Best Food Storage Bag

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/bear_bag.shtml

Whatever you use for a bear hang, make sure that it is a dark color. It makes it harder for Mister Bear to find it at night.

–B.G.–

Been using one of these for a few years: Granite Gear Air Zippsack

It’s not the lightest at 1.7 oz, but the zipper means you never have to rummage through your food sack looking for something ever again. And it’s cut in a rectangular instead of cylindrical pattern which packs better in your backpack.

"Been using one of these for a few years: Granite Gear Air Zippsack"

Do you use any form of odor proof liner?

When my food volume exceeds my bear can (where necessary)I typically use my cuben roll top sleeping bag stuff bag. If I'm outside bear can restrictions I use an Ursack. Sometimes, just to make the silly rangers giddy I'll counter balance hang it as well.
Rangers love counter balanced food hangs!

"http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/bear_bag.shtml"

I hope you are right, as I just ordered one of these.

I debated over the color. They are available in olive drab or blue. The blue looks like a Kmart tarp, but what if the olive blended in toooo well?

Not in my pack, but at night I double bag it with an OPsack and nylofume bag from LiteTrail.

URSACK S29 w/ opsak bag

Stephen, I'm super happy with my olive drab Zpacks food bag. hangs really well (even comes with a mini carabiner!), smooshes down really well as it empties…great handle when you cinch it closed…

Excellent purchase.

And I don't bother with the "odor proof" bags unless I'm bringing hot n' spicy cheese-its, and that's only to keep the smell away from ME…it does nothing for the critters. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/odor_proof_bags_study.html#.U-In-FZhUTM

For bags to keep food mess/smell away from my other gear, I've started using http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MABF5E – $19 for 100, large enough for a few days food, strong enough and at 19 cents a pop I can consider them disposable.

But I don't depend on them for bearproofing. Fortunately the state of Indiana is pretty well bearproof all by itself.

Color makes no difference to an animal that has an extremely sensative sense of smell, bears , mice or whatever. I've been using my zpacks food bag for two years, everywhere including currently on the PCT. I like it cause it's tough and lightweight and as Jen mentioned it smooches down as the load gets smaller. I also have an ursack but it's heavy and they take a long time to soften with use. On many trails where the wildlife is subjected to regular visits from people, the mice seem to be more of a problem than bears, so I hang my food 99 % of the time. Also if you leave your pack outside a tent in a vestibule or are tarping, leave all pockets and backpack bags open, that way mice can go in and out (and they will) or they will chew holes looking for food. Sometimes I also hang my pack up high at night if I'm not using it under my legs. As it goes, everything you have smells of food or sweat so it's a crap shoot each night.
One night on the PCT I had just gotten to a stream in deep forest after being in desert forever it seemed. Ate dinner and hung my food bag, set my empty pack outside my tent door and went to sleep, only to be woken up hours later by mice skittering in and out of the pack which is dyneema. I sleepily opened the door and hauled the pack inside, rolled it up and used it for a pillow and went back to sleep, only to be woken later by mice using my tent as a trampoline! Little buggers!
Might have to think about a hammock ……

"Color makes no difference to an animal that has an extremely sensative sense of smell, bears , mice or whatever."

Explain that to the animals.

Animals don't care much whether it is red or orange or yellow. However, if it is some dark color like black, navy blue, or green, they can't see it so easily.

A typical Yosemite black bear operates first on memory. They know where the backpackers normally camp. Once it gets there, it operates on smell. However, smelly food can spread its aroma over quite an area. They like to be able to spot the food bag against the night sky before they start their tree-climbing.

You can put out decoys to slow them down.

–B.G.–

I've always used a brightly-colroed sack so that I would be able to find it easily. If you're owrried about it being easy for a bear to see in the dark (really?) then just use red or another non-natural color that isn't very visible in the dark.

I agree with Bob. It's just smart to use a dark colored bag and hang rope. I've always used black.

Who knows for sure it if helps or not. But why not give yourself every possible advantage over the bear?

Billy

"Not in my pack, but at night I double bag it with an OPsack and nylofume bag from LiteTrail."

Me, too. I also use a nylofume bag inside my food bag. I guess I'm really paranoid about Yogi and the boys. They can really ruin your day if they get any inkling there's food around.

I think if we could comprehend how well a bear smells, or even a dog, we would realize the color of the food bag will not make a difference.

Best food bag – I like just a plain old cuben one with a roll top.

Ryan