View Full Version : protect my food
OPsack inside a rodent proof sack hung from a tree.
Just right ? overkill ? your thoughts ? tks.
Is Tyvek rodent-proof?
If Tyvek, I think not excessive.
I have heard that cuben is rodent-proof. Is that true?
Drawstring closure is not enough. Mice can flatten out and go thru a small opening. I have seen a mouse skinny under a door. Double-jointed? I don't know. I would think a closure would be needed to keep mice out.
www.grubpack.com
For rodent sack and opsack from amazon
Forget the rodents get something that it can be protected from Humans, I have never had problems with Mice,Bears,raccons etc, but i did catch a 2 legged rodent trying to steal a fellow hikers food bag one time at Flint Mountain. if you use a tent just sleep with it if you use shelters well best of luck to you.
those pesky humans, one day it'll be legal to shoot them critters
Rain Man
01-19-2015, 10:47
Strikes me as just a tad like all the imagined fears about "bears and snakes" many prospective hikers have. The actual risk is extremely small, so yes, that's over-kill in my book. But the rule is HYOH.
I had a food bag invaded my very first night on the AT, at Hawk Mountain Shelter in Georgia, while on the bear cables over-night. Only spoiled a small amount of food. Since then, have had a couple of things nibbled on in 10 years and often as not I just hang my food bag from whatever limb I can reach up to, just to get it away from the ground rodents, if there's no bear problem and I can't find a limb to hang a bear line from.
In my experience, looking at it factually and objectively, I've simply not had enough of a problem to justify extraordinary efforts on the AT (nor have the provided cables/hooks been entirely effective anyway). So, to me both your concern is over-stated and the protection itself is over-stated. Like most things in life, it's not at all black-and-white, but a continuum and therefore depends on your judgment and comfort level as much as anything.
I will add that I found rain more of a problem than critters, until I got a water-proof food bag. Until then, I lost more food to dampness than to critters.
Rain:sunMan
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Rainman,, well said ! do you use anything ? opsack maybe ? or just a drysack ?
If cuben is rodent proof, I would use an Opsack and the laminated cuben Roll Top "Blast" Food Bag made by ZPacks.
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/stuff_sacks.shtml
Rain Man
01-19-2015, 11:41
Rain Man,, well said ! do you use anything ? opsack maybe ? or just a drysack ?
I use an Ascend brand dry bad from Bass Pro Shops, with a clear vinyl side. Heavier than a Sea-to-Summit style sil-nylon bag, but those things only stay water-proof a trip or two, then develop pin-holes and get wet in a heavy rain. I've yet to have an Ascend bag leak on me.
http://www.basspro.com//Ascend-Round-Bottom-Lightweight-Dry-Bags/product/10227451/
29617
Peepsinc
01-19-2015, 13:37
Rain Man's rite about keeping your food dry. Wallmart sells a brand called Outdoor products. They'r the clear heavy see threw. only like $7 a piece & come in all sizes. Mine still function after 3 years. I put everything in my pack in them. There is nothing like having dry cloths & a working cell phone after 2 days of hiking in the rain.
yep, I have many dry sacks, O.R., S to S & others. now i use a GG air zipsack. food is in ziploc bags.
i will be swapping over to opsacks and maybe the rodent proof bag. And still use the zipsack. I like the zipsack, i can get out just what i want without taking everything out.
daddytwosticks
01-19-2015, 19:56
I've had very good luck with my Ursak Minor over the years. :)
Sirsnappy09
01-20-2015, 15:57
I just picked up a pack of 5 odor barrier green see through food bags with closure s for 3$ at academy on sale. I have always used these inside a silnyl bag and never had an issue. They work and are cheap.
GTStricky
01-20-2015, 15:59
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/bear_bag.shtml
3oz solution
HooKooDooKu
01-20-2015, 16:47
I find that the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack is ultra-light and keeps your food dry just fine.
The only thing I dislike about the Ultra-Sil is that because they are going for ultra-light, it doesn't have a D ring or any sewn straps to hang the bag from. That means you have to hang it from the loop created by the buckle when you close the sack up.
So what I currently use is the Sea to Summit eVAC Dry Sack. The material is a little thicker and only adds around 1oz to the weight. But it includes a D-ring to hang the bag from.
I originally tried the eVAC in hopes of being able to easily squeeze the air out of the water proof pack before stuffing it in my back pack. But the venting takes way too long to bother utilizing. So I can only recommend the eVAC for a food bag because of the D-ring (and the white interior to make it easier to find stuff in there).
Sea to summit dry bag worked well for me.