Food Bags

[neshobakid]

Any body use the Grubpack or just stick with a drybag? What size bag for 6 days of food?

[fastfoxengineering]

Two of the most popular food bags on the triple crown trails are the Zpacks Food Bag and the UrSack.

Most people who purchase a cylinder shaped food bag often complain about its shape (hard to get food at the bottom) and packability.

There are many options though.

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[AllDownhillFromHere]

It depends if you're hanging for bears or not. If you aren't, then the size isn't as important; just pack your extra stuff in your pack.

Owner of the Zpacks food bag here - not worth the $50 IMO. I bought the 'bear hang kit' which comes with some additional trinkets, but in the end, it's just a nylon bag that you put food in. It's a 14L bag, pretty light obviously since it's cuben, but its flimsy. Mine (and others) has several holes worn in it. Zpacks of course warranties it for "a 2500 mile hike", so if you're looking for disposable and relatively light, it might be for you. Or get a silnylon noname bag and save the cash. The most I ever got was about 5 days in it, including snacks.

[fastfoxengineering]

It depends if you're hanging for bears or not. If you aren't, then the size isn't as important; just pack your extra stuff in your pack.

Owner of the Zpacks food bag here - not worth the $50 IMO. I bought the 'bear hang kit' which comes with some additional trinkets, but in the end, it's just a nylon bag that you put food in. It's a 14L bag, pretty light obviously since it's cuben, but its flimsy. Mine (and others) has several holes worn in it. Zpacks of course warranties it for "a 2500 mile hike", so if you're looking for disposable and relatively light, it might be for you. Or get a silnylon noname bag and save the cash. The most I ever got was about 5 days in it, including snacks.I would disagree with calling the Zpacks food bag flimsy.

I'm not in love with the bag but 1.43 dcf is very strong fabric. You would have to use a much heavier nylon dry bag to improve durability. Granted a river bag would be bomber. An ultra sil bag would weigh about the same as a Zpacks bag but be much less durable as a food bag.

Mine has over 2,500 miles of thru hiking on it and aside from a little dirt embedded into the seams, it shows no signs of degredation in performance or real wear.

It's very dependent on how you treat your gear. I expect to get another thru hike out of mine with no issues.

I saw a Zpacks food bag with a triple crown on it. It was ready to be retired though. It started to delaminate and the fibers started to fray badly, no holes. Deffinetly not as water resistant as it once was for sure.

I think the weakest point on a Zpacks bag is the hanging loop, i wish it was a little beefier.

All the holes I've seen in a Zpacks food bag are usually user induced. You dont need to baby them but throwing them around, cramming them full, dropping them on the ground from a hang, and over stuffing them will cause issues.

The amount of food you can put in them is highly dependent on efficient packing and low volume foods.

I'd say 5 days of food for a thru hiker appetite using normal volume resupply food acquired on the trial should be easily doable.

I've had 14lbs of food in mine before. I was weary about hanging it from the loop though.

I think the supplied carabiner is inferior to something with just a little more meat and a stronger gate.

The slick line they provide is excellent. Also has 2,500+ miles on it and I dont see any reason to not continue to use it. Its just bled most of its color out.

My rock bag also has the same distance. It has some small tears and abrasion spots but still 100% functional. Doesn't really make sense to me to use DCF for a rock bag but it has held up MUCH better than i thought it would.

I should add, Im the minority thay actually hangs there food pretty much always in the woods. The only time I dont hang is when camped out in town at a hostel or something similar where Im not concerned with critters.

In the case your bag does get a hole, its very easy to patch with DCF repair tape.

-Fastfox





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[Slo-go'en]

I've always wanted a food bag with a zipper down the side. Then I wouldn't have to dump everything out every time I want to find something.

Depending on what you eat, 6 days of food is a fair amount of bulk.

[fastfoxengineering]

I've always wanted a food bag with a zipper down the side. Then I wouldn't have to dump everything out every time I want to find something.

