Food Bag

[LastHonestFool]

What do ya'll use for your food bag?

I used to use just a silnylon stuff sack, and when I made it into my bear bag, toss it in a trash bag so if it rained that night, I don't have soggy food

but, it would probably even out (or be even lighter) just to have it in a dry bag from the get-go (as I used a heavy duty trash bag so it wouldn't rip...)

so, what do you guys use for your food bag? and what size food bag do oyu use?

I'm thinking of carrying 2 dry bags, one for the food, and one for my down bag, and just regualr stuff sacks for the rest as per usual

[Deadeye]

My food bag isn't a bag at all - I use a plastic pretzel jug. I have several sizes, the one I use most is almost as big as a bear canister, and holds about 5 days of food. It came from a big jug of UTZ brand pretzels at Costco. I wrap a turn of duct tape around the middle so I can tree hang it if need be. Completely waterproof, and your pop-tarts don't get crushed. Weighs about 8 ounces, and everyone at the office helps eat the pretzels.

[Tipi Walter]

Food bags aren't too big a deal, my first several were old sleeping bag stuff sacks. One of the main issues with hanging food is keeping everything dry. Of late I've found the Outdoor Research Hydroseal stuffsacks to be ideal for food storage. They are waterproof and have a bottom strap which I use to hang the bag, not the long drawcord. By hanging upside down the inside stuff stays dry in an all night rain, at least while the bag is fairly new. I tried the garbage bag system but they are too fragile and still manage to leak.

On long backpacking trips I take 3 food bags: One for cookables, one for snackables, and an overflow bag(rice cakes, canned sodas, chips), something I can strap to the outside of the pack for quick access. This bag empties quickly and I'm back down to the usual two food bags.

For winter camping and avoiding ice encrusted, frozen food bags, they can be placed in the tent vestibule occasionally although even in the winter mice will find them and scamper/chew constantly thru the night. I take alot of food on my trips, maybe 30-plus pounds worth.

The pretzel can idea sounds good although the amount of food I carry would probably fill at least 3 and when all of my food is gone I'd still have the large volume cans taking up space.

[minnesotasmith]

I used an Ursack, a food bag made of Kevlar-like fabric. It was kind of gratifying to listen to mice break their teeth on it at night. Also, as an Ursack doesn't need hanging the same way regular food bags do, it didn't take up limited space on bear cables, in bear boxes, or in shelter rafters, so owning one is a public service IMO. Lastly, when tenting away from a developed (i.e., shelter) location, it speeds setting up camp to not have to set up a bear line. I'm glad I had one of these during my thruhike, and will continue to use one while hiking.


http://www.ursack.com/

[Kerosene]

I converted from an Ursack to a silnyl stuff sack a few years ago. I attach a lightweight carabiner to the pull strap on the bottom, to which I tie about 40' of cord, so the bag hangs upside down and things don't get too wet (not that there's much of anything in there that can get waterlogged). Total weight of the bag and 'biner is 1.5 ounces, versus 5 ounces for the original Ursack.

[mudhead]

I was under the impression that an Ursack was not rodent-proof.

?

[Tipi Walter]

I was under the impression that an Ursack was not rodent-proof.

?

And my impression of the Ursack is that I'd need about 5 or 6 of them to hold the amount of food I carry.

[Blissful]

We used the Outdoor research bags you can get from Wally World. Replaced them one time on the hike. We started with sil nylon bag my hubby made but it soon bit the dust.

[headchange4u]

I made my food bag from ballistics kevlar I got from Ebay. It was sheet from a bullet proof vest. I think I had less than $10 in it. You can see some pics of it here. It was not constructed to withstand a bear but it's tough enough that it should give most small critters a hard way to go if they try and raid my food stash.

I have also made a food bag from and exploded car air bag. Car air bags are supposedly made from Vectran, the same stuff Ursack is made of. Most auto body shops throw away exploded air bags and you can go by and ask them and they will usually give them to you.

Both Vectran and Kevlar sew easily on a machine.

[Deadeye]

Sooner or later, we'll all be carrying bear cans or Ursacks. They're required in parts of the Sierras and the Adirondacks - eventually portions of the AT will follow.

[EWS]

Ursacks aren't up to the standards of bear canisters.

[EWS]

I have also made a food bag from and exploded car air bag. Car air bags are supposedly made from Vectran, the same stuff Ursack is made of. Most auto body shops throw away exploded air bags and you can go by and ask them and they will usually give them to you.

Good ideal.

Now you just have to turn a Ursack into an airbag.

[Deadeye]

I
I have also made a food bag from and exploded car air bag. Car air bags are supposedly made from Vectran, the same stuff Ursack is made of.

Honey, I wrecked the car.... again!

[sixhusbands]

The bear canisters are not 100 percent efficient either. We camped near a group in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks, where the bear canister is manditory ( $250 fine without one) and they lost all of their food to a bear that opened the canister. Maybe they did not propoerly close it or "yogi" is alive and well. Plus water can get in if you leave them out with the lid facing up.

[Outlaw]

Sooner or later, we'll all be carrying bear cans or Ursacks. They're required in parts of the Sierras and the Adirondacks - eventually portions of the AT will follow.

The bear canisters are not 100 percent efficient either. We camped near a group in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks, where the bear canister is manditory ( $250 fine without one) and they lost all of their food to a bear that opened the canister. Maybe they did not propoerly close it or "yogi" is alive and well. Plus water can get in if you leave them out with the lid facing up.

Yup, you can't use Ursacks in the Adk high peaks region from April 1 to October 1 at all, only rigid bear canisters. Ursacks also waterlog pretty easily. Sold mine years ago... not worth the weight, especially after getting wet and they don't hold enough food.

Sixhusbands, I have only heard of bear canisters failing due to improper use. Perhaps that is the case or it had some sort of a manufacturing defect?

[Gaiter]

i use a big sil-nylon bag and every thing inside of it is in ziplocks, the bag is big enough to hold a wks worth of food and my cooking pot, mice nibbled on my bandana that holds my cookset together, been hanging it w/ my food ever since

can't wait to get my pics up have a great one that shows bears are getting smarter

[Peaks]

Real simple: a sil nylon stuff sack. It's got a strap on the bottom that I tie the line onto. No big deal to toss up a line over a branch every evening.

[Deadeye]

Yup, you can't use Ursacks in the Adk high peaks region from April 1 to October 1 at all, only rigid bear canisters. Ursacks also waterlog pretty easily. Sold mine years ago... not worth the weight, especially after getting wet and they don't hold enough food.

Sixhusbands, I have only heard of bear canisters failing due to improper use. Perhaps that is the case or it had some sort of a manufacturing defect?

Some of the older models of Bear Vault have been de-certified, I suspect the failures are related to those. The very first model had a cap like a medicine bottle, and was not watertight - the newer tops are watertight.

[dloome]

Silnylon stuff sack- (Granite Gear Airline #6), lined with a 2 mil plastic bag. I also carry a small O.P. sack for trash. Whole setup is about 2.5 oz., weatherproof, and very nearly odorproof.

[Ewker]

I use silnylon stuff sacks right now. If I had to use a bear canister I would use the Bearikade.
http://www.wild-ideas.net/products.html