Checkout our selection of food items. If a cleaver bear does manage to reach the bag, the Ursack is specifically designed to prevent them from being ripped open. I like to use it in conjunction with an odor-proof bear bag. With a 750 cubic inch storage volume, The Blazer Bearikade is a comparable model to the BV500 but it weighs 2.1lb making it a solid alternative to the heavier BearVault. Thanks for subscribing! However, the $80 BV500 looks downright cheap when compared to the more than $300 Blazer. However, ambitious rodents can find their way to a hung dry bag and easily chew through it. In mid-July I was joining a buddy of mine for a few days during his through hike of the Colorado Trail. This was very useful. A committee with a fancy acronym like IGBC sounds legit, no? > Capacity These bags can come in various capacities, but they can all hold a lot of items easily. To deter this behavior, many National Parks require you to carry a bear canister when backpacking. They ironically did this to keep animals from eating it. Mice, packrats, and ravens diabolical winged geniuses will be after your Snickers bars. The Bearikade is the lightest bear canister on the market making it the best backpacking food storage system for those who spare no expense. The Ursack Major is advertised as bear resistant, but in my eyes its essentially just a heavy critter bag (and a less efficient one than the Minor). Like the Ursack, Ratsacks are designed to be hung from tree limbs so that rodents cant get to them. This food may not be suitable for the bear and the bear could begin to cause danger to humans. If they made a product that bridged this gap in volume, Id be far more interested in their product. Their Ultralight bag (4 ounces), only has a volume of 7 liters. The first think Ill note is the evolution of the bags enclosure. If not, then you have a choice to make for food storage. While Ratsacks woven stainless steel is presumably more effective than Ursacks Kevlar, the Ratsack seems to be more bulky, and abrasive to your neighboring gear. Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC). The intent here isnt necessarily to keep it out reach (though that helps), but to eliminate a sturdy position from which a critter can go to work. The Best Bear Bags are a great way to protect your belongings while backpacking and camping. For example, The Narrows in Zion or when kayaking. Bearikade models are lighter than the classic BearVault, theyre much more expensive. A very useful guide for all who love backpacking and camping. The velcro does provide more protection, but it seems to decrease the volume of the original bag. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. As you purchase new gear, youre bound to acquire a handful of stuff sacks that go unused. View All Outerwear, Clothing, and Accessories, Harmony House Heavy-Duty Clear Zip Pouches. Overall, this has been my go-to bear bag for thru-hiking and bike touring for years. Hanging a bag in a tree is a good preventive measure when in bear country. For us, the most universal piece of gear is the BearVault but it is heavy. While they are not bear resistant they can keep your food supply safe when you use a bear hang method to hang a bear bag from a tree. Also, you need to consider their durability. Recreating outdoors can be dangerous. View all food bags , A Hilltop Packs Food Bag is a lightweight accessory for organizing and storing a variety of items inside a backpack, around camp and while visiting trail towns. If its relatively close to your tent, you may even be able to hear in the middle of the night when something is trying to get in to it. While dry sacks are a cheap alternative and we have successfully used them for food storage, they are not the best backpacking food storage available. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. food bags, It should be 15+ feet above the ground and 10 feet away from the tree. I can actually squeeze this heavy canister in the sleeping bag compartment of my Osprey backpack which is awesome because it keeps this very heavy canister low in my pack. The AllMitey gains critter resistance, whereas the Major is limited to bear resistance. This product will remove odors, which means you wont be attracting bears or creatures to your campsite. Ill outline some options below, but well mostly be reviewing the Ursack Minor Critter Bag. It is made with double-stitched and reinforced seams so that you can rely upon this bag to keep your belongings and food safe. If youre desperate for more space, some creativity goes a long way. A lighter weight option for backpacking when you're more concerned about critters getting into your food than bears. As is standard for most Ursack models, the Minor is has a volume of 10.5 liters big enough to hold 5 days of food for the average recommended hiker. The "tied" and true, Bear discouragement, food containment system, the Ursack Spectra 29 AllWhite, may very well be your best available option for food containment, food protection, and food safety, as well as, ease of use, Full review. Apparently Full review, I am not reviewing the product, I am reviewing the company's return policy and customer service. For my 3.5-day backpacking trip, I used these aLOKSAKs for carrying the items Full review, Heavier duty plastic storage bag designed to block odors. Full