bear bagging

[Trooper]

What do you use for bear bagging?

Nylon sack vs. Bear Vault vs. Ursack Bear Bag - any opinions?

I used an old protein canister for my last couple of weekend trips. It helps conceal smells like a bear vault and is a little more sturdy that a nylon sack, but it's certainly not bear proof.

[Hooch]

Just a simple silnylon stuff sack. Works fine for me.

[take-a-knee]

I use the largest roll top bag in the 3 pack available in the camping section at Walmart. If I need a larger bag I have a Golite stuff sack that has extra fabric outside the drawstring, this keeps water from dripping inside the bag as it hangs.

[bigcranky]

Ursack, since '04. Using it means I have one less thing to do in camp.

[garlic08]

No need for the bear vault unless you're in a National Park that requires one. They're a pain to carry, though if you're required to carry one you can justify it by enjoying it as a camp stool.

My wife tried an Ursack for a while and didn't think the extra weight was worth it. So she worked on her roping skills and is happier with that now.

I use a simple nylon sack hung from a tree when needed, and carry a bear vault when required.

By the way, I don't think bear vaults are designed to conceal smells. Bears regularly approach cannisters and attempt to open them, and sometimes succeed. (I wrote a testimonial on my Bear Vault from an incident in the Sierra Nevada and you can read it on www.bearvault.com.) So don't try to make your own "sealed" cannister.

[BrianLe]

I think it depends on what sort of trip, where you're at. In the O.P.'s list of options I'd add the Outsak: http://www.simpleoutdoorstore.com/Outsak.html, as well as the Palisade: http://www.wilderness-solutions.com/palisade_est.htm

In the area that I live in (PNW) I just use an Ursack for every trip where a bearcan isn't required. About a 7 oz weight penalty over a nylon sack, a little less than that perhaps if you don't feel the need for so much cordage otherwise, but the fact that it's dead simple in camp every night is worth it if there's any significant risk of animals getting at my food.

[Snowleopard]

...
By the way, I don't think bear vaults are designed to conceal smells. Bears regularly approach cannisters and attempt to open them, and sometimes succeed. (I wrote a testimonial on my Bear Vault from an incident in the Sierra Nevada and you can read it on www.bearvault.com.) So don't try to make your own "sealed" cannister.

Opsak (loksak) odorproof bags are like ziplok bags but are supposed to be odorproof. You probably want a liner bag in your bear canister anyway, so it might help using one of these. http://www.rei.com/product/758707
The only place I know of in the Northeast that requires bear canisters is parts of the Adirondacks, and bearvaults are not approved there. There is a genius bear named Yellow-yellow that has figured out how to open bearvaults. I think it is approved elsewhere. Ursack seems not to be approved anyplace that requires bear canisters.
--Walter
REI has a sale on bear canisters.