions the option to hang 10+ feet high using counterbalance method???
Mentioned, but not necessary.
So that it can’t be crushed or stolen. Tie URSACK to a tree branch using a figure 8 or another knot that resists clinching, so that it can be untied easily. Alternatively, tie a secure knot and then counterbalance over a high (10′ +) tree branch–not a guarantee, but it will thwart some bears.
Paul "Mags" Magnanti
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The true harvest of my life is intangible...a little stardust caught,a portion of the rainbow I have clutched -Thoreau
It isn't necessary to hang the Ursack. But I have no desire to eat bear spittle porridge after a bear gets done gnawing on an Ursack. Its great that they can't get in, but now you have to pack out that toxic mess.
So, use the odor bags and tie it to a tree at ground level. Or use the odor bags and hang it at least 10' high 4' out. If the odor bag is compromised, at least you still have another level of protection if you hang it.
...and if there are no trees around? Specifically along the CDT in the Weminuche Wilderness in September.
FWIW: REI doesn't have the Ursack Major yet. Shucks.
Wayne
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Get the all-white and decorate yourself
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From Gossamer Gear's web page:
Text in red is incorrect and exxagerated. Statements like that lead to questions like the OP asked.This bear canister is approved by the IGBC and SIBBG for use in both Grizzly and black bear country! Bear resistant food containers are mandatory in most National Parks& Forests where grizzly and black bears are present. The Bare Boxer Contender will hold about a 3 day food supply for 1 person and fits in any Gossamer Gear backpack vertically or horizontally. Opens easily with most any key, knife blade or screwdriver.
Wayne
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Connie,
I'm not faulting the canister. I find the marketing speak text very misleading. That's all.
The Ursack rocks! I hope REI stocks the new Major version before my next trip.
Wayne
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Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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"I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
- Kate Chopin
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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