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Take-a-Hike wrote:Regarding Ursack, we're looking for a bear canister as well....venturing into Kings Canyon 4th weekend, up Copper Creek trial to maybe State lakes area, and I'd heard that the Ursack was granted a conditional approval. However, looking at NPS web site while making reservations for our permit, I noticed that the Ursack is listed as NOT approved. Can anyone shed light on the subject, or should we just go to REI and buy whatever they are selling these days?
TIA,
Perry
The Sierra Interagency Black Bear group lists the Ursack -- with the aluminum insert -- as conditionally approved. So it's OK to use with that combination. For what it's worth, I don't think they're all that great. A bear may not actually eat your food, but after he's through thrashing the sack, you don't have much left but crumbs and mush. All mixed together. The insert is supposed to keep the food from getting crushed, but I don't see it being that effective. Also, because bears have had success getting into these before, they're going to keep working on them -- something they don't even bother doing with a Garcia, for instance.
If you've got the money, the Bearakade is the way to go. Otherwise any of the others are about equal.
Mark: "Jardine like" refers to the going-super-light equipment movement that Ray Jardine started with a book he wrote on going light. I find some of his recommendations a little to skimpy, especially for inexperienced hikers. Still, it's really gotten people to look seriously at all the junk they carry and decide if it's really necessary. On the whole, Boy Scouts with 75+ lb packs are a thing of the past, and that's a good thing... .
Not to beat a dead horse, but we rented Bearikades for our JMT trip in 2004 and were extremely pleased with them. A bear kicked one out of our camp and then seriously messed around with it on our first night (Forsythe trail junction -- we'd been warned about her but just couldn't go any farther, and we heard that she was put down a day later; *sigh*), and there was virtually no damage to the canister or its contents. If I often hiked in bear country, that's the kind I'd buy, pricey or not. (Rental is not too bad, tho.)
