View Full Version : Food Bag Advice
marti038
07-02-2013, 10:24
I’m looking for advice on selecting a good dry sack for food storage. I’ll be doing a sectionhike in North GA in September and need to procure one before that trip.
At this point, I’m thinking it should be easy to hang andwaterproof . Other than that I’m wide open.
Some questions I’ve got: What size do I need for about 3days of food? Is heavier PVC better than lighter “waterproofed” nylon (like theOutdoor Research bags)? What brands/types have you had good or bad experienceswith?
Thanks in advance for the help and advice.
I have the zPacks bear bagging kit http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/bear_bag.shtml. I used the dry bag that comes with the kit on a recent trip and it was large enough to hold more than the four days of food I had to carry. I'd say it could carry 6 days of food.
da fungo
07-02-2013, 10:49
What size do you need for 3 days food? [BR]Isn't that dependent on your choice of foods? For a 3 day hike, you could bring canned soup and stew, which would be higher volume than 3 days of freeze-dried food. [BR]And wouldn't it be pretty easy to just assemble your 3 days food and see what size bag you need?
Kerosene
07-02-2013, 10:59
+1 on the zPacks food bag. The reinforced Cuben fiber provides a bit of protection against gnawing critters.
marti038
07-02-2013, 11:21
What size do you need for 3 days food? [BR]Isn't that dependent on your choice of foods?
I was asking the question in a general sense, but thanks for your thoughtful response.
And wouldn't it be pretty easy to just assemble your 3 days food and see what size bag you need?
I suppose I could go buy 3 days of food a couple of months early, but no...I think I'll just see if anyone has any helpful information to post.
marti038
07-02-2013, 11:26
I have the zPacks bear bagging kit http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/bear_bag.shtml. I used the dry bag that comes with the kit on a recent trip and it was large enough to hold more than the four days of food I had to carry. I'd say it could carry 6 days of food.
Thanks. I'll look into this.
At first glance it looks like a tarp sewn into a bag. Is this description relatively accurate?
Thanks. I'll look into this.
At first glance it looks like a tarp sewn into a bag. Is this description relatively accurate?
It is made out of cuben except it is a heavier form of cuben than used to make the tarps. I'd say that the description is accurate.
illabelle
07-02-2013, 11:39
I was asking the question in a general sense, but thanks for your thoughtful response.
I carry all the food for me and my husband on our 3-4 day hikes. Our first bear bag was too large, and didn't fit well in my pack. I got a new one, might be this one: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___70008 It has done well for us. I have a smaller similar bag that I use for quick access to our lunches or for the extra we need if we have a longish trip, or if our daughter goes with us. Both fit standing up side by side in my pack. You may not need the same size bag if you're packing food for one person only, but having a bag larger than you need gives you more flexibility. Yes, I know it's also more weight.
One thing I like about the new bag is the color. Our old one was black - hard to see hanging from a tree in dim light. The new yellow one is easily visible. It also doubles as a ground cloth if I'm cooking on the ground.
da fungo
07-02-2013, 13:54
Could a pack cover be used to do double doty as a food bag? Seriously.
Odd Man Out
07-02-2013, 14:02
Could a pack cover be used to do double doty as a food bag? Seriously.
Not sure I would want to dump the contents of my food bag out into my pack when I wanted to use the food bag as a pack cover in the rain. Multiple use items are great when it works. You don't need trekking poles for trekking when sleeping which is why they make good tent poles. But I can't think of any time I won't have some food in the food bag.
Another good option: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=79
One thing to consider especially if you use a smaller pack is the dimensions of the food bag. I really like the Zpacks bag and carried one on my thru hike but I ended up making two out of the same material as Zpacks that perfectly fit in my pack as soon as I got home. The Zpacks bag was wider than my pack and couldn't be fully filled and put in the pack. Unlikely to be an issue with most packs but something to consider.
daddytwosticks
07-02-2013, 15:42
I use an Ursak Minor. Critter proof. Highly visible (yellow). Don't believe it is waterproof, although all my food items are in plastic bags anyway. Even a properly hung bear bag can be "attacked" by rodents. Flying squirrels used to vex me. :)
MuddyWaters
07-02-2013, 19:15
One thing to consider especially if you use a smaller pack is the dimensions of the food bag. I really like the Zpacks bag and carried one on my thru hike but I ended up making two out of the same material as Zpacks that perfectly fit in my pack as soon as I got home. The Zpacks bag was wider than my pack and couldn't be fully filled and put in the pack. Unlikely to be an issue with most packs but something to consider.
Joe will make you one to dimensions you want to fit your pack best.
All you have to do is ask.
I have a couple of zpacks food bags, see no need for anything else.
What size do I need for about 3days of food?
