Anti-Critter Steel Mesh Food Bags

I use an Outsak almost exclusively, Eric. I line it with one of Lawson's draw string bags in benign country, and maybe with an OPsack in heavy bear areas. The only times I've had my simple stuff sack food hang breached (prior to using the mesh bags) was by small ravens or big squirrels. The Outsaks prevent that, although the huge ravens in the Grand Canyon country have been known to rip them open. I purposely baited a big racoon to see what it would do with an Outsak. The critter had its way with it, mangled it, and slobbered all over it, but it couldn't get to the can of cat food inside. But you are correct–you must secure the bag to a tree with strong cord. I prefer to just hang mine.

Ratsacks and Outsacks are standard operating procedure in the Grand Canyon these days. We had a couple ratsacks that were ravenized last year, but they were left as part of a food and water cache for 6 days, unattended. It appears to have been a 24/6 effort with multiple shifts for the ravens to peck holes and open them up enough to allow the rodentia to access and carry off food through the holes. Regardless, I still think very highly of them and carry the extra weight whenever I go in the Canyon backcountry. There just aren't enough good food hanging places in the backcountry, and the ease of throwing all your food in a bag and leaving it on the ground is very underrated. I own six and loan them out to friends and family when they join me on trips. Great products. If you are headed where there are much better hanging options, then I can see leaving them behind.

OUTSACK!!

Just got the nonUL Small. Its huge!! East to use- we just hung it on a tree and its like a big cabinet that locks.

Don't know if mine's been tested. Possibly but I guess we'll never know… Raccoons around and mice in the campsite but nobody's food got taken.

Are Ratsack and Outsack the only brands of these steel mesh food bags?

Packer Land Glass also makes a variation called the Foodsack

Also, here’s the GrubPack.

They are pretty much all the same. Armored Outdoor Gear in Flagstaff, AZ got it all started with their Ratsack – and GCNP was actively pointing business their way for a few years, but AOG failed miserably in their customer service abilities (failure to respond to inquiries, accepting payments and not shipping product, etc.) and opened the door wide open for other startups to get a foothold. By the time they figured it out, competitors were all over the place.

I always thought that MousePouch would be a good name for one of these…

Anyone have any real experience on how the Ursack Minor compares to these products?

I wonder which food sack brand has the toughest/thickest (i.e. most critter resistant) steel mesh.

They have a new version of the Ursack Minor (2012) this year. According to user reports previous versions were breached by rodents.

In the Ursack FAQ they are unclear about which sack they are talking about, and how critter resistant it is.

"We now make a rodent resistant bag, the Ursack Minor. It is not effective against bears although we think it is more effective against rodents than the AllWhite. Other rodents have varying degrees of success. Sometimes mice can chew very small holes, but very little of your food is likely to be taken. Some species of squirrels and (we have heard) pine martens have greater success, and may on rare occasion chew holes in bear resistant Ursacks."

So time (and user reports) will tell.