Ursack minor?

I question the opening of the product. If it just closes by the cord, my guess is it would leave a small opening if it isn't cinched tight enough. I have had trouble cinching the bear ursack completely closed. But it may not be a problem, depending on flexibilty of the material. Other sacks made for critter-proofing have tight velcro closures.

"I have had trouble cinching the bear ursack completely closed."

Hi Donna,

Try tying the Ursack to a tree(using a figure 8 or square knot), with only a single overhand knot at the aperture, and then hauling back on the sack until the aperture is completely closed. Then adjust the overhand knot(take up the slack), complete the double overhand knot and tie the Ursack to a tree, log, etc for real with a rewoven figure 8 knot.

Using all your body weight makes it easier to get the aperture completely closed.

Donna,
One thing about the Ursack is that over time it becomes easier to close – the fabric softens a bit. Less stiff let us say.
And yes, if one does the Figure 8 knot it will be properly done – if an animal grabs it and pulls, the knot goes tighter.

Thanks! I just have the hardest time closing it. That fabric really is a bear (heehee) to work with.

I have also found that in cold temps if I wear my liner gloves while doing it I get a better grip on the cords. Those cords can be tough on the hands!

Thanks for pointing this out, Ryan — I just ordered one. At 2.7 oz, it's a lot lighter than any of the rodent-proof alternatives I'm aware of (Ratsak, Outsak, Grubpack). I figure it doesn't have to be 100% bullet proof even against rodents, if it (a) gives me more time to hear them working at it and shoo them away, or (b) makes them go for someone *elses* foodbag rather than mine …

I had dropped my ~8 oz Ursack from my AT packing list in favor of a 1 oz food bag; I think the Ursack Minor will hit a nice sweet spot in between.

Dang it, Brian! You're supposed to talk me OUT of buying one of these!

The 2.7 oz thing has me thinking, too. My bearbagging line and stuff sack for food add up to about 2.1-2.3 oz anyway. From the discussion on Whiteblaze that got me started thinking about food storage, it sounds like most people just leave their food bags in their tents with them when not in Bear Canister Land. I've done something like this before, but in established campsites, and had mice get at my food bags (in my younger and stupider days).

Well, I'll see how much money I have laying around before I head out west for the PCT this summer. But you're right about it being a pretty low weight alternative.

My Ursack Minor came in the mail today. Immediate impression was "wow, this *is* light" and of course the related "so can it really keep critters out?"

I don't know, of course, about the latter as I'm not going to subject it to any high abusive tests. But the 2.7 oz listed weight is accurate; on my scale it comes out at 76 grams, or indeed 2.7 oz.

The yellow color is something that will make it easy to see/find, though I expect I'll normally keep it inside some sort of cheap plastic bag to keep it dry.

Even though it's rated at the same capacity as the bear-proof Ursack's, it seems larger — same height, but laying both bags flat, the Ursack Minor spreads out wider. So I don't have any real capacity concerns.

The fabric is, as you would expect, more flexible, doesn't have the stiffness of a regular Ursack.

A regular Ursack has cord coming out of two grommets; there are no grommets on the Ursack Minor and the cord comes out at just one point. The stiched-to-the-inside-top instruction tag describes a different knot to tie too.

Overall seems quite nice; the proof, of course, will be when some of us have various critters try to get inside — and the associated stories of how they either succeed or fail.

Mine too :) Okay, someone else helped talk me into buying it, but it just arrived today and I was also pretty surprised… the fabric feels very similar to the old style stuff sacks (before everything was cordura and silnylon), and larger than my previous food bag, so I already like it. I'm very tempted to start chewing on it to see how long it will hold up, but I think that's a test I'll let the mice conduct at some point.

I dunno,

Spectra, from which the Ursack Minor is made, CAN be cut (with shears) and rodent teeth are extremely sharp (and usually cut with a shearing motion of tooth against tooth).

For another 2 oz. and easier, more complete closing I'll bet my food on a woven metal Outsak.

I was just looking at the Ursack Minor today (5 years after this initial post) and the website claims that it is now 5.28 ounces. Apparently the weight has risen since 2010 when this post first appeared. Does anyone on this thread have a theory about why this might be? I would prefer the lighter version myself.

http://www.ursack.com/product/ursack-minor/

If the last post is accurate, it sounds like they didn't use stainless steel in the past.
It also has a slide lock closure where it was tied in the past. The top tag has a cartoon on it with washing instructions only. I still use a half hitch to securr thr slide.
I can get it pretty tightly closed by pulling each cord end individually. I can squeeze the end of my small finger into the closure. If I leave the liner bag hanging out, it is tightly closed.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=99127

*The medium size bags fit the Ursack.