Bear canister manufacturers say that 275 in^3 is 3 man days. Or you could say 100 in^3 per man day. 275 in^3 is 4.5L. 300 in^3 is 5L
Bear canister manufacturers say that 275 in^3 is 3 man days. Or you could say 100 in^3 per man day. 275 in^3 is 4.5L. 300 in^3 is 5L
If thats the wrong size then put the overflow/first day in a plastic grocery bag.
hikingshoes
07-02-2013, 20:23
I use an Ursak Minor. Critter proof. Highly visible (yellow). Don't believe it is waterproof, although all my food items are in plastic bags anyway. Even a properly hung bear bag can be "attacked" by rodents. Flying squirrels used to vex me. :)
+1 for the Ursack Minor
hikingshoes
07-02-2013, 20:32
Here is a test I did on the Ursack Minor. It's not the greatest video but. It gets the point across ,
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NzRuEmdKIJ4
Another vote for the Zpacks roll top food bag. This is tough cuben fiber material with a solid fastener and it weighs only 40 grams. The top rolls all the way down to the contents of the bag before buckling it for a snug fit. I first put my food and other odor emitting items in an OPSak which is waterproof and odor proof (okay, okay, odor “resistant”) and then put the OPSak inside of the Zpacks food bag. I always sleep with my food bag on the AT and elsewhere in the Appalachians. I find this to be an incredible lightweight, effective, and safe solution. (And, I always know exactly where my food is, and my food emits less odor than the smell of my hair.) The Zpacks food bag by itself is pretty much waterproof. You can fill it up with water (not recommended) and it will leak a little around the seams because the weight of the water stretches the seams; however, it’s a food bag, not a water-carrying bag. However, it’s built to last. On the other hand, the OPSaks have to be carefully sealed each time; the bags can split open diagonally along the seal if over filled or repeatedly folded at the seam. For me there is plenty of room for 3 days.
Here is a photo posted on BPL of an Ursack minor after getting chewed on my an unidentified rodent. YMMV
22340
slbirdnerd
07-02-2013, 22:28
For simple and inexpensive I use a 13 liter Sea to Summit ultra sil dry bag. Holds plenty of the usual lightweight stuff for 4-5 days and the roll top with clip makes it very easy to hang.
What are you doing in N GA? Hoping to get back down there yet this year myself!
Drybones
07-03-2013, 09:06
For simple and inexpensive I use a 13 liter Sea to Summit ultra sil dry bag. Holds plenty of the usual lightweight stuff for 4-5 days and the roll top with clip makes it very easy to hang.
What are you doing in N GA? Hoping to get back down there yet this year myself!
Same here.................
rusty bumper
07-03-2013, 18:10
For simple and inexpensive I use a 13 liter Sea to Summit ultra sil dry bag. Holds plenty of the usual lightweight stuff for 4-5 days and the roll top with clip makes it very easy to hang.
What are you doing in N GA? Hoping to get back down there yet this year myself!
Me too................
marti038
07-06-2013, 21:15
Anyone have any experience with the Seattle Sports Explorer bags? They're a little on the heavy side, but look really tough.
http://www.amazon.com/Seattle-Sports-Explorer-Medium-Dry/dp/B00241U56W/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=K50UG2CC0509&coliid=IKI7R6LM3WZBN&psc=1
Wally World three pack of roll top stuff sacks. Use the largest of the three.
hikingshoes
07-06-2013, 23:13
From BPL as well
hiker 1: I for one could never sleep soundly knowing that my food may or may not be there in the morning while using an Ursack. With a bear canister, it's just a non-issue.
Hiker2: Why is that? Bear canisters are only bear-resistant and animal-resistant, and unlike the Ursack, can be swatted and batted any distance from your campsite by the time you wake up. Better not sleep on or near a steep slope or cliff or you may never get your bear canister back. Sorry I just messed up your sleep on all of your overnighters in the future.
For as me I have not had any problems out of my Ursack Minor plus I have tested my Minor vs a big raccoon it turned out I didn't have the first hole in it and I'm still using it.
rocketsocks
07-07-2013, 00:35
For simple and inexpensive I use a 13 liter Sea to Summit ultra sil dry bag. Holds plenty of the usual lightweight stuff for 4-5 days and the roll top with clip makes it very easy to hang.
What are you doing in N GA? Hoping to get back down there yet this year myself!
Me too................
Me three.....
13 liter sea to summit ultra sil for food....and the three pack multi colored/sizes cheapy wally world roll top bags for my kitchen and stove...also use these for my clothes...so far so good!
13L sea to summit ultra sil
MuddyWaters
07-07-2013, 13:34
From BPL as well
hiker 1: I for one could never sleep soundly knowing that my food may or may not be there in the morning while using an Ursack. With a bear canister, it's just a non-issue.
Hiker2: Why is that? Bear canisters are only bear-resistant and animal-resistant, and unlike the Ursack, can be swatted and batted any distance from your campsite by the time you wake up. Better not sleep on or near a steep slope or cliff or you may never get your bear canister back. Sorry I just messed up your sleep on all of your overnighters in the future.
For as me I have not had any problems out of my Ursack Minor plus I have tested my Minor vs a big raccoon it turned out I didn't have the first hole in it and I'm still using it.
How warm and fuzzy do you feel about handling a foodbag that potentially rabies carrying critters chewed on, knowing that it is carried in saliva, and all it takes is contact with your mucous membranes to infect you?
No perfect solutions exist, except to stay home.
"At this point, I’m thinking it should be easy to hang andwaterproof . Other than that I’m wide open."
Sound's like a trash bag too me.
+ 1000 :) for the Zpacks roll top food bag! I can carry 7 days of food with no problems! Waterproof and durable!