[pct-l] ursacks and critters

[Sir Mixalot]

The cat was about 10 yards away on top of a boulder.  The cat only seemed
to be interested in my food.

Sleeping with your food isn't always enough to protect it.  If a rodent
smells it, it may not give up.  I started using an Ursack because I spent
one long night shooing away a mouse from my food bag that was literally
touching my head.  The mouse still got into my food.  An odor proof bag
probably would have prevented that, especially since my food-free backpack
a few feet away was unmolested by the mouse.

There are plenty of cougar encounters and sightings, but I haven't heard of
a single attack.  That cougar slobbering up the bottom of my Ursack is the
worst I've heard of.

On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 8:06 PM, Elizabeth Clements <
elizabethjoyclements at gmail.com> wrote:

> Sir Mix Alot,
>
> A cougar? really?!  How far away were you?  I've read about hikers who
> carry and sleep with their food.  This is what I was planning on
> doing.  Bad idea?  Also, have there been any cougar encounters/attacks
> on the trail in recent years and what precautions have people made to
> protect themselves?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> Yep, I should have been using an odor proof bag, and have changed my ways,
> but I appreciated learning what it could stand up to.
>
> While preventing a loss of food is usually the primary reason for using an
> odor proof bag, to me a bigger benefit is not giving scavengers a reason to
> come around me or my food.  The result is a better sleep.
>
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 7:41 AM, Edward Anderson <mendoridered at
> yahoo.com <http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>>wrote:
>
> >* If you put an OPSak inside your Ursack the critters won't smell what
> is*>* inside. OPSaks are what I used from Mexico to Canada - never lost any
> food.*>* Through the Sierra National Parks I did use two bear canisters as
> required*>* by the rules.*>* MendoRider-Hiker*>**>**>*
> ------------------------------*>* *From:* Sir Mixalot <atetuna at
> gmail.com <http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>>*>*
> *To:* Pamela McCullough <Pamelarun at aol.com <
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>>*>* *Cc:* pct-l at
> backcountry.net <http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>*>*
> *Sent:* Monday, March 18, 2013 11:40 PM*>* *Subject:* Re: [pct-l]
> ursacks*>**>* I use one all the time.  In southern California I've had a
> cougar nibble on*>* the bottom of my bag.  I got to watch that.  It also
> helped when I suddenly*>* decided to go to ADZPCTKO.  I didn't want to
> carry my heavy food bag down*>* the mountain only to have to carry it back
> up.  There were only
>   low lying*>* trees, but that was okay.  I hung my Ursack to it and
> didn't come back to*>* it until two weeks later.  There were tiny rodent
> holes near the top, but*>* none of my food was compromised.*>**>* I love my
> Ursack.  I wouldn't hike without it unless I'm using a bear*>*
> canister.*>**>* On Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 2:45 PM, Pamela McCullough
> <Pamelarun at aol.com <
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>*>* >wrote:*>**>* >
> What are your thoughts on using the ursack for carrying food?  Pamela*>*
> >*>* > Sent from my iPad*
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