Ursack  Major XL Bear Sack - 15 Liters

You owe it to the animals to purchase a bear-resistant container. I am very cheap and very selective on what I put into my pack. That said, I finally purchased the Ursack Major XL for my dog and me to put our food into on week-long trips. It took out 100 bucks from my savings and added a half pound on my back. I have hung my food in a dry bag for the past decade with only a handful on animals eating parts of it. To be honest, I sometimes did not hang my food at all after a day of backpacking and did not have a problem. I saw no reason to get one of these and wrote it off as something needed for people who do not know how to take care of their food in the wilderness. What changed my perspective is that without a bear (or animal) resistant container, chances increase of food being eaten. The problem is NOT that I lose my food. For example, I have had to hike for three days without food without any health issues thereafter. The problem is that easy access to our food causes animals to fear us less and increases more conflict. Bears and other animals usually lose during these encounters. Even if they win and end up killing you, common practice is to hunt down and kill the animal. As more people enter the wilderness, new duties are created - including taking every step we can to limit conflicts between us and the residents of these wildernesses by properly storing our food. The negative reviews I have seen are all clearly disclosed on the box of the Ursack. These negative reviews include (1) food being destroyed despite the bag not tearing, (2) small animals chewing small holes through the lining, and (3) it is not smell proof. As to the first negative review, the bag is not to save your food. It is to save animals from creating tendencies to approach people for food (think about an obese and confrontational squirrel - not a pretty picture). If animals continually fail at attempting to get our food, they will inevitably stop or at least approach less willingly. For the second negative review, small animals do not commonly bother bags (depends on area, too). Even less often is when the bag is in the tree four feet away from the trunk and at least 10 feet up. In short, yes, a small animal such as a squirrel may get at your food even with this precaution, but it certainly does not make it easier for them. As to the third and final negative review, NOTHING IS SMELL PROOF. Thanks to Adam and Jamie from Mythbusters, we learned that a dog's nose can smell drugs through anything, even a vaccum sealed, peanut butter covered, triple bagged container underneath water. A bear's nose is very similar to a dog's. So, a bear bag certainly will not stop smells. A good option is to combine the ursack with an opsack (or whatever they are called). Opsacks are better than ziplock bags because they use a different type of plastic, the plastic is thicker, and the sides of the bag, where ziplocks usually fail, are reinforced. For the pack of two, I can fit 7-10 worth of food. If you have read this far, I know you are really wondering if purchasing this bag is worth it. You want to make sure that it is not just another item others tell you to buy that you actually do not need. Remember this: the bag is not for you. Do your best to protect more animals from disappearing.

I bought this and took it on a 2 week hike. It worked beautifully until we got to the AT and hung it on the bear cables. Apparently the squirrels have become master jumpers because one managed to tear a half inch hole in the bag. Neither REI or Ursack will replace or refund. I was told to repair the hole and keep using it. If a bear gets into it it will be covered! If a squirrel got into it on a cable how many other holes do you think we'll get hanging it on a lower limb as suggested? I love the fact it will be taken care of after a bear finally rips it because of all the rodent holes! That's after I lose my food and ruin my trip. Don't buy this. It's not worth the money or the extra added weight!