Food Bag

[NaturalHiker]

I went to REI today to pick up a waterproof stuff sack for my food. There were too many options and sizes.

Im just looking for a lightweight waterproof bag that i can hang from a tree and keep my food dry in.

Not sure exactly what size i'll need, i'll only have about 3 days food max at any given time for my thru.

What sizes and bag's do you guys use?

[bigcranky]

I just got a roll-top Blast food bag from zpacks. It may be overkill, made of cuben fiber and all, but it's very cool. Waterproof, and quite likely small critter proof (hanging in trees keeps off the bears, but not the squirrels and such.)

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/dry_bags.shtml -- scroll down near the bottom.

[SCRUB HIKER]

A lot of people use Sea 2 Summit dry sacks or the knock-offs. I think it's only important that your food bag be water-resistant rather than waterproof, because if you're like me almost everything you have inside of it will be in a Ziploc bag or its original store-shelf packaging. I used a Ursack Minor, which is rodent-proof. On the occasions that it did get wet, it got kind of clammy but nothing inside got soaked, not that that would have mattered much.

[slims]

15L Outdoor Research Stuff Sack was a good size. Only ever filled it completely going through the Whites and the 100-Mile wilderness and I ate a lot.

[Drybones]

Go to Walmart, I believe it was $8 I paid for a set of three, all different sizes. The Sea To Summit bag I have that cost much more are no better.

[Dr. Professor]

I just got a roll-top Blast food bag from zpacks. It may be overkill, made of cuben fiber and all, but it's very cool. Waterproof, and quite likely small critter proof (hanging in trees keeps off the bears, but not the squirrels and such.)

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/dry_bags.shtml -- scroll down near the bottom.

Beat me to it; this is on my Christmas list.

:)

[Firefighter503]

I used to use the Walmart set that is about $10 for the three - the largest (green) one was my food sack. I had no problems with it in about 750 miles worth of sections, except that it was too tall/narrow. I upgraded to the Zpacks Blast food bag this past year. While it is nice because it is lightweight, etc., I really like it due to the shape. Do yourself a favor and get something that more of a square shape than a rectangle. Makes it much easier to dig around in for food without having to empty it, and it fits better (with the tall/skinny food bag, when it was full it was an awkward shape to fit in my pack).

[Tuckahoe]

I just bought a no name large water proof sack at Dicks Sporting goods. Its just honestly not one of those things that really needs to be fretted about. Its just a sack to hold some food.

[swjohnsey]

I use a couple of the plastic bags they give you when you buy somethin', ultra-light, ultra-cheap, replace 'em every 3 - 4 days.

[NaturalHiker]

^ Nice. My kinda raggety style.

[Blissful]

I use s 13 liter bag, a bigger bag makes it real easy to hook it on a bear pole too.

[Blissful]

The Walmart cheapo bags are not waterproof, FYI.

[LDog]

I use a 13 liter bag, a bigger bag makes it real easy to hook it on a bear pole too.

I used a 10L bag for awhile. Filled it pretty full a few times. After one of those tenacious Maine chipmunks chewed a hole through it, I replaced it with a 13L Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack which worked real good for me.

[garlic08]

Why waterproof? I repackage all my dry food into reusable ziplocks, or it's packaged in plastic to start with. The food bag can be a plastic grocery sack or two, an old sleeping bag stuff sack, or an old duffle bag, depending on how much food you need to carry. No need to buy something special.

[Dr. Professor]

I used to use the Walmart set that is about $10 for the three - the largest (green) one was my food sack. I had no problems with it in about 750 miles worth of sections, except that it was too tall/narrow. I upgraded to the Zpacks Blast food bag this past year. While it is nice because it is lightweight, etc., I really like it due to the shape. Do yourself a favor and get something that more of a square shape than a rectangle. Makes it much easier to dig around in for food without having to empty it, and it fits better (with the tall/skinny food bag, when it was full it was an awkward shape to fit in my pack).

Agreed.

Here are the three reasons the blast is high on my X-mass list:

1) Shape - as you say, this will fit into my bag perfectly.

2) Weight

3) Food protection - water, critters, whatever.

Sure, it'll cost something. That said, it's a one time expense; and it's not going to break the bank.

[Josh Calhoun]

Ultra-sil i think is the name of it. In a 20 ltr.

[snifur]

I feel the need to highly recommend a 10 Liter XPS Dry Bag from Bass Pro. It has a large clear window that allows me to see my contents with out needing to dump them. Man is it tough. Food and kitchen stuffs has never been damp. when the rains hit hard i store all my electronics in there as well. I take it backcountry hiking, kayaking and canoeing. The same bag has lasted two years of heavy use and abuse. Its heavier weight is worth the protection for me. This bag is indestructible. You gotta handle it to believe it.

