BWCA Trash Bags Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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charliez317
member (38)member
  
08/15/2017 01:35PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Does anyone have a better way of managing the trash that you generate during a trip than putting it in a ziplock bag and carrying it back out?
 
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emptynest56
distinguished member(838)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/15/2017 01:46PM  
We used a 13 gallon force flex with drawstring and impregnated febreeze. I had a spare just in case. Was more than big enough for trash of 4 people.
IMHO USFS should give out bags like this directly or through outfitters that are sponsored and carry the ad(s) of the sponsoring business(es) stamped on the side.
 
SaganagaJoe
distinguished member(2113)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/15/2017 01:46PM  
putting it in a kitchen trash bag and carrying it out. 'Nuff said. :)
 
08/15/2017 02:14PM  
Not sure you can make the process of putting trash in a bag and carrying it out any simpler than it already is. Just bring the appropriate sized bag for the trash you expect to make.

The real trick is minimizing the amount of garbage you are generating on your trip.
 
Trash hauler
Guest Paddler
  
08/15/2017 02:19PM  
It is lighter and less bulky going out than coming in.
 
08/15/2017 02:25PM  
quote nofish: "Not sure you can make the process of putting trash in a bag and carrying it out any simpler than it already is. Just bring the appropriate sized bag for the trash you expect to make.


The real trick is minimizing the amount of garbage you are generating on your trip. "


+1 A quart-size ziplocks works great for me - it closes up tight and is all I need unless it's a long trip, then I might need another one or a 1-gallon. Like Nofish, I don't generate much trash. I just put it in the ziplock, squeeze the air out, zip it closed - I can't think of anything simpler.
 
Northwoodsman
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08/15/2017 03:43PM  
I plan my food with the trash in mind. I take as little packaging as possible. I make sure that the packaging can fold flat. I have a Sea to Summit trash bag. It's a spendy trash bag but serves its' purpose well. It never goes in my pack.

Sea to Summit Trash Bag
 
andym
distinguished member(5337)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
08/15/2017 03:49PM  
Our meals are generally in ziplocks and so there is no shortage of ziplocks for trash as the trip goes on. That seems to work just fine. What about it isn't working for you?
 
08/15/2017 04:34PM  
13 gal double bagged. I double bag everything; packs, food and trash. I reuse the zip locks until they are beyond dead. No smells, no critters.
 
Savage Voyageur
distinguished member(14413)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished membermaster membermaster member
  
08/15/2017 04:36PM  
All plastic and foil goes in the plastic bag in an old sleeping bag stuff sack. Any paper which is not much get used as fire starter.
 
08/15/2017 04:49PM  
quote boonie: "
quote nofish: "Not sure you can make the process of putting trash in a bag and carrying it out any simpler than it already is. Just bring the appropriate sized bag for the trash you expect to make.



The real trick is minimizing the amount of garbage you are generating on your trip. "



+1 A quart-size ziplocks works great for me - it closes up tight and is all I need unless it's a long trip, then I might need another one or a 1-gallon. Like Nofish, I don't generate much trash. I just put it in the ziplock, squeeze the air out, zip it closed - I can't think of anything simpler. "


+1 for me. When I have one of the ducklings along I will use a gallon size ziplock. It goes in the bearvault w/ the food.
 
Guest Paddler
  
08/15/2017 05:40PM  
I use ziplock freezer bags galore then double ack them in a gallon sized bag for trash. My problem is that I keep them in my food barrel and I've had them start to smell in the past. Just wondering if others had a better idea.
 
08/15/2017 06:44PM  
What kind of garbage do you have? I've never had a problem with it stinking and I also keep it in a barrel.
 
08/15/2017 07:06PM  
quote : "I use ziplock freezer bags galore then double ack them in a gallon sized bag for trash. My problem is that I keep them in my food barrel and I've had them start to smell in the past. Just wondering if others had a better idea."


I avoid leftovers and the baggies and wrappers have very little residue to create odor. You could use an OPSack if needed to help.
 
charliez317
member (38)member
  
08/15/2017 07:21PM  
Never any leftovers. Only food residue from meals like Mountain House bags and coffee filters/coffee. Again always double bagged. I like the Op Sack idea to better contain everything. It's not that bad, but come day six and when I'm digging in the barrel for my last meal, I sometimes lose my appetite.
 
