Ursack - recommended

“So I'm heading out to desolation wilderness this weekend with a group of about 10. Very little chance of any black bear encounters at the elevation we'll be at but someone recommended and Ursack for food storage nonetheless? Any thought/recommendations or is it overkill?”

“The ursack is good to keep rodents and such out of the grub - its not just for bears. If you've got one, I'd use it.”

“I read that they can't get the material to make the things anymore because the military has sucked all the stuff up for the war. Is that still the case?”

“I believe they are producing them again.”

“#&%!$, I hope thats not the case, I don't have one and was hoping to pick one up today at REI.”

“Let us know if you get one, please.”

“According to their web site (update section), they can't get any new material until the fall.”

“Just a thought, if in the future you're going to be on trips where bears are, the sack is not approved for the NPS. So think before you spend the money for this if you'll need to buy a canister later. Also if a bear gets to the bag and is interested in it, your food will be mush, if it tries to get into the bag.”

“good point Tango, the rangers at RMNP told me they are moving towards requiring canisters within the next couple of years.”

“Damned Bears, I'm a gonna keel em with my bowie knife.

Anyway, I'll let folks know if I get one today or if there was availability.”

“Thanks Roamy, I'm interested in the new see through canisters. I hope they are approved, they are lighter and seem to be user friendly. I forget what company makes them.”

“REI has those clear ones....I believe its called the Bear Vault 300.

If I were in Marketing I'd have to come up with something more interesting....Like the Bear Frustrater 2005 or the Bear Emaciator 1000...something ominous like that :)”

“I have never had a problem with rodents or bears, but that's just me and where I hike. That said, I wanted one for rodents because it seems like a good idea. Those bags may keep bears from being rewarded for getting your food bag, but I have read a lot of stories of people eating mushed up crushed food for a week. I use an OR waterproof sack for my food today and bear bag but I know some day I'll have a bad experience. Not yet however ...”

“The BV300 can be had for $69.95 here: http://store.hermitshut.com/bevabeprca.html

They have one smaller BV200 for $59.95.”

“I don't think Ursack is making them again yet. And REI does not sell Ursack.”

“The Bear #&%!$er Platinum Millennium Edition! Every yuppie hiker would need one!”

“Landser thank you. That is it! I hope they approve that.”

“The BV300 is approved by the bear group, comprised of NPS and NFS”

“Well as suspected, no Ursacks at all... anywhere that I can find.

Thats ok, Better some Marine in Baghdad gets it than me.”

“Save your money, get a solid canister.”

“Landser - what do you think I meant when I said:

"According to their web site (update section), they can't get any new material until the fall."”

“"Bear Vault" sounds more like you're supposed to lock the bear inside it. Which would work, I suppose, until another bear comes along.”

“First, they are making them, they just sent me one 2 weeks go by mistake... I had ordered the ziploc inserts that supposedly serve as odor barriers.

Second, I don't think REI ever sold them, you can always order from their website. http://www.ursack.com/

Third, don't view the Ursack as competitive to an "approved" bear cannister. I have a
Wild Ideas Bearicade, which I love, but I also really like my Ursack. They are different products and you use them in different situations. As mentioned above, view your Ursack as a great "critter sack", NOT as a "bear-proof" container.”

“Hey wanderer, according to Ursack.com they will not be able to get fabric until this fall. I have been wanting to order another Ursack for a while now (personally I consider them quite bearproof, especially if you aggressively defend your food), so do you have any other information that I'm not aware of to currently order an Ursack? That would be great if you do!”

“I emailed Ursack and asked if the posting on EBay is the real thing or not. The price makes me wonder ...

Hey I also heard of a "ratsack" a while back (don't have one) that is a stainless mesh bag. Seems heavier but they say it works for rhodents. Who knows?

http://www.armoredoutdoorgear.com/ratsack.htm”

“Damn, first Landser, now Buck. Does no one read anyone else's posts around here? I feel like I'm talking into the wind sometimes.”

“techntrek, you need to either ring bells and jump up and down with your postings, or serve coffee and donuts, otherwise they just get skipped right over. :^D Actually I read it but then wanderer said they ARE making them, so I was wondering why the differing info. But I can't speak for Landser.”

“Ok, I'll start passing out beers with every post.”

“DID SOMEONE SAY BEER?!”

“tech's buyin' the beer! Party at his place!”

“I want the beer that costs $52/gal or I ain't listening. Thanks in advance.”

“Beer? Where?”

“Too funny. That got everyone's attention. I guess you were right, Buck!

Actually, my wife and I were thinking about doing a "campout in Tech's backyard" party. We've got the campfire ring already. Right in the middle of the woods. I just might post that as a "trip".”

“Speaking of Ursacks and beer, I wonder if you could an Ursack as a bear-proof beer bladder? There is nothing worse than trying to sleep in the backcountry with a drunk bear marauding nearby.”

