Ursak review

MidwestFirecraft, cut and paste the URL into the "Add a link to this message" if you want other members to read the reviews.

butthead

Ursack recently not approved for use on some problem areas in BWCA, and with increasing incidents of problem bears across national parks awareness for acceptable containers rising, and it's obvious that Ursack is more and more falling on the wrong side of the line. Buy one and you may not be able to use it in the future! In parks where they are not allowed, you will be cited, permits taken away and escorted out of the park, some parks will ban you from visiting.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/896gtw/wonder_why_you_cant_use_an_ursack_in_yosemite_and/

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2011/05/09/09-17152.pdf

Above is a link to the federal court vs ursack over rights to yosemite, this was a big case for ursack as it will lead precedent over future decisions whether ursack should be approved (bad outlook for ursack).

https://www.kare11.com/article/sports/outdoors/food-storage-restrictions-ordered-for-some-bwca-lakes-to-prevent-bear-encounters/89-ae6bea91-69a5-424b-a905-dc00235b30c7

Above is a link to Kare 11 article about how the BWCA does NOT include ursack as an acceptable container for certain lakes. Again, this will likely expand with increasing bear incidents.

Anyways, yea, don't buy ursack. protect the bears, use something that will crush the behavior of seeking food by using a hard sided container that is impossible to access by a bear. Ursack does not protect the bears, food particles can still get in their mouth which reinforces the behavior to seek out humans. ursack sucks, federal court and national parks seem to agree!

The review is from MidwestFirecraft, not mine. It is to point out how to add links. Not rehash old news.

butthead

butthead: "The review is from MidwestFirecraft, not mine. It is to point out how to add links. Not rehash old news.


butthead"

My bad. Thank you for the heads up!

MidwestFirecraft,
Link to driections in main forum
A simple courtesy for members, keep up the reviews!

butthead

Sorry all, this was a site issue not midwestfirecrafts problem. I put in a patch so these reviews are linking correctly.

I stand corrected Adam and MiwestFirecraft. Because the link worked for me I assumed Midwest had not linked the review correctly, of functions now.

butthead

GearGuy: "Ursack recently not approved for use on some problem areas in BWCA, and with increasing incidents of problem bears across national parks awareness for acceptable containers rising, and it's obvious that Ursack is more and more falling on the wrong side of the line. Buy one and you may not be able to use it in the future! In parks where they are not allowed, you will be cited, permits taken away and escorted out of the park, some parks will ban you from visiting.


https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/896gtw/wonder_why_you_cant_use_an_ursack_in_yosemite_and/


http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2011/05/09/09-17152.pdf


Above is a link to the federal court vs ursack over rights to yosemite, this was a big case for ursack as it will lead precedent over future decisions whether ursack should be approved (bad outlook for ursack).


https://www.kare11.com/article/sports/outdoors/food-storage-restrictions-ordered-for-some-bwca-lakes-to-prevent-bear-encounters/89-ae6bea91-69a5-424b-a905-dc00235b30c7


Above is a link to Kare 11 article about how the BWCA does NOT include ursack as an acceptable container for certain lakes. Again, this will likely expand with increasing bear incidents.


Anyways, yea, don't buy ursack. protect the bears, use something that will crush the behavior of seeking food by using a hard sided container that is impossible to access by a bear. Ursack does not protect the bears, food particles can still get in their mouth which reinforces the behavior to seek out humans. ursack sucks, federal court and national parks seem to agree! "

So not a fan? Besides this year, when was the last time the BW had a ban on certain types of food bags? Out west is another issue, maybe you have a valid point for that area. You can always hang an Ursack btw. It will keep rodents out better than other fabric options

GearGuy: "Ursack recently not approved for use on some problem areas in BWCA, and with increasing incidents of problem bears across national parks awareness for acceptable containers rising, and it's obvious that Ursack is more and more falling on the wrong side of the line. Buy one and you may not be able to use it in the future! In parks where they are not allowed, you will be cited, permits taken away and escorted out of the park, some parks will ban you from visiting.


https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/896gtw/wonder_why_you_cant_use_an_ursack_in_yosemite_and/


http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2011/05/09/09-17152.pdf


Above is a link to the federal court vs ursack over rights to yosemite, this was a big case for ursack as it will lead precedent over future decisions whether ursack should be approved (bad outlook for ursack).


https://www.kare11.com/article/sports/outdoors/food-storage-restrictions-ordered-for-some-bwca-lakes-to-prevent-bear-encounters/89-ae6bea91-69a5-424b-a905-dc00235b30c7


Above is a link to Kare 11 article about how the BWCA does NOT include ursack as an acceptable container for certain lakes. Again, this will likely expand with increasing bear incidents.


Anyways, yea, don't buy ursack. protect the bears, use something that will crush the behavior of seeking food by using a hard sided container that is impossible to access by a bear. Ursack does not protect the bears, food particles can still get in their mouth which reinforces the behavior to seek out humans. ursack sucks, federal court and national parks seem to agree! "

GearGuy, cut and paste the URL into the "Add a link to this message" if you want other members to read your response.

I love it when people get so cast in their own gear choices it becomes an issue of ego.

“This is what I use and if you use anything else you’re just wrong!”

I've been using Ursaks for about 5 years now. In 2017, I had a rather large bear come into my campsite on Loon Lake twice. Both times, he came within 5 to 10 feet of my Ursaks where they were tied to trees. In both cases, he ignored them. All my food was dehydrated and vacuum sealed, and I don't think he recognized them as food.

I later learned that the bear got to 5 different conventionally hanging bags in surrounding sites and the conservation officers went in and shot it.

IMHO, the problem was that (1) bears learn how to get hanging bags; (2) People always hang their bags in the same place around campsites because choices can be limited; and (3) Most people don't hang bags properly to begin with.

There have been many discussions about this on the board. I will continue to use my Ursaks until I'm told I can't. Its easy to check the problem bear reports before starting on a trip and then go somewhere else.

Chicagored: "I've been using Ursaks for about 5 years now. In 2017, I had a rather large bear come into my campsite on Loon Lake twice. Both times, he came within 5 to 10 feet of my Ursaks where they were tied to trees. In both cases, he ignored them. All my food was dehydrated and vacuum sealed, and I don't think he recognized them as food.


I later learned that the bear got to 5 different conventionally hanging bags in surrounding sites and the conservation officers went in and shot it.


IMHO, the problem was that (1) bears learn how to get hanging bags; (2) People always hang their bags in the same place around campsites because choices can be limited; and (3) Most people don't hang bags properly to begin with.


There have been many discussions about this on the board. I will continue to use my Ursaks until I'm told I can't. Its easy to check the problem bear reports before starting on a trip and then go somewhere else.



"

Cliff Jacobson wrote in one of his books that he just sits the food pack off into the woods on the ground and has never had a bear get his food.

I also have many years of good service with a Ursak. It is approved by IGBC and allowed in most USFS Parks with the exceptions I know of, Yellowstone and parts of Yosemite. In the BWCA I feel the local ruling body just used and instituted a knee jerk reaction to the large number of inexperienced visitors this year. They are still allowed but not for ground storage of non-approved hanging methods. No bear encounters but have watched small rodents and raccoons attempt to bite into the Ursaks I own without success, which was my initial intention for buying them.

butthead