08/15/2017 07:23PM  
Hello! We remove all packaging from our food and put it in a ziplock or vacuum seal when we go in. If we need the recipe we cut that part off and stick it in the bag of food. We generate very little garbage. We have zero left over cooked food because we eat everything we prepare for the meal and plan as such. We use one of the zip lock bags for garbage and this last time even put that bag into a sea to summit.
Hope this helps.

~~
 
billconner
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08/15/2017 08:32PM  
I use the USFS heavy white ones or Quetivo heavy yellow bags. Burn packaging every few days and pack out remnants. Lives in good pack and gets hung at night.
 
08/15/2017 09:57PM  
Ziplock or opsack bags here.

Have you tried rinsing the food residue off before putting the bags into the trash? That might help with your smell the issue.
 
08/15/2017 10:36PM  
quote charliez317: "Does anyone have a better way of managing the trash that you generate during a trip than putting it in a ziplock bag and carrying it back out? "

No. That's exactly what I do. Generally I have about 1quart ziplock bag per person per week.

 
08/16/2017 05:14AM  
BTW, I do zip the bags it was in back up before putting in trash and that probably helps with containment of odor.
 
08/16/2017 05:22AM  
I've become fairly meticulous about folding up my trash. Might sound goofy, but I find I can just get a lot more in a gallon ziplock bag, which for me holds about 8-10 days trash with no burning.
 
08/16/2017 07:19AM  
Good question with good answers. My first trips we just threw stuff together and away we went. Over the years I've put more thought in everything. I'd spend my winters making up meals and how I package them. Just when I'm getting it down my body isn't letting g me go. Haha. I do a lot less vacuum sealing because for whatever reason I created a lot more garbage. There is a lot of different size ziplocks, and like Frenchy19 I may or may not reuse them. If you have smelly garbage you may want to rethink what you bring. Things like coffee filters can be dried out, as that is one thing that can be a problem.
 
gkimball
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08/16/2017 07:51AM  
quote boonie: "
quote : "I use ziplock freezer bags galore then double ack them in a gallon sized bag for trash. My problem is that I keep them in my food barrel and I've had them start to smell in the past. Just wondering if others had a better idea."



I avoid leftovers and the baggies and wrappers have very little residue to create odor. You could use an OPSack if needed to help. "


+1 on the odor proof OpSack.

Combined with minimization of trash in the first place, and using food that isn't messy and smelly to begin with you wind up with a flat, odor free trash bag that is light and packs easily.

Since I am naturally paranoid (about keeping a clean camp) I even put the OpSack holding the trash inside another larger one to completely capture odors and protect against cuts and breaks in the bag. Since the trash isn't very obnoxious I just empty and wash them out when I get home. Have been using the same bags for about 5 years.

How's that for an obsessive/compulsive disorder for trash management?!
 
08/16/2017 08:35AM  
I put what little non-paper waste we produce inside a recently-emptied dehydrated entree bag. Like Jaywalker, I'm a goof about folding and compressing my trash (do the same thing at home). Also, I never re-hydrate meals in their bags, so nothing wet/moist is going in the bag and in the pack, so odor's a non-issue. I typically trip with just two of us and end up with a single 2-person entree bag's worth of trash over the course of a week.
 
08/16/2017 09:47AM  
I still have my very last BWCA one issued to me hanging in the garage. I brought my own bag that trip so I could save that one.
 
08/16/2017 10:18AM  
After a couple days, I empty a bear barrel and put the trash (already in zip locks) at the bottom of the barrel. Repeat as needed.
 
andym
distinguished member(5337)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
08/16/2017 10:58AM  
For smell, I agree, try the opsack. They are supposed to contain odor much better than a regular ziplock.

Honestly, ours doesn't smell anyway. Like others we avoid food waste. We also don't eat meat and I guess that helps.
 
08/16/2017 11:54AM  
We do as requested by the Quetico park rangers and burn everything that burns while portaging out non-burnable items like tin foil in a gallon ziplock bag. Small package, no smells and works great.
 
card0056
senior member (61)senior membersenior member
  
08/16/2017 01:28PM  
For the minimal trash we have I use ziplock baggies or hefty depending on the length of the trip. bring an extra small dry bag and attempt to get everything in the ziplock bag and then compress it in the dry bag. Keeps things clean, separate and compact.
 
barracuda
distinguished member (241)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/17/2017 08:27AM  
I switched to these bags . Leak less odor than ziplocks, cheaper/bigger than opsak. I use them for dog food and trash. My dogs cannot smell their food when the bag's closed and the trash stinks when you open the bag, so they seem to work.
 
