As always, this board provides amazingly helpful advice, especially the naysayers who think I would be in over my head (seriously, I am not handy at all).........and the ones who think I should just get the commercial product (do I need an excuse for more gear?!)...........

Here are my thoughts..........looking not to have to hang my bag using the PCT method (here in the NE you can have some very THICKLY forested areas where it is challenging to find a spot to throw the line) AND we, like MNS, have had mice want to stay with us in our house-steel wool and aluminum foil in the cracks in our basement have kept our unwanted squatters from coming in-the lore has always been that the mice noses don't like the poking of the steel wool.........so I thought that a steel wool "blanket" around our food would also keep the varmints out...........could be totally wrong (a daily experience in my life).............

So, I am waffling.........whether to place steel wool between two bags and see if it keeps the varmints out............or to just buy the ursack/ratsack.......what I usually do is make a DIY (which is usually of poor quality) and then buy the commercially made one.............

MNS-how thick and rough was the burlap-maybe the same principle as the steel wool?

Thanks again all,

A