[pct-l] Ursack feedback?

[Brian Lewis]

 ProDeal said:
"From what I have seen I would avoid the Ursack. First off they have been
known to fail. Second, they allow your food to turn into a fine powder from
a bears attempt to get at your food. Third, the company itself has a bad
reputation in the outdoor community. I would go with the bear vault."

And Zelda more or less agreed with the above.  Gads, I hate to come out with
anything that even hints at disagreeing with Zelda (you and Tarzan are some
of my happy memories from last year!), but I think it really depends on
*context*.

In the Sierras, an Ursack isn't a legal choice (nor is a ratsack).   I don't
know anything about the Ursack company having a bad reputation (good or
bad), but IMO the product is a good choice over hanging your food north of
the Sierras.   I liked the option of sleeping with my food for the first 700
miles, and I know that folks do that in NorCal + OR + WA, but I felt that 8
oz and $65 was reasonable to reduce the odds of various critters (not just
bears) getting at my food, and hanging is a PITA in various ways, especially
if you want to have any realistic chance of defeating a hungry bear.


Brian Lewis / Gadget '08
http://postholer.com/brianle