Depending on what you eat, 6 days of food is a fair amount of bulk.https://www.granitegear.com/outdoor/packing-systems/zippered-stuffsacks/air-zippsack.html

Also another popular option used by hikers



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[Christoph]

I used one of these nylon type backpacks they always give out at schools and events. Worked great on my thru hike and I kept everything in gallon sized ziploks inside. Never a mouse moment.

[gbolt]

My ZPacks Blast Frayed Horribly and leaked. I didn’t treat it any more poorly than any other gear. I replaced it with an Cheap Outdoor Research Marine Bag in Carlisle Pa. While heavier, it also could carry over Seven day’s worth of food. The Z Pack held Five. The crazy thing was the number of other hikers that also had the same OR Bag at the end of the hike; maybe due to the ease of purchase at Walmart. If I were to hike the AT again, I would definitely consider the UrSak, especially in NH and ME where hanging occurred less than in the south. Again, like everything, it will be a personal choice as to what works for each person.

[Slo-go'en]

https://www.granitegear.com/outdoor/packing-systems/zippered-stuffsacks/air-zippsack.html

Also another popular option used by hikers

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I have a small one I use for clothes. I once found a zippsack at a shelter which was big enough to use as a food bag, but for some reason left it there. I regret not snagging it.

[soumodeler]

I use the Zpacks bag. Bought in 2014 and still going strong with very minimal wear. Holds up to 5 days worth of food for me.

[T-Rx]

I use a Zpacks food bag also. Bought it in 2015 and have used it for well over a thousand miles on the AT. Bag is still in great condition and easily holds up to 5 days food.

[Jayne]

I wouldn't recommend the Ursack. I had a bear go after mine in NC this spring and, while he didn't get the food out, he was still able to rip open and puncture the bags inside and I ended up with a bag of mixed dehydrated meals, gatorade powder, and bear slobber. Maybe it would have worked better with the the aluminum panels but I'm not going to take a chance on it. It was a hungry section after that.

[Five Tango]

I wouldn't recommend the Ursack. I had a bear go after mine in NC this spring and, while he didn't get the food out, he was still able to rip open and puncture the bags inside and I ended up with a bag of mixed dehydrated meals, gatorade powder, and bear slobber. Maybe it would have worked better with the the aluminum panels but I'm not going to take a chance on it. It was a hungry section after that.

Would you happen to know if your Ursack had the certification tag?Ursacks made after April 2014 are supposed to be more bear resistant and have a little tag sewed on at the top on the inside.After reading about a rash of Ursack failures that happened somewhere in NC or VA this spring I did add the 10 oz panel to mine.It makes a nice stool if you carry a sitpad to put on top of it and holds my 150 pounds with no problem.I intend to stick with it as I always have difficulty finding the perfect limb at the end of a tiring day and I have made some questionable hangs for my cook kit and first aid kits but have been lucky so far.

One thing that may be helping is the use of odor barrier bags on the inside to mask food smells and help keep the contents dry.I like the Base Camp bags from Amazon much better than Lok Sak bags because the LS bags
I have used so far all developed tears or closure issues.

[Hikingjim]

I would just grab an UL drybag, 15L would be fine. 20L would make it more expandable if you did longer hikes or for 2 people
If it's going to rain heavily and you get some 2 oz UL bag, it could have some moisture soak through. Just put your main items in a thin gallon ziplock and you'll be fine
Freeze dried stuff, sunscreen, etc, I leave in the bag.... other stuff that can't get wet I put in the ziplock to double up

[Jayne]

Would you happen to know if your Ursack had the certification tag?Ursacks made after April 2014 are supposed to be more bear resistant and have a little tag sewOne thing that may be helping is the use of odor barrier bags on the inside to mask food smells and help keep the contents dry.I like the Base Camp bags from Amazon much better than Lok Sak bags because the LS bags
I have used so far all developed tears or closure issues.

ed on at the top on the inside.After reading about a rash of Ursack failures that happened somewhere in NC or VA this spring I did add the 10 oz panel to mine.It makes a nice stool if you carry a sitpad to put on top of it and holds my 150 pounds with no problem.I intend to stick with it as I always have difficulty finding the perfect limb at the end of a tiring day and I have made some questionable hangs for my cook kit and first aid kits but have been lucky so far.

