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Thread: Bear Canister

  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    First I find a nice flat sleeping spot in a huckleberry patch next to a stream with spawning salmon. I like being close to Nature. It's best to find a spot where many others have repeatedly done the same, to concentrate the impact you know. We have to be mindful. I like to sleep near an established campfire ring where discarded food remains and food packaging made a nice colorful campfire. I'm going to do the same tonight. If there's an adjacent picnic table so much better. I can prepare my dinner on it and also eat at it while sitting in a relaxing chair absorbing Nature as countless others have enjoyed. I find it convenient preparing and eating my dinner where I sleep. I eat my dinner. I like something with sardines, tuna, Vienna sausages, or pepperoni, common trail foods. Next morning I plan on eating and drinking something with a sweetener maybe trail coffee in my sleeping bag. I like Peanut butter on trail too. I like doing this especially if it's a chilly morning. After gnoshing I brush my teeth with toothpaste spitting the wash next to where I sleep. It keeps away the ants I figure. Then I apply a bunch of lip balm. My lips get chapped easily. I find sleeping in the same clothes I cooked and ate and hiked in all day is better time management and more UL than changing into a second set of clothes. My approach is to continually gnosh all day on the move using the drip method. Besides my clothes aren't usually wet or dirty and I need to get in my FB time on my Smartphone in camp anyway. Wife and kids need my daily 7 p.m. check in too. Might spend an hr or so watching a movie. Gotta stay connected! I don't over think all this. Too many long winded details that I can't keep focused on that some anal backpackers or authoritarians impose upon others as if they know it all. They can be so rude and offensive. I use my pack wisely under my feet as insulation. I go UL.

    Then, for bear safety food protection I store my food in a canister 100 ft away. I'm on the fence whether bear canisters work.
    Now,that there is funny! Why not honey coated spawning salmon?

  2. #22

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    Does "bear proof" include a bear can't knock it into the nearest creek to float away, off the nearest cliff, or just carry it off into the woods?

    Quote Originally Posted by LittleRock View Post
    A 100% bear-proof canister? How about a stainless steel sphere approximately 14" in diameter that unscrews at the center. Weighs about 20 lbs.
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

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  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by stephanD View Post
    I bought a bear container (BV450) in 2015, but i used it the first time on a section hike in the summer of 2018 from Front Royal to Pearisburg. i wanted to like it but i just couldn't. First, there's the weight. it is two pounds of dead weight, there's no way around it. And for someone like me with bad knees, it matters. Then, it is bulky and cumbersome. No matter how i tried to arrange it in my pack, it always found a way to jab me in the back while hiking. finally, there's the search for the "perfect" location to leave it for the night, and you are not even sure you will find it there the next day. I used to be a "hanger" but, like many others, i got tired of hanging bags, and beside, mice and other critters can climb down and up cords with no difficulty. So the only choice for me is the new Ursack AllMitey bear bag. It is, i hope, the right combination between lightness and toughness. it may be a bit pricey at $134.95 at REI but that is why i'm waiting for their March 22nd 20% off coupons.
    Thanks, I was wondering when the coupons were coming out.

  4. #24
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    stephenD:
    I知 curious.
    How is the Ursack AllMighty going to overcome some of the complaints you have about the hard sided canisters?
    Wayne

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    Quote Originally Posted by stephanD View Post
    I bought a bear container (BV450) in 2015, but i used it the first time on a section hike in the summer of 2018 from Front Royal to Pearisburg. i wanted to like it but i just couldn't. First, there's the weight. it is two pounds of dead weight, there's no way around it. And for someone like me with bad knees, it matters. Then, it is bulky and cumbersome. No matter how i tried to arrange it in my pack, it always found a way to jab me in the back while hiking. finally, there's the search for the "perfect" location to leave it for the night, and you are not even sure you will find it there the next day.

    Well obviously its not required on AT.
    But I carry UL pack, and have none of your problems with bear can.

