Gamble or high adventure?

[hikerduane]

In light of the recent failures of the newer material in the Ursack TKO, if I visited Yosemite I was going to use my Garcia Machine canister instead of my TKO made with the original material. After packing this morning for a five day trip to Yosemite starting next Saturday, I have second thoughts about not using my TKO. I will be visiting areas where there hasn't been any reports about bear activity that I have heard. A little of me would like to see if my canister would stand up and another part of me wants to make it thru my trip with my food and be able to stay my five nights. I think the conditional approval is still in effect so I would be legal but I would know on Sat. when I pick up my permit. My trip starts in TM and goes up Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang then loops around Tenaya, Glen Aulin and out on Thursday at TM. Any thoughts?

Funny, I didn't repackage my freeze dried food like I did for my planned 8 day trip last Aug where all my food for the trip fit in the Ursack and this morning I couldn't get all my food in the Garcia Machine and I still have my salami, cheese and toiletries to go.

[hikerduane]

I cut my trip short due to snow and wet gear. I didn't see scat! or to put it another way I didn't see @#%&.

When I picked up my permit on Saturday the young man showed me a list of Ursack failures this last Summer in Yosemite and there locations which were scattered and it reported 10 failures. Since others have gotten a refund whenever their Ursack failed I'm going to email Ursack and request a refund for the aluminum insert I bought last Winter since it sounds like the TKO w/aluminum insert is going to get pulled and not be approved fully after talking with the Park employee. Anyone have any gossip besides that?

[hikerduane]

I received a reply from Ursack regarding a refund of the purchase price of my aluminum insert. He was not aware of so many failures and none of the older TKO's made with Spectra like mind and mentioned that a SIBBG meeting was taking place this week to discuss them. The Park Service maybe wasn't able to provide evidence to Ursack?

[gdurkee]

As luck would have it, I participated briefly in that meeting. It sounded like NPS knows of 7 failures of the new model of the Ursack. I wasn't there for the final decision so don't know if approval will be revoked. There was some discussion that the weave density of the latest version was not heavy enough. The problem was with only a couple of bears in Yosemite (though that's enough...) and with the sack, not the aluminum insert (which keeps the food from getting totally squashed and does seem to work.

I had just been asked to comment on how many people carry them. I said probably only a few percent of hikers, but that they tended to be more experienced and would probably like to see Ursack continue to get it right. I left them with the thought to rent the new version next season to test them out so people don't have to commit to buying them until they've got it right.

Don't know what the final decisions were.

George

[hikerduane]

Thank you for the report, good to know. If anything happens negatively I can use my Ursack minus the 15 oz. insert on local trips and my Garcia Machine for the remainder of the Sierra where required. I haven't seen a bear since Pooch passed away almost 4 years ago.