review, Tough, reusable food and condiment storage bags with a reliable seal. They are lighter than most bear canisters and you dont need to bother hanging them. The AllMitey ($139.95) generally costs about $50 more than the Major ($89.95). Our A-F rating is to help newcomers to backpacking know where to best spend their budget. You essentially have 3 options for how to carry your food: Your ultimate choice will vary, depending on your destination and preferred backpacking style. Check out our best backpacking gear post to see how we rank and rate all backpacking gear in one place. So if you want this option, you need to make sure that the bag you are purchasing can do this, as not all bear bags can. It appears to be a tough, quality food bag, but I do question Ursacks ability to truly repel bears. I also like to use one with my camera holster to clip it to my chest strap and keep it from bouncing around. But this is no longer allowed in many wilderness areas and isnt a viable solution where trees are small. All you have to do is hang the bear bag from a tree, and your personal items and food are safe from those bears. Pros:> Waterproof This bag will keep your contents safe and dry. Overall, these make a addition to your bear safety routine. You can purchase these bear bags in various sizes so that you will be able to find a bag that suits your needs. You dont have to hang your bear bag from a tree, yet some people feel safer. The Primus New Primetech CampFire Utility Sack is a great addition to any outdoorsperson's kit! In warmer weather, the BearVault is easy to use but on colder trips the plastic becomes very rigid, making the push-lock difficult to open. The Zpacks Big Food Bag is made from durable Dyneema Composite fabric, which is known to be one of the lightest materials being used in the backpacking and camping industry at the moment. Throughout this post, you will see available Amazon links. We all know the industry standard, zippable polyethylene bags that come in various weights, sizes, and zipper types. We also give the gear a rating. I was hoping LokSaks would solve my food organization needs with a reusable eco-friendly bag as well as work as a scent barrier while traveling areas with a decent bear population. This dry sack will keep your items safe from bears and the buckle that is used to seal the bag is easy to replace if something does happen. Additionally the velcro tends to close up all on its own, so its frankly annoying to have to (loudly) undo the rough, thick seal every time I reach in to the bag. Just string it up with some paracord to the most sturdy, convenient branch that you can reach. Its important to choose the right bag for your needs. Bears are most likely to raid your food when youre camping in a National or State Park. Make sure you know if an area allows a tree hang, has bear boxes provided at designated campsites (Canada mostly), or requires a bear canister before you set out on your adventure. If you want to use this type of bag to protect your belongings, then you need to make sure that it is waterproof. These bags are waterproof but best used inside a dry bag or bear proof bag. Ill let you be the judge of that. Cons:> The Zip Lock seal can break easily so the bag doesnt last that long. You can properly hang your food in a tree each night. This means If you make a purchase after clicking on these links, a portion of the sale helps support BikeHikeSafari to present top quality information about the outdoors. However, having a utility cord also helps to tie gear off to your pack for drying out after rainstorms. This adds an extra layer of protection from teeth, claws, and moisture. Need provisions for your upcoming trip? About 30 40 of rope is all that is needed. Finally, it should be noted that the Ursack Major is not as rodent-resistant as the Ursack Minor. Full review, This bag will save the rodent population from me. If you plan on storing food in your bag, then this type of bag is ideal. Best of Content Hubs:> Hiking And Backpacking Gear Reviews> Thru Hiking Trails> Best Hiking Trails> Bicycle Touring & BikePacking, BikeHikeSafari 2022 | All Rights Reserved. This can vary depending on the type of bag that you buy. However, these cheap sacks also tend to be lighter than the more expensive rubber bags. Before heading out for a few days I packed two large bags with food, one for myself, one for my partner, and had the third as the Full review, The "tied" and true, Bear discouragement, food containment system, the Ursack Spectra 29 AllWhite, may very well be your best available option for food containment, food protection, and food safety, as well as, ease of use, weight and volume consideration, while on the trail. Background: When I first got into lightweight backpacking, DCF (formerly known as Cuben Fiber) was all the rage. The most common use for our rope is to hang up our trekking poles and backpacks at night. However, there are many types of bags available to choose from. It does a good job in keeping your pack weight down and keep the smell of your human food inside the bags. I prefer the bigger sized bags. Most of our terrifying bear attack stories come from those mountain men. If used properly, it can give extra peace of mind vs your typical ultralight stuff sack. Heat sealable and free-standing when full. Weekly reviews, exclusive