[pct-l] Bear encounter before Kennedy Meadows

[Edward Anderson]

Of course, "Results may vary".  It will come down to whether you have properly sealed the OPSak and on how careful you are to be sure not to get food smells on the outside of the OPSak. As I mentioned, it is critical that you are careful, as I was...
 
Question: Have you ever, yourself, tried an OPSak? And used it properly. Subjective opinion means nothing. Try doing the tests as I have described. 
 
Respectfully,
 
MendoRider-Hiker 
 

________________________________
 From: James Vesely <JVesely at edmsupply.com>
To: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com> 
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net 
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 10:28 AM
Subject: RE: [pct-l] Bear encounter before Kennedy Meadows
  

 
Results
may vary.   
Copied
from the blog,  https://mexicotocanada.com/2012/06/09/day-46-51-farewell-desert-hello-bear/ 
“That
photo of the Ursack is nuts!! I have one that I’ve used once, and now I’m
convinced that it will be the last time I rely on it too. Bear cans are really
the only way to be sure, too bad they are so heavy! Though, after Tahoe you
enter the land of the hunted bear, and apparently that makes them more avoidant
of people….? 
On a
related note: those “odor-proof bags”? NOT. My first night out of KM, with a
brand new OPSak for my “overflow” food, we camped on the hill above the bridge
over the Kern — halfway through the night I heard rustling near my food, and
after a few curious visits, I pulled it in my tent. Sure enough, the mouse had
chewed right through it. I stress that it was brand new, so I really doubt
there was a plethora of food odors on the outside of the bag. You might as well
get 50′ of line now and carry it with you to Canada .  
I never
had a bear encounter, but the mice were mightier forces: the last night before
Canada, we set up camp in a snow storm, and because we were hitting town the
next day and because I was terribly cold, I set my food bag in my vestibule
instead of hanging it on a critter line; a mouse chewed through my tent on the
opposite side trying to get at it. Just glad I shooed him off before I ended up
with a mouse running circles over me!  
I guess
you guys have a crazy story to tell in your old age, eh? As if the PCT isn’t
one enough…. Glad that nothing more than your food supply was compromised, and
great that you were close-ish to a town! Keep up the good work, keep up the
good times! Liz.” 
  
  

________________________________
  
From:Edward Anderson
[mailto:mendoridered at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 9:50
AM
To: James Vesely
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net; Brick
Robbins
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bear
encounter before Kennedy Meadows  
  
Hi
James,  
   
I have read your opinion regarding the
likely effectiveness of OPSaks in keeping food safe from
"animals".  What I stated was not based on
subjective opinion - it is based on what I have learned from real, on
trail, experience and, as I said, extensive testing. My laboratory is my
barn. Since I live in the hills above Agua Dulce, we have lots