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

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.

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.

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.

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