deals, giveaways, and more: $85 - gear reviews on this site are my own opinion based on my years of experience in the outdoors. Ive owned 2 models of the Ursack Minor. This is NOTthe case this time. You also want to hang it down wind of your camp, so that the smell is traveling away from you, to keep you extra safe. Bearproof bags are made from strong bear-proof material similar to the material used in bulletproof vests. Obviously, I cannot recommend this method for areas where bears are a valid concern. However, these bags can still be hung easily from tree branches at night to keep for added protection from animals and bears. They are nowhere near as heavy duty as I was looking for. Cons:> Absorbs Rain This bag isnt waterproof and can absorb water when wet making it heavier. When looking at bear bags, you have to think about how strong they are. The DCF (cuben fiber) material is waterproof, and somewhat resistant to small critters like mice. Below are some tips to help you decide what type of bag is best for you. Ursack AllMitey Grizzly Bear-Resistant Food Sack, Ursack AllMitey Kodiak Bear-Resistant Food Sack, Ursack AllMitey White Bear-Resistant Food Sack. They work well inside bear canisters or or with one of the other bear bags in this review to hang from a tree in bear country. The next size up, their Small bag (8 ounces) jumps up to 20 liters! The first had a single drawstring. So maybe Im wrong, and maybe the active backcountry rangers on the ground at numerous National parks are wrong, too. Therefore this Ursack is subject to be ravaged by mice, and has questionable effectiveness against bears, too. The best We like carrying a small dry sack to keep electronics dry and we also like carrying a small dry sack for dirty laundry (Check out our recommended backpacking clothing). We own the BearVault 500 (3.3lbs) and can usually cram enough food into the 700 cubic inch volume for both of us to survive for 5 days on the trail. They are usually made of plastic and are a very durable thin fabric. Also note that I do not receive compensation from any companies whose products I review. You can see inside the bag, due to the nearly transparent material. > Transparent You can easily see inside the bag, due to the semi-transparent material. Cheap dry sacks tend to need to be replaced every few years as waterproof coatings wear off. I have never owned a Ratsack. Use any old stuff sack, or even a garbage bag. In this case, any old stuff sack will do. However, we would recommend it, as hanging your bag will make it more difficult for the bear or any other animals to reach it. Ursack bear bags also have reflective properties that make your food cache easier to spot when you need that midnight snack. The good news is that you can rent them cheaply if you only occasionally backpack in bear country. If hiking the Appalachian Trail this will also work well to stop those pesky mice and rats at the shelters. It is a waterproof bag and lightweight but not as light as the Zpacks dry bag. They can ravage your food supply and your camping gear, leaving you with little to eat miles away from civilization. These bags are not bear-proof but make a great stuff sack for food when in the backcountry. Heres some preferred products for overnight use on the trails. > Durable The material on this bag may look flimsy, yet it is a lot tougher than you realize. Whether you have a fear of bears or want to prevent a rodent from stealing or contaminating your food supply, you are going to need the best backpacking food storage when exploring most wilderness areas. The only thing I dont like about these is the zip lock style seal is not as durable as I would like and it tends to break after about 2-3 weeks of use. It is chemical, grease, thermal, and oil resistant. These bags are designed to store food. This helps support this site and allows us to continue to create useful content. Its worth noting that these holes may not have occurred if Id taken the time to hang the bag, since such a relatively unstable perch wont provide the leverage a critter needs to chew through the Kevlar. These bags are a good idea when camping in bear country. > Capacity for 5 to 6 day backpacking trip. The smell is not as strong as if your food was only stored in a stuff sack so it is still a good idea. Sea To Summit is a really reliable brand, which is why I love to use their products. > Sizes These bags come in various sizes and all fit easily in your backpack for easy traveling. Your email address will not be published. The Ursack Major XXL (Backcountry, REI) holds an astonishing 30L (1,830 cubic inches) of food and weighs 15.7 oz. Much appreciated. He is an expert on outdoor gear currently living in Chile. Never sleep with food, anything that smells like food, or anything that was used to cook food in your tent. I saw the potential of uses for this item if its website claims were accurate. A Ratsack is a good alternative to a bear canister when you are backpacking in places that do not require a canister. The cord that you use to tie the bag up, I found to be extremely durable and strong, so will last a long time before it begins to fray and breaks. I liked how resealable these bags are and how easily I could fit them in my backpack. However, the Ursack is the best backpacking food storage solution when camping in areas with tall