[pct-l] Bear Canister versus Ursack Ultra.

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

1-Capacity- 
In a bear canister one can get 18-20 pounds of food in with careful
repackaging. A thruhiker, purchasing only what is normally available at a
supermarket and using only a [IMHO stupid] alcohol stove could reasonably
expect to get 15 pounds into a canister by the simple expedient of
repackaging everying into standard baggies, expelling the excess air and
being careful to compress the food and use all available space in a
canister.

Whereas the bears have learned to leave canisters alone the same ain't true
of a Ursack. In established campgrounds you can count on bears molesting
your URSACK. Therefore, unless your food is double bagged with heavy bags
and taped shut, you can count on the contents being a delightful concoction
of noodles, oatmeal and chocolate cookie powder. You must either hike before
bear season, stealth camp or double bag your foods. This cuts the effective
volume by at least 1/3.

2-Ease of use.
Once you close a URSACK you must tie it PROPERLY to a tree. This takes time
to do and time to undo. Therefore the URSACK is of limited value defending
your food against bears when you are camped. Either you must PROPERLY
tie/untie the sack every time you want something or you will risk a bear
sneaking in when you ain't looking. Don't laugh! It happens all the time.
The canister you simply keep closed. 

3-Weight
The URSACK Ultra weighs 9 ounces. The wild-ideas cainster weighs about 1
pound more.

4-Cost
The URSACK Ultra costs $69. The wild-ideas $199.

Summary
Both Don Horst and I, who have both, will prefer to use a canister in high
bear afrequency reas and the ursack in low bear frequency areas. But then,
Don and I are into comfort as opposed to speed. If I was thruhiking using
the normal [IMHO stupid] thruhiking schedule I would use the larger single
URSACK [The ultra doesn't come in this size] and not worry.

Tom