“I guess you could use the Garcia canister as a mini-keg. It would cost about $52 to fill er up though.”

“What this world needs is freeze dried beer. you'd think somebody would be working on that.”

“They have! Powdered beer ... I read about it. The dudes that invented it were going to use it to flavor popcorn. Lemme dig up the URL ...”

“

http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/020520.Okos.beer.html

Ain't science grand ...”

“That's not the same thing! Jeez!”

“After the first one it wouldn't matter.”

“They call it "freeze dried beer" but there is no alcohol in it. Now I tell you that only a scientist would call "beer without alcohol" "beer".

Of course this would thrill the ultralight nuts. They can mix this with water and their stove fuel (they would have to start to carry Everclear rather than denatured, but the difference is in the price and toxicity). Shake it to get the bubbles …”

“I have two brand-new Ursacks never used if anyone wants them. One is the old style which Ive had for a few years, one is te new one they just sent me by mistake when I ordered the inserts. email me if you want them, first-come first served.”

“I am sure every one knows I hump Ursacks Leg. ;-) I have been a LOYAL Ursack user for over 4 years. Pretty much everyone in the PNWH Posse has one-from the orginal yellow ones to the blueish TKO's, to teh new ones being made of Vectra.
They are bear resisant-and very good at that. Many NP's do discourage the use, but are only banned in a few areas of the US.
Used properly, you have very little chance of losing food.
They are an excellent lightweight way to protect your food.
But common sense is needed:
Don't put your Ursack in a heavily used area-walk a few feet. I love to put ours in Avy clumps of trees. Keep the Ursack seperate from where you cook. Learn how to tie a figure 8 knot right. READ THE DIRECTIONS ;-)
I really hate the whine about "Your food will get crushed". Hmmm....I backpack a lot, and not ONCE have I had my bag sat on or crushed - and even if it did, big deal-I still would have my food! If you want to carry jugs of oil and liquids, sure, I'd suggest a canister. But if you carry dried, freezedried or flat foods such as bagels, it isn't going to matter! Learn how to bag your food-as a precaution I bag my daily meals in ziploc gallon bags, which then go inside the Ursack. If squashed ever, I have more protection.
One of my partners hiked for 30 days across the Olympics with a 5+ year old Ursack and never had an issue. He is still using that Ursack.

Simply this: Practice a clean camp, park your food away from the cooking area, camp in lower used spots and tie off your bag right. And sleep tight ;-)

And yeah, the company is selling online right now-Campmor in the past has sold Ursacks. REI, never.”

“You are telling me the inside of that sack won't be covered in a paste of peanut butter, pop tarts, ramen noodles, and dehydrated beef stroganoff you will have to eat for a week?

”

“It's all in how you pkg your food-and what you carry for food.
As for that, well, while I have had numerous visitors at night sniffing around, my bag (and everyone I know also who has one)-but not ONCE has my or their bags been pulled on or sat on...besides me sitting on my own backpack.

I can tell you that everyone who claims the "food will get crushed" line has NOT used an Ursack.

Ursacks are for those who want to keep human food from animals, sleep well at night, and still backpack light. And not waste time doing an awful job at bear bagging (and there is my big thing - many people don't know how to bear bag properly-and using your sleeping bag stuffsack as a food bag is not a good thing.)
You have choices in backpacking...you can protect your food, keep it from animals-and do it easly and light. Or you can learn to bear bag properly. Or carry 2-3 lb bear canisters.
One just has to make choices. USed properly as a tool, the Ursack works well. Especially in alpine/subalpine where bear bagging trees don't exist ;-)”

“fact remains though that more and more public land managers are starting to require the canisters to be used though.

But it'll be a long time before that becomes more common than not. And, I've never used one, but I've seen them used and yeah, if you do it right, you shouldn't have a problem.

The packaging INSIDE the bag is the key. Common sense will answer most questions about that.”

“More places had bear poles like Mt. Rainier NP does..very simple, easy to install. They take them down in late fall-but any hiker can put them back up.

I do understand why more places are requiring canisters-and I do agree many times-simply put, to protect the animals from the idiots who don't have a clue, they require everyone to do it. And it does work. Ironically, The Olympics only require canisters on the coastal strip...but pressure everyone to take a canister on all trips-but if you refuse to rent one, last ditch they will suddenly cough up an Ursack so you will use something..lol!”

“I was in the porcupine mtn wilderness in the UP of Mich a week ago. They had all their camp sites marked on a map with a "hook" to indicate where the bear poles were. That's a good way to remind people they are in bear country and that they need to take precautions. I am betting in the scope of park operations they aren't that expensive to have and maintain but I am betting they are well worth it even if it is just to reinforce what it means to camp in places like this.”

“I heard back from Ursack today. Here is what they said:

Thanks for emailing us.

We aren't selling any currently, but this appears to be a used Ursack--last
years model or earlier (can't tell from the picture).

tom”