[pct-l] RE: Ursack Report

["Weinmann, Eric H. (EWEI)" <EWEI@chevron.com>]

	This past weekend, I had the opportunity to meet a Yosemite Ranger
at REI who had an interesting story to tell about the Ursack.  Apparently,
two hikers who were starting out on their JMT thru hike, were using an
Ursack.  Their first night out (somewhere between Cloud's Rest and Tuolumne
Meadows) a bear visited their campsite at night and began to work on their
Ursack, which was cabled to a tree as instructed.  The bear was able to chew
a hole in the fabric (not the seams - they had the latest "taped seams"
model) and make off with their food.  I wouldn't have believed him, except
he had pictures.  It looked like the bear was able to make a 5-6" tear in
the center of the bag and pull the food through it.  The ranger said that
the only thing that has worked 100% of the time so far is the Garcia Bear
Canister.  He further said that bears see the Ursack and associate it with a
food bag, since it looks similar (same idea as the
"cooler-in-the-car--empty-or-not" concept Yosemite visitors have come to
know).  They haven't made this association with the Garcia yet since they
haven't had any results getting in. This determined bear took an hour to get
into the bag, with the women throwing stones, yelling, banging pots and all
the other usual practices.  He wouldn't leave until he got in.  Just thought
I would bring this to the list's attention as information, FWIW.

	Eric Weinmann
	PCTA Board of Directors
	======================
> Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2000 14:21:04 EDT
> From: ROYROBIN@aol.com
> Subject: [pct-l] URSACK REPORT
> 
> My son, Greg, and I spent 19 days hiking the JMT this summer, finishing on
> 
> August 15th.  We carried a Garcia bear canister (2 lb 14 oz), and an
> Ursack 
> Major (6 oz).  We carried the canister because it was required along some 
> parts of the trail, and the Ursack because we sure didn't want to carry
> two 
> canisters.  This made a good system for us.  We stored the fragile stuff
> like 
> olive oil and pop-tarts in the canister, and the overflow went into the 
> Ursack.  The idea was that a bear might be expected to pulverize the
> contents 
> of the Ursack before we could rescue it, so we kept that in mind when
> packing 
> it.  We also lined both the canister and the Ursack with small garbage
> bags 
> to reduce the food odor.     
> 
> We had no problems with bears testing the system.  (We were , however,
> asked 
> on three different occasions if we were carrying a bear canister.)  After 
> about 10-12 days of normal use, the Ursack material had frayed and
> unravelled 
> along the side seam to the extent that a bear, or perhaps even a rodent, 
> would have had little trouble getting inside.  Because I really like the
> idea 
> of the Ursack as an alternative to carrying a bear canister, I sent the 
> damaged bag back to Ursack and asked what, if anything, they could do to
> make 
> it a workable option.  
> 
> Tom Cohen at Ursack called me back and also sent me the following email 
> explaining the actions they are taking to correct the problems which their
> 
> customers have experienced with early models of the Ursack.  I'm
> forwarding 
> this information to the PCT list and other lists (AT, CDT,
> BackpackingLight) 
> with Tom Cohen's permission.  (FYI, I like the Ursack concept; however, I 
> don't work for them.)      
>  
> <<Roy:  Here is the update.  We will also be putting this on our web site 
> [www.ursack.com].  -- Tom Cohen
>  >>
> 

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