    On JMT my base weight was 9.5 lbs.....including the 2 lb bearcan.

    So, why you blame the bearcan, you can look at it another way and blame all the other stuff in your pack as well . Its a total system thing, not any one items fault. You are just comparing to system without that item, because you can. In some places, thats not an option. Where can is required
    , You have to use it, so you learn how to make it work for you.

    I would wager you found your can every morning exactly where you left it, so why you would worry about it is a mystery. You are far more likely to find a food bag gone. Far more.

    I wouldnt use a can in AT today. But It wouldnt bother me to if it were required either. Finding decent hanging tree is just as hard on sloped ground as finding spot can wont roll away. Another reason to put can close to you....reduces likelihood of it being messed with.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-18-2019 at 14:16.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    stephenD:
    I知 curious.
    How is the Ursack AllMighty going to overcome some of the complaints you have about the hard sided canisters?
    Wayne
    Well....this is a trial-and-error thing. I started by hanging, but i got tired of this. The canister did not work for me. so i hope the Ursack is the right thing for me. I know there are problems with the previous models, but i hope they fix them with this newest version. So, first, there's the weight; 2.1 lbs vs. 13 oz. The Ursack, although rigid, is still more flexible then the canister so i hope it will fit better in my pack. The Ursack can be secured to any fixed object, which reduces the chances of it being carried away by a bear. And, not being gung-ho about it, but i like that it is USA made. Now, i may be completely wrong, But i will find out this April in my next seven day section hike in southern Virginia.

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    Quote Originally Posted by stephanD View Post
    Well....this is a trial-and-error thing. I started by hanging, but i got tired of this. The canister did not work for me. so i hope the Ursack is the right thing for me. I know there are problems with the previous models, but i hope they fix them with this newest version. So, first, there's the weight; 2.1 lbs vs. 13 oz. The Ursack, although rigid, is still more flexible then the canister so i hope it will fit better in my pack. The Ursack can be secured to any fixed object, which reduces the chances of it being carried away by a bear.
    Not any object.

    I think other model come with 6' rope
    Which will let you tie around a tree about 18"

    In reality, 12-18" tree is about it. Not rocks, or buildings, or anything else. And it needs to be secured high enough that bear is on two feet...reducing his leverage. He can chew thru rope holding it to tree if can get teeth on it easily.

    Since many instances of bears getting food are by surprise in yosemite historically, inability to quickly deploy properly has always been a detriment of ursack being approved there.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-18-2019 at 16:01.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Not any object.

    I think other model come with 6' rope
    Which will let you tie around a tree about 18"

    In reality, 12-18" tree is about it. Not rocks, or buildings, or anything else. And it needs to be secured high enough that bear is on two feet...reducing his leverage. He can chew thru rope holding it to tree if can get teeth on it easily.

    Since many instances of bears getting food are by surprise in yosemite historically, inability to quickly deploy properly has always been a detriment of ursack being approved there.
    No system is perfect. I agree that in Grizzly territory canisters probably are the best solution. What i like about the Ursack is the flexibility; you can tie to a branch (preferably), a trunk, hang it, or (according to the website), if there is nothing to tie to, you can use it like a canister hidden on the ground. In short, it is a food bag on steroids. I hope the cost is justifiable, and the only way to find out is to actually use it.

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by stephanD View Post
    No system is perfect. I agree that in Grizzly territory canisters probably are the best solution. What i like about the Ursack is the flexibility; you can tie to a branch (preferably), a trunk, hang it, or (according to the website), if there is nothing to tie to, you can use it like a canister hidden on the ground. In short, it is a food bag on steroids. I hope the cost is justifiable, and the only way to find out is to actually use it.
    I hate to say it, but new owners of ursack are not that bright.

    No, you should never ever hide it on the ground. A bear will carry it away. No, not under rocks, any rock you can move with great effort... a bear can move with a paw flick. These are very bad things to promote. Imo, the new owners have decided to prey on uninformed buyers.

