BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on May 1, 2020 15:39:27 GMT -8
It's been a few years since I did a gear upgrade, but it was time to address food storage for grizzly country. I had already pulled the trigger on a Bearikade when I found to great surprise that it wasn't approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Scanning the "approved" list, I found the Ursack Major, so I got a pair with the aluminum liners.
It's interesting to compare them with my first Ursack from 2002 (left). The Spectra in that one looks like ripstop, made with fine fibers packed really tight. The Kevlar drawstring is conventional in that it goes once around and there are two grommets. The fabric in the new one (right) is thicker, more flexible, and not as tightly woven. The drawstring is heavier and passes through two sets of grommets, crossing over the opening. The thicker fabric bunches up near the opening, so it's harder to close it up as tight. The way it crosses over the opening also plays into that.
The new one doesn't show up well in photos because it's such a deep black color. That reminds me, another change is that the drawstring is reflective and there's also a reflective tag.
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crawford
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Post by crawford on May 1, 2020 17:02:25 GMT -8
Thanks! I've been thinking of an Ursack for some future hikes in upstate NY where I've heard recommendations on bear canisters or Ursaks have become more common. Can I ask the weight and how much you feel you can actually fit in it? Would it handle 5 days per say?
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zeke
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Post by zeke on May 1, 2020 17:07:23 GMT -8
it weighs 8 ounces, and is the equivalent of just over 10L. My BV500 is 11L and I can comfortably squeeze 7 days into it, but only the food. TP etc... would still need to be hung. Ursack claims 5 days.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on May 1, 2020 17:16:39 GMT -8
Those numbers are about right. The volume hasn't changed in all that time, and five days is just about right. I can get six or more if I'm careful, but it's not worth it. I've generally been able to get my smellables in after the first day, but it's easier just to bring two for more than five days.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on May 1, 2020 17:56:51 GMT -8
Mine was purchased in January of 2017. It's white, but otherwise sounds much like BigLoad's 2020 version. Mine weighs 7 oz and I've used it on one 6-day/5-night trip without problem. And that was without repackaging the dehydrated meals.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on May 1, 2020 20:34:27 GMT -8
Mine are from 2015, and are white, but otherwise match the description of the 2020. I think I prefer white—sometimes we leave our food hanging during the day while hiking, and black would really heat things up. I do carry cheese and chocolate, so that’s not optimal
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on May 2, 2020 14:38:42 GMT -8
I bought the original yellow Ursack and still use it, tying it up at the base of a tree not far from camp. I mostly backpack in the southeast, which is habit for black bears and numerous smaller mammals. Maybe I'm just lucky, but as far as I know it's never been accosted by a bear. Smaller critters must have had a go at it from time to time, but the bag and my food have always come through unscathed.
Like I said, probably just lucky.
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on May 4, 2020 6:07:09 GMT -8
Following. I have a 2005 Ursack that is still in use for non-grizzly short trips. It is also handy to with a canister for rank garbage that I may not want carry in the canister all day. Last long Griz trip, with high bear activity, my day food and snacks went into the Ursack and the rest into the canister. I had already pulled the trigger on a Bearikade when I found to great surprise that it wasn't approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. The IAGBC has approved about half of the Bearikade models and never will the custom, cut to length ones. That is the only difference between the models. It is the same carbon fiber tube with the same endcap . My area National Forests, Bridger-Teton, Custer-Beartooth and Shoshone, are okay with them, but some of the National Parks are not. I sadly bought a used BV 500 from Zeke a few years back for extended trips. And had to size my new backpacks to fit it inside. My Bearikade Expedition will fit 6-8 days food and is slimmer than the BV 500.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on May 4, 2020 6:19:31 GMT -8
The IAGBC has approved about half of the Bearikade models and never will the custom, cut to length ones. Yeah, that's what threw me. I was aware that they had approved some Bearikade models in the past, and was surprised to find none of them on the current approved list issued this February. Wild Ideas described the situation in very brief outline in an email and I would still be confident in their performance. I just didn't want to run afoul of a grumpy ranger.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on May 4, 2020 7:13:42 GMT -8
I've never (knowingly) hiked in grizzly country, and only a few times in bear country where canisters (et al) are required. I've been renting from Bearikade for those trips. In desperate need to tinker with a gear list in some way, I started looking into this for a (fingers crossed) Yellowstone trip. On the Yellowstone park website, it says, "Containers that are not listed on IGBC’s Certified Bear Resistant Product list are not allowed for food storage in Yellowstone." I assume this to only apply to non-hung storage?
So, with the Ursacks, do you still hang them, or leave them lower/on the ground secured somehow?
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on May 4, 2020 7:16:58 GMT -8
So, with the Ursacks, do you still hang them, or leave them lower/on the ground secured somehow? The drawstrings are long enough to tie to a good-sized tree limb and strong enough for that to be secure.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on May 4, 2020 7:22:00 GMT -8
So, with the Ursacks, do you still hang them, or leave them lower/on the ground secured somehow? I find hanging quite a bit easier than tying to a tree or limb in most cases, so I hang if there's a good tree for it. Of course, the higher you get, the fewer hangable trees there are, so that's where the Ursack shines.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on May 4, 2020 11:16:30 GMT -8
On the Yellowstone park website, it says, "Containers that are not listed on IGBC’s Certified Bear Resistant Product list are not allowed for food storage in Yellowstone." I assume this to only apply to non-hung storage? No one replied to this obvious query, so I'm bumping it. I suspect that High Sierra Fan would be a good source. My inclination is that, where there are only approved containers, hanging isn't an option, but I wouldn't really know.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on May 4, 2020 11:21:44 GMT -8
My inclination is that, where there are only approved containers, hanging isn't an option, but I wouldn't really know. Yellowstone allows hanging as well as approved bear-resistant containers. link
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reuben
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Post by reuben on May 4, 2020 12:00:48 GMT -8
I don't know what year mine are (more than one year), but I'll mention this thread. Only black bears in my area. Ursack 26, Bears 0
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