Ursack at REI!

I just read this on "Section Hiker." I looked, and sure enough! It's the S29 All White version, which is the only one approved by the Interregional Grizzly Bear Committee. Those of us with Ursacks made before April 2015 are stuck with non-approved containers, so probably should think about an upgrade. REI's price is a dollar more than on the Ursack website, but with free shipping and this month's 20% off REI coupon, that becomes a real bargain.

Do check local regulations; not all jurisdictions use the IGBC list, especially the California national parks. California black bears are a special breed--smarter than your average bear!

Those who have the specific S29 All White model purchased prior to April 2015 can send them back to Ursack for a retrofit. That doesn't help me because I bought mine--much older model--back in 2006.

Very nice on both counts! So happens I have 2014 dividend money rattling around, looking for somewhere to land.

I've used an original (yellow) Ursack for a good long while and appreciate the ease of both packing and using it in lieu of a canister or tree hang. This one is doubtless considerably improved and there are plenty of places I can use it even in California.

Decided to go for the Ursack with the current discount; it arrived yesterday. Compared to my old yellow edition the fabric is uncoated, making it much softer and presumably not even slightly weatherproof. The closure rope is at least twice as thick, they dispensed with the toggle closure and instead now prescribe a double-overhand closure knot (first, two loops then finish with a single loop).

The hangtag and web instructions differ. Hangtag says the best option is hanging the sack from a rock formation (as if) or counterbalance from a tree (hours of fun). Written Web instructions are first choice: the old method of tying off to a thick tree branch with a figure-eight, second: counter-balance or other hang. The video is a hybrid of the two and inside the bag is a label with instructions so tiny I cannot read them.

[Knock wood] never had my old bag assaulted so can't confirm its ultimate strength but I've used it a lot more than my canister over the years, even though I primarily hike the Sierra. Much lighter, much easier to pack, super-quick to anchor in the evening.

Mine just came, and I need to hold it up against my old one to see if it's smaller--it certainly looks that way! It's also a lot harder to get a complete closure. I'm hoping that working at it a while will soften the fabric a bit. I'll report back later on the size….

I found my old Ursacks; the new one is exactly the same size. Evidently the pure white S29 just looks smaller. The new one is 0.1 oz. lighter, but I suspect this has to do with the 10 years' worth of dirt and conifer pitch on the old one. The tag inside is the same size but obviously Ursack has tried to cram more info on the newer version. I needed my map reading glasses for it anyway.

I suspect that IGBC's grizzly testers were able to crush the plastic sliding gizmo on the older cord. I know that after the initial tests, Ursack had to replace the cord and beef up the stitching.

The old Ursacks aren't waterproof, either. Ursack used to recommend using the so-called odor proof plastic bags inside, and they still sell them. I have heard that nylofume bags work better but haven't tried them. I realize that a BPL test several years ago claimed that OP sacks aren't odor proof, but they certainly help. A few years before that test, I tested dog food in double freezer bags vs. dog food in OP sacks. Hysson got really excited about food in the double freezer bags but walked right by food in the "odor-proof" bags without even a sniff--and that was after he learned to associate plastic bags on the floor with food! So at least the OP sacks will keep your dog out of the food!

Now if I can just get the new one to close tightly….

I received mine and it is 7.5 oz, which is 1.5 oz heavier than my green TKO spectra Ursack that I have had since 2003.