Bear Bags Thru-Hikers Use

[Omega Man]

Planning a mid march thru-hike and wish to know what thru-hikers have used for their bear bags? What size, material, home made or retail, length and type of line used, etc.

[SGT Rock]

Sil nylon. 10"x21"

[Pedaling Fool]

Sil nylon. 10"x21"
Same here.

[rdljr]

Kevlar, ursak tie it down and forget about it.

RDL

[Llama Legs]

Kevlar, ursak tie it down and forget about it.

RDL

I've had the old green kevlar ursack for going on 10 years.

Pros: great where you cannot properly bear bag (which is basically everywhere that you don't have a cable), excellent against mice/coons/etc as well.

Cons: not waterproof, much heavier than a stuff sack, expensive

I flew home last month and used it to protect my duffle from the tips of my trekking poles. So it gets points for another use !

[Bare Bear]

I use my bag stuff sack. It is water resistant but I use gallon size Freezer zip locks for everything anyway so it works for me. 50 foot of cord is plenty and I have gotten by with 20 foot after giving pieces away to hikers who did not have any.

[Llama Legs]

I use my bag stuff sack. It is water resistant but I use gallon size Freezer zip locks for everything anyway so it works for me. 50 foot of cord is plenty and I have gotten by with 20 foot after giving pieces away to hikers who did not have any.

You're in Clearwater? I'd like to hear your FL>GA>ME story.

I'm in Palm Harbor...

[BigHodag]

I use a drawstring backpack. I travel by bus. The drawstring backpack allows me to quickly remove my food bag, drop in a water bottle, and wear my pack aboard the bus and around stations during overlays. I line my drawstring bag with a turkey roasting bag for waterproofing and double goose neck the roasting bag to keep out water. Got my drawstring backpack free at a business expo, but Academy Sports carries some for around $7.

[Gnome7]

check out Just Jeff's hiking page. Look in home made gear- Food Bag. tothewoods.net

[Feral Bill]

Any old nylon stuff sack. Last trip I used one that a big air bed came in.

[Tinker]

Question previously asked, previously answered by Yours Truly. I use an old sleeping bag stuff sack, 2+ oz. nylon, approx 9x17 inches. It's not waterproof anymore, but all my food is packed in plastic anyhow. If the bag gets wet overnight it just goes on top of my pack liner after it's closed.

[Windcatcher]

Am considering an upgrade to an Outsak by Loksak w/ Opsaks for odor control, would appreciate any feedback on them.

But, have always used a sleeping bag stuff sack and 50' of paracord with ziplocks. Quite functional & has been durable. Food odor, especially after hot days, is a concern.

[RayBan]

Am considering an upgrade to an Outsak by Loksak w/ Opsaks for odor control, would appreciate any feedback on them.

I continue to use an Outsak micro-mesh bag (10x20 as I recall and about 7 oz.) and find it perfect for protecting non-food items in shelters/under a tarp - and even my Ohm ULA pack, which fits inside. In shelters I leave it on the floor or hang it from a peg; hearing the mice having at it and knowing they can't get through is "comforting". I otherwise always hang anything food-related and that has "smells" in a Sea-to-Summit ultra sil-nylon bag that I've also seam-sealed.

I initially used Opsaks for a variety of purposes but was VERY dissapointed in the integrity of the zips even AFTER meticulously zipping/unzipping/re-zipping them. Also, I found that they are not easy to clean "in the field" or even otherwise if there's some leakage, etc.. Because of all that, I now use disposable zippered plastic bags for virtually all possible items except the larger ones.

[Llama Legs]

You can use pretty much anything, but once you start- mark it as a dedicated food sack as it takes on odor (even with a fancy odor proof ziploc bag). Please do not use your stuff sack for dual duty. Your peanut butter scented sleeping bag with you inside will be subject to frequent inspection by mice.....and someday bear. :rolleyes:

[RETCW4]

I use an Equinox Bear Bag with rock it launcher. It comes with rope and a pouch to put a rock in as weight for teh rope.

Tumbleweed

[SGT Rock]

7 ounce food bags? My summer pack empty doesn't even weigh that.

Naw I went the other way. I've now got a MONSTER food bag made from cuben fiber that weighs 0.5 ounces (that is 14 grams to the metric people).

I've never had a food bag chewed on or thru. Sometimes I hang in a tree, sometimes I hang on the end of my hammock.

[Blue Jay]

Bears have extremely good noses and can smell trace amounts of food from long distances. I have had bears walk directly under a full bag of oderous food, smelly cheese, chocolate, cereal, etc., only a few feet over their heads. In fact one only had to stand up and sink his teeth into it. None of them even looked at it because to them it was not there.
That bag is a simple kayak bag. Sure its heavier, but I have absolutely no fear of black bears.

[Windcatcher]

Thanks for the feedback RayBan.

[BrianLe]

I carried an Ursack Minor (http://www.ursack.com/ursack-minor.htm) this year on the AT, for the whole trip; $50, weighs 2.7 oz. Not to be confused with the original Ursack; the Minor isn't meant to be bear-proof, just critter-proof, which is by far the more important issue on the AT. I went through the Smokies in March, so no bears there (they're too smart to hang out in that much snow, only dumb hikers were there), but hang whatever bag you have in the Shenendoah N.P. and whereever (or at least) most places there are bear poles or cables, stick it in the bear lockers when those are present, and otherwise don't worry about bears --- my opinion, anyway.

But for critters --- mice and groundsquirrels mostly --- the Ursack Minor worked very well for me this year. At 2.7 oz, it was a very light and care-free option. I did hang it (critter-hang, in the shelters) a few times but the vast majority of nights I slept in shelters (didn't use my tent much this year) and just slept with my food next to me. No problems at all (and very convenient for waking up hungry in the night to have a midnight snack --- thru-hikers are always hungry ...).

The only thing of mine that got chewed was for some bizarre reason a rodent crawled into my pack and chewed the end of my water bladder holder/pouch (which I almost never use anyway).

The one possible issue with the Ursack Minor is that now that I'm back home I see all sorts of small spots on it, I'm thinking mold; I'm going to spray with vinegar and hopefully kill that stuff. I had carried the Ursack Minor generally inside a plastic grocery bag to protect it a bit, and had an odorproof liner inside it, so it was generally sandwiched between layers of plastic for months in a row this year, so maybe no surprise about the mold.

[flemdawg1]

Another vote for drawstring backpack. Picked up afew free ones from conventions/expos or running road races. Also pretty easy to find in thrift stores. Do a loop knot in the drawstring, biner or tie the rope to it after you toss the rope over the branch.

[SGT Rock]

You mean like this: http://www.hikinghq.net/gear/blisspack.html

[GeneralLee10]

I have seen a person use nothing but the bags that you get from the grocery store this year. I have seen most others including me use regular stuff sacks. My dinner food bag was a 15L OR UL drybag & the grocery bags for my snacks and breakfast lunch. If you are hiking the AT I do not think a Ursack or something of that nature is needed.

[garlic08]

Sil nylon. 10"x21"

Ditto this.

[Gator 65]

Use a food bag that will also hold your stove and cooking utensils. I had most of my food in big "zip lock" bags inside my food bag and agter eating my night meal I would put my trash (also in seperate bag) and my stove inside my food bag and then hang it. It's quick and simple that way and a good option when you are cold and wet in the Smokies. Any water resistant bag will do. The big ultra lights are fine and the extra room is not a weight problem