RumiDude
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Marmota olympus
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Post by RumiDude on Feb 6, 2019 14:09:45 GMT -8
I guess I could have put this in the food section but decided to put it here instead. If the mods move it, that's fine with me.
Anyway, there is always a discussion about food storage in the backcountry. I have used an Ursack for 15 years or so, though I do use a Bearvault when/where required. I have both the BV500 and BV450. But when not required I always use my Ursack in conjunction with odor-proof Opsaks. I have actually never had my Ursack tested by a bear. I usually attach it to a tree a bit of distance from camp, depending on the area.
Many have objected to Ursacks saying that they don't provide enough protection from the food becoming squashed and such. Here is a video of a guy using an Ursack that sheds light on this scenario. Hope you enjoy it.
Rumi~the bearanoid~Dude
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RumiDude
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Marmota olympus
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Post by RumiDude on Feb 6, 2019 14:15:46 GMT -8
Here's another video, but doesn't show the aftermath, just the bear trying to get at it. In the video description they say the bear tried to get it from 2am till 8:30am.
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Post by johntpenca on Feb 6, 2019 14:37:18 GMT -8
As long as the bear doesn't get your food, it's good. Crumbs are better than no food.
I think I've posted this before. A friend and I were camped about a mile north of Donahue pass in Yos intending to climb Lyle. I brought a frozen dinner of sweet and sour chicken. We ate it and then hung the rest of our food in a perfect hang (before cans were required).
Woke up and the food bags were on the ground, totally demolished and empty. Instead of climbing Lyle we did the walk of shame down to Tuolumne Meadows. On the way down we met several other parties that were raided.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2019 14:38:03 GMT -8
I always would hang my stuff. Got pretty good at it, but I live near Shenadnoah NP and they STRONGLY urge hikers to use a bear cannister. Just bought my first one - a Bare Boxer that should be fine for my solo ventures. Will be testing it out this spring. After I wrap it in reflective tape because knowing me, I'll lose it.
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reuben
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Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on Feb 6, 2019 16:03:25 GMT -8
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Post by johntpenca on Feb 6, 2019 16:19:07 GMT -8
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reuben
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Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on Feb 6, 2019 16:20:39 GMT -8
Well, there ya go. That pot don't look like no Ursack.
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Post by johntpenca on Feb 6, 2019 16:49:24 GMT -8
But didn't realize he was not coming for dinner. He was dinner.
Not really. I shooed him away.
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texasbb
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Hates chicken
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Post by texasbb on Feb 6, 2019 17:05:51 GMT -8
Those guys can be aggressive. I once had to keep walking around as I ate breakfast to keep one off me.
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markskor
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Mammoth Lakes & Tuolumne Meadows...living the dream
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Post by markskor on Feb 6, 2019 18:35:18 GMT -8
As long as the bear doesn't get your food, it's good. Crumbs are better than no food. Sort of a different take on Ursacks...don't like them much in the Sierra. They are required here (some places maybe not so, but in more and more wilderness areas they are strictly required) for the protection of the bear, not for the hiker's convenience. "A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear." Too many times have seen Ursacks users - bags clawed/ mangled but like stated above, "The bear was not successful in actually opening them up...just crumbs". Unfortunately, now the bear, even though unsuccessful, managed maybe a slobber taste...at a minimum, got a good feel and smell of what's inside. Being a soft-sided challenge, the bear obviously deemed it worthy of further exploration. The fact that the bear above spent considerable time working on the bag indicates to the bear that there is a greater promise of food here....probably to return again for another round later too. You come through once - many will follow after you. I live here. Bears are pretty smart. A returning bear increasingly loses fear of human interaction...more incidents...eventually having to be put down. Where as our Yosemite bear has long ago learned a hard sided canister (99.9% anyway) is impossible to breach if used/closed correctly...and subsequently, after spotting a bear can, will just walk on by. "A bear can is too heavy...I know how to hang...Ursack is lighter...Never had a problem...Works just as well...Just passing through...bla bla bla." Respectfully, this is a selfish attitude. If you are backpacking and using an Ursack in a required hard-sided, bear can area, this increasingly invites future bear-hiker interactions. Hang it, sleep with your food, Ursack it...who cares - do whatever in areas where this type of food storage is allowed, but in restricted areas, use a bear can.
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Post by johntpenca on Feb 6, 2019 18:45:46 GMT -8
Darnit markskor, there ya go getting back on topic. I like my bearikade.
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markskor
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Mammoth Lakes & Tuolumne Meadows...living the dream
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Post by markskor on Feb 6, 2019 18:58:16 GMT -8
Me too...my well-used Weekender -
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Feb 6, 2019 19:25:52 GMT -8
Hang it, sleep with your food, Ursack it...who cares - do whatever in areas where this type of food storage is allowed, but in restricted areas, use a bear can. I thought I made that clear in my original post. My understanding was that a hard sided container was required in most of the Sierra Nevada. I have no issue using a bear canister where required. There are places in ONP where they are required and I use them there. One of the places in ONP they are required is along the coast, where bears are not the issue. Instead raccoons are the issue there. I think it is important to keep all the critters from becoming conditioned to human food, not just the bears. That includes the mice and smaller critters as well. The reason I posted this video is to show that the bear not only did not get a food reward, but the food inside remained OK. It is one of the most common things I hear/read from others in their objection to Ursacks. Anyway keeping the bear from getting a food reward is important because that is the issue. Bears STILL test bear canisters. Maybe some ignore them but some don't. Rumi
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Post by autumnmist on Feb 6, 2019 20:03:36 GMT -8
Sorry to take this off topic, but it reminds me of an attorney for whom I once worked. He was always on a diet, tried to go w/o lunch, couldn't and would hungry. Then he'd steal the staff's lunches when the lunchroom was empty. We didn't have any "attorney proof" boxes or canisters, and many of us missed our lunches when he was on the prowl.
At least there are canisters to keep bears out; we never did figure out how to keep an attorney out of our food.
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Post by johntpenca on Feb 6, 2019 20:22:40 GMT -8
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