Yes, it had the tag and was purchased new from REI in 2017. I had a brand new Opsack liner and all of my food was sealed inside quart or gallon zip lock bags inside the liner. The bear was not able to get the bag off of the tree or breech the bag (which is good) but he also rendered 1/2 - 2/3 of it inedible (and I wasn't being very picky about what was edible. I don't think I had more than one or two items that didn't have a puncture hole.) It may work better with the aluminum liner but at that weight I may lean towards an actual bear canister.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

This is why Ursack still isn't kosher in US National Parks like Kings Canyon, etc.

[Dogwood]

Currently I use a 1.1 oz Sea to Summit 8 L Ultra sil Drybag most times. I may pair with a Loksak. The 8L C2Summit lasts me about 5000-6000 miles. For example I used the same one on an AT NOBO and PCT NOBO. If needed I jam up to 7 maybe 8 days chow in it. 8 days and it's harder to get the water tight lapped over seal or putting undue stress on the sack I wasn't able to always do this. I evolved to my current state through consumables management experience as a LD hiker. On my first true LD hike I prolly would have required a 12 L food sack. If mandated I use a Bear Vault BV 450 to store up to 8, maybe 9, days food. I consider my daily food wt and compactness to be sufficiently and efficiently minimalist and well evolved. Most folks wouldn't be able to do this needing a larger volume food sack. My typical daily food wt is between 18-24 ozs. I dont gram weenie my food sack gear wt as result as I know on a multi day effort such as 6 days on one resupply it is the food and water wt and volume that plays a MUCH more substantial role in saving either wt or bulk than any food sack...or UL shelter...or sleeping bag/quilt...or down or synthetic jacket...or one pr or two pr of socks...or tent stake set...or guidelines...

[Mister Doublefister]

Another satisfied zpacks food bag user here

[QiWiz]

I like the Ursack Minor for most trips; hung if in bear country. I can get 5 days into it, 6 in a pinch. Depends a bit on the type of food and how it is packaged/repackaged.

[Crushed Grapes]

I like the Ursack Minor for most trips; hung if in bear country. I can get 5 days into it, 6 in a pinch. Depends a bit on the type of food and how it is packaged/repackaged.
Same on all accounts here. I hang mine 98% of the time though, because going overboard seems to be my thing :D

[Tipi Walter]

I classify my food bags in Liter sizes---so for a six day trip I would probably take a single 20 liter sea to summit silnyon UL bag.

Without resupply on a 21-24 day trip I take one 20 liter bag for my cookables (stuff to cook---dinners mostly), one 35 liter bag for my snackables---and a third long thermarest stuff sack for my loaves of bread and third food bag.

Food bags are disposable items and I've been thru dozens over the years. In the old days I used sleeping bag stuff sacks.

43755
Here's a typical long trip load---about 50 lbs. Very difficult to get much bear line height without climbing rope and a pulley system.

43756
One time I met Sgt Rock and his son on the BMT near Slickrock Creek.

43757
Rock just started going UL and here's his hung food bag for a 5 day trip. HA HA HA JUST KIDDING . . . it's his bear line throw weight.

[George]

Here's a typical long trip load---about 50,000 lbs. Very difficult to get much bear line height without climbing rope and a pulley system.

.

Tipi's bear bagging set up:

https://chainhoist.com/50-ton-elephant-large-capacity-super-100-series-with-standard-overload-protection.html

[LucyInColor]

I use a Ursack Major but I'm thinking about switching to a Zpacks bag. I can squeeze six days of food in it along with my Jetboil, toothbrush & other smellables ... but I can barely hoist the thing up a tree when it's that full. I don't like carrying that much food either. It's just too heavy. I don't notice many other Ursacks in bear boxes, so I don't think they're used a lot. I'm thinking about switching to a Zpacks bag because of the problem mentioned earlier about bear slobber & pulverized food. Like, I might be better off just hiking out & starting the food thing over if a bear gets my bag.

[GankenBerry]

i've 13Lt dry bags and the zpacks food bag. i would prefer the zpacks bag was a bit taller. both work fine though.