Trash compactor bags – scented

[Guy Trek]

Hi all. I have decided to try the trash compactor bag liner approach, as documented in many threads here over the years.

My question: all bags that I've found are scented (which makes sense given their intended purpose), so do you use these in bear country?

I prefer to keep my pack in my shelter at night, and leave my bear canister far away. Is the scent of these trash compactor bags in my tent anything to be concerned with?

Thanks.

[Jake D]

weird.. my normal Glad 18gal compactor bags are unscented.

i dunno if the smell in your pack would attract things.

[Ken Thompson]

Keep looking. I picked mine up at the hardware store as the Safeway only had scented.

[Matthew Black]

Mine are from Smart and Final. Unscented, 2.2 ounces. Can't remember volume but bigger than my 50 liter pack.

[Mary D]

The supermarkets in my area have only their house brands, and all are scented. In light of the warnings that all scents should be kept away from bears, it doesn't sound like a good idea to use those. I have no idea if the scent would actually attract a bear, but it certainly repels me!

I gave up on trash compactor bags because every time I'd shove small items down to fill a hole in my pack, they would pop right back out thanks to the slippery plastic. I now use two dry bags, one for my sleeping bag and another for my insulating clothing. They actually weigh a little less than a trash compactor bag. The change speeded up my morning packing by several minutes, in addition to not raising my blood pressure.

YMMV, of course!

[MFR]

I picked up a set of bags–the Kroger brand–only to find that they were scented when I opened the box. I will not take them out with me. Of course, I hike in griz country, and I have a healthy fear of those magnificent beasts. Black bears wouldn't worry me. I searched around until I found the Glad brand ones at a local supermarket. They are a few tenths of an ounce heavier than the others, but they do the trick. I had a very wet Memorial Day overnight, but everything in the pack stayed dry.

[Donna C]

I have the scented bags and if you leave them outside for awhile, the scent goes away. I've used the same bag 3 or 4 times with no odor..other than my own!

[John Donewar]

Ace hardware has the unscented trash compactor bags.

Walmart bags are the same shape and size but have that perfumed scent in them.

I have used both and prefer the ones from Ace only because they are unscented.

I agree with what Donna said but with one caveat.

A bear's sense of smell is much keener than ours. When the scent is "gone" according to our sense of smell it may be a dinner bell for Yogi to come and ransack your "Picinic Basket". ;-)

Party On,

Newton

[Mary D]

I agree with John–just because you can no longer smell it doesn't mean the bear can't! And unlike food items (especially meat or dog food) it can't be tested with a dog!

[Walter Carrington]

I tried trash compactor bags from the grocery store and they were a very powerful asthma trigger for me, i.e., instant asthma attack. I couldn't even keep them in the house.
These scents are common asthma triggers.
I don't know if they would attract animals or repel them, but it takes a loooong time for the scent to drop below what a human can smell.

[Larry M]

I found white, unscented Hefty trash compactor bags at USA Drug.

[Bill Segraves]

I had the same problem. The Brute bags I got first absolutely reeked. I hated the smell, but if a bear liked it, it'd have no trouble tracking it down from half way across the state. Finally found some nice unscented bags at Big Y (a southern New England chain), their house brand.

Assuming you're not in southern NE, maybe someone who lives in your area can point you to a source.

Good luck!

Bill S.

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