[rusty bumper]

I use a 13 liter Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil dry sack. On my AT hike it was almost always large enough to carry all my food after a resupply. The only exception I remember was when I headed into the 100 Mile Wilderness with 6 days of food and for the first 2 days, I carried some of my food outside the food sack in a plastic grocery bag...no big deal. Also, when the sack was really full, I found it a bit awkward to pack. It becomes a 21-inch long tube that just barely fits cross-wise in my Mariposa pack. For that reason, I think it makes more sense to have a square shape rather than rectangular as others have suggested, and I plan to make the switch some day. And ditto on the waterproofing point...there's really no need to have a waterproof food sack since everything inside is already in a waterproof package of some sort.

[BigHodag]

I've used a drawstring backpack that was a tradeshow give away. Not waterproof, but had plenty of room and was easy to hang using the PCT bear bag technique. The drawstring backpack also provides me a great light carry on for bus and train trips to/from the trail.

I've since switched to an Ursack with an Opsack liner. Plenty of room for a weeks food, but a bit heavier than most would like. I count the weight against my luxury allowance. I really like the convenience of walking over to a tree and tying off the bag. Never had an animal problem since the switch.

[daddytwosticks]

My food is already packaged in zip locks or packages from the manufacturer that are pretty much waterproof. These go in my Ursak Minor which offers some small degree of protection from the elements. :)

[nickamante]

It's probably overkill, but I went with a 13L Sea To Summit Big River stuff sack. I figure the heavy duty material should fend off critters and keep the contents dry even if hung overnight in driving rain.
The Ultra-Sil sacks are definitely lighter... has anyone left one overnight in a downpour? How much water gets in?

[bannerstone]

Here's a nice option, tougher than nails, very UL and waterproof. Laminated cuben with polyester. He will make them any size you want. I have a smaller one with a drawstring and a larger one with a roll top.

http://lukesultralite.com/content/critter-bag-hybrid-cuben

David

[swjohnsey]

I know that cuben by itself doesn't work very well for stuff sacks. I used several for a thru-hike and all were in taters before the end. I can't imagine how cuben + silnylon would keep out critters more than a microsecond and forty bucks for a food bag . . .

[bannerstone]

I know that cuben by itself doesn't work very well for stuff sacks. I used several for a thru-hike and all were in taters before the end. I can't imagine how cuben + silnylon would keep out critters more than a microsecond and forty bucks for a food bag . . .


I know what you're saying swjohnsey, I thought is sounded pretty crazy too. The idea was hatched around a campfire over some honey burbon by our resident gear junkie, tendertoe, and pitched to our resident gearmaker Luke. He made us few as a test run and they turned out better than I could have imagined, the texture reminds me of the material they make airbags for automobiles from. It's the dyneema thread in the cuben that gives the rodents a challenge to get through.

Plus I don't think he's using silnylon, nothing would stick to it, this stuff feels very different, coarse, but that could be because the glue has permeated the fiber. Where cuben is fairly easy to puncture, this stuff isn't.

David

[MuddyWaters]

The zpacks blast foodbag is the best IMO. Because of its shape.

You dont need a waterproof foodbag. I actually have a small hole in the bottom of mine so that rain can drain out.
My food/garbage/etc is all wrapped up in an odor-resistant liner inside, which also keeps it dry, and makes it harder for a bear to smell. Mostly because it sleeps with me much of the time too.

[Violent Green]

I use a MYOG cuben roll top bag made from CT22k.18 so it's also waterproof. Doesn't have to be waterproof, but for me it's more convenient plus I can also use it to keep clothes,etc dry in a pinch. The
CT22k.18 has about 4.5x the dyneema as other "critter proof" cuben bags so I have confidence it will give those shelter mice a pretty hard time.

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Ryan

[Sarcasm the elf]

I also use a sea to summit 13liter bag with a roll down closure. It was kind of an arbitrary choice, just what the guy at the outdoor store recommended a few years back when I started backpacking again since then I've gotten used to using them. That said it works fairly well and is quite durable.

My method of storing my food at night varies greatly depending on time of year and location and having a slightly beefy bag comes in handy. Sometimes my food at is hung PCT style, sometimes it is jammed in a bearbox and abused by other hikers getting to their own food, sometimes my foodbag becomes my pillow. So far I've had good luck with the bag in all these situations.

Disclaimer: I'm actually on my second one of these bags since it turns out that they are not dog proof and properly storing my foodbag is just as important when it's in my buddy's kitchen as it is on the trail. :eek:

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/2/6/4/6/5/p9060010_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=48275)

[LDog]

Disclaimer: I'm actually on my second one of these bags since it turns out that they are not dog proof and properly storing my foodbag is just as important when it's in my buddy's kitchen as it is on the trail. :eek:

I found my beautiful, light, expensive cuben food bag was not bear proof. I found that if I was gonna hang it, I needed to use the PCT method ...

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