trees and that do not require bear canisters. One can always take the time to rig an old-school, proper bear bag in a tree, or just sleep with your food roll the dice and take little to no precautions (where permitted). I was actually planning on going to a camp with family and friends, and trust me; this was the exact article I needed to read. Your pack has to carry all of your food and supplies, so every item inside has to be worth its weight and volume. This makes it easy to locate a particular item, without having to empty the contents of the bag fully. Pros:> Wide Opening The wide opening on this bag makes it easy to place and remove things. Bear canisters are heavy and arent easily packed so if I can leave ours at home (In the Truck), I do. I own and use one of their XL (8 liter) stuff sacks. With the exception of a trusty BV500 bear canister, most of my experience in food protection is with the Ursack Minor Critter Bag. The latest review was added on December 14, 2021. The vault is made of tough but clear plastic. Cons:> Hanging There is no way to hang this bag, so you would have to find your own way to hang this bag if you wanted to hang it from a tree at night. This is OK for most hikers but thru hikers will not like this lack of durability. These bear bags offer a level of bear resistance and are approved by the interagency grizzly bear committee and will be almost as bear-proof as bear canisters. Yet, it is a rule of thumb that if you are to hang your food, you should hang it 200 feet from your camp. Ive never tried the Opsak, but these are essentially just glorified Ziploc bags that protect against odors. Just add some rope and sling it from a tree using whatever hanging system you prefer. This is at no additional cost to you. In 5 years of use since then, Ive grown to miss the drawstring. Are bear canisters required for your backpacking destination? Dry sacks are nice to have to keep the contents of a backpack dry. 44144, 2022, Ursack The price of bear bags varies greatly. I wonder why :)? Bears can smell through a standard Ziploc bag, including the freezer bags. We classify the best backpacking food storage gear in this article as optional but in many places, it is required. I've never had rodent problems where I've been until this last year where I've had two campsites bothered by relentless deer mice in Joshua Tree and a tent ruined by squirrels eating the zipper in Malibu. You can also dry out gear at the campsite by creating a clothesline between trees. With the exception of preinstalled bear boxes and cables, a hard-sided bear canister is the most tried and true method for carrying food for overnight use in the backcountry. Now I'm going further down that particular rabbit hole for a review of plastic bags. Weighing in at 8oz for the small Ratsack, this is a much lighter option than a BearVault. Theyre also made with tear and puncture-resistant fabrics that protect your food from bears and critters. The AllMitey (9.5 ounces) is 2 ounces heavier than the Major (7.6 ounces). I found you can fill this bag with enough food for 5 to 6 days. This volume is perfect for my needs, holding about 5 or 6 days of food. The Ursack is designed to be hung high from tree limbs and away from the tree trunk so that bears cant get to them. There are three main types of bags; Food Storage Bags, Waterproof Bags and Bear Proof Bags. It seems like overkill. So while planning a 30-mile trip in the Grand Canyon I became aware that rodent-proof wire mesh bags are required just like bear cans are required in the Sierras. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. If we are allowed to hang a bag we always choose to do so instead. The bag is so light that I can justify coupling it as a liner for my Ursack Minor. Since Im not confident in the other bags from Ursack to repel bears anyway, this is the option that makes the most sense to me. The Ursack has passed testing by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee for food safety but many parks and national forests have yet to adopt them as acceptable food storage when backpacking. As an extra measure of protection, these bags can be coupled with any of the others listed above, or even used on their own if youre so bold as to cuddle up with your food at night. This is the model I would choose if they are ever adopted for use in all the parks and national forests. It comes in sizes from 10L to 30L, I like the 15L the best. This is my best food bag for protection from critters on overnight backpacking trips. Remember to always practice leave-no-trace principles when exploring the great outdoors, one of which is not feeding the wildlife intentionally or unintentionally. In doing so, I discovered that they updated the enclosure to a velcro seal presumably because of the aforementioned issue. This will affect the size of the bear bag that you will need. In 2017 I replaced my original Ursack with the latest version of the Minor. Its main drawbacks are price and availability. While many people will carry a Bear Canister for Backpacking Trips and Bear Spray, a good bear bag is also a good idea. Sometimes Full review, Robust and reliable, the Primus Primetech CampFire Utility Sack has many uses from the backcountry to your back door! Some of these parks have grizzly bears, too. When backpacking in bear country, any item that