Cedarboy
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08/17/2017 09:21AM  
quote SaganagaJoe: "putting it in a kitchen trash bag and carrying it out. 'Nuff said. :)"


Yep
 
08/17/2017 10:36AM  
I hope you put your febreeze scented bag into something else to contain the odor, Emptynest. I get that food residue starts to smell after a few days but a different (stronger, IMO) scent to cover up another seems to not be a good bear protocol.
That being said, I could totally get on board with a kitchen garbage bag on trips... Lots of volume, nice big opening.

To this point Ziplocs have been perfectly adequate. Like others, I minimize packaging so there are always extra baggies around. Paper gets used as fire starters whenever wet. I also try to minimize food waste if possible.
 
OtherBob
distinguished member (128)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/17/2017 10:53AM  
Milo, the world's most mellow canoe dog, used to take care of any organic waste.

Since his passing, we slice open freeze dried envelopes and place them near the fire. The moist food waste is "cremated" into ash. Same with the foil on which fish have been broiled. No stink, less bulk.
 
08/17/2017 11:06AM  
quote OtherBob: "...is "cremated" into ash. Same with the foil on which fish have been broiled. "

Bet you're overestimating your fire's effectiveness on this point.
 
Guest Paddler
  
08/17/2017 12:14PM  
What the dog won't eat or the fire won't burn we pack out. Pretty simple, really.
 
andym
distinguished member(5337)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
08/17/2017 01:30PM  
quote barracuda: "I switched to these bags . Leak less odor than ziplocks, cheaper/bigger than opsak. I use them for dog food and trash. My dogs cannot smell their food when the bag's closed and the trash stinks when you open the bag, so they seem to work. "


Interesting. Is that a clamp closure on them?
 
08/18/2017 08:24PM  
4keys is right. Only addition is that we always use really hot water to rinse the MRE type plastic bags. We leave all plastic trash in a large plastic bag at far side of camp to carry out later. Never a critter problem.
 
barracuda
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08/19/2017 06:53AM  
quote andym: "Interesting. Is that a clamp closure on them?"


Yep, fold bag over, twist, clamp.
 
08/19/2017 10:08AM  
quote charliez317: "Never any leftovers. Only food residue from meals like Mountain House bags and coffee filters/coffee. Again always double bagged. I like the Op Sack idea to better contain everything. It's not that bad, but come day six and when I'm digging in the barrel for my last meal, I sometimes lose my appetite."


The difference that I see with your garbage compared to mine is the coffee filters/coffee. That's probably what's making it smell bad. I use instant coffee on bwca trips so I don't have the mess/stink of coffee grounds/wet filters.
 
andym
distinguished member(5337)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
08/21/2017 01:55AM  
quote barracuda: "
quote andym: "Interesting. Is that a clamp closure on them?"



Yep, fold bag over, twist, clamp."


Thanks for pointing these out. I bought a few. If not used for camping, I'll use them for food storage in the cabin.
 
BuckFlicks
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08/23/2017 02:12PM  
We like to eat Lays Stacks for lunch and snacks. Think pringles, but in a plastic canister.

We will generally polish off most of one on the drive up from MSP and finish the rest at lunch the first day, then use the can to hold messy trash until we camp at night to take permanent care of it.

Then it goes in a gallon Ziploc freezer bag, then into the bear bag, which is more of a trash bag than a food storage bag as we typically only eat freeze dried stuff after the first day.

We carry the standard issue trash bag that you get when watching the requisite video, but we don't use it until the last day to throw everything into a trash barrel.
 
mjmkjun
distinguished member(2885)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/23/2017 04:10PM  
2 gal. zip lock w/slide which houses smaller bags of trash and they all live in the blue barrel.
 
08/23/2017 09:20PM  
quote ducks: "
quote boonie: "
quote nofish: "Not sure you can make the process of putting trash in a bag and carrying it out any simpler than it already is. Just bring the appropriate sized bag for the trash you expect to make.



The real trick is minimizing the amount of garbage you are generating on your trip. "




+1 A quart-size ziplocks works great for me - it closes up tight and is all I need unless it's a long trip, then I might need another one or a 1-gallon. Like Nofish, I don't generate much trash. I just put it in the ziplock, squeeze the air out, zip it closed - I can't think of anything simpler. "



+1 for me. When I have one of the ducklings along I will use a gallon size ziplock. It goes in the bearvault w/ the food."


+1
 
08/24/2017 05:56PM  
I use an OP sack. If I don't poke any holes in it, I rinse it out and use them again.
 
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