Food Bags

[Colonel Gear]

Any thoughts on food bags? I have been reading about the UR Sac minor and the Z-Packs food bags. Please provide any advice I may need to know before I purchase a food bag for thru-hike.

[daddytwosticks]

I've been using the Ursak Minor for several years. Never had any rodents get into my food, but I always hang my food. It is not waterproof and seems to absorb water when hung in the rain. I think it weighs like 3 or 4 ounces. Very happy with this piece of gear. :)

[T-Rx]

I just recently traded in my Ursack for a ZPacks Cuben fiber food bag. I decided to go with the Cuben fiber bag because of the difference in weight, waterproofing and I typically sleep with my food in my tent so I don't worry about rodents as much. The difference in weight is significant when you are trying to shave as many ounces as possible off your pack weight.

[swjohnsey]

I used some of Zpacks Cuben bags. They are very nice. The problem is that cuben does handle abrasion very well. I ended up replacing them about half-way through . . . with more of the same.

[deerdog]

I just bought one from Luke's ultralight. It is cuben with nylon outer shell. Looks good just haven't tried it yet.

[Hikes in Rain]

I'm still using the larger of the Walmart 3-bag set, less than $10 for the set. I must not be one of the cool kids. :cool:

[RED-DOG]

A close friend of mine just gave me a " 15L Silnylon food bag with 50' of Dynaglide line with a rock sack, made by "Simply Light Designs", the entire set up only weighs 3.0oz's.

usually I just use a 15L bag From OR.

[Colonel Gear]

your reply is a great help, thanks

[Colonel Gear]

Thanks for the reply, trying to save as much weight as possible.

[Miner]

I took the Ursack minor on the AT. I'd set it near my head against the shelter wall so I could get snacks out of it at night. I'd hear mice try chewing on it for a few minutes before giving up and moving on to easier pickings. I can't see any damage to the sack.

That said, for most of my backpacking away from shelters, I normally carry a Zpacks Large Blast food bag and haven't had any issues with it, including the PCT. I've been using cuben fiber stuff sacks since 2008 and never had one fail on a hike.

[hikehunter]

I use a "Sea to Summit" never have wet food in the bag. Yes, it is nowhere near the lightest, however, it can handle a little mistreatment.

[Connie]

I like the odorproof Opsak.

I have been using the PCT method with the Opsak inside a large stuff sack.

I like Ursak. I would use the Opsak inside. I might try it.

If I have a bear canister, I will use the Opsak inside.

[Demeter]

I have used my Zpacks food bag for about 2 years and I am packing it today for my trip tomorrow! Abrasion resistant, holds a ton of food, waterproof. I use the PCT method of hanging and keep a DIY silnylon rock bag and 50' Zpacks z line to bear/mouse bag (although I am too lazy to bear bag most of the time!)

[gbolt]

I have used my Zpacks food bag for about 2 years and I am packing it today for my trip tomorrow! Abrasion resistant, holds a ton of food, waterproof. I use the PCT method of hanging and keep a DIY silnylon rock bag and 50' Zpacks z line to bear/mouse bag (although I am too lazy to bear bag most of the time!)

+1 on what Demeter said. I have found the same positive results. My food bag of choice.

[Odd Man Out]

I have the ZPacks CF food bag. I like it a lot, but it didn't seem very odor-proof. By the end of the hike, I could definitely smell it before I opened it. I had packed most my food in zip bags (I assume they are polyethylene). So I bought an odorproof plastic bag to use as a liner for my next hike. Anxious to see how that works.

[Hangfire]

I also used a sea to summit bag, worked great though the squirrel chewed their way in a couple of times, nothing duck tape couldn't fix.

[Frye]

I just bought one from Luke's ultralight. It is cuben with nylon outer shell. Looks good just haven't tried it yet.


Do you have a link to that? I just checked his website but didn't see it.

[Firefighter503]

Which bag you choose aside, I recommend a food bag that is wider vs. taller. I used the biggest (green) of the Walmart sacks for a long time, and it is shaped like a 2L soda bottle. Kind of a pain in the ass to dig through when looking for a snack, and also doesn't fit my pack very well when stuffed full. I bought the ZPacks Blast food bag, which is shorter/wider, and is much easier to dig around in and fits nicely in the top of my pack.

[HooKooDooKu]

I like using the Sea to Summit eVAC Dry Sack (NOT the eVent - that's the compression sack of the same design).

The idea behind this sack is that the bottom is made of a waterproof, breathable fabric that allows you to squeeze excess air out while preventing water from entering. While this vent does indeed work, it works too slowly to rely on as a quick means of expelling extra air as you pack the sack into your backpack (especially with a bunch of plastic food bags laying against the bottom of the sack) .

But the eVAC has a D-ring and the inside of the bag is white giving you some reflected light to help see inside the food bag.
It also weights about 1oz more than the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sacks.


I've used the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sacks. But I don't like the fact they do not include a D-ring to hang the bag from.
I realize you can just hang the bag by the loop formed by the closure. But I'm just too fickle to trust the snap closure on something as important as my food.

[Bigfoot86]

Zpacks definitely is my favorite and its so friggin lite.

[Rolex]

Which bag you choose aside, I recommend a food bag that is wider vs. taller. I used the biggest (green) of the Walmart sacks for a long time, and it is shaped like a 2L soda bottle. Kind of a pain in the ass to dig through when looking for a snack, and also doesn't fit my pack very well when stuffed full. I bought the ZPacks Blast food bag, which is shorter/wider, and is much easier to dig around in and fits nicely in the top of my pack.

There's an idea! Make one that velcros shut on the side. Like a bank money bag. Easy to dig stuff out of and a grommet or loop on one corner to hang it. Probably been done. Show me where. I'm always late with ideas.

[Firefighter503]

There's an idea! Make one that velcros shut on the side. Like a bank money bag. Easy to dig stuff out of and a grommet or loop on one corner to hang it. Probably been done. Show me where. I'm always late with ideas.

The zpacks bag does Velcro along the top, and then rolls/snaps to make it water tight and give you a place to hang it with a beaner. I really can't recommend it enough.

[saltysack]

Also have the zpacks food bag....watch out with Velcro and gloves or thin silnylon....it will shred it quick....fold Velcro over before reaching in


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