has any kind of scented smell should be stored safely at least 200 feet away from your campsite. A more antiquated style of bear canister (shown here) is equally effective, but heavier. These cookies do not store any personal information. But they're really good plastic bags! Brad is an Australian who has completed the hiking Triple Crown after he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail. In the many areas of North America and really worldwide, properly storing your food from bears and other wild animals is essential. These holes arent so large as to render the bag unusable, but serve as evidence that the bag is not necessarily 100% critter proof. The Ursack Minor is made of Kevlar and stainless steel fabric. Kevlar, by the way, is whats used to make bulletproof vests! Learn more about our story and why we do what we do. I also like how the exterior of the Ratsack is transparent, allowing you to easily locate your food. Overall where necessary, I like the BearVault model bear cans best for backpacking. To add even more protection to your food from bears. The best backpacking food storage solution will vary greatly depending on what kind of wilderness areas you choose to venture into. Please see my full review farther down the page. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This makes it easy to locate the desired food inside. I dont recall the circumstances of the most recent breach, but Id wager that I left the bag on the ground, like the first incident. At the same time, they are made of materials that creatures like rats and squirrels cant chew through. Personally I sense that the success rate of these items (especially the critter bags) is vastly in favor of the products effectiveness, as opposed to the occasional failure seen in reviews. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. I love the lightweight. You need to ensure you properly hang the food storage bag to prevent bears from getting your food. These are the best bear-resistant bags for grizzly bears and black bears and should be used in places with bear activity. The most commonly used model for extended thru-hikes is the BearVault 500, along with the smaller (and lighter) BV450 for shorter trips. The natural rectangular shape of this bag fits easily into any backpack, and the wide opening makes it straightforward to find what you want quickly. I solved this by pulling the string as tight as possible and placing a hard-to-break item (or even a fuel canister) at the top of the bag. I purchased an Outsak outdoor food storage bag, which is a fine metal mesh bag with a fabric Velcro top opening Full review, Heavy duty waterproof plastic storage bag designed for carrying items you want to ensure do not get exposed to the elements (rain, dust, snow, humidity, sand, etc.). They are often made from nylon and are extremely durable. I found that the material on these bags is quite strong and the light weight of these bags will make them best suited to ultralight thru-hikers or those wanting the most weight saving possible. Ursack is approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC). Dry sacks, like the Sea To Summit eVent (Backcountry, REI), are essential on backpacking trips where wading in high water is a real possibility. Ive been using my most recent version of the bag (purchased in 2017) with no ill effects, save for a couple of small holes pictured below. The material is twice as strong but 50% thinner than typical polyethylene bags. All 3 of these canistermodels Ive linked to here are approved by all the National Parks that require bear cans, such as Yosemite, Kings-Sequoia, Yellowstone, and Denali. If youre hiking in bear country where a canister is not required, this bag offers a weight savings of more than 2 pounds (vs the BV500 can)! So do what you can to protect your food with the best bear storage bag. Both bags carry the same volume 10.7 liters, or 650 cubic inches. These dry bags are designed to protect your belongings from rain or snow. Bears could be aggressive or unpredictable and if you allow them to eat your food, then they will hang around for an easy meal. Hopefully, to keep porcupines and small rodents from chewing on them (It happens). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 Down The Trail - All Rights Reserved - legal statements - contact, Thru Hike Like a Boss With My Ultimate Backpacking Gear List in 2022, ULA Catalyst: The Ultimate Review (I Used this Backpack for 10+ years), Hyperlite Southwest 3400 Backpack Review (DETAILED) 2+ Years of Use, Here's Your Best Power Bank for Thru Hiking & Backpacking in 2022. These bags are incredibly lightweight. Product reviews are filled with such occurrences. I left the bag sitting on the ground near my tent (as usual) at a beach along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Suite 950 Any links you use will have no additional cost to you but we will receive a small advertising percentage from your purchase. As a homegrown company in Northern Arizona, Ratsack has long been popular as a food storage solution for local desert terrain like the Grand Canyon. You can hang food in a tree to keep it out of reach of most creatures. The 1200 cubic inches of storage allows for much more food storage than the comparable weight of a Ursack Major.
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