    Find old instructions and follow them. Big tree or big branch, a certain height off ground, tied securely.

    In spite of this...when igbc tested before, they didnt tie to tree. Likely so bears couldnt get leverage on it.....

    Difficulty to tie and deploy properly (lots of people cant seem to even close bear cans properly), is another reason yosemite is reluctant to approve it for use. The new owners promoting bad ways of deployment, are going to insure it never is.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-18-2019 at 17:54.

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by stephanD View Post
    No system is perfect. I agree that in Grizzly territory canisters probably are the best solution. What i like about the Ursack is the flexibility; you can tie to a branch (preferably), a trunk, hang it, or (according to the website), if there is nothing to tie to, you can use it like a canister hidden on the ground. In short, it is a food bag on steroids. I hope the cost is justifiable, and the only way to find out is to actually use it.
    Let us know how it works out if a bear tries to get it. In most cases, bears that find it crush what is in the ursack, so, it will be interesting to see if the hard panel stops it.

  11. #31
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    Thanks everyone!
    I値l continue to use my Ursack Major.
    Wayne

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by martinb View Post
    Let us know how it works out if a bear tries to get it. In most cases, bears that find it crush what is in the ursack, so, it will be interesting to see if the hard panel stops it.
    Since I'm not planning on buying the aluminum panel, which comes separately, food crushing may be a problem, but it is the same with any regular food bag that most hikers use. Beside coffee/tea/sugar, my hiking foods consist mostly of tortilla/wraps, hard cheeses, tuna pouches, energy bars, gorp (dry fruits, peanuts, nuts, M&M) and jars of peanut butter and chocolate spread. So most this food can still be eaten even if crushed.

  13. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by stephanD View Post
    Since I'm not planning on buying the aluminum panel, which comes separately, food crushing may be a problem, but it is the same with any regular food bag that most hikers use. Beside coffee/tea/sugar, my hiking foods consist mostly of tortilla/wraps, hard cheeses, tuna pouches, energy bars, gorp (dry fruits, peanuts, nuts, M&M) and jars of peanut butter and chocolate spread. So most this food can still be eaten even if crushed.
    It wont be crushed, it will be chewed.
    It will be a mass of mixed up gunk.

    It will be slobbery and stink like a bear too.

    Bon Appetite.

    P.S. are you concerned about rabies at all? No? Good.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-19-2019 at 10:57.

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    In reality, 12-18" tree is about it. Not rocks, or buildings, or anything else. And it needs to be secured high enough that bear is on two feet...reducing his leverage. He can chew thru rope holding it to tree if can get teeth on it easily.
    I致e also figured out that tip of tying the Ursack up as high as I can reach.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  15. #35
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    Correct me if I知 wrong.
    I am under the impression that the rope shipped with the Ursacks is made of Spectra fiber, the same fibers as the Ursack is made of. I would think that the rope would be difficult for a bear to chew through.
    Spectra ropes are used for tug boat towlines.
    But I might be wrong.
    Wayne

  16. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    Correct me if I知 wrong.
    I am under the impression that the rope shipped with the Ursacks is made of Spectra fiber, the same fibers as the Ursack is made of. I would think that the rope would be difficult for a bear to chew through.
    Spectra ropes are used for tug boat towlines.
    But I might be wrong.
    Wayne
    Spectra is not indestructible.
    I use spectra fishing line....it breaks
    I use spectra spectra guyouts....they fray and break...overnight...when rub on rock in wind
    It has great tensile strength...but its uhmw polyethylene. Plastic. Not indestructible.

    Google ursack failure to see pic of how indestructible ursack is when chewed on.

    In most cases, you downsize line to be smaller because of tensile strength to have lighter line. It also not absorb water so stays light.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-19-2019 at 16:45.

  17. #37
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    Thanks! I値l be careful where I place the Ursack.
    Wayne

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