Ursack with Liner vs. Bare Boxer vs….????

[Matt Bowler]

I know that the Ursack has been discussed here before. Seems there are different opinions on it, but consensus seems that if it does work and the bear can’t get your food, your food will likely be crushed and relatively useless.

I know that Ursack has the aluminum liner option. Of course that adds some weight, but it appears that it would help a lot with the issue of your food getting ruined if a bear got a hold of it. I still would have some concerns about the food in the bottom of the bag though, given that the bear could get a hold of the bottom of the bag where it appears to be unprotected by the aluminum liner. What are your thoughts on this?

Has anyone used the aluminum liner and actually had their bag “attacked” by a bear? How did it fare and was your food intact?

I am debating over the Ursack setup or the Bare Boxer for short trips. There is only about a 6 ounce difference between the Ursack with liner vs. the Bare Boxer. Not sure if a 6 ounce savings is worth the possibility of food getting ruined.

FWIW volume is not an issue for me, nor are there laws requiring bear can use where I frequent. Also, most of my trips are to places where there are bears, but they are not super active. And a lot of my trips are in the colder months where bears are likely less active. So I may never have a bear try to get my food, but if I do then I don’t want it to ruin my trip.

Of course hanging food is an option, but this always has been a PIA for me.

Thanks for your help

Matt

[Todd T]

Of course hanging food is an option, but this always has been a PIA for me.

FWIW, I find hanging to be usually less painful than tying an Ursack to a tree.  It’s about as hard to find a tree with the right sized trunk or a fork or low limb of sufficient girth as it is to find a hangable high limb, and tying the thing on is not as easy as it might seem.  The cinch cord isn’t long enough for large trunks, and it’s a pain to tie a good knot if the limb or spot on the trunk is difficult to get to or a little high.  If the cord was maybe two feet longer (one foot on each end) it would be a lot easier.

The mouth of the Ursack needs to be closed and knotted VERY tightly, even if a bear’s not tugging on it, or the mice will find their way in.  Both the sack and the cord are stiff enough to make that exercise, well, a bit of exercise.

Disclaimer:  To date I haven’t used the Ursack very much.

[Lester Moore]

Canister, Ursack or hang – each method has its pros, cons and inconveniences. I use all three methods through the year, depending on where I hike. Do you always hike where there are trees? If not, then a canister makes a lot of sense. The Bear Boxer Contender 101 is a small and light canister ideal for 3 night trips or less.

What is your base weight? For short trips with moderate base weights, 6 ounces is a fairly small price to pay for convenience, speed and ease of use. If you’re pushing the lower end of UL, then 6 ounces is a lot of weight, so accepting the tradeoffs of the Ursack (or hanging) may be worth it.

[BlackHatGuy]

Unless a canister is required, I’ve gone to using the Ursack on every trip. I found hanging a hassle, like the OP. Additionally it can be difficult to find an appropriate branch/tree on which to do a proper hang. I don’t use the insert (don’t even own it).

I do think that regardless of hanging/Ursacking/canistering (I think I made up some words there) the best defense against bears going after/ruining your food is good campsite and food storage practices. For food storage, I use a double nylofume bag in my Ursack, which I’ve decided to believe does more to prevent a bear going after my food than most anything else.

[Matt Bowler]

I have used the Ursack a lot too, but have never had a bear mess with it. I think the Ursack is 100% effective whenever a bear does not mess with it. But what about when a bear DOES mess with it?

Maybe I just have been lucky.

I have heard mixed reviews of the supposedly odor proof bags.

If they do actually work then maybe the UrSack with the plastic bags is the answer.

I don’t find the Ursack hard to tie at all. I do find it hard to find the right limb for a bear bag, and throwing the line over the branch is always a PIA for me.

Matt

[Author]

Posts